As Pederson ponders QBs, Birds somehow still have something to play for
Doug Pederson can state it, confirm it, repeat it, attest to it, swear to the NFL gods and hope not to lie ... an ongoing holiday season quarterback controversy in Philadelphia?
Bah, humbug.
“This is a situation where it’s not Carson versus Jalen or Jalen versus Carson,” the Eagles head coach said Monday about his two healthy QBs, Carson Wentz and Jalen Hurts. Or is that finally Jalen Hurts and Carson Wentz?
Spoiler alert: Hurts will be the Eagles’ starting quarterback for a third consecutive game when the Birds visit Dallas Sunday. But Pederson notes that Wentz will be there offering his full support.
“We’re fighting and scratching each week and still have an opportunity to pull this thing out and (we’ll) see what happens here in the next two weeks of the regular season,” Pederson said. “I can honestly say that Carson has been a professional about what he’s ... doing inside this building, on the field during games, and helping.
“There is no ... the team doesn’t feel like there’s any kind of animosity between either one of the guys. We’re all here to try to win games, and that’s what I feel with the team. That’s how I felt after the game yesterday, looking in their eyes and seeing the disappointment in their eyes, just how close we came and how hard they fought yesterday in that game.”
Oh, the game. Other than being devoid of defensive
stability, it was at least one of the Eagles’ most entertaining and engaging efforts of what clearly has been, still is and will continue to be a rebuilding season amid a pandemic.
It also ended the way so many other Eagle efforts have the past few months. But amid the 33-26 loss to the Arizona Cardinals and their young, budding quarterback star Kyler Murray, the Eagles’ exactly one-year younger, budding quarterback star Hurts put on quite a show.
Time and again he rallied the Eagles, en route to a passing performance of 24-for-44 for 338 yards and three touchdowns. He also rushed for 63 yards and another score, reportedly just the third NFL rookie QB since 1950 to throw for 330 or better and rush for 60 or better with four TDs.
Who keeps stats like that, anyway?
But Hurts, who was Oklahoma’s field general in 2019, one season after previous Oklahoma field general Murray (27-for-36, 406 yards 3 TDs; 29 yards rushing
and another score vs. Eagles) wrapped up a sterling Sooners career, could have used a bit more help. A potential game-changing touchdown was lost when, with the Birds trailing 3326, Dallas Goedert couldn’t handle a third-and-21 Hurts missile in the end zone.
The ball might have been slightly deflected and Goedert was well covered either way, but the pass also hit him in the hands and was catchable. So be it. Plays happen.
But what was especially noteworthy about it all was the way Hurts appeared to stay unflappable throughout and looked like a leader right down to the very last failed Hail Mary pass he threw. He must have even impressed Pederson, since the coach didn’t waste any time Monday breaking the big news about who his starter will be in Dallas.
“He just ran the offense. He did what Jalen can do,” Pederson said after semiseriously confirming Hurts is still the starter. “We protected the football, and I’ll tell you this, as I said this morning, too, the guys around him have played better. They’ve elevated their game, as well, and they’re improving each week. That’s all part of Jalen’s success, too, is having the guys around him play better.”
It seems to be Pederson’s way to downplay the accomplishments of his talented rookie quarterback, though as a rookie head coach four years ago, he might not have done that as much with then-talented rookie QB Carson Wentz.
It’s unlikely Pederson expected to be in this situation so early in Hurts’ Eagles’ career, but Hurts probably wouldn’t have been drafted by them when he was, had Pederson and/or his management superiors not had their doubts about the health and welfare of Wentz and his game going forward.
Pederson was thought to have wanted to go with Hurts perhaps a couple of weeks earlier than he did, though when asked how much input general manager Howie Roseman and even owner Jeff Lurie have had in the weekly quarterback appointments, Pederson said, “None. Absolutely none.”
“Yeah, he led the team,” Pederson allowed about Hurts. “He played mentally and physically tough, which was good to see. He obviously extended plays with his legs. He had to throw probably more from the pocket yesterday because of the nature of the game and getting behind early in the football game. I guess the biggest thing is just leading the team and keeping the guys engaged for the entire game and (he) gave us a chance there at the end.”