The Truth Hurts – Jalen Hurts Impact On The Philadelphia Eagles

It’s been a tumultuous season for the Philadelphia Eagles to say the least. Two years removed from a stunning Super Bowl run, the Eagles are struggling and former second overall pick Carson Wentz has his fair share to do with it. His knack for turning the ball over, missing throws, and getting injured seems to have derailed what many felt was a promising young career.

Due to Wentz’s woes, head coach Doug Pederson’s job was in question, forcing him to have to make a hard decision. Bench Wentz or start rookie signal caller Jalen Hurts?

Pederson’s hand was forced against the Green Bay Packers: he benched Wentz in the third quarter, effectively ending his day. Wentz was 6 of 15 for 79 yards. The offense looked lethargic and disengaged, only tallying three points and less than 100 total yards.

Once Hurts entered the game, the tone turned in Philly’s favor. It seemed like receivers were working a little harder to get to balls and get open, and the offensive line blocked better. Hurts tallied 109 yards passing, 29 yards rushing, a touchdown, one interception, and the Eagles scored 13 points.

That momentum carried over into Hurts’ first NFL start against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday. His performance was magical – he didn’t look rattled or overwhelmed by the moment and the Eagles looked like a totally different team.

The defense looked hungry and tenacious again, and were getting after Taysom Hill. Jalen Hurts made play after play, converting third downs and leading the Eagles to a 17-0 lead on arguably the best team in the NFC. Hurts had 167 yards passing and one touchdown, as well as adding 106 yards on the ground.

Hurts impact was felt by many, but none felt it more than Miles Sanders. Sanders had his best game this year with 136 total yards and two touchdowns.

The truth is this Eagles team has played better in just under a game and half with Hurts under center than with Wentz. The attitude of the team has visibly bettered over that span, and if Hurts can continue to capture this magic, Philadelphia could see themselves winning more with him.