Leaders step up when needed, and Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts is one of the leaders for the team, and they needed his leadership and his talent to win the NFC East, get the number one seed in the NFC, and secure a first-round bye.
Hurts helped make all that happen as the Eagles defeated the Giants 22-16 at Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday. Clearly, Hurts, who threw for 229 yards, including an interception against New York, was not 100%, and according to his head coach Nick Sirianni, he was sore after the game, which was expected; however, Hurts gutted through the pain for his teammates.
“We are fortunate that we have two weeks till the next time we play, depending on if it’s Saturday or Sunday,” Sirianni said on Tuesday. “We’re fortunate there. Again, he’s going to be a little bit healthier than what he was obviously the other day.
“He came out sore, as expected. He came out of that game sore because it’s still healing, right? Like, we didn’t feel like we were putting him at any more risk of getting more injured, but we knew it was going to hurt him like hell; he knew it was going to hurt him like hell. That’s the kind of player he is; that’s the kind of teammate he is. He fought through it because it was important for him to be out there; he knew how important it was for him and his teammates to be out there.”
To advance in the playoffs, the Eagles need Hurts to be as close to 100% as possible. They need him to play like the guy that is an MVP candidate; Hurts is at his best when he’s is using both his arm and legs. He used his legs against the Giants, but he did not have any designed runs, which, if he’s healthy, will likely be a part of the offense.
