Jalen Hurts, to some, has perhaps the biggest compliment a quarterback could get on his resume. Some have argued that he outperformed Patrick Mahomes in Super Bowl 57. However, to one former Bears backup, he could be the Eagles' liability in the Divisional Round of the 2024-25 playoffs.
On the January 17 edition of "Scoop City," former Eagles backup Chase Daniel claimed that Hurts could be the team's weakness going into the game. If the Rams are to win, they'll need to let Hurts beat them. Hurts, meanwhile, must elevate his play, according to Daniel.
He said [43:32]: "Did we see what Matthew Stafford did to this Vikings defense? Did we see what the Rams defense did to this Vikings offense?"
"The number one thing I'm looking at, believe it or not, is how Jalen Hurts looks after his game last week. ... I do not think that type of performance will win versus the Rams, specifically the Rams defensive line. ... But Jalen to me, I think he's got to let it go. And when I say let it go, he's got to let those 50/50, balls to AJ brown to DeVonta Smith to Dallas Goedert go," he added.
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"If I'm the Rams, the number one thing you have to do is make Jalen Hurts beat us somehow, some way. You know Saquon Barkley’s gonna get his yards, but gotta make Jalen Hurts beat you," he concluded.
The Los Angeles Rams will have to stack the box and leave a lighter secondary, which opens things up for Hurts, assuming he can complete some big-time passes.
Jalen Hurts eyeing opportunity to shake off rough outing against seventh seed Packers
At face value, Hurts had every reason to take the Green Bay Packers to task in the Wild Card round. However, Packers' blunders and the Eagles' defense took care of business as well as Saquon Barkley.
It was a rare playoff game that allowed Hurts to coast as his surrounding task took care of things for him. However, the receipt left at the end of the game was far from pretty for Hurts.
Hurts threw for just 131 yards and completed just 61.9% of his throws in the contest. He did manage to upkeep a 111.4 passer rating, but only with 131 yards to show for it in four quarters.
This week, against the Los Angeles Rams, Hurts has the opportunity to take on more of the bulk of the workload against a defense that has been up and down this season. Of course, worries still surround his health as he heads into just his second game after missing the last month of the regular season.
Will Jalen Hurts deliver in a big way against Matthew Stafford?
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