Philadelphia had their eight-game winning streak snapped on Monday night, but all wasn’t lost, as Jalen Hurts once again impressed and was one of the few bright spots for a frustrated Eagles team.
Hurts is in the thick of the MVP race and has major improvements is a significant reason why the Birds are in the driver’s seat for a No. 1 seed. The improvement hasn’t gone unnoticed, and Hurts has an excellent chance at making his first Pro Bowl berth.
In the list put together by , NFL.com via NextGenStats, Hurts landed at No. 3 on a list of the ten likeliest first-time Pro Bowlers.
Hurts faced plenty of questions about whether he is good enough to be the Eagles’ franchise quarterback prior to this season, and his critics were perhaps the loudest after a Super Wild Card Weekend loss to Tampa Bay in which the Eagles were shut out through three quarters. Hurts responded by getting back in the lab, and his vast improvements have shown up in his second season as the full-time starter. Hurts’ average time to throw of 3.12 seconds was comfortably the highest in the NFL in 2021, but his processing has greatly developed with another year under coach Nick Sirianni, as that number has dropped to 2.75 seconds in 2022 (the largest decrease among QBs qualified in both seasons). That embrace of the quick game has paid dividends for Hurts, who has a career-high 76.3 completion percentage on quick passes. Hurts ranks fourth in the NFL with a 92 NGS passing score, and he has led the Eagles to the NFC’s No. 1 seed entering Week 11.
The Eagles’ third-year quarterback is 180-265 passing through nine games, with 2,217 yards, 14 touchdowns, and three interceptions.
Hurts landed behind former Alabama teammate Jaylen Waddle (No. 1) and Jets rookie cornerback Ahmad ‘Sauce’ Gardner (2), who was second on the list.
