There were no nerves, Jalen Hurts said after a 24-21 win over the New Orleans Saints on Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field, his first NFL start. Instead, the message from his teammates, all of whom threw their full support behind him all week, was just to be him. Just be Jalen Hurts, the same quarterback who enjoyed such a prolific collegiate career at Alabama and Oklahoma and who stepped in a week earlier at Lambeau Field and had some success against the Packers.
Just go out and be Jalen Hurts. And have a lot of fun.
"I mean, it was a new experience for me, for sure. My first NFL start out there, I'm excited that I was able to do it with this group of guys, with this team," Hurts said. "We're ready to get back to work and fix the things we need to fix.
"The guys just told me to be you. Go out there and be J-Hurts. Everything else will take of itself. We all had each other's back. That's the beauty in all this. We had each other's back. We went out there against a really good football team. We had so much money we left on the table (missed opportunities). Moving forward, we just want to continue to build, learn from our mistakes, and hope we progress.
"We talked about energy. We talked about urgency. We talked about a lot of enthusiasm and being there for your brother. We control what we can control. Go out there and try to control the controllables. Go out there and play ball and have fun and trust in one another. That's what we did today. Lot of grit. Lot of perseverance and we were there for one another."
Hurts did everything the Eagles needed him to do, accounting for 106 rushing yards on 18 carries and 167 passing yards and a touchdown as he completed 17 of 30 passes with no interceptions and no quarterback sacks. The Eagles built up a 17-point halftime lead and then took back the momentum after the Saints closed the gap to three points after the third quarter, something they haven't done all season (more on that later).
In the first half, it was mostly about Hurts, as the rookie quarterback displayed an array of awareness and accuracy throwing the football from the pocket and from outside the tackle box, quick decision-making as he took off and ran for 75 yards, and a command with cool under pressure in a best-of-the-season 302-yard offensive output from a unit that, yes, looked decidedly different than it had in the previous 12 games.
It was breathtaking, really. The offensive design allowed Hurts to do damage with quick passes, easy completions, and some throws outside the pocket as well as plenty of run/pass options. The tempo was faster and there just seemed to be an abundance of energy from an Eagles offense that delivered 17 points on a Hurts-to-Alshon Jeffery touchdown pass, an 82-yard Miles Sanders run, and a Jake Elliott 44-yard field goal. All of that added up to a 17-0 lead and the Eagles could have had more had Elliott converted a simple 22-yard field goal as the half ended, but his kick clunked off the left upright and the momentum changed, as it has all season, right there.
For whatever reason, the receivers created space, something in demand for much of the year. A short completion to Jalen Reagor running a crossing route turned into 39 yards. Jeffery caught a back-shoulder throw from Hurts for the touchdown. The balance was terrific as the Eagles accumulated 173 rushing yards to go along with 129 passing yards and, well, it was as perfect a half as the Eagles have played since whipping the woeful New York Jets in 2019, when the Eagles led 21-0? Or when the Eagles led Chicago 12-0 in Week 9 of last season?
Whatever, it was electrifying.
"He's a natural leader. He gave us that spark that started last week," Sanders said. "I think we look like a complete team. Overall, I think this whole team did a helluva job."
"and" - Google News
December 14, 2020 at 09:16AM
https://ift.tt/3qWS2cz
Oh, what a win! Hurts, Sanders, and gritty D lead to win - PhiladelphiaEagles.com
"and" - Google News
https://ift.tt/35sHtDV
https://ift.tt/2ycZSIP
And
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "Oh, what a win! Hurts, Sanders, and gritty D lead to win - PhiladelphiaEagles.com"
Post a Comment