Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles get passing game back on track in win over Steelers
After a week filled with questions about the Philadelphia Eagles' passing attack, Jalen Hurts and the Birds got it back on track Sunday with a 27-13 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers at Lincoln Financial Field.
"So that's what y'all wanted to see, huh?" Hurts asked the media as he sat down at the podium for his postgame press conference.
To his credit, Hurts and his top two wide receivers – A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith – delivered after the team's passing game was heavily scrutinized in last week's victory over the Carolina Panthers.
Hurts finished that game with 108 passing yards and looked indecisive in the pocket. The Eagles leaned on Saquon Barkley like they have for much of the season, but it was a completely different story against the Steelers.
Hurts was efficient against Pittsburgh and completed 25 of his 32 passes for 290 yards and two touchdowns with a 125.3 quarterback rating and rushed for a score on the "Brotherly Shove" to go along with 45 rushing yards on 15 carries.
"I've always said and believed that you want to make sure all your tools are sharp when you need them, so when it's time to use them, you can go, so I don't think there's a doubt in that," Hurts said. "I think frankly that there was an effort there. The approach was a little different this week. And the grass will be green where you water it. And we decided to water it, you kind of saw the fruits of our labor in that. Obviously, we've been watering the running game a good bit. It's kind of natural to put an emphasis on one thing and take an emphasis off another and see what you guys have kind of seen. We want to push to be well-rounded and water all areas of our yard."
With the Steelers ranking in the top five against the run, the Eagles won through the air and it helped them build an early lead.
Hurts connected with A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith on first-half touchdowns, and the latter gave Philadelphia 17-3 lead early in the second quarter.
Smith finished with 11 catches for 109 yards and a touchdown, while Brown had eight catches for 110 yards and his score. It marks the first time all season the star wideouts each had more than 100 receiving yards in the same game. Both have missed games this season due to injuries.
After last week's game, Brown's one-word answer about the passing game sparked questions about Philadelphia's aerial attack. Then things got worse when Brandon Graham fanned the flames and implied Hurts and Brown didn't get along. Graham later apologized and said he misspoke, while Brown later clarified what he meant last week.
This led to the Eagles having plenty of difficult conversations about the passing game before facing Pittsburgh, and Hurts said he takes the criticism in stride.
"The scrutiny is never-ending, it's nothing new," Hurts said. "That's something that I find the thrill in. I appreciate being told I can't and that we can't. And I know that I lead this team and it takes a lot out of it. It demands a lot of you. I just want to show up and be the best teammate, quarterback, and be the best that I can be for the guys on the team."
While Hurts was sharp throwing the ball, he confirmed that he is playing with a broken finger on his non-throwing hand. He said it impacted his play, but he didn't elaborate much on the details of the injury or when it occurred.
"I mean, it is what it is," Hurts said. "It's been at the state it's at all week and I really don't want to put too much into it. I can say I don't think it got any worse today. If it's shattered, it's shattered. It is what it is."
