Jalen Drama

Posted: December 16th, 2022 | Author: Tommy Lawlor 

Jalen Hurts might win the MVP award this season. He’s Top 3 at worst and a lot of people think he should win it. Not everyone, of course. Let’s talk about some of the criticism.

Everyone agrees the Eagles are having an amazing season. Everyone appreciates how good the offense is and all the plays that Hurts is making. He is having a great year. The point of contention from some is how much of this is Hurts and how much is all the pieces around him. That is a fair point to bring up, in regard to Hurts or anyone. Jerry Rice is the greatest WR of all-time. It helps that he had Joe Montana and Steve Young throwing him the ball. If he had played with Bubby Brister and Ty Detmer, Rice wouldn’t have been the same guy. He still would have been a star and done great things, but he was able to have an all-time great career by playing in a great offense, for a great coach and with great QBs.

Hurts isn’t just having a good year. The Eagles offense isn’t just playing well. This is a special season for both. The Eagles lead the NFL in scoring. Hurts leads the NFL in passer rating. The Eagles are 2nd in rushing. Hurts has a big impact on that. He’s run for 686 yards (4.9 ypc), but you also have to factor in the way defenses watch him. Miles Sanders has some easy runs because defenders are staring at Hurts, looking for the ball. It sure feels like the Eagles lead the NFL in making defenders confused.

The Eagles are making all kinds of plays and doing some amazing things on offense. They are also protecting the ball. Hurts has only thrown 3 INTs this year. Patrick Mahomes had 3 picks last week. Josh Allen has thrown at least 3 red zone picks this year. Hurts runs a lot of RPOs. He handles the ball a lot. Amazingly, Hurts has only lost 2 fumbles all year.

The biggest playmaker is rarely the guy who is also best at protecting the football.

Think about Hurts value on QB sneaks. That is a weapon for the Eagles. He converts almost 90 percent of them. Nick Sirianni is comfortable going for it on 4th downs because he knows how good Hurts is. The Eagles are 6th in the league in 4th down attempts. Only one team ahead of them has a winning record. The others are going for it somewhat out of desparation. The Eagles embrace 4th down as a tool, another chance to move the chains.

If you put Gardner Minshew in at QB, the Eagles aren’t going to be as good at passing, running or short yardage situations. There would be a drop-off. The offense has enough talent that they would still be good, even great at times. But this team wouldn’t be 12-1 and leading the league in points. Hurts has helped the Eagles play great football this year. That’s special.

I’m fine with people questioning if Hurts should be MVP. That award has always been tricky. Is it for the most "valuable” player or the most outstanding? Mahomes might be the most valuable right now. He’s doing some great things with a different supporting cast. But Hurts is the best player on the best team. You can say he’s the most outstanding. There is a case to be made for both guys.

What about some referring to Hurts as a system QB? A year ago that might have been a fair criticism. The Eagles run game was great, but the passing attack was erratic. Hurts couldn’t consistently win from the pocket. This year is a completely different story.

A system QB is someone who is limited in some way and needs a specific system to thrive. Hurts could play in any system right now and get the job done. The Eagles creative offensive scheme allows him to maximize his talents. Minshew is much closer to the definition of a system QB.

Don’t get too lost in the weeds on this. Hurts is having a great year. Enj0y that. Don’t let Chris Simms or Micah Parsons tick you off with their comments. Simms is a jackass. Parsons is a Dallas Cowboy (which means he’s also a jackass).

The funniest part of all this is that Hurts doesn’t care. He wants to win on Sunday and keep winning games. Awards and media arguments don’t mean a darn thing to him.

*****

Now for the other side of the ball.

Good article by Zach.

http://igglesblitz.com/2022/12/jalen-drama/

MVP is such an interesting debate. If Mahomes isn't the QB for Kansas how big is the drop off? If Minshew comes in for Hurts how big is the drop off? Same for Allen and his back up. Is Hurts crucial to this team in the same way that Mahomes is? I think it's really interesting.