Winner of Week 1

My winner of the week is Jalen Hurts. As I alluded to in this morning’s post (if you didn’t see, go check it out!), there were a lot of questions marks surrounding the Eagles this off-season, and Jalen Hurts was at the center of a lot of them.

Part of the rumblings included the Eagles making a controversial trade offer to the Houston Texans for star QB Deshaun Watson. Come week 1 however, the guy under center was Jalen Hurts, and #1 did not disappoint.

Hurts competed 27 of 35 passes for 264 yards, 3 TDs and 0 INTs. He added 62 yards on the ground and finished with a QBR of 126.4.

Going into this game I thought that Hurts would rush for 100+ yards and at least one touchdown. Perhaps because through the course of the off-season, I became convinced that Hurts would have to win games with his legs, based on some of the reports out of camp. I think that in many games this season, Hurts will indeed have to utilize his legs to set the Eagles up to win, but this week was not the case.

That’s what’s leaving me so satisfied with his performance and why he is my Winner of the Week. We all knew the guy can run, but the questions this off-season were about his ability get it done through the air. The Eagles did a good job setting him up for success.

Firstly, I like how Coach Sirianni eased Hurts into the game by calling back to back screen passes to WR Quez Watkins. They later utilized a screen pass that Jalen Reagor took to the end zone. Finally, a pick play saw DeVonta Smith’s first NFL catch resulting in a touchdown. Look for the Eagles to continue to use creativity to get guys open and make it easier for Hurts to gain yards through the air.

I am excited to continue to watch Hurts develop into a dual threat quarterback, an asset that is so valuable in today’s NFL.

What did you guys think of Jalen Hurts’ performance and who was your winner do the week?