The Philadelphia Eagles led the Minnesota Vikings 24-7 in the first half of their opening game on Monday Night Football, thanks to Jalen Hurts’ “near-perfect” performance in the first half, according to Ed Kracz of Sports Illustrated.
Hurts finished the first half with 17 completions in 20 attempts for 251 yards and a passer rating of 135.4. Hurts also rushed for 50 yards and two touchdowns. After a fake handoff to Miles Sanders, he performed a 26-yard sweep straight and opened the scoring with a 3-yard plunge.
Analysts’ opinion
According to Tim McManus of ESPN, Hurts has been the Eagles’ top player through two games. McManus said the big issue at the beginning of this season was whether Hurts could make the most of a talented team and elevate the Eagles to the level of legitimate championship contenders.
“There’s a long way to go, but he has been a dynamite so far,” McManus wrote.
McManus said that the sports betting industry had noticed Hurts. After Monday’s victory, Hurts’ MVP odds at Caesars Sportsbook improved from 14-1 to 8-1. He currently sits behind Josh Allen (+325) and Patrick Mahomes (+450) at the third spot.
McManus asserts that Hurts’ passing has significantly improved. In the game against Minnesota, Hurts’ throws were decisive and accurate.
“Given how effective he is as a runner,” McManus said, “defenses are going to have a very hard time containing him if he continues to burn it up through the air.”
According to Scott Polacek of Bleacher Report, Hurts’ touchdown runs stood out because he used his speed and agility to avoid tacklers and his physical stamina to push through defenders.
Polacek said Hurts was in complete command of the offense as a runner and a passer. He asserts that Hurts’ performance gave the Eagles a chance to win the NFC East this year.
“Hurts also didn’t solely rely on star wide receiver A.J. Brown and instead spread the ball around to Watkins, Dallas Goedert, and DeVonta Smith,” Polacek added.
DeVonta Smith had seven grabs for 80 yards, and Dallas Goedert had five receptions for 82 yards. Quez Watkins and A.J. Brown got 69 yards in receiving. Cornerback Darius Slay performed well as a defense by restraining Justin Jefferson. He intercepted two Kirk Cousins throws meant for Jefferson in the end zone. Slay also had five pass breakups in addition to one tackle.
According to Yahoo Sports’ Frank Schwab, Hurts has consistently improved every time he plays football on a big stage.
“He improved through his college career, first at Alabama and then at Oklahoma,” Schwab said. “He made strides from his first to second season in the NFL, too.”
According to Schwab, hurts’ ability to run is a crucial element of his style. Schwab asserts that Hurts must grow as a passer in his third season so that the Eagles can reach their peak.
“As the Miami Dolphins did with Hurts’ old college teammate, Tagovailoa,” Schwab added. “The Eagles boosted their quarterback by building around him.”
NFL Research said in a tweet that Hurts has joined Cam Newton (2012) and Michael Vick (2010) as the third player with 300+ pass yards, 50+ rush yards, and multiple rush TD in a Monday night football game.
“That’s the type of football we want to play consistently,” Hurts said after the game. “We want to be that way consistently.”
Hurts’ head coach Nick Sirianni was quite pleased with his quarterback’s performance.
“He is going to reach his ceiling,” Sirianni said. “It’s fun watching him grow.”