There is no doubt that Jalen Hurts of the Philadelphia Eagles is one of the best and most talented quarterbacks in the NFL. He was the runner-up for the regular season balloting last season, and his dual-threat abilities make him a handful to deal with.
However, his production decreased this season, and in Philly’s wild-card playoff round loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday, he was held to just one touchdown pass and five rushing yards.
It is a small sample space, but when Hurts hasn’t had the benefit of an outstanding defense by his side, he has been unable to deliver a single win in the NFL playoffs.
Jalen Hurts is now 0-3 in the playoffs when his defense allows more than 7 points pic.twitter.com/GQV7cJ2VXa
— Dan (@ClappedDan) January 16, 2024
Last year, the Eagles were an outstanding defensive team, and their defense was ranked eighth in points allowed and second in total yards given up. But those numbers plunged all the way to 30th and 26th, respectively, this season.
NFL News & Rumors: Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles Updates
While Philly did win a number of games this year after trailing, it was unable to do the same on Monday. It fell behind 13-0 early in the second quarter to Baker Mayfield and crew, and it never recovered, as it lost 32-9.
Truly great quarterbacks should be able to lead their teams to wins even when their teams aren’t playing well, especially in the postseason. Now, after getting tons of praise a year ago, Hurts will be subject to an unpleasant reevaluation of his abilities and overall resume.
He has proven the doubters wrong before — first in college after he was benched during the 2018 College Football Playoff National Championship, and again in the pros when he looked in over his head early in his career.
But for him to get over the hump and deliver a Vince Lombardi Trophy to his team, it will take a difference set of skills compared to what he has shown in the past.