For the fourth time this season, an Eagle has been rewarded for stellar play. According to NFL.com, Jalen Hurts has been named NFC Offensive Player of the Month.
Hurts Early MVP Push
Through three games, Hurts has looked better than anyone could have expected. He is currently sitting at 916 passing yards, four passing touchdowns, 167 rushing yards, and three rushing touchdowns. He has a completion percentage of 67.3%, an improvement from his 61.3% in 2021, and a 106.5 passer rating. Hurts has been the catalyst for an offense which has yearned for consistent quarterback play since 2017.
What is more impressive than the counting stats, though, are the technical improvements he’s made from year two to year three. During his sophomore season, Hurts was heavily criticized his inaccuracy and poor decision making. To earn the trust of the organization, he needed to show improvement as a passer. And he has. So far, he has only thrown one interception on a pass which caromed off the hands of Kenneth Gainwell. Hurts has thrown zero turnover worthy passes (passes which should have been interceptions but were dropped) in 2022. As a passer, it’s been night and day compared to 2021, which has put Hurts in the position he’s in now.
Player of the Month? Player of the Week? Eagles Have It
The Eagles have been on a tear in 2022, with Hurts’ award being the fourth major achievement of the season. In week one, Zech McPhearson won NFC Special Teams Player of the Week. The next week, Darius Slay won NFC Defensive Player of the Week. Brandon Graham followed Slay last week with a bounce back performance against Washington. It is no mistake that Philadelphia is sitting at 3-0 and first in the NFC right now–each week, someone has stepped up and played at an incredibly high level.
Hurts improvements have been a sight to behold thus far and have the Eagles sitting in a great spot. Hosting Jacksonville this week, the passing game is expected to flourish. If Hurts can keep at his current pace, the Eagles are not only NFC East favorites, but favorites to win the entire NFC.