PHILADELPHIA — There’s a small number of quarterbacks who have been more efficient than Jalen Hurts over the past two months. Look no further than why the Philadelphia Eagles have won eight consecutive games and emerged into the thick of the home-field advantage race in the NFC.
Hurts has just two giveaways over that stretch to 20 touchdowns (only Lamar Jackson has more turnovers). Arguably playing the best football of his career, the Eagles are seeing the same version of Hurts that has carried the franchise to a 44-19 record in his starts — the third-best win percentage (.698) amongst active quarterbacks (only Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson are better).
What has changed in Hurts over the past two months? This is just who Hurts is, a winning quarterback.
“I was talking about it the other day with my family: I don’t really know how to explain it, but he has ‘it,'” Barkley said. “The ‘it’ factor to win football games, he has that. How do you explain it? I don’t really know, but you know it when you see it.
“I don’t think there’s a lot of players who have a fumbled snap on the 1-yard line and still find a way to score a touchdown. Like, he has ‘it,’ that to him. He’s had it his whole career here. When he came in Alabama, the success he had at Oklahoma. You can’t coach that. It’s hard to find to him. I’m happy I’m a part of his team.”
The “it” factor Barkley is trying to explain from Hurts actually can be measured. Just take a look at how Hurts has performed in the fourth quarter of games during the Eagles’ eight-game winning streak. Hurts has completed 81.0% of his passes (17 of 21) for 279 yards with two touchdowns to zero interceptions and a 150.5 passer rating. He leads the NFL in completion rate, yards per attempt (13.3) and passer rating during that span.
Hurts also has more total touchdowns (five) than incompletions (four) in the fourth quarter/overtime over the past eight games. Is it a surprise the Eagles are 8-0 when a quarterback is playing this well?
“I know I’m getting MVP chants, but you can make the argument that he’s in the same boat,” Barkley said. “We’re one of the best teams, and his stats match it, too. I don’t know why people have that idea of him, but at the end of the day, the most important thing is winning football games.
“They can say whatever they want to say, but like I said, he has that ‘it’ factor, that winning mentality. And I’m happy to be a part of it.”
