Top Eagles takeaways following their gritty win over Bears
Jalen Hurts found a way to win despite three Eagles turnovers and a sprained shoulder.
This wasn’t Jalen’s best day throwing the ball. He complained about some difficulty with his vision and numb hands in the 20-degree temperature during his post-game press conference.
Jalen Hurts had only thrown three interceptions all year. He didn’t throw multiple picks during a game until this one. He seemed to be forcing the ball downfield, and that resulted in both multiple incompletions and three total turnovers (Miles Sanders also lost a fumble).
Jalen’s first interception came on the opening drive after a beautiful sideline throw to DeVonta Smith to set the Eagles up in Bears territory. His second came in the second quarter on the drive that followed Chicago’s drive that ended with a go-ahead score.
Hurts was off-target while looking for Quez Watkins. What went wrong has been debated since we witnessed the result. Was Jalen throwing to where he thought Quez might be? Did Quez give up on the route because he thought the ball wouldn’t come his way? Did Quez lose the ball while staring back into the sunlight that Jalen had complained about in the first quarter?
Fortunately, neither interception resulted in points for Chicago, and Hurts played much cleaner football the rest of the way. What’s even more impressive is we have since learned he sprained his shoulder in the second half. Still, he completed six of nine passes in the fourth quarter.
Jalen finished the game with 22 completions on 37 attempts for 315 yards. This was the fourth time he eclipsed the 300-yard passing mark. That’s two more times than he did so last year. QB1 also added 61 rushing yards and three scores on the ground. His 13 rushing touchdowns this season rank second in the NFL, just one behind Detroit Lions running back Jamaal Williams. Hopefully, he won’t be out of the lineup for long.
It wasn’t pretty, but Jalen Hurts and the offense overcame their mistakes to help lead the Eagles to victory. Whether he wins the MVP trophy or not (his odds are plummeting), Philly should be proud of their quarterback’s rapid development as he has become one of the game’s best players.