Jalen Hurts displays noticeable change in squashing perceived drama with A.J. Brown
Jalen Hurts famously coined the phrase "you don't know what you don't know" when there was drama surrounding the Philadelphia Eagles' locker room last season. Hurts could have taken the same route this season regarding Brandon Graham's comments involving him and A.J. Brown.
Hurts took a different approach. He opened up about the perceived drama between him and Brown, a noticeable change from the Eagles franchise quarterback.
"Sometimes things change as dynamics change, but for him, he knows I have a lot of love for him, just like I have a lot of love for all these guys," Hurts said. "Ultimately, he's a guy that's a competitor. He wants to win. He damn sure wants the ball, and he wants to make an impact in the game. I respect that. That's just like all of us."
The Brown and Hurts saga started with Brown's comments on where the offense needed to improve. His one-word answer — passing — without context sparked speculation that Brown was taking a shot at his quarterback.
Brown, also taking a different approach, elaborated on what he meant.
"It was protection. It was picking up a block. It was maybe reads on Jalen's part. It was maybe us getting open quicker, being where we need to be. It's a timing thing," Brown said. "That's not to say that the sky is falling with our passing game. But it's something to bring awareness to, to focus on, to get better in the moment that we have.
"I was a little frustrated. It was the Panthers — not saying they're a bad football team. But we go out here and try to dominate, and that wasn't a dominant performance. We know the players that we have in this locker room. And we talk about the things that we want to do, and that wasn't what we're capable of … I only said what I said because it was self-inflicted. If somebody is making a play, kudos to them. They're in the NFL too. But if it's self-inflicted, we're definitely going to speak up about it, and we're definitely going to try to correct it."
Hurts even admitted he needs to be better at passing the football. He threw for just 108 yards and averaged 5.1 yards per pass attempt in Sunday's win over the Carolina Panthers. On passes that traveled 10-plus air yards, Hurts was 2 of 6 for 42 yards with a 59.0 passer rating. Hurts is 4 of 12 for 71 yards and has a 54.5 passer rating on those throws over the last two games.
"I look at myself first because everything starts and ends with me, and I take great pride in what I do," Hurts said. "I take great pride in the responsibilities that I have, what I am to the city and to this team. I pride myself on that. I'm at my best when I'm my biggest critic and have to continue to challenge myself on being critical with some things so I can be better."
Hurts also admitted he can get the ball out quicker when discussing what he can improve in his passing. Hurts' sack rate of 9.0% is the worst of his career, as he's turning the lack of turnovers (two in the last nine games) into holding onto the ball too long and tucking it away.
Regardless, Hurts has been playing well during the Eagles' nine-game win streak. Hurts is completing 68.4% of his passes and averaging 8.7 yards per attempt with 12 touchdowns to one interception for a 113.7 passer rating. The completion percentage, touchdown-to-interception ratio, yards per attempt and passer rating each rank in the top six in the NFL.
Hurts acknowledged his faults and reminded everyone in the NovaCare Complex that he's built for these situations. This isn't the first time Hurts has been doubted.
"I tend to thrive in moments like this," Hurts said. "I accept the challenges that come with [being the Eagles quarterback]. I want to do everything I can to win."
