Jalen Hurts of Philadelphia may have fumbled a few snaps and thrown three interceptions against the Packers, but his performance in Week 1 inspired at least one former Eagle.
From 2010 to 2012, Clay Harbor played three seasons as the Philadelphia Eagles’ backup tight end. Despite having 47 catches throughout his time with the team, he might not have received as much attention on Friday due to the quarterback’s three interceptions.
Hurts had trouble picking up the blitz last season. He finished 60.5 percent of his passes for 1,306 yards and six touchdowns against eight interceptions when blitzed, citing CBS News. He ranked 28th in passer rating and 22nd in completion rate among qualified quarterbacks.
Hurts’ 2022 performance versus the blitz was a far cry from his success in 2022, when he completed 58.1 percent of his passes for six touchdowns and only one interception. By the end of the regular season, things had gotten so bad that he was contacting former Giants defensive coordinator Wink Martindale for assistance.
Hurts’ blitz recognition in 2023 left other defensive coaches cold, and they had low expectations for 2024.
One coach told Mike Sando of The Athletic, “The word is out there, if you run zero (blitz) against Hurts, or show zero and back everyone out, he will panic.” “That needs to alter. They lose Jason Kelce, who was in charge of the defense and did pretty much everything, and you replace him with a coordinator that retreats a lot. It’s going to be fascinating.”
Hurts attempted to minimize the significance of losing an All-Pro center like Kelce in an interview with 94.1 WIP at the conclusion of training camp.
“We had a great player in Jason Kelce who took on a lot of responsibility, and as a result of that, I was told not to worry about a lot of things,” Hurts said. “And so my eagerness to learn over the years kind of was halted because of who we had, but now times are different and I’m excited for that journey and this opportunity.”
After Hurts’ first “hot read,” the former Eagle was quick to compliment his former quarterback on social media, writing, “First hot throw of the year!!” Some may have taken those remarks as a jab at Kelce. Excellent work, bro.
After losing Calais Campbell and Bud Dupree to free agency, the Falcons defense sacked Steelers quarterback Justin Fields twice on Sunday, and Hurts will encounter them again in Week 2. Last year, each had the most sacks—6.5—against Atlanta.
Hurts got one less sack against the Packers than he did in the first game of the previous season against the Patriots. On Monday Night Football, Philadelphia should score a significant amount of points against the Falcons if he keeps getting better.
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