Smith still open to questions of not being targeted vs. Giants
You aren’t the only one wondering why Jalen Hurts targeted Jalen Reagor so often with the game on the line against the New York Giants.
Eagles first round pick DeVonta Smith, who didn’t have a pass thrown him on the last two critical possessions of the 13-7 defeat, raised his objections to head coach Nick Sirianni after Hurts almost threw his fourth interception of the game, forcing the ball to Reagor on third down from the 28-yard line of the Giants with 25 seconds left. It would be the same deal on fourth down, Hurts firing a ball that skidded through Reagor’s hands, incomplete at the 1-yard line.
Replays showed Smith open and waving his arm to signal his QB at both the 20-yard line and at the 10 of the Giants. Tight throws but they were there.
“If I’d have won better at the line of scrimmage it would have left no doubt about where the ball is supposed to be or what he’s seeing,” Smith said, “That’s on me. Win at the line of scrimmage and we probably wouldn’t be in this situation.”
There is open, and NFL open, the latter crystal clear only to quarterbacks with the nerve and the touch to make the tightest of throws. At this stage of his career, Hurts is consumed with limiting turnovers and forsaking the tight throws although that obviously didn’t happen last week versus the Giants.
Frustrated as Smith was to be overlooked on the final play, he conceded he doesn’t see what the quarterback reads.
“Overall, on that one drive, that one play wasn’t the reason we lost,” Smith said. “When you turn the ball over four times it’s hard to win in this league.”
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Hurts is listed as questionable for the Jets game Sunday
due to the ankle he rolled last week at MetLife Stadium. The Eagles quarterback, however, said he would answer the bell. It’s hard to dispute that as he has a streak of 16 straight starts.
“We’ll listen to all the different parties at hand and if he’s not ready to go, he’s not ready to go,” Sirianni said. “It’s just going to be about what his body is telling him and what our trainers and doctors are saying. If he’s ready to go, he’ll go. If he’s not, he’s not.”
With Hurts limited at practices all week, backup quarterback Gardner Minshew has gotten first-team snaps. Just the fact that Sirianni cannot remember what the split in reps is pretty much tells you Hurts is the guy.
The Jets (3-8) are a team quarterbacks cannot wait to play. They’re allowing 33.4 points per game, last in the league and 395 yards per game, second-worst.
Running back Boston Scott (illness) is questionable, running back Jordan Howard (knee) out for the second straight week. Center Jason Kelce (knee), who was in and out of the Giants game, is slated to start at center. The Eagles (57), who are 6.5-point favorites.
Nate Herbig is slated to start at right tackle in place of Jack Driscoll, sidelined for the season with an ankle issue.
Herbig filled in for Driscoll and Kelce, the latter for only a portion of the Giants game. He’s most comfortable at right guard although he’s also gotten work at center.
“The standard has been set since I got to the Eagles,” Herbig said. “You don’t know when your number is going to be called but you better be ready to play.”
• • • Speaking of Kelce, he was stunned when Brian Kelly, his coach at Cincinnati and most recently at Notre Dame, took the LSU job.
The 7 a.m. meeting Kelly had to inform Fighting Irish players he was moving on brought back memories for Kelce.
“He told us he was leaving (Cincinnati) at our senior banquet,” Kelce said. “We showed up to our awards banquet and ESPN and news trucks and local media was all outside so we knew something was up. That’s a rough thing for any head coach to navigate. … I think he’s proven that he’s a really good football coach. He was great at Cincinnati, really good at Notre Dame and I wish him nothing but the best at LSU.”