The New Orleans Saints are preparing to face the Philadelphia Eagles’ new starting quarterback
Rookie Jalen Hurts will make his first NFL start on Sunday against the Saints.
Jalen Hurts hasn’t offered the New Orleans Saints with a large sample size to plan from, but the Saints appear to have a solid idea of what to anticipate when Hurts makes his first NFL start at quarterback for Philadelphia on Sunday.
The Saints (10-2), who have won nine straight games and have one of the best overall defenses in the NFL, will meet the Eagles (3-8-1) on Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. Hurts, the Eagles’ second-round draft selection this year, will start at quarterback.
Hurts had played infrequently until last Sunday, when Philadelphia lost 30-16 to Green Bay. In the previous ten games, he had completed all three throw attempts for 33 yards, no touchdowns, and no interceptions. He had mostly been a rushing threat (12 carries, 56 yards).
However, with the Eagles’ offense underperforming, Hurts replaced starter Carson Wentz against the Packers, completing five of 12 passes for 109 yards and a score with an interception, and running five times for 29 yards.
“There’s an element of the running game that’s unique, and it’s not just zone read,” Saints Coach Sean Payton said of Hurts. “You saw some of that with Carson [Wentz]. Both of these players are athletic and can make plays.
“But there is one aspect of the run game that will be critical for us this week if we get some planned quarterback runs. They’re different, but we have to defend the offensive that we see while also having strong eyes and being clever enough to see what’s new that we hadn’t seen before.”
Eagles coach Doug Pederson said Wednesday that the quarterback swap was intended to jumpstart the offense.
“Just looking for something to just kind of get the offense in rhythm, try to click,” according to Pederson. “Unfortunately, the quarterback position is generally the only modification that has to be made. I cooked it on Sunday and again this week.
“In Jalen’s situation, he possesses a unique talent set. He is mobile, like Carson, and has a good arm, among other things. But I just need him to go in there and execute the attack. Just be Jalen Hurts, do the things that got him to this point, win him a couple of NCAA championships (at Alabama), and be yourself.”
Hurts spent three years at Alabama, starting as a true freshman and sophomore and completing 394 of 637 passes (62 percent) for 4,861 yards, 40 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions in his first two seasons. He also had 345 carries, 1,809 yards, and 21 touchdowns.
But, after Tua Tagovailoa took over as starting in Hurts’ junior season, he transferred to Oklahoma to play as a senior. He completed 237 of 340 throws for 3,851 yards and 32 touchdowns, with eight interceptions, while also running 233 times for 1,298 yards and 20 scores.
“I remember his college film, I remember going through the interview process,” Payton went on. “All of it.” He has obviously won games. He transferred from Alabama, and he was obviously one of the quarterbacks we were keeping an eye on and extensively researching and grading.
Pederson stated that Hurts’ development has been evident throughout the season.
“I think the biggest thing is his communication, just understanding our offense and communicating it not only to the players, but back to us as coaches,” according to Pederson. “His knowledge of what we’re attempting to accomplish
“It’s a lot of material for young quarterbacks to absorb at this level, and he’s done a great job with it. He’s in a terrific situation. Again, I’m not going to ask him to be Carson Wentz. I’m going to ask him to be Jalen Hurts and do the things he can do, but he’s had a strong understanding of our offense since day one.”
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