PHILADELPHIA — Two years later, things have come full circle for Jalen Hurts.
The 24-year-old quarterback faced the first team he saw extended playing time against as a rookie and delivered on Sunday night one of the best performances of his career in a 40-33 win over the Green Bay Packers at Lincoln Financial Field.
The progress Hurts has made since that December 2020 evening at Lambeau Field was apparent against Green Bay, as it has been all season.
The Eagles, now 10-1, maintained their lead on both the NFC East and the conference and put together an emphatic, eventful win in prime time.
Here’s our analysis off the game:
Hurts boosts MVP case
The early showing from the Eagles offense had a stark resemblance to the ending of the previous week’s win over the Indianapolis Colts.
In lieu of steady offense, the group leaned on Hurts’ ability to make things happen with his athleticism in the early going. Hurts reeled off a 24-yard run to complete an improbable third-and-10 with no receivers free on the Eagles’ opening drive and followed it up with a 28-yarder on a quarterback draw a few plays later.
Hurts had 103 rushing yards in the first quarter alone and finished with one of the most impressive stat lines of his NFL career: 16 completions on 28 attempts, 310 total yards, and two passing touchdowns. His 157 rushing yards set the team’s single-game record for a quarterback.
In his first outing against the Packers, he went 5-for-12 for 109 yards, a touchdown and an interception after replacing Carson Wentz midway through the game. This time around, Hurts outplayed the reigning two-time MVP, leading a resurgent performance for an Eagles offense that hit a rough patch in recent weeks.
Hurts’ contributions on the ground were pivotal early in the game, but he also made a handful of impressively placed throws to display the progress he’s made as a passer this season. He had a back-shoulder throw to Quez Watkins down the sideline that went for a 30-yard touchdown. On the offense’s first series of the second half, Hurts hit receiver DeVonta Smith in a spot that led him away from a Packers defender and allowed him to work upfield.
Especially on a national stage, it was the type of performance that should keep Hurts among the league’s candidates for MVP. The Eagles will play more meaningful games and Hurts’ performances down the stretch will be the determining factor, but he helped his case Sunday night.
Banged-up secondary brings unsung heroes
The Eagles’ depleted secondary gave way to a couple unsung heroes.
Eagles safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson left in the first quarter with a rib injury that held him out for the remainder of the game. Gardner-Johnson, the league-leader in interceptions, was slow to get up after colliding with Marcus Epps on a completion to Packers receiver Christian Watson.
Reed Blankenship filled in for Gardner-Johnson and had a pivotal play in the second quarter, baiting and intercepting a pass from Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers to kill a Packers drive in Eagles territory.
Blankenship, an undrafted rookie free agent out of Middle Tennessee State, recently supplanted K’Von Wallace as the extra safety in the Eagles’ dime packages and played well in Gardner-Johnson’s absence. Gardner-Johnson was carted off.
The Eagles were already without starting slot cornerback Avonte Maddox, who is on injured reserve with a hamstring injury. Josiah Scott, the backup nickel corner, had a pick on the opening series of the game off a deflection from Darius Slay.
Ground and pound
Hurts wasn’t the only player dominant in the run game against the Packers defense.
Miles Sanders finished with 143 yards and two touchdowns on 21 carries, marking the first time the Eagles had two rushers surpass 100 yards since Hurts and Sanders did so against the New Orleans Saints in 2020.
Sanders had a couple explosive runs, including a 15-yard touchdown run in the first quarter and two runs for 20-plus yards on the opening series of the third quarter.
According to Next Gen Stats, Sanders had 49 rush yards over expectation. His two touchdowns brought his season tally to eight. By comparison, Sanders compiled nine over the first three years of his career.
Reserve running backs Boston Scott and Kenneth Gainwell combined for 63 yards, including a touchdown from Gainwell. The 363 total yards on the ground was the highest rushing total the Eagles have amassed in 74 years.
Dickerson, Johnson banged up
The Eagles were without Landon Dickerson for part of the fourth quarter.
The starting left guard limped off after a quarterback sneak around the 13-minute mark and was replaced by Andre Dillard. The decision to use Dillard at left guard was somewhat surprising, as the 2019 first-round pick played almost exclusively left tackle in his college and professional career. He played right tackle for one game his rookie year and got benched after struggling. Dickerson eventually returned around the six-minute mark of the fourth quarter.
Patrick Johnson injured his ankle on a special-teams play midway through the second half and didn’t return.
Rodgers bows out
Rodgers left early in the fourth quarter with an oblique injury and never returned.
Backup quarterback Jordan Love replaced Rodgers and completed 6-of-9 passes for 113 yards and a touchdown. Rodgers finished 11-for-16 for 140 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions.
