Arizona
Eagles QB Jalen Hurts’ evolution tour heads to Arizona in Week 5
TEMPE — After knocking off one former Oklahoma quarterback in Week 4, the Arizona Cardinals get one other shot at an ex-Sooners sign caller when the Philadelphia Eagles head to the desert on Sunday.
However make no errors about it, Baker Mayfield is not any Jalen Hurts, who enters the Week 5 matchup towards the Cardinals using a tidal wave of momentum behind a 4-0 begin.
This isn’t the identical Hurts Arizona confronted throughout his rookie season in 2020, both. The quarterback has taken strides by means of the air whereas persevering with to burn defenders on the bottom.
His ascension as one of many NFL’s prime threats at quarterback could also be a shock to some, however not for head coach Kliff Kingsbury.
“He’s super. I instructed our employees, he’s top-of-the-line choice makers within the league so far as the place to go together with the soccer, when to throw it, when to tuck it, and when to make performs,” head coach Kliff Kingsbury stated Wednesday. “He’s at all times been a winner.
“I bear in mind recruiting him in highschool and he simply had a legendary work ethic — whether or not it was in highschool, at Alabama or now in Philly. You hear tales of how late he’s there, how laborious he’s working and it pays off. He’s an incredible expertise.”
Because the final time the Cardinals confronted off towards Hurts and the Eagles, the quarterback has cemented his place because the workforce’s undisputed starter.
After finishing 52% of his throws as a rookie, Hurts has turn into a way more environment friendly passer. Over his final 19 video games spanning the final two seasons, the QB has accomplished 62.5% of his passes to go together with 4,264 yards and 20 touchdowns to 11 interceptions.
And you’ll’t overlook about his operating capability.
Solely the Detroit Lions’ Jamaal Williams (six) and the Cleveland Browns’ Nick Chubb (5) have extra speeding scores on the yr than Hurts (4). Philadelphia has utilized Hurts’ operating capability excellently, with three of his 4 speeding touchdowns coming off of run-pass choices, which forces the protection to decide and react.
“He’s poised, he’s good, he makes fast, sound, clear choices,” defensive coordinator Vance Joseph stated Thursday. “As a passer, he’s grown and he’s throwing the ball to essentially good gamers. … The offense has been constructed and designed for (Hurts) and he’s doing an excellent job of execution.
“It’s not easy, it’s actually task choice soccer. It forces you to be disciplined and for those who make any errors, they’re going to benefit from it.”
Hurts is a confirmed improviser for the Eagles, scrambling a league-high 21 instances, per Professional Soccer Focus.
However that’s to not say the offensive line is chopped liver. Led by middle Jason Kelce and proper deal with Lane Johnson, the road is tops within the NFL in relation to pass-blocking with a PFF grade of 81.
“Their line is excellent, in all probability the perfect we’ve performed in a very long time so far as the 5 guys throughout the board,” Joseph stated. “The middle’s wonderful so far as selecting up pressures and completely different unique appears to be like. That’s what it begins.”
Robust QB play and a brick wall of an offensive line has solely opened up the door for Philadelphia’s different playmakers to shine, most notably wideout A.J. Brown.
In his first season with the Eagles, Brown paces the workforce in catches (25), targets (38) and receiving yards (404). He’s averaging 101 yards and 6.3 receptions per sport in 2022.
Complementing Brown within the receiving sport are DeVonta Smith and tight finish Dallas Goedert.
Smith finds himself as Hurts’ No. 2 choice by means of the air with 266 yards and a landing on 18 catches after a robust rookie marketing campaign. Goedert continues to be that regular presence within the offense whereas racking up 204 yards after the catch ok for second amongst NFL go catchers.
“He’s a man that’s extraordinarily proficient with the ball in his palms,” tight finish Zach Ertz stated of Goedert, who shared the TE room with the go catcher throughout his time in Philadelphia. “They try to discover methods to dump him the ball early — tight finish screens continually, jailbreak screens in the course of the sphere, tunnel screens, verify downs.
“They’re simply continually looking for methods to get him briefly areas to permit him to catch the ball and run.”
And offering the two-headed speeding assault alongside Hurts is Miles Sanders.
The operating again enters the matchup third within the league in speeding yards with 356 and is tied for fourth in touchdowns with three. If he can keep wholesome — Sanders hasn’t performed greater than 12 video games since his rookie season in 2019 — the operating again is trending towards a profession yr.
All in all, the Eagles current the hardest take a look at for the Cardinals protection this season. The Kansas Metropolis Chiefs are good, however this Philadelphia squad is stacked from prime to backside offensively.
Arizona will want a repeat efficiency from Week 4 plus slightly additional to knock off the league’s finest.