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On paper, Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts outgunned Caleb Williams on Black Friday. Hurts finished out the game with more completions on fewer attempts, recording one more touchdown with the same number of interceptions to go with an RTG of 84.2, which is 27.3 higher than the Chicago Bears’ signal caller’s 56.9.
And yet, in the NFL, what matters above all others is winning, and Hurts’ team came out on the wrong end of that equation thanks in no small part to the Super Bowl MVP not being on the same page as some of his receivers.
Discussing his inability to connect with DeVonta Smith on a crucial down-the-field pass, Hurts told NBC Sports’ John Clark that he and his collegiate wide receiver simply weren’t operating the same proverbial channel.
“It was two guys on two different pages, and that’s a bit of the issues that we’ve kind of been having. We weren’t detailed enough in that, I wasn’t detailed enough in instructing him on what to do as we prepared and making myself clear on that, and so I’m trying to find as many particulars as I can when it comes to the level of execution we have, and that’s a group effort that has to be there.”
Asked if it’s an issue that the Eagles aren’t in rhythm at this stage of the game, Hurts admitted that, yeah, it’s not ideal, but then again, all the team can do is work on it and go from there.
“It’s not ideal. It’s not something that you desire, but going off of how the flow this year is going, it’s kind of similar to my response last week and saying ‘No’ of any surprises of where we are. It’s just a matter of picking ourselves up, and continuing to press forward, and staying together in it, and being committed to it.”
While Hurts and Smith clearly missed on some key throws, “Smitty” wasn’t the only Eagle who missed on an important play, as Saquon Barkley dropped a brutal screen that couldn’t have helped save a drive, and even Brown finished out the game 10-12. Is playcalling an issue in Philadelphia? Yes, as is their seeming inability to run the ball, but the pass game is far from ideal at this stage of the game, which doesn’t spell great work when the playoffs roll around.
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