Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts needed a stellar game more than any other quarterback in the NFL after turning the ball over five times in the 22-19 overtime loss to the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 15.
Hurts' response to that awful game was about as good as it could be as he completed 12 of 15 passes for 175 yards and three touchdowns, adding 39 yards on the ground in the 31-0 win over the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 15 action. After the game, Hurts reminded the media and the NFL who he is with conviction.
"Everybody's watching. It just comes with it and hasn't changed. I think everybody needs to remember where I come from and how I'm built. I just want to lead in the right way, set the right example. Done the same thing since I went to the University of Alabama and everything the has been in front of me, so it's no different."
Hurts let's it known who he is and where he comes from
Adversity pretty much should be Hurts' middle name after the type of career he has had. Almost every year in the last 10 years, from college and the pros, he has had a different play caller, he has gotten benched at Alabama, and he has faced a tsunami of criticism from the media over the last few weeks.
While the criticism was fair with his eight turnovers in five games after the bye week, Hurts also responded in the best way possible. He looked great from the pocket and finally used his legs to make some plays.
Throws like the 44-yard completion to DeVonta Smith or the 27-yard touchdown to A.J. Brown are reasons why Hurts actually is a good passer. Even the quarterback-designed runs he ran looked great, including a 13-yard pickup.
Many on the outside will look down on this performance because it was against a Raiders team that had been out of the playoffs for a while, but Hurts deserves his credit. He took on a Las Vegas defense with Maxx Crosby on the other side and made them look bad with his throws and runs.
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There are only three more games for Hurts and the Eagles, as he still has time to prove to the NFL why he should be in the conversation as one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL.