Philadelphia Eagles: Is Jalen Hurts’ style of offense sustainable?

After a thrilling Week 14 win, can the Philadelphia Eagles expect to experience the same level of success with Jalen Hurts under center moving forward?

Playing in his first career NFL start, Jalen Hurts absolutely exceeded expectations. He threw for 167 yards and a TD, ran for an additional 106 yards, and ultimately guided the Philadelphia Eagles to an improbable 24-21 upset victory over the now 10-3 New Orleans Saints. Hurts became just the second QB in NFL history to log 100+ rushing yards in their NFL debut – really setting the tone for what everyone hopes is a long and successful professional career.

Building off that, it was specifically Hurts’ mobility and speed that led to him experiencing success against one of the best defenses in the league. He ended up rushing 18 different times, and his escapability helped him avoid sacks – despite operating behind a below average offensive line. Hurts’ elite level athleticism was a breath of fresh air to an offense that’s been consistently lethargic this year, and it had some fans bringing up Lamar Jackson comparisons.

With all that said, as great as Hurts’ NFL debut ended up being (I would genuinely give him an A+ for his performance), there’s reason for pause when it comes to hailing him the savior of the Philadelphia Eagles offense moving forward.

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Through the first 12 weeks of the season, the Philadelphia Eagles were averaging 21.1 points per game. This isn’t taking into account defensive points, special teams, etc., – it’s just making the blanket statement that the Eagles on average scored 21.1 points per game each week.

Against the Saints, despite the electricity that Hurts provided at times, they only surpassed that average by 2.9 points. Obviously the Saints have one of the best defenses in the NFL, but Jim Schwartz’ unit also did their fair share in making life easy on the Eagles offense – forcing two crucial turnovers.

Additionally, Carson Wentz had been averaging 218 passing yards per game with a completion percentage of 57.4% through the the team’s first 12 games. Those numbers obviously aren’t good, but Hurts’ passing success was even lesser on Sunday (167 yards, 56.7%).

This isn’t some “pro-Wentz” argument, I’ve repeatedly stood by the claim that starting Hurts for these last few weeks is the correct decision. Also, context is obviously super important here, as Hurts was making his first career start against a vicious Saints’ D. However, the flaws in Philly’s passing offense are still very much prevalent; they didn’t just magically go away upon a new QB entering the lineup.

Receivers still aren’t getting open, route concepts are basic at best, and very fews deep shots are being successfully dialed up. Whether it’s Hurts or Wentz under center, the Eagles have one of the worst passing attacks in the league, and that’s something that good defenses are going to be able to take advantage of.

For the meantime, Hurts will likely continue to experience a great deal of success using his legs. Opposing coordinators don’t have a lot of film on him yet, and he’s genuinely a freaky good athlete. However, looking ahead to the 2021 season and beyond, there’s reason for concern. The Eagles desperately need an overhaul at the WR position, and Hurts is going to have to get better at consistently moving the ball through the air.

As fun as Sunday’s win over the Saints was, walking out of ballgames with <200 yards of passing offense is a recipe for disaster in the long run.