Jalen Hurts' Week 1 play presented 3 reasons to never question him again

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts wasn't perfect by any stretch of the imagination in the 24-22 win over the Washington Commanders in Week 1, but he sure as hell proved himself worthy of playing the position at a high level.

Hurts finished the game completing 14-of-25 passes for 203 yards and three touchdowns, with zero turnovers. He also added another 46 yards on the ground on seven carries (and yes, none of them were the Tush Push).

Yes, the offense struggled in the second half again with too many three-and-outs, and that has to be addressed. That said, anyone who still questions whether Hurts can play the position has no reason to do so after seeing the latest stat shown about him.

Jalen Hurts made three throws in Eagles' win that put him on top of NFL stat in Week 1

Pro Football Focus, while they might be under fire right now, has a great stat showing Hurts is the real deal. In the stat "Most Big Time Throws without a Turnover Worthy Play in Week 1," Hurts had the most such throws of any NFL quarterback, with three. This is defined as a “pass with exceptional difficulty and high offensive value.”

PFF kept delivering the goods on Hurts' impressive Week 1 performance, giving him an overall grade of 79.7 and ranking him eighth out of 32 NFL quarterbacks. He earned a passing grade of 75.6, ranking 10th at the position, and a 71.6 rushing grade, ranking seventh among 23 qualified quarterbacks.

Hurts threw plenty of impressive passes in that game. All three of his touchdown throws were great to watch, with the first Dallas Goedert score being the most impressive, as he threaded the needle in tight coverage for six. His deep ball 64-yard completion to Dontayvion Wicks was right on the money. Hurts' 31-yard completion to DeVonta Smith was also an incredibly well-thrown ball.

It's hard to walk away from that game not being impressed with Hurts and his ability to throw the football. He faced a ton of pressure from an Eagles offensive line that struggled in the interior to protect him, and he took three sacks in the win. Often, he either had to throw with pressure in his face or run out of the pocket to pick up yards on the ground.

This Eagles offense is a work in progress and has plenty to get right, but Hurts was not the problem in that game. In fact, he was the main reason the team picked up a win that at times felt like it could have been blown. His poise in the pocket to elude the pressure from the Commanders' defensive front deserves more respect.

Read more: Grading Makai Lemon’s first NFL performance with the Eagles

While there might be some harsh commentary on the Eagles' offense this week, the media seems to be on Hurts' side for the first time in a while. All that noise about him not being willing to adapt, or that he can't play quarterback, seems to have evaporated in the best way possible.

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