Eagles Loss to Seahawks Rests on the Shoulders of Jalen Hurts
Jalen Hurts of the Philadelphia Eagles played through an illness on Monday Night Football against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 15. It’s unclear how much it affected him physically, and it’s unlikely the organization will provide any further explanation.
Regardless of how much of a factor the sickness was, the Eagles lost the game because of an underwhelming performance from their franchise quarterback.
Jalen Hurts, Eagles Lose to Seahawks
Jalen Hurts completed 17 of his 31 passes for 143 yards and two interceptions. The Philadelphia offense went scoreless on their final four drives in their third consecutive loss.
The Eagles took the ball with a 17-13 lead with 10 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. They blew the chance to work the clock and seal the win with a scoring drive. Hurts threw an interception on a deep pass to Quez Watkins. He threw his second interception of the night on the final drive.
The offense showed a predictable overreliance on comeback routes to A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, and Dallas Goedert. All other offensive players accumulated seven receiving yards. Hurts finished 0/4 with two interceptions on passes of 20 yards or more. His scramble on the first play of the final offensive drive was the only gain of 20 yards or more in the entire game.
The San Francisco 49ers gained 20 yards or more 11 times against the Seattle defense eight days earlier.
Hurts forced a throw to A.J. Brown that fell incomplete on a third-and-9 late in the third quarter. He missed a wide-open DeVonta Smith with an opportunity to gain yards after the catch. He ignored the situational need to get in range for a potential game-tying Jake Elliott field goal by unnecessarily forcing a pass to Brown on the interception that sealed the win for Seattle. A replay showed Kenny Gainwell open for a potential game-changing play.
The failure to maintain possession and make winning plays in the fourth quarter pushed the unraveling Eagles into their third straight loss.
Jalen Hurts missed a WIDE open check-down to Kenneth Gainwell on the game-losing interception play. No one in front of him for 20+ yards. #Eagles pic.twitter.com/O6v3jRi82k
— Eagles Nation (@PHLEaglesNation) December 19, 2023
Hurts’ Shortcomings in 2023
The mistakes aren’t indicative of an isolated performance from a quarterback who wasn’t playing at full strength. Repeated mistakes have defined his fourth NFL season.
The reigning MVP runner-up has accounted for 17 turnovers in 2023. He opened the season with a crucial fourth-quarter fumble against the New England Patriots in a game the Eagles narrowly survived. Hurts failed to correct his mistake and move on from inopportune turnovers. He handed a game away with a late interception against the New York Jets in Week 6.
Hurts threw an interception returned for a touchdown on a batted ball the following week against the Miami Dolphins. Instead of identifying and correcting the risky play, he repeated the decision on a nearly identical interception in Week 12 against the Buffalo Bills. He threw a similar pass against a blitzing edge defender against Seattle, and the ball fell to the ground to the fortune of the Eagles.
Nick Sirianni has repeatedly insisted that fumbles don’t characterize the Eagles. However, they haven’t corrected the issue this season. Hurts deflated the entire team with a fumble on the opening drive against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 14.
“The imperfections and the glaring issues on this football team persist, so much so that you lose to a team that they should’ve been able to beat even probably with Marcus Mariota playing quarterback given the offensive weapons that they have and the talent they have on the other side of the ball.” -Andrew DiCecco on The John Kincade Show
Outlook on Jalen Hurts
Despite the struggles, Hurts still ranks 10th in the NFL with a 59.9 QBR rating, which measures offensive efficiency based on a league average for each play.
After an ailing knee limited his rushing ability early in the season, he appears to have regained quickness. He ran 13 times for 82 yards and two touchdowns in Seattle. His QBR was the highest of any losing quarterback in the NFL in Week 15.
Poor performance in critical moments has defined the season for Hurts. However, any scrutiny of his mistakes must also include the acknowledgment of winning plays in comeback efforts against the Kansas City Chiefs and the Buffalo Bills in consecutive weeks.
His lack of progression throughout the season doesn’t indicate the type of leadership the Eagles have needed in a season when they’ve strived to correct mistakes on their way to playing their best football late in the season. Instead, the repeated mistakes have only exposed the fortunate sequence of events that helped them to a 10-1 start.
Luck isn’t going to carry them to a rebound effort. How will Hurts respond?
“There are so many issues that it is hard to pinpoint just one – and you are so deep into the season where you kind of just are what you are at this point. It is hard to see this getting corrected.”
— 97.5 The Fanatic (@975TheFanatic) December 19, 2023
- @AndrewDiCecco
(@975JKShow)
📸Steph Chambers/Getty Images pic.twitter.com/Xe4qwxN56Q
Watch The John Kincade Show on the 97.5 The Fanatic YouTube page on weekday mornings from 6am-10am.
The Philadelphia Eagles Lost: Here Are Some Coping Strategies
Go On A Walk
Exercise is always a good way to get any icky and unwanted emotions out. If the weather is okay, take the time to go out for a walk. Fresh air will always do you a world of good.
Hang Out With Friends
Try not to talk about the loss, of course. Or do, it may be cathartic to get it out. Being in the company of others helps you work out your emotions about the disappointing loss.
Focus Another Team This Week
The 76ers season is going on. The Flyers have hit the ice. Express your fandom for another team! It’s not the same, I know. And you may fear yet another disappointment. But it’s better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all. Sixers and Flyers play multiple games a week. Life goes on.
Unplug
I personally shut the TV off as soon as the final second ticks off the clock. You don’t want to see another team celebrate your team’s loss, so don’t. Avoid social media. There are far too many trolls who love to argue. Avoid national sports analysis TV shows. They’re never on our side, anyway. Don’t go looking for Eagles content on social media. Don’t wallow in the bad vibes.
Eat Your Favorite Foods
Make today your cheat day. Who cares? Food is yummy. Food makes things better. Fill that Eagles-loss-sized hole in your heart with a cheeseburger or some pasta. There’s nothing wrong with treating yourself to something that makes you happy. Go ahead. Get the milkshake after dinner.
Remember Good Times
It’s hard, right? But this is how we’ve felt before and will feel again. Losses happen! There will always be good times to balance out the bad. They have always happened and there are always more to come. They are a good team. We can’t help but love them. They have amazing personalities and are dang good at what they do. Don’t forget Super Bowl LII.
