Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts debuted in new offensive coordinator Sean Mannion's scheme, and while it wasn't perfect, he played well enough.
Hurts finished the game completing 14 of 25 passes for 203 yards and three touchdowns, as the Eagles took down the Washington Commanders 24-22 in Week 1. He connected with Dallas Goedert twice for scores and found Dontayvion Wicks on the other.
The Eagles' offense seems to be a work in progress, as they had way too many drives where they couldn't move the ball down the field. Fortunately for Eagles fans, Hurts did one thing really well that fans missed last year.
Jalen Hurts is a threat in the running game again for the Eagles
One of the biggest criticisms of Hurts last season was reports that he was unwilling to run the football. He wanted to protect himself from getting hurt late in the season, so he took fewer chances with running the football.
That was not the case against the Commanders, though. Mannion called a few QB-designed runs for Hurts, but more importantly, Hurts used his legs to escape the Commanders' pressure.
One thing about Hurts is that he actually looked faster on the field. His athleticism was fully on display with one play showing him using a spin move to escape pressure and picking up big yards on the ground.
Hurts finished the game with 46 yards on the ground on seven carries (two of those carries came on QB kneels, resulting in -2 yards). That is the kind of performance Eagles fans need to see out of Hurts more often.
The Eagles fan base wants Hurts to run the football because they are a better team when they do run the ball. Philly averaged 5.4 yards per carry and hit 136 rushing yards, showing that Saquon Barkley does not have to do everything himself on the ground.
This offense last year was in the bottom 15 in all major offensive statistical categories, with a big reason being Hurts didn't take chances and wasn't used properly in the offense. He attacked down field with the deep ball and used his speed to pick up yards on the ground.
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Philly isn't perfect on offense right now, but they are on the right track with Hurts leading the way. If Hurts can run the football more often, this offense can get back to being a very good unit.
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