Philadelphia Eagles: Jalen Hurts is out, Gardner Minshew is in for Week 13

Welp, it’s officially official; Jalen Hurts is out as the Philadelphia Eagles‘ starting quarterback… at least for Week 13.

That’s right, despite some speculation heading in the opposite direction and a desire from 1 to get back on the field after tweaking his ankle versus the New York Giants, Hurts will be on the sidelines for the Eagles’ forthcoming contest against the New York Jets, with Gardner Minshew set to take his place in the starting lineup.

Is this a bit of a bummer? In some ways, yes. Hurts had arguably his worst game as a pro in Week 13, and it would have been cool to see how he would have bounced back against one of the worst teams in the NFL.

But then again, receiving an opportunity to see how Nick Sirianni‘s offense looks with a different quarterback at the helm could provide incredible insight into just how much of the Philadelphia Eagles’ issues fall on their head coach’s shoulders, how Gardner Minshew fits in South Philly, and whether Howie Roseman should scout players like Matt Corral a bit harder over the next few months.

The Philadelphia Eagles’ Week 13 bout just became must-watch television.

What makes Gardner Minshew good? It’s not his supreme athleticism, his generational arm strength, or his ability to dissect a defense at the line and call the best audible for a play like Payton Manning.

No, Minshew’s talents lie in his ability to accurately distribute passes to receivers across the short and intermediate parts of the field while occasionally airing things out for big plays over the top.

In Jacksonville, Minshew completed 62.9 percent of his passes for 5,530 yards, 37 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions while earning a 7-11 record as a starter over his 23 games of action. His average yards per completion, 10.5, ranked 24th league-wide in 2020, and his average yards per game, 251, ranked 16th overall, ahead of Kyler Murray, Teddy Bridgewater, and Drew Brees.

Is Minshew going to magically turn a bad team into a good one or a good team into a great one? Probably not, but he’s not going to turn a great team into just a good one or a good team into a bad one either.

No, as weird as it may sound, Minshew is the NFL’s answer to the Mendoza Line, or should I say the Dalton Line, a term coined by Steven Ruiz during his time at For The Win.

So, with Minshew serving as a perfectly middle-of-the-road quarterback, a deep-fried chicken wing if you will, Sirianni’s play calling should be on full display in Week 13 versus the New York Jets, with the game’s ultimate fate sinking or swimming based on his decisions.

Sidebar: I guess Sirianni’s play calling is the sauce in this belabored metaphor.

Without Jalen Hurts’ legs to fall back on if a play falls apart, a receiver isn’t open, or the offense just needs a guaranteed big play on the ground, Sirianni is going to have to break out more sophisticated padding concepts, where the notably less mobile Minshew has ample check-down opportunities if his primary targets – aka DeVonta Smith and Dallas Goedert – aren’t available. Sure the team will still surely continue to run the ball around a 60:40 ratio, but expect Minshew to attack the middle of the field far more often than Hurts tends to, especially to bigger targets like Tyree Jackson.

Speaking of Jackson, after spending the majority of the season practicing with the second team, don’t be surprised if Minshew throws a few more passes to JJ Arcega-Whiteside, Greg Ward, and Jackson, as the trio have a prior established relationship from months of practice reps.

Considering the Eagles’ disproportionate target dispersion in the passing game, that parity could be much appreciated.

Will it work? Will the Philadelphia Eagles pull out a win over the New York Jets? Yes, I’d venture to say they will, but this weekend’s game isn’t just about securing the W. No, as important as that might be, Week 13 will go a long way in defining Jalen Hurts’ role with the team moving forward, even if he’s not on the field to fight his own battle.