EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Jalen Hurts knew the scenario when he called for the snap: seven or three. The Eagles were at the 1-yard line with eight seconds remaining in the first half of the Eagles’ 13-7 loss to the New York Giants on Sunday. Throw for the touchdown if a play is present. Throw it away if there’s nothing and live for the field goal.
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The inexcusable outcome was giving the ball to the Giants.
So when Hurts rolled to his right and threw a pass up for grabs that the Giants intercepted, it was the type of head-scratching development that didn’t simply stymie the Eagles’ offensive momentum and cost them critical points on an afternoon when they needed them. It was also an example that fed into the doubts of whether Hurts is a consistent enough passer for the Eagles to build around beyond this season.
Every pass and every game does not need to be a referendum on Hurts, even if that’s the context by which this season has been evaluated. Sometimes a bad game can simply be a bad game. Hurts’ performance Sunday was his worst as a passer since he became the Eagles’ starting quarterback — and there’s been competition. Hurts finished 14-of-31 for 129 yards and three interceptions. It was his first three-interception game, his fewest yards per attempt this season (4.2) and his lowest passer rating (17.5).
He also rushed for 77 yards, and he threw catchable passes to Jalen Reagor in the final seconds that would have made the narrative of Sunday’s game different. But Hurts said to “put (the loss) on me,” and he’s correct. For whatever discussion lingers about Reagor’s drops or Boston Scott’s fumble, the Eagles would have won Sunday’s game with a better quarterback performance. Even an average game would have sent them home winners.
“It’s never going to be an A, B, C or D if you turn it over three times, right?” coach Nick Sirianni said of a grade for Hurts, suggesting Hurts’ mark was an F. “Obviously, he didn’t play good enough and we didn’t coach good enough.”
The last part of Sirianni’s statement cannot be ignored. The Eagles had an offensive formula that worked for the past month. They relied on their ground game more than Hurts’ arm. Yet for the early part of Sunday’s game, Sirianni was back to his pass-happy ways. The Eagles passed on 11 of their first 16 plays.
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Sirianni explained that some of these calls were based on down and distance, and unproductive first downs contributed to long second or third downs. But he also said the coaches thought Hurts could take advantage of the Giants defense with play actions and in the dropback game, which was a curious decision against a defense that entered the NFL No. 30 in DVOA against the run. Part of what has worked for the Eagles is their ability to run regardless of the situation. That continued Sunday, when they rushed for 208 yards on 33 carries.
Eight of Hurts’ 31 pass attempts came on the final offensive drive as the Eagles needed points. His first-half pass attempts were consistent with the past two weeks, but the Eagles seemed to play into the Giants’ hands.
“He’s very talented, but we wanted him to beat us throwing,” Giants defensive back Julian Love said of Hurts.
Tucked into all the questions and theories about whether the Eagles’ offensive formula from the past was sustainable was one unavoidable truth: At some point, Hurts would need to win a game with his arm. The first half of the Broncos game showed that he can do it. The second half of the Chargers game was also encouraging. But the Eagles need more passing performances like the Broncos game and fewer like Sunday’s.
Hurts said he should have done better at simply taking what the defense presented instead of forcing passes, which seemed to be the problem on two of his three interceptions. As an example, he pointed to the final drive, when the Eagles moved the ball effectively with dump-offs to Kenny Gainwell.
“There’s things we have to be better on, and it starts with me,” said Hurts, who injured his ankle in the second half. “I know a game like this, everybody is trying to take accountability for the things they didn’t do. … I know as a quarterback of this team and who I am, I put this team in a bad situation in the first half.”
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Sirianni focused on the interceptions as the biggest problem with the way Hurts played, and it sounded like Hurts agreed. The Eagles haven’t been a turnover-prone team this season; Hurts had thrown five interceptions in the first 11 games.
“When you turn the ball over like that, which we haven’t done … you don’t deserve to win the game,” Hurts said.
It was also alarming how seldom Hurts targeted the Eagles’ top pass catchers given how often he passed the ball. DeVonta Smith was targeted four times and Dallas Goedert was targeted three times. The Eagles want their passing game to revolve around those two players. Reagor was targeted seven times, and Quez Watkins was targeted five times. If Hurts is going to force any passes, let it be to his best players. The targets on his three interceptions were Watkins, Scott and Reagor.
For much of the past week, the Eagles had been serenaded with praise. Their playoff possibilities were touted by many (The Athletic included), and their offensive renaissance was celebrated. NFL Network had a report Sunday morning about Hurts’ viability as the Eagles’ long-term quarterback.
In the Eagles’ first team meeting of the week Wednesday, Sirianni made a reference to the Nick Saban notion of “rat poison” — basically, praise from others — and wanted the Eagles to avoid overconfidence. It’s a term Hurts has used and an approach he has championed.
“I’ve experienced so much ‘rat poison’ in my life,” Hurts said Friday. “I’ve seen it all — all the good, all the bad — and I’ve really learned to just block it all out.”
When asked what qualifies as “rat poison,” Hurts said it’s “something I don’t want to hear.” He might have been flattered about what was said last week. He’ll be less flattered in the coming days.
But it’s nothing that Hurts didn’t know after the game. Throw three interceptions, complete 45 percent of your pass attempts, average only 4.2 yards per attempt and it’s hard to be a winning quarterback.
“Simply was one of those days,” Hurts said. “Something we’ll learn from, as we have before.”
The Eagles have lost seven of 12 games this season. They don’t need him to keep learning this way, and they can’t afford for him to be the reason.
(Photo: Sarah Stier / Getty Images)