Despite a promising start, the Philadelphia Eagles ended the regular season disappointingly. After leading the AFC with a 10-1 record in Week 12, they finished fifth in their conference with an 11-6 season record. Adding to the concerns, an injury update on Jalen Hurts has dampened the hopes of Eagles’ fans just as the playoffs kick off this week.
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The Philadelphia Eagles faced the New York Giants twice in the last three weeks. They secured a victory in the Week 16 game, breaking a three-game losing streak. However, the Giants bounced back in Week 18, defeating the Eagles 27-10. This loss not only marked their sixth of the season but also saw their starting quarterback sustain a finger injury, casting doubt on his availability for the upcoming Wild Card Round game on Monday night.
Jalen Hurts collided with the Giants linebacker Bobby Okereke and dislocated his finger. Despite briefly returning to the game, the team opted to rule him out at the end of the first half. The starting QB for the Eagles had limited participation in Thursday’s practice and observers spotted him wearing gloves on both hands.
Hurts while speaking to the reporters, referred to his right middle finger injury as a “day-by-day thing,” emphasizing the uncertainty surrounding his condition for the Monday night playoff game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Eagles QB stated,
“Obviously, leaving that game and attempting to back in that game probably wasn’t physically the best idea, not having much control over the things I wanted to do. But time will tell with that, and I can assure you everything is progressing in the right way.”
A social media user claimed, “Eagles are cooked”
Someone else expressed, “eagles are finished…”
While Eagles fans are aghast by this reversal of fortunes, haters couldn’t be happier. While many fans expressed disappointment at the state of events, many were all too happy to see a rivaling team not in its best form. The Philadelphia Eagles are making their third consecutive playoff appearance. In the 2021 Wild Card Round, they faced the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, experiencing a tough 15-31 loss that concluded their season.
In the previous season, they reached Super Bowl LVII but narrowly missed victory, falling short by three points against the Kansas City Chiefs. Now, the Eagles once again face the Buccaneers in the postseason, and the outcome of the game is yet to be seen. However, if there’s anything we know about Jalen Hurts, its that he knows how to mastermind a turnaround.
Jalen Hurts Excels at Defying the Odds
Jalen Hurts is on track to be ready for Monday night, showing resilience despite his injury. He has a history of overcoming challenges in his football journey. Last season, he sat out two games after sustaining an injury in the Bears game but made a strong comeback. He not only secured victory in the regular season finale, earning the Eagles the top seed in the AFC but also guided his team to Super Bowl LVII.
Eagles head coach, Nick Sirianni also praised Jalen Hurts while acknowledging his ability to fight through challenges and endure pain. In the event Hurts misses the upcoming game, backup quarterback Marcus Mariota will step into the starting role. Last week, after Hurts suffered an injury, Mariota demonstrated his skills by completing 13 of 20 passes for 148 yards, scoring one touchdown, and recording one interception. Will Hurts be able to overcome his injury in time to lead his team to an SB spot or are Eagles’ championship hopes as good as dead?
