Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts finished the win over Washington going 22-of-35 (62.9 percent) for 340 yards and three touchdowns. The QB spoke to reporters after the game, and said that they still aren’t meeting the standard they’ve set for themselves, but they’ll take the win and get back to work.
“I want to give a special shout out to the Eagles fans, everybody that came out to FedEx Field. It definitely felt like a home game — how loud it was in there, how much green and black was in the stadium. It was very, very impressive and it was a sight to see.”
He was asked about the touchdown pass just before halftime, a play that DeVonta Smith said wasn’t in the game plan for this week. Hurts explained that they practice those situations all the time, and when communication isn’t the best — because of noise or timing — the coaches trust him to make it work.
“Not having any time outs, I think that was a really big time play by [Smith] to go up there and snatch the ball out the air. High point the ball and get us points before halftime, and obviously I look back on it, and we preach how important it is to double dip [score before halftime and get the ball to start the second half]”
Hurts then explained his thoughts on how they played in the second half — knowing he was going to be asked about it, anyway. He didn’t think anyone lost their intensity, and everyone was focused coming out of halftime, they just need to execute. The QB’s message to the team after the game was that they were just one play away from the second half having a different vibe — if he connected with AJ Brown on the pass, got a ball to Dallas Goedert, or handled a certain pressure differently. Those are all situations they can control, so it’s on everyone to go back to work and take steps to correct those issues.
Hurts was asked about DeVonta Smith having a big game, and some notably impressive catches.
“That’s who he is — he’s a great player, all-around player. The Slim Reaper. Slim Reaper. By the eyes he might be sly, but he plays like a big boy, and he he is, he’s a grown man. ”
The QB later talked about how all the work they put in together in the offseason is supposed to show in moments like this, and it is. To see it paying off is great, but he also noted that there’s more to it and it’s just the beginning.
other notables
- The QB was very impressed by the defense on Sunday, pointing out that the front seven alone was able to affect Carson Wentz early and often. Hurts shook his head in disbelief that they were able to get nine sacks in one game, “That’s crazy.”
- Hurts said that how they are approaching this year with a 3-0 start is the same way they approached things last year, when they went 2-5. They set a standard for who they think they can be, and work to meet that standard. He does n’t think they’ve played their best ball yet, but he does think they’re close with executing consistently.
- He said there wasn’t any additional satisfaction beating a team led by Carson Wentz, and that to him they’re all face-less opponents.