After averaging more than two turnovers per game before the bye, Jalen Hurts was nearly perfect with the ball in his hands in October, throwing exactly zero interceptions while keeping the ball off the ground as a runner.
What gives? Have the Eagles drastically changed their offense to be more favorable to Hurts? Or has the team opted to shed some responsibilities, forcing the fifth-year quarterback to play more like a game manager and less like a gunslinger? Or is it all due to AJ Brown taking the Eagles quarterback from a bottom-15 quarterback to a top-15 quarterback with his presence alone?
Discussing these same questions during his press briefing on Monday, Nick Sirianni explained the challenge of wanting to be an offense built around explosive plays while being careful with the ball and how Hurts did a very good job to thread this needle.
“You have to be able to take care of the football while remaining explosive. That’s why the quarterback is who he is, how important he is to the football team. Because we have to be able to accept open receivers on the field without wanting to force it. I think it’s just the repetition of the different plays he sees versus all the different looks he might get,” Sirianni told reporters.
“So you want to take what they give you. Sometimes it’s riskier than other times, but I think it’s just playing the quarterback position. It’s constantly taking what they give you. Are they opening things up on the ground? As for the next part, it’s about how you protect the ball when you carry it. Because I think it’s just different. How you have the ball, and you take care of it when you carry it, and how you have to make reads and stuff like that.
While not all of Hurts’ turnovers in 2024 were necessarily his fault, as he had snap issues from Cam Jurgens and bad luck due to tipped passes and poorly executed routes, his efforts have been noticeably different in the last two games compared to the first four. in a good way. If Hurts can just trust his playmakers to work the open field, stay engaged in the running game, and then send those deep shots to AJ Brown when the flow of the game allows, who knows, maybe the Eagles winning streak will continue. in the future.
Nick Sirianni just wants Jalen Hurts to play smart for the Eagles
Discussing the matter further during his media availability session, Sirianni explained how the Eagles were able to adopt this new schematic identity in Week 7. Even though the Eagles might not get eight sacks again their defense, let alone holding an opposing offense to under 200. Combined yards, Hurts’ game is translatable, as he focuses on setting up big plays with small ones instead of moonshots down the field.
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“Jalen plays the toughest position in sports, in my opinion. These guys come out there to try to kill you, and he has to make split decisions about which direction to go with the football, based on a defense that’s trying to fool you about what they’re playing. SO, [he] You have to be precise with the throw on top of that, while sometimes someone is right on the receiver’s hip, and sometimes they’re also open by a pile. This takes a ton of repetitions. This takes a ton of study. Jalen has done so much. He knows how important it is to take care of football, but he also knows how important it is to win the explosive battle of the game,” Sirianni told reporters.
“This is what we talk about every week. “Let’s win the explosive play battle and let’s win the turnover battle.” A big part of that is his ability to push the ball when it needs to be pushed. Sometimes you get explosive plays. Yesterday we carried out an inspection at [RB] Kenny Gainwell. It wasn’t an explosive [play]but it was damn close. A 12 yard gain because Kenny got the ball in space and managed to make a guy miss. There are a lot of things that come into play. I think he plays good football and he takes care of the ball. We have this two-game winning streak, and he touches the ball on every play, so he plays a big role in that and that’s a big reason why.
Facing a Bengals offense that knows how to score but isn’t much of a defensive threat, if the Eagles can limit turnovers and explosive plays in Week 8, they should be on the fast track to a third streak. earn.
