Hit Jalen Hurts Like A RB? Commanders DC Says Something Dumb
The Commanders are going to treat Jalen Hurts like a RB. At least that is what Commanders Defensive Coordinator Joe Whitt Jr said they are going to do.
A basic rule going into any game, but especially an important game, is to avoid providing the other team any extra motivation. No bulletin board material. If you are going to say something, you better be someone who can back it up. Whitt broke that rule this week when he said this about Jalen Hurts.
That is a perfectly fine thing to say to your players in the locker room. I am sure Vic Fangio had a similar message for his team when talking about Jayden Daniels ability to run the ball. But what is not smart is saying it in front of a mic with a camera in your face and creating a viral moment.
Why What He Said About Jalen Hurts Is Dumb
There are a few problems with that.
1) You just gave the Eagles O-Line extra motivation. You don’t think they are going to feel some kind of way about you talking about hitting their QB? Do you want this O-line even more amped up to protect their QB? Do you want Lane Johnson to take it out on Frankie Luvu?
2) Does he not realize his team has a running QB? Does he want the Eagles hitting Jayden Daniels like an RB? Jalen Carter heard what Whitt said too. Will the Commanders be happy if they treat Daniels the way Whitt says to treat Hurts?
3) The biggest problem is that Whitt is not someone who has to back this up. He is not a player. He is not the one who has to hit Hurts, or get hit by people protecting Hurts. It is like Garret Stubbs talking trash before the NLCS, but even worse because at least he had a chance to play. Whitt is a coach and saying this.
Compare it to what Vic Fangio said when asked about Jayden Daniels, and it is night and day.
First off, that is a great line. Who knew Vic Fangio was a poet? But also, that is how every coach should talk about opposing players. There is no need to say anything that can even tangentially be interpreted as a shot.
But Joe Whitt Jr didn’t get that memo. He opened a can of worms and talked about how they are going to punish Hurts when his own QB is also a mobile QB.
Not very smart. Especially when you are already the underdog. The Eagles won’t say it publicly, but the hit him like a RB thing will absolutely be something that goes around their locker room the rest of this week heading into Sunday’s game. It is something both the Eagles O-Line, and the D-Line, will use for that extra chip on their shoulder.
It is also worth noting that the commanders have been very bad at stopping RBs this season. They give up the 2nd most yards per carry to RBs in the entire NFL. So maybe treating Hurts like a RB means letting him pick up huge yards. They let Saquon Barkley run for nearly 300 yards and 4 TDs this season, so, by all means, treat Jalen Hurts like you treated Barkley.
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