Jalen Hurts lets Eagles fans know what they can expect from him in playoff opener
By John Buhler
Jalen Hurts should be ready to rock for the Philadelphia Eagles in their home playoff game.
While it remains to be seen who the top-seeded Philadelphia Eagles will host in the NFC Divisional Round, their star quarterback Jalen Hurts will be ready to play.
Hurts was the NFL MVP frontrunner until sustaining an injury down the stretch. Though the award will probably go to Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes now, all that matters for the Eagles is winning their playoff game next week. They will face the lowest advancing seed between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Dallas Cowboys, the New York Giants or the Seattle Seahawks…
As far as how close Hurts is to being himself, he would offer only this to the Philadelphia media.
Jalen Hurts when asked “How close to the Jalen Hurts that we all know will we be seeing?”:
— Eagles Nation (@PHLEaglesNation) January 12, 2023
Hurts: “I can’t give you a number. But that name is that name. That man will be there.” pic.twitter.com/ID87LFx5bY
Jalen Hurts says he will be himself in Philadelphia Eagles’ first playoff game
The 14-3 Eagles earned the No. 1 seed in the NFC, edging out the San Francisco 49ers and the Minnesota Vikings for home-field advantage. Although the NFC is down as a whole this season, Philadelphia had been the most dominant team throughout the year prior to Hurts’ injury. While they have a capable backup in Gardner Minshew, Hurts is the one who will carry them to victory.
Not having to play on Wild Card Weekend is a huge boost for the Eagles. The pathway to the Super Bowl runs through Philadelphia. Plus, having an extra week to get healthier, while the six other playoff teams in the NFC will have to play makes this even sweeter. However, rest vs. rust is very much a real thing in a momentum sport like football. Philadelphia should be able to overcome this.
Ultimately, Philadelphia poses about as good of a threat as any team in the NFC to win the Super Bowl. Though the AFC has the likes of the Chiefs, the Buffalo Bills and the Kansas City Chiefs, only one will win the Lamar Hunt Trophy. As for the Eagles, their biggest threat in conference would have to be San Francisco, a team that is hotter than the sun of late. They would get them at home.
As long as Hurts can play up to his high standard, Philadelphia has a fantastic shot to win the NFC.
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