Jalen Hurts’ persona in front of the media, and thus the fans, turns out to be how he is with his teammates.
So, when Hurts has a bad first half, as he did Sunday, throwing two interceptions, one fewer than he did in the Eagles’ first 13 games, you might expect him to slam his helmet down, yell some choice curse words, or give a death stare to a wide receiver who may have taken the wrong route.
After all, Tom Brady, among many other elite quarterbacks, has done this throughout his illustrious 23-year career.
Not Hurts, despite suffering a sprained shoulder in the third quarter of the Eagles’ 25-20 victory over the Chicago Bears on Sunday.
According to the NFL Network, Hurts’ availability for the Eagles’ game against the Dallas Cowboys on Saturday is in doubt. If Hurts is unable to play, backup Gardner Minshew will get his first start of the season. On Tuesday, Eagles coach Nick Sirianni will address the media.
But it was difficult to tell that Hurts was in pain during the game, and his teammates were no exception.
“He’s the same as you see him,” said wide receiver A.J. Brown. “He displays no emotion. When I said something to him, he said, ‘I’m fine, don’t worry, I got it.'”
Hurts behaves in this manner for a reason.
And it was clear in the Eagles’ 25-20 victory over the Chicago Bears on Sunday. Hurts did not rally for the game of his life. He did, however, complete 22 of 37 passes for 315 yards while taking a pounding on the ground.
“It wasn’t the first time I was late getting out of bed, and it won’t be the last,” he said. “They play a very physical game, and it was also very cold.”
Despite the injury, Hurts’ best throw of the day, a perfectly placed deep ball to Brown for 68 yards, came after the injury. Brown had a career-high 181 receiving yards. Hurts completed three passes for 104 yards to DeVonta Smith in the first half, who finished with 126 yards receiving.
Hurts never showed any signs of panic, and his teammates never showed any signs of panic either.
“I want those guys to look me in the eyes and know there’s no doubt,” Hurts said of his decision not to show his rage. “And knowing that with the preparation we’ve put in, we’ll find a way. I want them to have faith in me.”
They have complete faith in Hurts.
On the Eagles’ first possession, Hurts threw his first interception. Later in the half, he attempted to hit Quez Watkins over the middle with his second pass.
Hurts, on the other hand, simply reacted the same way he did when he threw the 68-yard bomb to Brown.
“He doesn’t say much,” said right tackle Lane Johnson. “He walks over to the bench. A large part of it is communication. So whenever something bad happens, he goes to (quarterbacks coach) Brian Johnson and (offensive coordinator) Shane (Steichen).
“We’re just trying to get our bearings.”
It does, however, send a message to the rest of the team.
“How you respond is everything,” Smith said. “Even after those two interceptions, he responded correctly. He came out and didn’t let it bother him. He did what he needed to do and led us to victory.”
None of this was simple.
Except when Hurts needed it the most, the running game wasn’t working well.
So the Eagles were trailing the Bears, who came in with a 3-10 record, by three points late in the first half. On third-and-8 from the Bears’ 22, Hurts lined up under centre.
Hurts ran untouched into the end zone after calling a quarterback draw, giving the Eagles a 10-6 lead at halftime. They increased their lead to 17-6 after kicking off the second half with another touchdown drive that included Hurts’ 29-yard pass to Brown down to the Bears’ 2.
What did Hurts notice on that touchdown run?
“I don’t want to answer that,” Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said, possibly fearful of giving opponents insight into Hurts’ thoughts as he approaches the line of scrimmage.
But it’s not difficult to recognise Hurts’ brilliance.
“He checked it because the safety indicated blitz,” Johnson explained. “Kelce then (blocked) it… It was just sort of open. When I see it wide open, it’s good.”
There are numerous superlatives that can be used to describe Hurts’ performance. He has 35 total touchdowns this season, tying Randall Cunningham’s single-season record set in 1990. Hurts also broke the Eagles’ team record for rushing touchdowns by a quarterback, which he set last season.
And he is the NFL’s youngest quarterback to lead his team to a 13-1 record.
So, Hurts isn’t going to be rattled by two interceptions on a frigid day with a high of 18 degrees and 16 mph winds.
“I’ve known that guy for so long,” said Brown, who has known Hurts since he was a senior in high school. “I believe he has faced more difficult challenges in his life than going out there and throwing two picks. When he does things like that, I think it’s simple from what I see.
Hurts then said he’d celebrate like he always does, by listening to Anita Baker. On the plane ride home, I’m going to get some candy, watch the tape, learn from it, and move on.”
And it’s just like the title of one of Baker’s songs: “Sweet Love” for Hurts’ teammates.
“He’s a tough cookie. He’s not going to crumble under the weight of adversity.”
Don’t confuse this with a carefree attitude. Hurts may not have shown much emotion when he threw the interceptions, but he was fuming.
“Everyone is attempting to break up (this team),” he said. “Everyone is rooting for you to fail.”
Hurts then said he’d celebrate like he always does, by listening to Anita Baker. On the plane ride home, I’m going to get some candy, watch the tape, learn from it, and move on.”
And it’s just like the title of one of Baker’s songs: “Sweet Love” for Hurts’ teammates.
