Sharing the stage with an Elite QB could spark the Eagles’ star

PHILADELPHIA – Jalen Hurts has played at an elite level in the NFL, where he was the runner-up to MVP Patrick Mahomes so far in the 2022 season and arguably defeated the Chiefs superstar in Super Bowl LVII, a razor-thin 38-35 Kansas City win .

Rewind three years later and Hurts was runner-up for the Heisman Trophy at Oklahoma, finishing behind LSU’s Joe Burrow.

On Sunday at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati, Hurts has a chance to make franchise history by winning for the first time in the Queen City. To do that, he and the Eagles (4-2) will have to beat Burrow, who has developed into one of the elite QBs in the NFL, and the Bengals (3-4).

Hurts wasn’t interested in Heisman reminiscing after practice Wednesday when asked how far back the relationship between him and the Bengals superstar went.

“So far?” Hurts responded and asked for Heisman follow-up.

“I hung out with all the guys and I think it was a fun overall experience. I obviously gained a lot of respect for him,” Hurts said.

The opportunity to face a Burrows-led Cincinnati team comes at a time when some are starting to wonder what’s going on with Hurts and the Eagles’ offense, which has been one of the most explosive in the NFL should have been and scaled back to a 1975-esque ground-and-pound mentality against the hapless New York Giants last week.

The first quarter problems persist (Philadelphia is the only NFL team not to score in the first 15 minutes this season) and third downs became an issue against the Giants, with the Philadelphia offense finishing 1 of 13 against New York, something at least somewhat mitigated by a 3 for 3 on fourth down.

“I talk about the importance of getting first downs. There are multiple ways to do that,” Hurts said when discussing the first quarter issues. “Of course it doesn’t have to be a shot in the field. But it’s a matter of executing what’s called, and keeping everyone on the same page, and being committed to what we’re doing.

The operation hasn’t gone smoothly in the early games, something offensive coordinator Kellen Moore has consistently discussed.

“We have to do it cleaner,” Hurts admitted. “Some crazy things have happened. You have a tipped ball. You have a false start. We don’t really help ourselves in these situations. That’s why I’m excited about what’s to come, because they’re all things we can solve.”

The third-down issues weren’t as consistent. However, the poor performance against the Giants dropped Philadelphia to 23rd in the league, the worst ranking in the major offensive statistical categories.

“We were in third place all the time, so we have to change that,” Hurts said. “Stay ahead of the sticks.”

While it’s never fair to reduce an NFL game to quarterback versus quarterback, playing well on the same stage as Burrow could shift the narrative that Hurts has regressed since his peak in 2022, a sentiment that seems to be growing quickly among NFL experts.

MORE NFL: Zack Baun Misses Practice, Rookie Could Be Next Man At LB For Eagles