Fansided

More rat poison? 3 reasons the media praises Nick Saban, Alabama

By Patrick Schmidt

TUSCALOOSA, AL - SEPTEMBER 30: Head coach Nick Saban of the Alabama Crimson Tide looks on during the game against the Mississippi Rebels at Bryant-Denny Stadium on September 30, 2017 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
TUSCALOOSA, AL - SEPTEMBER 30: Head coach Nick Saban of the Alabama Crimson Tide looks on during the game against the Mississippi Rebels at Bryant-Denny Stadium on September 30, 2017 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /
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Jalen Hurts
COLLEGE STATION, TX – OCTOBER 07: Jalen Hurts #2 of the Alabama Crimson Tide warms up before playing the Texas A&M Aggies at Kyle Field on October 7, 2017 in College Station, Texas. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images) /

Jalen Hurts is unflappable

I had Jalen Hurts as the No. 4 player on my preseason Heisman watch list. That rat poison hasn’t hurt the sophomore quarterback’s play in the first half of 2017. Much has been said and written about Hurts’ development as a pocket passer, but I think that’s just much ado about nothing. Sometimes players don’t fit the mold that people want them to fit. Hurts isn’t a classic dropback passer who will stand tall in the pocket and work through his progressions and get the ball down the field.

Hurts is just a great quarterback who is getting better with each passing week and all he does is win, win, win, no matter what. (Sorry, I couldn’t resist getting that in, since it’s been hammered into my head) Hurts is completing 63 percent of his passes and has a nice 149 quarterback rating due to his zero interceptions on the year.

The quickest way to get in Saban’s doghouse is turning the ball over and making ill-advised decisions. Hurts seemingly never does that. He isn’t asked to do a ton in the passing game with the rushing attack so dominant, including Hurts who is capable of running for 100 yards on any given Saturday and leads the team with 517 yards.

Hurts only has seven touchdowns, but the zero interceptions is a number that is sticking out when you look at his stat sheet. Credit Hurts for not putting his defense in a bad position with a short field and playing nearly perfect football.

What’s most impressive about Hurts is how cool he is and how he never seems to let the pressure be greater than the pleasure of the game. He’s unflappable and super cool, which is probably why he doesn’t force any throws or make many bad decisions.

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