December 02, 2024
The Eagles are 10-2 and are legitimate Super Bowl contenders. Following their statement win over the Ravens in Baltimore, here are five thoughts I currently have about the Birds:
Nick Sirianni, following the Eagles’ win in Baltimore, told reporters that Hurts himself should be in the MVP conversation and down-played discussion that Hurts is merely a game-manager, calling it "bull***t" even:
Nick Sirianni says Eagles QB Jalen Hurts deserves to be in MVP Conversation https://t.co/MMAwKCRkET pic.twitter.com/INusBPudUK
— Jeff Skversky (@JeffSkversky) December 2, 2024
It’s good that Sirianni is going to bat for his guy, but, no, Hurts shouldn’t be in the MVP mix. That’s just okay, too. He’s not the MVP of his own team. That’s Saquon Barkley or, if you want to give out a collective award like you’re watching the 2015 Atlanta Hawks, it’s about the Birds’ offensive line and o-line coach Jeff Stoutland.
Hurts’ numbers aren’t there this year. His early season turnovers hurt his stat sheet. Hurts is an awesome leader and provides intangibles that don’t show up there, but that doesn’t equate to being an MVP candidate.
Buffalo’s Josh Allen is the favorite right now, especially after a huge Sunday night performance. Barkley is the lead dog for the Birds when it comes to the awards race. That’s not an indictment of Hurts. It's just the state of things.
As to whether Hurts is a game-manager, which has always been a dreaded label, is it that much of a bad thing if he is one? Hurts hasn’t reached his 2022 heights as a passer and might never do so again. The Eagles can win with Hurts, obviously, but, at times, they certainly win because of him as well. Think back to that game-winning drive against New Orleans in Week 3. That’s beyond typical game-manager stuff, but when Hurts’ raw passing numbers are pedestrian and the Eagles are a run-first team, that type of discussion is going to pop up. Hurts has limited his mistakes during the Eagles’ eight-game win streak and has done what’s necessary for the Eagles to win. If that’s being a game-manager, so be it. Eagles fans will be thankful for the lack of volatility.
I think back to Carson Wentz, comparing his three-year run from 2017 to 2019 to Hurts since 2022. Wentz’s peak was better, but there was a lot of rockiness in between those Herculean highlights he would put up.
How about we split the difference between being a superstar and a game-manager and call Hurts a “CEO” quarterback. He’s elite at managing the game and has the ability to change things in a split second with dynamic athleticism, too.
This year's Eagles are a run-first team with a running back MVP candidate in Saquon Barkley. They are punishing opponents late in games with Barkley acting as the team's fourth-quarter closer. On the other side of the ball, the Eagles are fourth in points allowed and first in yards allowed. They're so physical. The Eagles haven't been that good in both categories since 1981 when that defense was first in both points and yards. This is the Eagles' best defense of the 21st century, rivaling the best of what was seen during the peak Jim Johnson days of 2001 and 2002.
The pass defense has been transformed with the arrivals of rookies Cooper DeJean and Quinyon Mitchell, plus the return of C.J. Gardner-Johnson. Jalen Carter has taken an All-Pro leap and Zack Baun's first year in midnight green has been nothing short of a revelation for the linebacker position here.
Hey, now... this is smash mouth football.
This is the defining highlight of the Eagles' win on Sunday and maybe the biggest defensive moment of the season for the Birds: Cooper DeJean popping Derrick Henry one-on-one:
Cooper DeJean takes down Derrick Henry 💪
— NFL (@NFL) December 2, 2024
📺: #PHIvsBAL on CBS/Paramount+
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/Lwq9S0PfZo
Dare I say... it reminds me of the way a young Brian Dawkins dropped Jerome Bettis in the open field:
Brian Dawkins hit stick on Jerome Bettis 😨
— CBS Sports HQ (@CBSSportsHQ) July 15, 2022
(🎥: FOX) pic.twitter.com/SSE01knWiY
DeJean will, of course, never be Dawkins, but that's a defensive back taking down the premium power back of his respective era with force and perfect technique.
An incomplete list of coaches who have a worse winning percentage than Sirianni (.698):
Tony Dungy, Andy Reid, Mike Tomlin, Bill Belichick, Don Shula, George Halas, Bill Cowher, Bud Grant, Joe Gibbs, Sean Payton and Bill Walsh.
Even so, it was rational to think the Eagles should fire him two months ago. Two months changes a lot, huh?
Let's end on some throwback fun. Randall Cunningham made one of the greatest plays in NFL history 34 years ago today with this 95-yard touchdown toss to Fred Barnett:
Randall Cunningham was UNREAL 🤯
— FanDuel Sportsbook (@FDSportsbook) December 2, 2024
34 years ago today, he ducked under Bruce Smith to avoid a safety and then launched a 95-yard TD 😤pic.twitter.com/iLUtdTJ8W7
There's always talk of older players who'd be worse in the modern game, but perhaps no football player ever from a bygone era would be better in today's sport than Cunningham.
(The Eagles lost this game, but that doesn't really matter at this point, right?)
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