Loss of perennial All-Pro could impact Jalen Hurts and Eagles more than expected

The Philadelphia Eagles stormed out to a 10-1 record to begin the 2023 season. Except for a blunder against the New York Jets, the Eagles found a way to win every game, including two that went into overtime. 

After the dominant start, Philadelphia seemed poised to make their second consecutive Super Bowl appearance. Then, everything unraveled. The Eagles lost five of their last six games to finish the regular season and were ultimately put out of their misery by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC Wild Card Round.

The collapse began in Week 13 when the San Francisco 49ers trounced the Eagles 42-19 at Lincoln Financial Field. After the game, Niners defensive end Nick Bosa spoke candidly about how San Francisco’s defense stymied Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts and Philadelphia’s vaunted rushing attack.

“Obviously, we put the blueprint out there,” Bosa said about stopping Hurts. “Hopefully the Cowboys watch the tape. We made Jalen stay in the pocket and escape outside instead of those B-gaps, and it paid off. Because Jalen is looking at the rush every play, so you just have to be disciplined and not give him that quick escape route where he can get to his guys quick.”

NFL coach says Jalen Hurts ‘panics’ against Cover 0

An anonymous defensive coach told The Athletic’s Mike Sando about the blueprint that teams used against Hurts, who threw a career-high 15 interceptions last season.

“The word is out there, if you run zero [blitz] against Hurts, or show zero and back everyone out, he will panic,” a defensive coach said. “That has to change.”

Cover 0, or a zero blitz, overwhelms the offensive protection by blitzing more players than the offense can block. The aggressive blitz leaves defensive backs in man-to-man coverage with no safety help, but the quarterback has little time to find an open receiver.

In theory, the Eagles offense should have thrived against Cover 0. Equipped with talented wide receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, as well as tight end Dallas Goedert, at least one of the Eagles' skill position players should be able to beat their matchup. But Hurts failed to find success against the pressure.

Hurts faced Cover 0 more than any other quarterback during the 2023 season, according to Shane Haff of Edge of Philly Sports. Entering Week 18, defenses had used a zero blitz against Hurts on 56 plays. The next closest quarterback faced the all-out pressure 44 times. In those situations, Hurts had an EPA per play of -0.32, which ranked 30th in the NFL.

Through the first four years of his career, Hurts had the luxury of taking snaps from center Jason Kelce, who orchestrated pre-snap adjustments for the offensive protection scheme. The six-time First-Team All-Pro center announced his retirement this offseason, which will leave Hurts with new responsibilities and burdens in 2024. 

Along with learning a new system under new offensive coordinator Kellen Moore, Hurts will have to take a leap forward in the pre-snap phase of the game.

“They lose Jason Kelce, who handled the protections, basically did everything, and you bring in a coordinator who likes to drop back,” the defensive coach added. “It will be interesting.”

Moore could provide Hurts with more advantageous play calls to attack a Cover 0 blitz, particularly with the addition of running back Saquon Barkley. Still, the 26-year-old quarterback will have to show the ability to execute. Until he punishes defenses for sending pressure, the aggressive blitzes will keep coming.