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On 4th-and-2 in the red zone, Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts dropped back into the pocket, faced pressure coming up the middle and from his left, and delivered a strike to the pylon.
Hurts' pass hit Alshon Jeffrey in stride, and the Eagles' WR fell back into the end zone for Hurts' second career passing TD.
After being named the Eagles starter for their Week 14 game against the New Orleans Saints, there was hype built around the former Oklahoma and Alabama QB, but questions remained if he could help turn around the ailing Eagles offense.
On Sunday, Hurts passed his first test, leading the Eagles to a 24-21 victory over the Saints, who entered the week as the only NFC team to have clinched a playoff berth. Hurts finished 17 of 30 passing for 167 yards and one touchdown, plus he ran for 106 yards and 18 carries.
Hurts shows potential early
Early on Sunday afternoon, Hurts showed he had at least flashes of starting material.
Before his first NFL start, Hurts tweeted "“You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand," quoting the bible.
Early in the second quarter, Hurts began to make Eagles and NFL fans understand. The touchdown put Philly up 7-0, and a field goal later in the second quarter grew the teams' lead to double digits.
Hurts to replace Wentz for remainder of 2020?
All indications suggest that Hurts will be the Eagles starter for the remainder of the season. Hurts replaced Carson Wentz, who was leading the NFL in interceptions, and some Eagles fans are enjoying the uncertainty at QB.
"We still owe him a lot of money so he's going to be here through at least next year. I'm enjoying the quarterback controversy for now," said George Armistead of South Philadelphia told ABC Channel 6.
Wentz is still owed over $100 million due to a recently signed extension still not taking effect until next season. Eagles coach Doug Pederson has not stated if Hurts was the long-term fix at QB.
Coming into this game, Hurts had appeared in games throughout the season, mostly at the end of matchups or for gadget plays. He had completed eight of 15 passes, a 53.3% completion rate, for 142 yards, one touchdown, and a lone interception. Hurts' QBR of 16.2 and rate of 80.4 both improved in the early goings of Sunday's start.
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