As Jalen Hurts is preparing to lead the Philadelphia Eagles into Super Bowl LIX against a familiar opponent—the Kansas City Chiefs—the echoes coming from pundits and fans are ringing loudly throughout media spheres.
Is the quarterback good enough to win a Super Bowl?
While many have the luxury of hurling criticism from places other than the football field, there are two ways to look at Hurts’ numbers this season.
On the one hand, Hurts now has an All-Pro running back in the backfield with him in Saquon Barkley. He doesn’t need to throw the ball 538 times like he did a season ago. On the other hand, some are saying he’s become a dual-threat game manager.
Will Hurts silence the haters and lead the Eagles to their first Super Bowl victory since 2018? We’ll find out Sunday.
In the meantime, let’s take a look back at Hurts’ playoff career and statistics.
Overview of Jalen Hurts’ Playoff Record
When Nick Sirianni was named head coach of the Eagles in 2021, one of his first moves was dealing quarterback Carson Wentz to the Indianapolis Colts, hitching his wagon to second-year signal-caller Hurts.
Hurts, the Heisman Trophy runner-up in 2019, played in 15 games for Philadelphia in 2020 after being selected in the second round. He became the starter in 2021 and led the Eagles to the playoffs, losing to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the wild-card round.
Hurts was intercepted twice in that game but has since gone 206 passing attempts in the playoffs without an interception (Drew Brees has the record with 215). His streak of seven-straight playoff games with 20+ passes and no interceptions is the most all time.
In 2022, Hurts led the Eagles to 14 wins and a Super Bowl berth. He scored eight touchdowns in three games, but Philadelphia fell short to Kansas City in Super Bowl LVII.
The Eagles were bounced by the Buccaneers in the wild-card game in 2023 after faltering down the stretch in the regular season. Hurts threw for 250 yards and a touchdown in the loss.
Through the three playoff games thus far leading to Super Bowl LIX, Hurts has accounted for seven touchdowns with no interceptions.
Jalen Hurts’ Super Bowl Appearances
Super Bowl LIX marks Hurts’ second career Super Bowl appearance. In 2022, he made it to Super Bowl LVII and entered the fourth quarter with a six-point lead. However, the Eagles were unable to hold on, allowing 17 fourth quarter points to Kansas City.
Hurts completed 27-of-38 passes for 304 yards and a touchdown, while adding 70 yards and three touchdowns on the ground.
Playoff and Super Bowl Stats: By the Numbers
Challenges and Disappointments in the Playoffs
Well, it’s been feast or famine for the Eagles quarterback. Since becoming the starter he either makes the Super Bowl or gets bounced in the wild card.
However, most analysts agree that the resurgence of Barkley makes this the best team Hurts has ever been surrounded by.
We’ll need to see if that’s enough to knock off the Chiefs in a Super Bowl rematch on Sunday.
Read More About the Super Bowl
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Jalen Hurts Super Bowl and Playoff Record.
