September 29, 2022
Kate Frese/For PhillyVoice
Eagles QB Jalen Hurts strikes a pose after connecting on a 53-yard touchdown pass to Quez Watkins in the first half against the Vikings Monday, September 19, 2022.
All the questions surrounding Jalen Hurts as a passer seem like so long ago now.
After the Eagles soared to a 3-0 start, marked by some of the finest performances yet from the third-year quarterback, Hurts was named the NFC's Offensive Player of the Month for September on Thursday morning.
🚨 JALEN HURTS, NFC OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE MONTH 🚨#FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/zzSeNMOKH5
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) September 29, 2022
Hurts completed 22 of 35 passes for 340 yards and three touchdowns in last Sunday's 24-8 rout of the Commanders down in Landover, and before that, lit up the Vikings for 333 yards, a passing touchdown, and two rushing touchdowns on Monday Night Football at the Linc – a performance that Shamus Clancy wrote was by far his best as an NFL quarterback.
Three weeks into the 2022 season, the 24-year old is third in the league in passing yards (916), fifth in passer rating (106.5), and the leader in yards per attempt (9.3), putting him among the NFL's best in Partick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, and a resurgent Tua Tagovailoa.
Hurts is also the first QB in the Super Bowl era to average more than 300 passing yards and 50 rushing yards through his first three games of a season.
With a receiving corps of A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, Quez Watkins, and tight end Dallas Goedert, along with an offensive line that has kept him well protected, Hurts has looked far more confident and accurate as a passer, and its reflected in the results, stats, and now recognition.
Hurts' MVP odds have skyrocketed after the last two weeks, Pro Football Focus has him as their top-rated passer, and EA Sports gave his rating a boost in "Madden 23," though I'd argue they were a bit too conservative with it.
MVP Front Runner @JalenHurts is going ⬆️#Madden23 | https://t.co/8imBk0Bbuw pic.twitter.com/N0sLtxsetu
— Madden NFL 23 (@EAMaddenNFL) September 28, 2022
Hurts and the Eagles will look to keep the great start rolling into October when they face former coach Doug Pederson and his upstart Jacksonville Jaguars at the Linc on Sunday.
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