Funday

Sundays have not been fun in 2020. For one week, that changed. Jalen Hurts got his first career start and led the Eagles to an upset of the Saints, one of the best teams in the league.

This wasn’t all about Hurts, as Doug Pederson made painfully clear in his postgame press conference. He didn’t smile and made sure to pump the brakes on any Hurts hype machine.

Pederson is right to make sure to point out that this was a team win. The OL played its best game of the year, allowing no sacks and creating running room for a variety of ball-carriers. The Eagles ran for 246 yards. The DL came up with 5 sacks and the defense had a pair of takeaways. A lot of different players made plays. Heck, Alshon Jeffery had a TD catch.

This was a team win.

Still, you can’t ignore the impact Hurts had. He ran away from pressure multiple times. He didn’t throw any picks. Hurts hit receivers in stride, giving them a chance to make plays after the catch. Hurts played smart. There were a few issues to correct, most notably a fumble late in the game that let the Saints have a glimmer of hope.

Some fans were upset. A loss would have moved the Eagles into the #4 spot in the 2021 draft. The win drops them down to 9th. Personally, I wanted the win. I wanted to feel joy on a Sunday.

Football is supposed to be a fun distraction from the challenges of life. This year going to work has been a fun distraction from the misery of football. For one week, that will change.

This win doesn’t mean Jalen Hurts is the answer at QB. It doesn’t mean the Eagles are suddenly a good team. One game is just one game. We do remember Joe Webb beating the 2010 Eagles, who were considered a Super Bowl contender.

Obviously Hurts is a better QB than Webb, but the point is that you can’t make too much of one game. Enjoy it. Re-watch it. Let it mend your totured soul.

Hurts will likely be the starter next week (Pederson didn’t want to address the topic). The Cardinals will blitz him relentlessly. That was one area where he and the offense struggled. The Cards will have a full game to study and will have a better feel for what he can/can’t do.

The one thing we know is that Hurts did provide a spark for the whole team. There was a bounce in their step. Players played with energy and emotion. That will only continue if Hurts makes plays and avoids mistakes next week.

I came away most impressed with Hurts from an intangibles standpoint. The moment wasn’t too big for him. Leading a bad team and struggling offense against the #1 defense in the league is quite a challenge. The Eagles scored their most points since October (yikes!) and broke a four-game losing streak. They never trailed in the game. The Eagles trailed by 10 or more points in 9 of the first 12 games of the season. That’s part of the reason they kept losing.

Hurts never panicked. He was calm and smart. He threw the ball away when he needed to. Hurts had a veteran presence out there. All the physical traits and natural ability mean nothing if you are a zero between the ears. Hurts showed that isn’t the case with him. We need to see him play a lot more to know just how good he is, but this was a very promising start.

Hurts gave me one day to cheer and smile. Thank you for that. We’ve got plenty of time to worry about draft position and who should get fired. For now, just be happy.

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