PHILADELPHIA — Winning is the only thing for Jalen Hurts. Doesn’t matter how it gets done, as long as his team emerges with a victory.
Sunday’s NFC Championship was sweeter than most. Not for the 55 points or the eight offensive touchdowns the Philadelphia Eagles put up in blowing out the Washington Commanders, nor for the four touchdowns Hurts accumulated in the dominant win.
Hurts has heard the criticism all season regarding how the Eagles win. His teammates have as well.
“How about QB1?” said an excited Jordan Mailata. “I love when people doubt him.”
The Eagles won all five games this season when Hurts has thrown for less than 150 yards, two in these playoffs. When Hurts threw for less than 200 yards in a playoff game, the Eagles were 4-0. All of Hurts’ playoff wins.
That wasn’t the case Sunday. Hurts completed 20 of 28 passes for 246 yards with a passing touchdown and a 110.1 rating, averaging 8.8 yards per attempt. He also rushed for three touchdowns in the 55-23 beatdown, becoming the first player in NFL history to throw for a touchdown and rush for three touchdowns in multiple playoff games.
The last time Hurts accomplished this? Super Bowl LVII. The Eagles quarterback always seems to shine in the biggest of stages, yet has been viewed as a deterrent to his offense rather than an asset.
“He plays his best when he feels like you know people doubt him,” Mailata said. “He’s just made for those moments man. His whole demeanor. Everyone always gives him stick about, you know, wish he could crack a smile here or there. Because of his cool, calm, collectiveness, he’s just able to be in the moment, make plays, make sure we’re all on the same page.
“That’s why he plays the way he does in the big moments when we need him.”
The Eagles have made it clear throughout the season they don’t care how the offense looks, as long as they get the victory. Perhaps there was a stage in the season where they tried to protect Hurts from himself, but Hurts also has essentially played turnover-free football since the Eagles changed their approach to offense during their bye week in early October.
Hurts has just two turnovers since then in 14 games. The Eagles have won their last 13 games in which Hurts has started and finished.
“I think we need to change our approach to all of this. I don’t play the game for stats. I don’t play the game for numbers or any statistical approval from anyone else,” Hurts said. “I understand everyone has a preconceived notion of how they want it to look or how they expect it to look. Winning and success is defined about that particular individual and how it’s all relative to the person. What I define it as is winning.
“The number one goal is always to come out here and win.”
While Hurts does not care about his stats, he has the numbers that translate to wins. Hurts hasn’t turned the ball over in three games this postseason, and set an NFL record for most consecutive postseason games without a turnover (seven). He has seven touchdowns to zero interceptions and a 105.0 passer rating in the playoffs, while the Eagles offense hasn’t committed a turnover .
The Eagles have won all three playoff games with those numbers, and are one of two teams still standing in February.
“You all see a small snippet of what happens on Sunday,” said Lane Johnson. “Throughout the work week, he’s there early. He’s a grinder in the weight room. He’s out there practicing, getting after it. When a guy is able to do that year in and year out, day in and day out, keeping the main thing the main thing, it’s commendable.”
How did Hurts get like this? Winning has always been the main thing, but when did it become the main thing?
“By losing. Name and loss and you tell me,” Hurts said. “Failure has to be used as a source of pain to take the next step. There’s always learning opportunities in everything and that’s human nature to be ignited by the shortcomings. It’s just a natural thing.”
The pundits may not like how Hurts and the Eagles win games, but they continue to remain as one of the last teams standing. Hurts is set to become the first quarterback to start multiple Super Bowls for the franchise and has the seventh-best win percentage (.697) by any quarterback since the 1970 merger.
And Hurts is the eighth quarterback to reach the Super Bowl twice in his first five seasons. Continue to doubt.
“I don’t want anyone else leading this team other than him. He’s a winner,” said Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni. “He deals with so much criticism, which just blows my mind. … This guy wins. He’s won his entire life. Winning at quarterback is more important than any stat that you go through.
“He’s a winner. I don’t want anyone else leading us other than Jalen Hurts.”
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