Potential Eagles scapegoats if things go haywire in 2022
![TAMPA, FLORIDA - JANUARY 16: Jalen Hurts #1 and offensive coordinator Shane Steichen of the Philadelphia Eagles look on against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the first half of the NFC Wild Card Playoff game at Raymond James Stadium on January 16, 2022 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) TAMPA, FLORIDA - JANUARY 16: Jalen Hurts #1 and offensive coordinator Shane Steichen of the Philadelphia Eagles look on against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the first half of the NFC Wild Card Playoff game at Raymond James Stadium on January 16, 2022 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/955d60a203726860ae4824d8e7680b14983fae3004f86c0c0ad7f6ebd8eafc06.jpg)
54. . . . Jalen Hurts. . player
Jalen Hurts will obviously get the lion’s share of the blame if the Eagles struggle.
Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, Jalen Hurts‘ teammate at Alabama with The Crimson Tide, and Philadelphia’s QB1 are under the most pressure to perform at a high level this season. Every aspect of Hurts’ game will be under a microscope and up for debate as the season rolls on.
The worst thing that can happen for Hurts is leading the Birds to a slow start because he will be the talking point of every pundit about why the team is struggling. It won’t even matter if he has decent numbers. They’re looking for franchise-level statistics from their starting quarterback.
Injuries won’t matter. Neither will sub-par play from the O-line or other positions on the offense. The doubters will say that, if Hurts is a franchise quarterback, he needs to put his team on his back and step his game up.
Here’s another thing, Jalen will only grow to another level if head coach Nick Sirianni‘s game plan is clever enough to fool opposing defenses, and at times last year, the scheme was pretty predictable with a heavy dose of the running game.
Sirianni still has a lot to prove as a head coach, but Philly seems like they might give him more leeway than their young rising star at quarterback.