There was a lot of hype around the Eagles’ offense this offseason. Any time you trade for an arguable top-five receiver in A.J. Brown and add him to what might be the NFL’s best offensive supporting cast, excitement will start to bubble. The only real question for Nick Sirriani’s group was whether third-year quarterback Jalen Hurts could be the shepherd Philadelphia needed.
There’s no need to beat around the bush anymore: Hurts is playing exactly how the Eagles had hoped.
A national audience saw firsthand what the dynamic quarterback is capable of on Monday night in a 24-7 win against the Vikings. The 24-year-old had just five incompletions while creating 390 yards of offense with three touchdowns (two on the ground). Even given the early-season context of “feeling things out,” — this was a masterclass performance for a quarterback utterly comfortable within the confines of an offense tailor-made for his talents:
And like you, I’m still wondering how he didn’t go down on this touchdown run:
MAXIMUM EFFORT‼️ @JalenHurts
📺: #MINvsPHI on ABC pic.twitter.com/CDCx23oO27
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) September 20, 2022
Through two games against some feisty Detroit and Minnesota squads, Hurts’ early-year performance looks noticeably even better in context. His list of achievements and notable performance markers resembles more of an exhaustive laundry list than a quick reminder Post-It note.
Right now, Hurts is:
- The NFL’s seventh-leading passer (576 yards) with a robust 9.1 yards per attempt (No. 1 in the league)
- Eighth in completion percentage (69.8 percent)
- The NFL’s 10th-leading rusher (147 yards)
- For qualified quarterbacks, 10th in passer rating (97.1)
- Second in the NFL in total pass/rush yards from scrimmage (723)
If that weren’t enough, Hurts has also been one of the league’s most efficient/productive quarterbacks at the same time. Advanced stats currently have Hurts with a 0.154 composite Expected Points Added (EPA) and Completion Rate Over Expected (CPOE) — a measure of how many plays a signal-caller makes with their arm over expectations.
That is seventh-best in the NFL, with only a few true and long-established superstars ahead of No. 1 in dark Eagles green:
The top right of that chart — the sweet spot for elite quarterback play — features some noteworthy names you might be familiar with. Josh Allen. Patrick Mahomes. Justin Herbert. Lamar Jackson. You know, a whole host of MVP-caliber players at or near the peaks of their powers. And the Eagles’ young stud is right in step with them. Ho-hum.
There were a lot of reasonable concerns, many from the outside looking in, that Hurts would never get to this high level of play for the Eagles. When he first replaced Carson Wentz in a handful of games in 2020, he looked lost. After such a disaster, some wondered whether Philadelphia should reach back into the draft to find another player after Hurts seemingly barely gained any traction in his spot duty.
The 2021 season was better but still left a lot to desire. However, much of that could have been chalked up to what was one of the league’s worst receiving corps, with Jalen Reagor, Quez Watkins, and JJ Arcega-Whiteside all playing vastly out of roles.
Now, with A.J. Brown, Devonta Smith, and Dallas Goedert buoyed by Jason Kelce and the O-line up front, everywhere Hurts looks, he has some degree of quality support. And in the second year of a multifaceted option game offense predicated around Hurts’ versatility, he looks every bit like a franchise player.
It won’t be smooth sailing for the entire year, as every quarterback is bound to have a stinker or two, but the foundation is set. If Hurts continues to play like this — and chances are, with a weak division and conference schedule, he very well might — the Eagles are a legit player in the NFC.
There were rough patches, but even amidst a coaching change to Sirianni, the Eagles stayed committed to the development of Hurts. Their patience and willingness to let Hurts see and work through live bullets before taking the reins of their now-complete offense has been rewarded. As a result of their commitment, the Eagles have what certainly looks like the NFL’s latest successful quarterback development story.
