The Eagles will return to the Super Bowl after defeating the 49ers 31-7 in the NFC title game at Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday.
With the win, the Eagles, who won Super Bowl in the 2017 season, will face the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII in Arizona on February 12.
The man doubted in college at Alabama and Oklahoma, and in his first two seasons in the league, Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts has proven that he can lead a team to a Super Bowl.
Hurts, who finished 15/25 for 121 yards and ran for 39 yards and a touchdown against San Francisco, says there’s still more work to be done.
“I said early in the week that this is not a time for reflection,” he said. “It’s really hard for me to do that. I try to enjoy the moment, but my joy comes in winning. I know the job isn’t done. I never knew how far we would come, I never knew how far we’d go, but I never said it couldn’t be done.”
Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie said he saw the potential in Hurts when Philly drafted him in the second round back in 2020.
“He is a great young leader,” Lurie said. “He is a terrific young quarterback. When we drafted him, it was the upside we were banking on. We thought he had a huge upside. It takes a couple years. And somebody so dedicated as [QB] Jalen [Hurts] and such a great teammate. Inevitably he is going to maximize everything he has, and that’s what he’s done.”
When the Eagles drafted Hurts, many were shocked because they had just signed Carson Wentz to a big contract the season before. Hurts reflected on that moment after the win.
“It was a big surprise to many,” he said about Philly drafting him. “My favorite [bible] verse, I went through a lot of stuff in college, and it kind of stuck with me, John 13:7: ‘You may not know now, but later you’ll understand.’ Hopefully, people understand.”
To think Hurts would lead the Eagles to the Super Bowl after how he looked in the playoffs against the Buccaneers last season is quite remarkable, but as he said, the job isn’t done.
Notes:
–Jalen Hurts recorded his 15th rushing touchdown on Sunday to set the new single-season record for a quarterback.
-This is the third Super Bowl appearance under Jeffrey Lurie’s ownership, having previously reached the league’s championship game during the 2004 and 2017 seasons.
-Currently, Philadelphia is the fourth NFL team to reach three Super Bowls dating back to 2004, joining New England (seven), Pittsburgh (three) and Seattle (three). The Eagles are also the fourth franchise to appear in multiple Super Bowls since 2017, joining Kansas City (two), L.A. Rams (two) and New England (two) in that span.
-Philadelphia is the first NFL team to allow 7-or-fewer points multiple times in the same postseason since the 2000 Baltimore Ravens (also W, 38-7 vs. N.Y. Giants). Philadelphia outscored their opponents 69-14 in these playoffs.
-The Eagles scored a franchise-playoff-record 4 rushing TDs in today’s game (2 TDs by Miles Sanders and 1 TD apiece by Jalen Hurts and Boston Scott). Philadelphia’s 4 rushing TDs were the most allowed by San Francisco’s No. 2-ranked rushing defense this season.
-Haason Reddick finished the game with 2.0 sacks, 1 FF and 1 FR. Reddick now has totaled 3.5 sacks this postseason, which are the most by an individual Eagle during a single playoff run. Overall, Reddick has recorded 19.5 sacks in 19 games this season (including playoffs).
