PHILADELPHIA — Jalen Hurts didn’t waste time clearing the air.
The Philadelphia Eagles quarterback spoke to his running back directly late Monday night and shared the message with reporters. Hurts was disappointed by the 22-21 loss to the Atlanta Falcons, sure. But he was not channeling that disappointment toward Saquon Barkley after Barkley’s late-game drop.
“We just didn’t make the play in that moment,” Hurts said. “I trust him in every moment. He’s a hell of a player. He gave us a big spark in those moments.
“It just wasn’t for us tonight. … We’ll be better from it.”
The drop that lingered in the Lincoln Financial Field air need not define the Eagles’ season. Per some advanced analytics it did not even headline the loss that dropped Philadelphia to 1-1.
Let’s break it down.
After Falcons running back Bijan Robinson failed to convert on fourth-and-1 from Atlanta’s 39-yard line, the Eagles got the ball back, up 18-15 with 5:38 to play.
Their chance of victory, per NFL Next Gen Stats’ win probability model: 86 percent.
As the Eagles marched 29 yards downfield thanks to 26 yards off six Barkley touches, the odds continued to edge in their favor.
Then Philadelphia faced third-and-3. Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni and offensive coordinator Kellen Moore watched as the Falcons’ defense began to stack the box. So Philadelphia didn’t veer from its top skill player, but the team trusted him to motion left to right and then roll out to the right for a catch.
There’s not much time for Saquon Barkley and the Eagles to dwell on Monday’s defeat against the Falcons. Up next: the 2-0 Saints. (Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images)
Hurts’ pass hit both of Barkley’s hands before the running back lost it. Philadelphia settled for a field goal.
“Make that catch, the game is over,” Barkley said afterward. “I dropped the ball. Let my team down today. Shouldn’t have put the defense in that position.”
Barkley’s accountability wasn’t surprising….
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/eagles-say-they-didnt-lose-because-of-saquon-barkleys-drop-analytics-support-that-more-than-you-might-think-032441179.html
Author : Yahoo Sports
Publish date : 2024-09-18 03:24:41
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