Rookie QB Hurts plays decoy role in debut
PHILADELPHIA » Rookie quarterback Jalen Hurts made his entrance before taking the field for the first time with the Eagles Sunday.
The second-round draft pick attracted a lot of attention playing catch in front of the Philly bench after an unremarkable series by Carson Wentz, the Eagles trailing 21-3.
Wentz faked a screen pass to Hurts, who lined up at running back and connected with Dallas Goedert on a 10-yard completion to the eight-yard line. Hurts also lined up at wide receiver on the series.
Wentz eventually scored on a sneak in that series with 6:12 left in the first half to get the Eagles within 21-9.
Hurts played in the slot on another play but wasn’t thrown the ball. It was a decoy performance all the way.
Hurts got the nod over Nate Sudfeld, who was scratched. Sudfeld was the backup in the opener. Pederson tiptoed around how the decision was reached.
“The decision, we always do what we feel sometimes is best for the football team each and every week,” Pederson said. “We felt this week with him up, they could give us an opportunity to possibly use him in those situations that we did, and obviously he went in, executed them well, and it’s a starting point as something we’ll evaluate each week.”
The activation of Hurts comes in the wake of a very uneven opening day by Wentz, who after completing 15 of his first 19 passes endured an 0-for-6 stretch with two interceptions. The Eagles blew a 17-0 lead in a 27-17 loss to Washington.
Wentz threw two interceptions in each of the two games, the first time he’s thrown multiple picks in consecutive games in his career. The two interceptions also match his total at the Linc in 2019.
Critics who felt the Eagles had needs on the offensive line and at running back questioned the team for pulling the trigger on Hurts.
Hurts completed 69.7 percent of his attempts for 3,851 yards, 32 touchdowns and eight interceptions last season for Oklahoma. He also rushed for 1,298 yards and 20 touchdowns.
Hurts accounted for 80 touchdowns and was 38-4 as a starter in a career that began with Alabama and concluded with the Sooners. Hurts played on a national championship team at Alabama, although he lost his job at halftime to Tua Tagovailoa, the fifth overall pick in the recent draft.
The Eagles also scratched wide receivers Alshon Jeffery and Jason Huntley, defensive end Genard Avery and offensive linemen Jamon Brown and Sua Opeta.
••• Aaron Donald? He still has no sacks versus the Eagles and on Sunday was credited with just one tackle and one quarterback hurry by an offensive line that did a solid job of double-teaming him.
Donald entered the contest with five sacks in his last five road games.
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The Eagles are 0-2. Since 2007, only 12 of 107 (11.2 percent) of the teams that started 0-2 reached the playoffs.
One of those teams, the New York Giants, went on to win the Super Bowl.
Nine teams started 0-2 last season. None made the postseason.
••• NOTES: Eagles left guard Isaac Seumalo exited with a knee injury late in the first half. He was replaced by Matt Pryor, who was supposed to be the right guard, then the right tackle. Aussie import Jordan Mailata and rookie Jack Driscoll were the last active reserves … The Eagles have committed six turnovers in two games, stirring Pederson into saying “that’s kind of the tale of the tape.” … Eagles rookie K’von Wallace recovered a fumble by punt returner Cooper Kupp at the 11-yard line to set up a TD run by Miles Sanders. Linebacker T.J. Edwards forced the fumble. Kupp otherwise had a solid game as he gashed the Eagles with five catches worth a gamehigh 81 yards.