There’s no other way to put this, the Eagles got thrashed by the Bucs on Monday. Philadelphia averaged just 2.8 yards per carry, ending the game with a 9-32 loss. Hurts didn’t lead a single scoring drive in the second half, took a horrendous safety, and ended the game on the bench. Hurts’ issues, however, started before the playoffs.
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The Inquirer reported on some potential disquiet among the Eagles camp about Hurts’ demeanor, hours before Monday’s game. According to Eagles sources, many people in the franchise believe that if Hurts could “open up a little more, improve his body language, and take more ownership even when he’s not at fault, it could help the team in times of distress.”
The Eagles QB, for his part, accepted defeat, took ownership, and looked positive regarding the future of his team and himself. In the post-game presser, Hurts referenced the hole they’d been in since losing their 10-1 lead at the start of the season as he said,
“(we) kind of got in a hole in the back end and really couldn’t pick ourselves out of it so I think a time of self-reflection in the offseason for sure. diving deep into that with the guys and just reassessing everything and growing from it.”
This early exit from the playoffs comes as double the hurt for Philly, the team that was leading the league 10-1 earlier in the season. After losing five out of six games through the end of the regular season, the expectation was for the Eagles to get a grip in the playoffs, but that was not to be. However, there’ll be another day and another season, and that’s what Hurts seems to want to focus on now as he tried to stay positive saying,
“We’ve had everything to our disposal but it wasn’t our turn and I can accept that and I think we can accept that, knowing that there’s that the sun will rise tomorrow and there’ll be another opportunity to attack it…we’ll learn from it, I know I’ll learn from it and I’ll give it my all and do my best”
Looking at Hurts’ post-game conference, it seems he’s gotten the message about his demeanor. His taking accountability is a sharp turn from his previous presser, where he seemingly threw his defense under the bus. While he had a bad night, or nights, it seems Hurts and the Eagles will be holding their heads high and going into the next season with a different approach.
And he should take accountability, the comeback magic Hurts had shown earlier in the season was nowhere to be seen during Monday’s game.
Baker Mayfield Dominates 2022 MVP Runner-Up Jalen Hurts
Hurts could’ve been excused for his performance due to injury, but the QB entered the game against the Bucs without an injury designation. He finished 25-of-35 for 250 yards, with one TD, and the safety in the second half became his biggest mistake. He was also limited to just five rushing yards on a single attempt, his lowest total for 18 starts this season. As if the day wasn’t already garbage for the Eagles, they also suffered the rare occurrence of a failed tush push.
Mayfield finished with 337 yards through the air with three touchdowns. Playing with his fourth team in less than two years, the Bucs QB made his first playoff appearance since 2020 and outplayed Hurts, who led his team to the Super Bowl last season. The 2018 No. 1 overall draft pick completed 22 of 36 passes without an interception. He capped his fantastic playoff opener with a 23-yard TD pass to Chris Godwin.
