Henry McKenna
AFC East Reporter
Jalen Hurts dealt with several setbacks in 2023.
There was a lingering knee bruise and then the finger injury in the regular-season finale. There was his statistical regression. And there was the Philadelphia Eagles’ 1-6 finish to the season. That certainly wasn’t what Hurts or the Eagles expected after the team signed him to a five-year, $255 million contract before the season started.
There were many reasons why Philly didn’t return to the Super Bowl last season. But perhaps one of the overlooked issues was Hurts’ lack of rushing production and efficiency.
If you can glance at his stats, you’ll see that he scored 15 rushing touchdowns.
That’s as good as it gets, an NFL record for rushing touchdowns for a QB. But the “tush push” is largely responsible for that spike — not Hurts’ mobility. Yes, he’s scoring the touchdowns, which is a credit to him — but he scores on the backs of his offensive linemen, sometimes literally.
That rushing TD total doesn’t really tell the story of the issues Hurts dealt with running the ball last season. And if Hurts is to get to the Super Bowl this season, it’s of the utmost importance that the Eagles reawaken his rushing production. Adding two-time Pro Bowl back Saquon Barkley helps the running game, but getting Hurts more involved remains essential.
Last year, he posted his lowest rushing total (605 yards) and lowest yards per carry (3.9) in his three seasons as a full-time starter. He also posted the most fumbles (5).
What triggered that shift?
Maybe the Eagles were protecting him with their play calls — or reacting to the knee issue that plagued him throughout the season. He had just 17 designed rushing attempts in 2023. That pales in comparison to 2022, when he had 41, and to 2021, when he had 30. He also didn’t have many explosive runs — just 18 runs of 10 yards or more. That’s down from 26 in 2023 and 29 in 2021.
Remember, the Eagles had a…
Source link : https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nfl/one-overlooked-key-jalen-hurts-eagles-fix-offense
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Publish date : 2024-08-15 19:45:51
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