The Eagles are fine… and in a world of trouble.
Here’s the simple truth… 4-2 is no time to panic in the NFL. The loss to the Giants was a disaster but wins over the Chiefs, Rams and Buccaneers stack up better than any team’s wins to date. The other simple truth is this… ignore the record, this team is an absolute disaster.
We are five years into the Jalen Hurts era and I still can’t figure out if his teams hate him or love him. Yeh, yeh, I know all of his teammates publicly rave about him and what a leader he is and all that, but actions speak louder than words. Almost half of the Jalen Hurts era has featured an Eagles team that sputters and flops. They are lifeless far too often. Where’s his leadership then? When the 2023 Eagles took a nosedive, where was Hurts to right the ship? Where was Hurts when a 4th quarter drive would’ve sealed the Denver game? Where was Hurts when the lowly Giants were clowning the defending champs in front of a national audience last Thursday? One player, even if he is the quarterback, can’t win an NFL football game, but Hurts is contributing to the losing more than he’s credited.
The clinching interception last week when the Eagles were still very much alive was a poor throw and even worse read. If Hurts is truly the franchise leader he portrays himself to be, why isn’t he in Kevin Patullo’s office fixing the offense? Why isn’t Hurts on Patullo’s rear end on the sideline? You think Tom Brady or Patrick Mahomes would just accept this lackluster version of an offense? Nope. There are countless clips of Brady getting after Josh McDaniel or Bill O’Brien. Mahomes is constantly shown with Andy Reid and Matt Nagy throughout a game. Not Hurts. No, he sits stoically all alone while his offense drowns in two inches of water.
Is there another way? Yup. Baker Mayfield has been without two of his top three receivers for the entire season. His number one back has been out for multiple weeks. Last week he finished off the 49ers without any of his top three receivers. Mayfield is a leader. His team rallies behind him. AJ Brown looks sick of Hurts. Saquon Barkley looks frustrated as to why he’s ignored in the offense for extended stretches. There’s a reason the quarterback has to be a leader on a football team. He’s the only guy that can impact every play. Lane Johnson is an all timer but he can’t block the offense to greatness. The same goes with Barkley, Brown and DeVonta Smith. They all need the quarterback.
Watch any team in the NFL. They will throw the ball over the middle of the field. Not the Eagles. Not Hurts. I don’t think it’s all on the play calling anymore. It’s on Hurts. He’s an NFL quarterback. He’s a Super Bowl MVP. He has to make plays. If he can’t or won’t do it, the Eagles won’t turn this season around.
*****
Thursday Night Pick; Bengals +5.5