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Through the first two weeks of the regular season, the Philadelphia Eagles have been one of the more surprising teams in the NFL. And with Jalen Hurts leading the charge, they show no signs of slowing down.
During the off-season, the Eagles made several moves to make their team drastically better. This started with the signings of linebacker Kyzir White and Hasson Reddick. They then added a potential cornerstone piece on defense in the first round of the draft in defensive Jordan Davis.
Two blockbuster trades were also in the plans for the Eagles. Acquiring wide receiver A.J. Brown immediately made this offense better. And then just weeks before the start of the season, they traded for star cornerback Chauncey Gardner-Johnson. And this team now looks to be a legitimate threat in the NFC.
The Eagles started their season with a strong win against the Detroit Lions. Hurts and the offense showed up in a big way, scoring 38 points in the opener.
Then in Week 2, the Eagles put on a show on national television as they took on the Minnesota Vikings. In a 24-7 victory, the offense seemed to be just plays away from perfection.
With star power on both sides of the ball and a somewhat easy schedule in front of them, the Eagles may not lose a game any time soon.
At the front of the Eagles' dominance lies one player. Their QB1, Jalen Hurts. And he has been the clear x-factor for this unit through the first two games.
Last season, Hurts, in his first season as the Eagles' starting quarterback, put in a solid performance. But there was clear room for improvement.
In 15 games in 2021, he posted a starting record of 8-7. He threw for 3,144 passing yards, 16 touchdowns, and nine interceptions.
On the ground, he added another 784 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns.
And through two weeks of the 2022 season, Hurts seems to be better in every way possible.
Jalen Hurts is the Eagles' surprising X-factor through the first 2 weeks of the season
Hurts started the season off strong in Week 1, accounting for 243 passing yards, 90 rushing yards, and one rushing touchdown.
In Week 2, he put on an even more dominant performance against a strong Vikings defense. He recorded the second-most passing yards of his career with 333. On the ground, he added another 57 yards rushing. He also totaled three touchdowns, with one coming through the air, and another on the ground.
In both of these games, the offense has seemed to be firing on all cylinders. Hurts has regularly connected with several pass catchers, including his new go-to target in A.J. Brown.
In these two contests, Hurts and Brown have connected 15 times, leading to 224 total yards. And while Brown is yet to reach the endzone, it seems all but certain that it will happen soon.
Dallas Goedert has also emerged as a favorite target for Hurts. The tight end has recorded eight receptions for 142 yards over the first two games.
In terms of rushing, Hurts has proven that he will yet again be elite in that area of the game. He is just 29 yards behind Miles Sanders as the team's leading rusher. And his three rushing touchdowns lead the team.
On the defensive side of the ball, several players have stood out so far. But cornerback Darius Slay may be the biggest star of the group through the first two games.
During Monday night's contest against the Vikings, Slay shut down Justin Jefferson. In the end, Slay recorded two interceptions and five defended passes.
In just two games, the Jalen Hurts-led Eagles look to be a legitimate threat. And Hurts looks positioned to become a full-blown star this season.
In the past, many speculated if Hurts was the man for the job. And he is quickly proving any doubters wrong. Prolonged performance of this caliber will put him directly into the MVP conversation.
And not only has Hurts won the Eagles' locker room over, but he also has the support of the whole city. The team seems comfortable locking him in as the QB1 of the future.
With how the Eagle's roster is currently constructed, and how they have performed over the first two weeks of the season, they could be in for their best season in recent history. And they will go as far as Jalen Hurts can take them.
