The past week plus has felt like an eternity for the Philadelphia Eagles and their star quarterback, Jalen Hurts.
After the Eagles suffered a rough 24-15 loss to the Chicago Bears in Week 13, there was a ton of noise that was pointed towards Hurts. His two turnovers in the second half of that game certainly drew all the criticism to the franchise quarterback.
Many in the Philadelphia sports media went after him for not making all the throws in the Bears game, with some even daydreaming about an Eagles offense led by backup quarterback Tanner McKee. Hurts haters like Chris Simms have a wonderful week of pinning all the Eagles' problems on the starting quarterback.
Things didn't help much when two reporters reported after the Bears game that Hurts specifically asked the coaching staff for loss QB-designed runs before the season, but Hurts has since refuted that claim. The chatter might be at an all-time high for Hurts, but he has a chance to silence the critics once and for all against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 14.
Hurts facing a critical game in the season for him
If fans examined Hurts's numbers, they wouldn't be bad at all. In fact, they would be great for half the quarterbacks in the NFL.
Hurts has completed 66.1% of his passes for 2,514 yards and 19 touchdowns to two interceptions. He's also rushed for 329 yards and eight touchdowns in 12 games this season.
Most Eagles fans can acknowledge that Hurts isn't the typical quarterback most pocket passers are. The reality is that he does have some limitations to his game, but that doesn't mean he's not an efficient quarterback.
Hurts has been great with protecting the football for the most part and can still make plays with his legs. He is getting better as a pocket passer as he has focused on that this season.
One thing Eagles fans would love Hurts to realize, though, is that his legs are his greatest gift. He doesn't have to run the ball all the time, but rolling out of the pocket with the option to throw or run is deadly to a defense, and he needs to utilize it more often.
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Everyone is making Hurts out to be this very average quarterback who the stars around him have carried on offense. Still, the reality is that he has had his best games in both Super Bowls, when there was no running game, and he had to do everything himself. Hurts needs that chance to show again that he is a franchise quarterback who can do it all, and can achieve that with a convincing win against a good Chargers team.