The Philadelphia Eagles continue their woes this season, losing their second game 33-16 against Tampa Bay. Amidst the disappointment of the road loss, Jalen Hurts has found himself in the line of fire.
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While the Eagles crew was missing Lane Johnson, A.J. Brown, and DeVonta Smith due to injuries, fans had their hopes pinned on the quarterback to show some magic. Jalen, however, fell short of expectations.
He managed to amass just 158 yards, one passing touchdown, and a 60% completion rate. As a result of this underwhelming performance, Philadelphia’s offense didn’t manage a scoring drive until the end of the second quarter.
Former Eagles quarterback Chase Daniels also took note of this poor showing, swiftly calling out the quarterback’s recent struggles.
“[Jalen Hurts] has not looked great, especially specifically in the red zone, multiple red zone giveaways,” he said, during an appearance on The Facility.
Discussing the Sunday faceoff, Daniels also argued that Saquon Barkley is one of the best running backs in the league. He is basically carrying the offense. However, when it comes to the signal-caller position, Daniels feels that Jalen has “regressed” in his play.
“I just think that he’s regressed quite a bit from the quarterback play. Yeah, it’s hard to win without your guys, but even when his guys out there, they’re three and nine in their last 12.“
“Jalen Hurts has regressed in his QB play.”
— @ChaseDaniel pic.twitter.com/6FxqtwASLO
— The Facility (@TheFacilityFS1) September 30, 2024
Nevertheless, Hurts is well aware of the issues in his performance and has taken accountability for his recent struggles. During the post-game conference, the quarterback admitted, “I think overall, I just have to play better.”
He further recounted the mistakes and missed opportunities of the offense and took the responsibility to get the crew back on track.
“Gotta play better. We had a ton of opportunities to lead the offense and really play complementary ball, and it starts with me on that side of the ball. To get down like we did, I have to help the defense out.”
With that being said, as the Eagles’ offense is visibly struggling this season, Daniels went on to highlight how Jason Kelce’s departure has affected the Eagles.
The Jason Kelce-size hole in the Eagles’ O-line
Daniels explained during the same show that when he sees a quarterback like Jalen “throwing hot when he’s not hot,” he interprets it as the play-maker not fully grasping the offense. He also believes that Jalen appears lost under pressure, which led Daniels to raise questions about the stability of the O-line, especially after Kelce’s departure.
The former Eagles center decided to hang up his cleats in March this year, after spending 13 seasons with the Eagles. Not only was he one of the best in the league but also assumed the leadership position in the squad. Talking about how his exit affected Philadelphia’s offensive line, Daniels said:
“But you go back, you look at Jason Kelce, right? Like, the loss of Jason Kelce is huge. And so the biggest thing for me is I’m seeing a quarterback out there throwing hot when he’s not hot. And so, for me, he doesn’t know if he understands the offense.”
After Week 4, the Philadelphia Eagles need to reassess the situation and implement immediate changes. With their current record at 2-2, there is still hope for a comeback, both for the team and for Jalen.
