Jalen Hurts Week 5 report card: Eagles find a way to win versus Cardinals

Here’s one of those age-old tales that keep proving themselves to be true time and time again. Great teams don’t have to be great all of the time. Sometimes, they just need to be at their best when their best is absolutely necessary. Jalen Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles earned a crash course in that theory in Week 4 when they were down by 14 points to the Jacksonville Jaguars and had to dig their way out of a hole. Week 5 brought another lesson.

After jumping out to a 14-point lead over the Arizona Cardinals and, at one point being up by a 17-10 margin, the Birds found themselves even on the scoreboard with 9:43 remaining on the game clock. Jalen Hurts and the Eagles’ offense responded by orchestrating a 17-play, 70-yard drive that drained 7:58 off of the clock. That resulted in a field goal that put Philadelphia up on the scoreboard for good.

In Week 5, we watched Jason Kelce give a heroic effort. We saw players make plays and blow others, but it’s much better to tweak things after a win. Here’s one last look at  Jalen Hurts’ day.

Jalen Hurts best and worst throws (and final grades for Week 5)

Every week, Jalen Hurts amazes us in one way or another. In Week 5, he showed us an ability to excel at things that we were told were his weakness, and he, as stated earlier, made one of the biggest throws of this young Eagles season.

Best throws (Here’s one that came early)

So, Hurts can’t roll to his left, huh? That’s what you guys told us! Put this one in the memory bank, and save it for the next time you hear someone say that.

After taking a snap with 1:39 remaining on the game clock in the first quarter (and with the Eagles facing third-and-13 from their own ten-yard line), QB1 took a shotgun snap, rolled left, turned his hips, and threw a strike to DeVonta Smith.

That one got the Eagles out of the shadow of their goal line and covered 22 yards. It also set Philly up with first-and-ten from their own 33-yard line. They’d score later on the drive to extend their lead to 14-0 at the time. An equally impressive strike came late in the fourth quarter.

Best throw: A clutch strike from Jalen Hurts to Dallas Goedert

This one doesn’t need much setup, but we’ll give you one anyway. The game is tied at 17. The Birds are driving and in need of points to take command on the scoreboard again. 4:27 remains in the contest. It’s third-and-11 from Arizona’s 36-yard line. What do you do?

You stand in the pocket calmly, and you deliver one to Dallas Goedert. This one kept the drive alive.

Had they not come up with this one. They kick a 53-yard field goal to go up on the scoreboard, but they give the ball back to a red-hot Cardinals offense with more than four minutes remaining, a red-hot offense that has all three of its timeouts. Philadelphia would have also put a worn-out defense back on the field.

Instead, the drive continues, Arizona exhausts those timeouts, and well, you know how this one turned out, don’t you?

The Birds are 5-0. The focus shifts to the Dallas Cowboys. Here are some final grades for QB1

Week 5 final grades

• Accuracy: A
  
• Vision: A
  
• Intangibles: A+
  
• Decision-making: A+
  
• Leadership: A+
  
• Overall grade: A+