After scoring his second rushing touchdown of the first half and giving the Philadelphia Eagles a 21-14 lead, the vocal contingent of Philly fans at Super Bowl 57 rained “MVP” chants down upon Jalen Hurts.
They had a point. Not just for the Super Bowl, but as a contender for the league’s most prestigious regular season award in 2023 and beyond. After weeks of run-dominant playcalling in blowout wins, Philadelphia head coach Nick Sirianni turned the reins over to his rising young quarterback and asked him to keep the Kansas City Chiefs at arm’s length. More than 76 percent of the Eagles plays — 55 of 72 — were either passes or Hurts-based runs.
That resulted in nearly 36 minutes of possession, four Hurts touchdowns and, unfortunately for the Eagles, a 38-35 loss in a Super Bowl ultimately decided by a late defensive holding penalty. It was a brutal finish to what had been a stellar season in Philadelphia. It was also a sign Hurts belongs among the elite when it comes to NFL quarterbacks.
We’d already known some of this. Hurts could rely on several metrics that suggested he’d arrived as a top five quarterback in 2022. Before Sunday he’d gone 16-1 as a starter. His 101.5 passer rating was fourth-best in the NFL and his 13 rushing touchdowns were five more than any other QB. Advanced stats — expected points added (EPA) per play and completion percentage over expected (CPOE) — painted him as a top three most valuable quarterback.
This didn’t hold up in the postseason. Hurts hadn’t been the same passer following a Week 15 shoulder sprain. He’d thrown for only 504 yards in the three games leading up to Super Bowl 57 with a 74.7 passer rating — both well below his regular season marks. But he also didn’t have to do much in a string of blowouts through which the Eagles ran the ball 63 percent of the time.
This left his Super Bowl performance in question. Would he be able to come through and deliver in a shootout? Or was he a ghost ship set to drift along the winds of skill players like A.J. Brown and Miles Sanders, capable of only moving in step with their abilities?
Hurts gave us an immediate answer. The limited passing of the playoffs and the pre-Super Bowl bye allowed the cover to heal up and fully restore the leveled-up deep game he’d showed off in 2022. His first passing touchdown of the day originally looked like a testament to A.J. Brown’s adjustment than any overall accuracy. But on review, Hurts put this ball exactly where needed to cap a 45-yard rainbow while Brown’s stutter step served to create the space needed to, well, embarrass Trent McDuffie.
Launched that thing. @JalenHurts
📺: #SBLVII on FOX
📱: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/d8gBDzRt2m pic.twitter.com/Gj9hTEAPG3— NFL (@NFL) February 13, 2023
Two drives later, he put a 30-plus yard dart right on DeVonta Smith’s hands despite L’Jarius Sneed being glued to his hip in coverage. The catch was eventually overturned, but the message was clear. This is not a running quarterback who can eventually find an open wideout downfield. This is a guy who can turn a sliver of daylight into a horizon for the Eagles offense.
And that may not have been his most impressive incompletion of the night!
blitzer right in his face and Jalen Hurts still unleashed a 40+ yard dart that his Quez Watkins in the hands pic.twitter.com/YbW4GwArI8
— Christian D'Andrea (@TrainIsland) February 13, 2023
That drop gave way to this third-and-14 conversion, crocheted through the wool of tight zone coverage on Dallas Goedert.
These are all big throws, made on the biggest stage you can possibly get. Then, with the game on the line and trailing 35-27, Hurts completed three passes for 63 yards before diving in for his third rushing touchdown of the day with just over five minutes to play. He found the end zone again for the ensuing two-point conversion and, just like that, the Eagles had tied the game on the strength of their young quarterback.
Two-point conversion is good.
Buckle up. Tie game.
📺: #SBLVII on FOX
📱: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/d8gBDzRt2m pic.twitter.com/HimJH4LK6o— NFL (@NFL) February 13, 2023
Unfortunately, that was the last meaningful snap Hurts would take this season. A questionable James Bradberry holding call gave Kansas City the latitude to retake the lead with seconds on the clock. That not only robbed the world of a dynamite ending — who wants to see kneel-downs and a chip-shot field goal? — but also kept Hurts from completing his masterpiece. He’d just led the Eagles 65 yards in 91 seconds; the Chiefs clock management ensured he wouldn’t get the chance to repeat those heroics.
Hurts’ final line?
- 27-38 through the air (71.1 percent completion rate) for 304 passing yards and one touchdown
- 70 rushing yards on 15 carries, three touchdowns and a perfect four-for-four conversion rate on third- or fourth-and-short QB sneaks
- one completely terrible fumble returned for a touchdown (yeah, it wasn’t all good).
SCOOPED IT. SCORED IT. ⚡️ pic.twitter.com/4WNVgZm6ZC
— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) February 13, 2023
Hurts ultimately wasn’t given a final chance to prove himself, but he spent the bulk of his evening rising to the challenge, standing up to the Chiefs pressure and finding open receivers downfield. The quarterback Eagles fans saw Sunday night was a young passer realizing he’s a true heavyweight. Hurts did work on the ground. He also proved he can make big throws through the air into tight windows and elevate the players critics had assumed were elevating him.
That didn’t end with a Lombardi Trophy in 2023, but it sets the stage for a bright future. Hurts is 24 years old. His Eagles had one of the league’s deepest rosters. While they’ll likely lose some veteran free agents — James Bradberry, Javon Hargrave, Fletcher Cox, Miles Sanders and CJ Gardner-Johnson can all hit the open market this spring — they also have a modicum of salary cap space and the 10th and 30th overall picks in the first round of the upcoming NFL Draft.
Hurts has space to get better and Philadelphia might as well. That’s a scary thought for the rest of the NFC. And even scarier for any defensive back who thinks they’ve got his target locked down, only for Hurts to slide a third-and-long arrow over his outstretched fingers and into a fresh set of downs.
