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After averaging more than two turnovers per game before the bye, Jalen Hurts has been darn near perfect with the ball in his hands in October, throwing exactly zero interceptions while keeping the ball off the ground as a runner.
What gives? Have the Eagles radically changed their offense to be more Hurts-friendly? Or has the team opted to take some of the responsibilities off of his plate, forcing the fifth-year quarterback to play more like a game manager and less like a gunslinger? Or is this all on AJ Brown, turning the Eagles QB from a bottom-15 to a top-15 quarterback with his presence alone?
Discussing these very questions during his Monday media availability, Nick Sirianni broke down the challenge of wanting to be an offense built around explosive plays while also being careful with the ball and how Hurts has done a really good job of threading that needle.
“You've got to be able to take care of the football while still being explosive. That's why the quarterback is who he is, how important he is to the football team. Because we've got to be able to take receivers that are open downfield while also not wanting to force it. I think that's just the repetition of the different plays that he sees versus all the different looks that he can get,” Sirianni told reporters.
“So you want to take what they give you. Sometimes that's more risk than other times, but I think that's just playing the quarterback position. It's constantly taking what they give you. Do they open things up down the field? As far as the next part goes, it's how you're protecting the ball when you're carrying it. Because I think that's just different. How you have the ball, and you're taking care of it when you're carrying it, and how you have to go through reads and stuff like that.”
While all of Hurts' turnovers in 2024 aren't necessarily his fault, as he's had snapping issues from Cam Jurgens and some bad luck from tipped passes to poorly run routes, his efforts have been noticeably different over the last two games versus the first four in a good way. If Hurts can just trust his playmakers to put in work in the open field, remain committed to the run game, and then take those deep shots to AJ Brown when the game flow allows, who knows, maybe the Eagles' win-streak will continue into the future.
Nick Sirianni just wants Jalen Hurts to play smart for the Eagles
Discussing the matter further in his media availability session, Sirianni broke down how the Eagles were able to embrace this new schematic identity in Week 7. While the Eagles might not get eight sacks from their defense again, let alone hold an opposing offense to under 200 yards combined, Hurts' play is translatable, as it centers around setting up big plays with small ones instead of moon shots down the field.
“Jalen plays the hardest position in sports, in my opinion. These guys are coming down there trying to kill you, and he's got to make split decisions on where to go with the football based on a defense that's trying to deceive you of what they're playing. Then, [he] has to be accurate with the throw on top of that, while somebody is right on the hip of the receiver at times, and sometimes they're open by a bunch, too. It takes a ton of reps. It takes a ton of study. Jalen has done so much of that. He knows how important it is to take care of the football, but he also knows how important it is to win the explosive play battle,” Sirianni told reporters.
“That's what we talk about each week. ‘Let's win the explosive play battle, and let's win the turnover battle.' A lot of that falls on his shoulders of being able to push the ball when it needs to be pushed. Sometimes, you get explosive plays. Yesterday, we had a check down to [RB] Kenny Gainwell. It wasn't an explosive [play], but it was darn close. A 12-yard gain because Kenny got the ball in space and was able to make a guy miss. There's a lot that plays into it. I think he's been playing good football and taking care of the ball. We have this two-game win streak, and he's touching the ball every play, so he's a big part of that and a big reason why.”
Facing off against a Bengals offense that knows how to score but isn't much of a defensive threat, if the Eagles can keep the turnovers down and the explosive plays up in Week 8, they should be on the fast track to a third-straight win.
