Week 11 of the NFL season kicks off a Lincoln Financial Field on Thursday Night in a battle for supremacy in the NFC East. The 7-2 Eagles take 7-3 Commanders and the winner tops the division. Rookie Jayden Daniels will get his first taste of this rivalry while Jalen Hurts going into his fifth season has a good record against the divisional rivals.
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Daniels is enjoying a great start to his life in the NFL as the rookie continues to turn heads and lead the Commanders to their best start. Both teams like to run the ball, with their top rushers and dual-threat QBs in their backline. But the QB play between two dual-threat shot-callers will come down to turnovers and in this category, the LSU Alum has his opposite number beat.
In the latest episode of The Insiders, Mark Ross highlighted that Daniels has been impressive when it comes to protecting the football, while Hurts has had quite a few turnovers. The Commanders’ rookie QB has thrown only two interceptions this season while the Eagles’ shot-caller has turned the ball over nine times- five picks and four fumbles.
Everyone expected rookies to commit mistakes like those but not the 5th year QB. Hurts mistakes over the last few weeks but somehow it hasn’t caused them much. Now, he goes up against an evenly-matched team and it will come down to which QB protects the ball better.
“I think the big difference, the finer points difference will be who doesn’t turn the ball over and our man Jalen Hurts has turned it over nine times this year whereas Jayden Daniels has only turned the ball over two times. You would think that rookie would be the one making the mistakes and we have seen Jalen make a lot of mistakes this year that has cost them.”
Statistically, both Jayden and Jalen have been very much even. The LSU Alum has thrown for 2147 yards along with 9 TDs and 2 interceptions. He has an accuracy rate of 68.7 %, with a passer rating of 101.7 and averaging 214.7 yards per game.
The Oklahoma Alum has thrown for 1976 yards to go with his 12 TD passes and five picks. Hurts averages nearly 220 yards per game, and has a completion % of 69.8 and a passer rating of 103.4.
Both QBs have rushed plenty this season but Daniels has his opposite number beat in this metric. He has rushed for 464 yards on 85 carries, averaging 5.5 yards per carry. Jalen on the other hand has 378 yards on 93 carries and averages merely 4.1 yards per carry.
The expectations from Jalen Hurts should be higher in his fifth season. But he has been outclassed by a rookie and game tape shows that. He has been to a Super Bowl and plays behind one of the best Offensive lines in the NFL, with Saquon Barkley in his backfield.
The Commanders are currently leading the Eagles 10-3 in the 3rd Quarter.
