Drafting Jalen Hurts was right call for undefeated Eagles - The Washington Post

Who knows, had the Steelers snagged Hurts with the 49th wide prime successful 2020 and groomed him arsenic a successor to Ben Roethlisberger, possibly they wouldn’t beryllium 2-6 and already playing for adjacent season.

At the precise least, Hurts wouldn’t person thrown 4 touchdown passes against them past period arsenic portion of the Eagles’ 8-0 commencement — the archetypal successful franchise history. That grounds makes Philly the lone undefeated squad successful the NFL.

Hurts, though, fell to the Eagles and successful his 3rd season, helium is having an MVP-type year — per FanDuel Sportsbook, lone Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes and Buffalo QB Josh Allen person amended likelihood to triumph the grant — and boasts a team-record winning streak for starting quarterbacks headed into Monday’s crippled against Washington.

More a jawn feline than yinzer, Hurts revealed connected a recent podcast co-hosted by teammate Jason Kelce that helium thought for definite connected draught nighttime helium was Pittsburgh-bound. Hurts had 1 interrogation with the Eagles astatine the combine, and based connected that, “I didn’t deliberation I was going to beryllium an Eagle.”

Serious and straight-faced astatine the podium, Hurts inactive doesn’t impressment overmuch erstwhile addressing reporters.

Good happening for the Birds, wide manager Howie Roseman made the prime — yes, that was his telephone telephone from the Philly country codification — to draught Hurts based connected his arm, legs and different intangibles, which turned the QB into 1 of the champion picks of his regime.

“He’s been a beauteous cool, confident, competitory feline from the infinitesimal he’s been here,” Kelce said.

The numbers amusement Hurts has the Eagles positioned for much large numbers with a triumph implicit the Commanders. With a victory, Hurts would widen his franchise grounds — and longest streak for an progressive NFL QB — with 12 consecutive victories. The Eagles besides would lucifer their longest winning-streak successful squad past with nine, acceptable successful 1960 and matched successful 2003 and 2017. The recognition successful ample portion belongs to Hurts.

“I don’t cognize if I genuinely knew everything astir however dependable helium is until you’re astir him each azygous day,” manager Nick Sirianni said. “When you unrecorded it each day, it smacks you successful the look each day, like, man, this feline is dependable nary substance what the situation. I’d beryllium lying to you if I said, yeah, we picked that up. You knew however good, however precocious his shot quality was, you knew however precocious his shot quality was and his wide general character, arsenic well, but to accidental that you knew — until you unrecorded that with him — I’m definite the Alabama coaches know, I’m definite the Oklahoma coaches know. But until you unrecorded that with him, that’s erstwhile it becomes truly awesome and you truly consciousness it.”

Hurts has passed for 2,042 yards and 12 touchdowns and has tally for 326 yards and six TDs this season. He has thrown conscionable 2 interceptions portion accumulating a 107.8 QB rating, which is 2nd successful the NFL down Tua Tagovailoa’s 115.9. The Eagles definite weren’t affirmative Hurts would emergence into the ranks of elite NFL players. And they definite didn’t spot a cleanable play successful show this heavy into the season.

“I knew we had a accidental to beryllium truly good, but I didn’t deliberation we’d beryllium 8-0 astatine this point,” Kelce said. “Not that I interest astir wherever we’re going to be.”

Washington manager Ron Rivera said Hurts reminded him of a young Cam Newton, different dual-threat QB successful his premier who kept defenses off-kilter. Rivera should know: He was Carolina’s manager erstwhile Newton won the NFL MVP grant and led the Panthers to the Super Bowl successful the 2015 season.

“I watched the mode the young antheral plays and Cam was a item reel into himself,” Rivera said. “A batch of times erstwhile you ticker the mode Jalen’s playing, you tin spot a batch of those flashes, oregon astatine slightest I do. He volition archer you though, Cam’s taller, but the young antheral is simply a heck of a shot subordinate and helium does truly genuinely punctual maine of the mode Cam plays. He plays with a batch of passion, which Cam did, too.”

Much similar astir teams had occupation solving Newton, Rivera’s squad has yet to dilatory Hurts.

Hurts was 22 of 35 for 340 yards and 3 touchdown passes, 1 each to DeVonta Smith, A.J. Brown and Dallas Goedert, successful a 24-8 rout successful September against the Commanders. For the Commanders to person immoderate accidental of an upset, they volition person to unit and incorporate Hurts, thing that defenses person not been capable to bash yet this season.

Washington’s enactment is stout, with interior lineman Daron Payne and Jonathan Allen providing beardown play up the middle. Payne has 5 1/2 of the Commanders’ 23 sacks. Montez Sweat is simply a menace disconnected the edge. Washington besides could spot the instrumentality of antiaircraft extremity Chase Young, who hasn’t played since tearing the ACL successful his close genu past Nov. 14.

Maybe immoderate unit volition rattle Hurts.

Maybe not, since not overmuch other has troubled the unflappable, unbeaten QB.

___

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL