Now healthy, Eagles’ Hurts in top form

PHILADELPHIA — All it took was one throw. Jalen Hurts let it fly on his first pass attempt of the game and suddenly the unease that crept into that often worrisome Philly sports psyche — yeah, but how is his banged-up right shoulder, really? — seemed to dissipate.

Hurts’ shoulder was fine. No doubt about that.

With Hurts in complete control, the Eagles once again look like the team that was rarely challenged during an NFL-best 13-1 start.

Hurts threw two touchdown passes and ran for a score during a dominant first half, and the Eagles overwhelmed the Giants 38-7 on Saturday night in an NFC divisional playoff game.

“To have him out there, I know this is high praise, it’s like having Michael Jordan out there,” coach Nick Sirianni said. “He’s your leader ... your guy. That’s the biggest respect I can pay to him.”

The top-seeded Eagles will host the NFC championship game next weekend against either the Cowboys or 49ers. Their game Sunday ended too late for this edition.

Hurts missed two late-season losses with a sprained right shoulder and then showed the Giants nothing in the regular-season finale when the Eagles ran a vanilla offense designed to protect the Pro Bowl QB.

Under bright postseason lights at the Linc, the Eagles unleashed an offense designed to clobber the Giants. Hurts dazzled early with his arm and the offensive line opened big holes for Miles Sanders and Kenneth Gainwell as the Eagles finished with 268 yards on the ground. Hurts finished 16 of 24 for 154 yards.

“Seemed like the old Jalen to me,” Sanders said.

Hurts showed he was fine when he aired out a pass on the second play of the game and hit DeVonta Smith in stride for a 40-yard reception. The fun was just starting in Philly.

Hurts was flawless on the drive, completing passes of 9 yards, 5 yards, and then — boom — a 16-yard TD pass on a one-handed grab by tight end Dallas Goedert.

Second drive, more of the same. Hurts had completions of 12 yards and 9 yards en route to a 9-yard TD pass to Smith.

It was 14-0 in the first quarter and the Giants already needed a standing eight count. They turned the ball over on downs on their first possession, and Daniel Jones was intercepted by James Bradberry on their second.

The Linc was bonkers with fullthroated chants of “E-A-G-L-E-S!” filling the air and Sirianni went wild chest-bumping assistants on the sideline.

Hurts’ shoulder may not have been 100%.

But his passing was: He went 7 of 7 for 89 yards in the first quarter.

“This guy leads, he brings this calmness to the entire team,” Sirianni said. “He’s as tough as they come. To me, there’s not anybody that’s played better football than him this year.”

Even when the calls were obvious for the Eagles, the Giants were helpless to stop them. Case in point: The Eagles had the ball on the Giants 3. Give the ball to Boston Scott? Yes they did. Scott scored his 11th touchdown against the Giants for a 21-0 lead. He has only 19 TDs in his career. Giants defensive coordinator Wink Martindale riled up Eagles fans this week when he insisted Scott wasn’t a “Giant killer.”

Hard to argue against that point now. Hurts wrapped the half with a 5-yard touchdown run — he bobbled the shotgun snap but still coasted untouched into the end zone — for a 28-0 lead. There have been only four more lopsided firsthalf playoff shutouts in NFL history.

“I’m so proud of this team. I’m so proud of these fans. It’s a Philly thing, you know? It’s special,” Hurts said.