Eagles’ Jalen Hurts tries to quell tension rumors with powerful statement
The title defense of the Philadelphia Eagles is on the right track. While they suffered their first loss in Week 5 against the Denver Broncos, the defending champions are playing at a high level.
Rumors, however, are circulating that tension is rising within the squad. The same happened last season, as whispers spread that quarterback Jalen Hurts was not on the same page with coach Nick Sirianni. They dismissed the rumors and went on to win the Super Bowl.
When asked about the chemistry of the Eagles ahead of Week 6, Hurts acknowledged that they have different voices in the locker room, which is not necessarily bad.
“It's like having all the same ingredients, but having a different chef in the kitchen. I think that's what it's kind of been for us over the years. You can have the same ingredients, and somebody can make the same dish, and it tastes different,” said the 27-year-old star, as quoted by The Athletic's Zach Berman.
Berman noted that Hurts admitted that “it's going to look different each year,” but they have a common mission to bring more glory to the Eagles.
“We're all for one and one for all with this thing,” stressed the Super Bowl MVP.
The Eagles bowed to the Broncos, 21-17, at Lincoln Financial Field, as they were blanked in the fourth quarter, 18-0. Denver was down, 17-3, heading into the payoff period. Prior to the defeat, Philadelphia had a 10-game winning streak, dating back to last season.
After the game, wide receiver DeVonta Smith didn't hide his frustration, which probably spurred rumors that the Eagles were not seeing eye to eye.
“We've got to get on the same page, and continue to be on the same page,” said Smith in a report from the Associated Press.
They will look to return to the win column when they face off against the New York Giants on Thursday.
What We Learned About Eagles Offense As Training Camp Ends
This is the fist of two parts looking at what we learned after a month of Eagles training camp. This first part looks at the offense.
Training camp ended on Wednesday, nearly a month after it opened. There were 18 practices that the media were allowed to watch. So, what did we learn?
OFFENSE
The quarterback. Jalen Hurts always takes a serious approach to his job, but we saw another side of him this summer, a more outgoing Hurts who seemed more at ease with his game. Being a Super Bowl MVP has had its effect.
On the final day of camp, there were a large group of kids calling his name and he waved them onto the field to sign autographs. It’s something that nobody can recall seeing an Eagles QB do in the past.
‘It's a good time to do it,” he said via a tweet from The Athletic’s Zack Berman. “I heard them over there. It definitely can be a lot at times, but being able to enjoy the moment — it's all about the youth and giving them the sense of hope. I guess the 'role model' tag is what it is, but it's a sense of responsibility.”
He was the same way with his teammates, outspoken but in a teaching way.
“Just building that chemistry, especially with the young guys now, and all of the injuries that we’ve had,” he said. “There have been a lot of opportunities for other guys to step up. And so, communicating that, and trying to build that rapport and chemistry with them, so when the opportunity comes in a real game, there’s no confusion or wrong expectations on what we’re trying to do.”
What Impact Has Kevin Patullo Had On The Offense?
Patullo effect. It doesn’t look like it has changed much with first-time offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo in charge, and why should it? He has been around since Nick Sirianni took over in January 2021.
“I think there are little touches of KP here and there, for sure, but it’s a lot of the same things in terms of scheme and things we’re getting after,” said running back Will Shipley. “KP Is doing a great job of adding his own little taste into it.
“…We definitely have some new things in there, some things to switch it up, and they’re doing just a great job of taking what we get from each practice and being able to say we like this, we don’t look this, this is looking well, this isn’t looking well. They’ve done a great job of making it pretty easy on us as players to pick it all up and move from one day to another.”
Receiver overload. Every day, somebody was stepping up. It’s a deep group and will be better equipped to handle the loss of A.J. Brown or DeVonta Smith if either of them misses time. Even the potential loss of Johnny Wilson, who did not practice on the Wednesday’s final day of camp due to what was termed a knee/ankle injury suffered a day earlier, will be offset by strong camps from Ainias Smith and a host of free agents. The trade of John Metchie III could pay big dividends.
RB depth. The Eagles have it, starting, of course, with Saquon Barkley, who had a busy month running and catching. Behind him, the cupboard is full, with an emerging Will Shipley and a refreshed A.J. Dillon after missing all of last season. Barkley should not have 482 touches like last year with this depth in the house.
Dallas Goedert. The tight end had a great summer, but he always seems to do that. With only a one-year contract, this could be a big season for him. Of course, it must start with him staying healthy.
Offensive line. Tyler Steen should be fine at right guard, and the hope is left guard Landon Dickerson will return for the opener and stay healthy all year. Staying healthy is something that can be said for everyone. The Eagles depth behind the starters has been called into question after some struggled against the Brown in the second preseason game. Replacing Fred Johnson as the backup swing tackle could be a bigger issue than some may have thought.
Finding one person to do the job isn’t a necessity as head coach Nick Sirianni explained.
“If the guy's better on the right, we'll play him on the right,” he said. “If a guy's better on the left, we'll play him on the left. I guess I've done that every single way that you can imagine in my time in the NFL.
“Sometimes you got a guy that just plays right, sometimes you have one that just plays left, and sometimes you have a swing guy. I'm not concerned how that looks as long as we're ready to go as far as having a guy in each position that we need to back up.”
