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It’s not like he was bad. He didn’t. The only thing he isn’t is the Jalen Hurts we’ve all come to expect.
And when Hurts isn’t good, it’s hard for the Eagles to be at their best.
The walk-ons were hurt for the second straight game Sunday night in the Eagles’ 33-13 loss to the Cowboys at AT&T Stadium.
For the first time this year, Hurts didn’t run or throw for a touchdown. His scramble at the Cowboys’ 20-yard line was costly as the game remained a one-possession game. He converted only one of his first six 3rd– pass down. He only targeted three receivers. Dak Prescott really impressed.
It was the first time in Hurts’ career that the Eagles failed to score a touchdown, the first since a 17-9 loss to the Seahawks at the Linc in 2019. first time in a regular-season game since losing to Washington at FedEx in mid-2016.
Hurts’ ability to rise above the average play around him made him an MVP candidate year after year. now. But two weeks ago he couldn’t, and the Eagles suffered a couple of back-to-back losses as a result.
“We all have to be good,” Hurts said. “It starts with me.” That starts with me as a quarterback. That starts with me as a leader. The sound I set. And now I accept that challenge.”
The pain was good but not special in the 49ers loss. He threw for 298 yards, ran for a TD and threw for a TD in a mostly non-competitive game. Most of his production came after the game was over.
Sunday in Dallas, he passed for just 197 yards. He threw as many completions of 25 or more yards as player Braden Mann. He didn’t throw an interception, but lost five times this year.
AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith also lost fumbles in Dallas territory, although half of them came in the second half after a Cowboys punt.
“You talk about the performance every week and how important it is,” Hurts said. “I felt like we put ourselves in a good position to get to that high part of the red zone a lot of times and we turned the ball over when we got there.
“So I’ve got to do a better job of protecting the ball and creating that momentum for us. I’ve got to do better than that.”
It’s been more than two years since Hurts lost back to back starts. You have to go back to Weeks 6 and 7 of 2021, his first year as a starter, and losses to the Bucs and Raiders.
The Eagles haven’t scored a goal before halftime since the Bills game and have just two in their last four games. Hurts did not score a 1St– half a touch in the last five games. The Eagles have lost at least half in four games.
“It’s always a personal evaluation – win, lose or score,” Hurts said. “It’s always a personal assessment of how I can be better for my team and what I can do to help us be a better football team, How can I do my job better? It starts with an honest assessment of that and then leading, taking action on doing things and leading by example. Then bring the guys with you.
“I think it’s a wonderful opportunity for us. You must be hungry. You have to have the will, the desire, and I think we have the right people to do that.”
The good news is that the Eagles have ended their four-game losing streak, starting with the Seahawks on Monday night in Seattle. If they win all four, they will win the NFC East and be the No. 2 seed in the NFC at worst.
But they have to play better than two weeks ago. And Hurts should lead the way.
“You don’t win without losing,” Hurts said. “You don’t win without some kind of hardship. That’s just the name. We are happy to come here and complete. But perfection is just an illusion. It’s about challenging yourself, learning from your mistakes and becoming better.
“There will be bumps in the road. There are hardships that you must go through. But it’s all about how you react to it. The beautiful thing about it is that we control how we respond. We have to keep pushing to win. It’s as simple as that.”
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