Jalen Hurts showed how much he’s grown in beating the Detroit Lions

An incredible offseason, coupled with mounting accidents in Dallas, propelled the Philadelphia Eagles to the forefront of the NFC East dialogue. However because the 2022 NFL season loomed, the largest query going through the Eagles centered on probably the most crucial place within the recreation:

Would quarterback Jalen Hurts dwell as much as the expectations, or would the Eagles fall in need of their aspirations because of inconsistent quarterback play?

Because the NFL world wildly overreacts to the primary full slate of video games, a part of the dialogue this Monday morning is how Hurts fared within the season-opening win over the Detroit Lions. Hurts accomplished 18 of 32 passes for 243 yards within the win, and added one other 17 dashing makes an attempt for 90 yards and a landing. Past the field rating, did Hurts present the indicators of development that Eagles followers had been hoping for all summer time?

In a phrase, sure.

One of many greatest questions going through Hurts was how he would enhance as a pocket supervisor. His strengths as a quarterback are well-known: His athleticism, his means to throw on the transfer, his means to assault within the vertical passing recreation with contact, and his creativity inside and outdoors the pocket. But when the Eagles are going to fulfill their lofty expectations, Hurts wants to enhance inside the pocket, each together with his decision-making and his willingness to remain within the pocket and struggle, and never escape the pocket on the first signal of strain.

Three moments from yesterday’s win over the Lions spotlight his development and improvement in these areas. The primary we are going to look at comes proper earlier than halftime, as Hurts connects with one of many Eagles’ huge additions, broad receiver A.J. Brown:

This play comes simply earlier than halftime, with the Eagles holding a 21-14 lead over Detroit. Philadelphia runs a 4 verticals idea out of a 3×1 formation, and Brown is aligned alongside the best sideline. What stands out about Hurts on this play is how he reads the rotation within the secondary, and the way he makes use of his eyes. The Lions present a single-high security earlier than the snap, and certainly run Cowl 1 on the play. However how they get there includes a rotation among the many safeties. Tracy Walker III, who begins the play aligned because the single-high security, flashes downhill on the snap and is changed in the course of the sector by DeShon Elliott, who’s down within the field over the operating again earlier than the snap.

It isn’t probably the most complicated protection rotation, however Hurts reads it completely, holding his eyes skilled in the course of the sector — drawing consideration to the route working throughout the sector from tight finish Dallas Goedert — earlier than dropping in an ideal throw to Brown alongside the best sideline on his vertical route.

The lengthy completion acquired the Eagles contained in the pink zone, they usually completed the drive with a subject objective to increase their lead.

The following instance comes from the third quarter, with the Eagles going through a 3rd down in their very own territory. That is the primary third down of the second half, and the Lions and their followers are hoping desperately for a cease to present their offense an opportunity to chop into Philadelphia’s 24-14 lead.

Hurts and Brown wouldn’t give them that satisfaction:

This play is an efficient instance of Hurts taking data earlier than the snap, and utilizing it to his benefit because the play unfolds. Previous to the snap, Brown aligns on the left aspect of the sector, and is available in movement throughout the formation. With no defender trailing him, that’s an indicator to the quarterback that the Lions may be in zone protection. (Though as we are going to see in a second, that is by no means a assure).

Hurts has a number of different zone indicators to work with, primarily the alignments of the cornerbacks. Each defenders are enjoying off their receivers, and have their toes and hips open in the direction of the center of the sector. Once more, indications that zone protection is at play.

However the job isn’t completed, as Hurts has to decipher the strain lookup entrance from Detroit. The Lions have a pair of defenders mugging the A-Gaps, and with seven males down on the road of scrimmage, there’s a likelihood Detroit brings strain and rotates into man protection behind this strain entrance.

The Lions carry simply 4, and certainly drop into zone protection. However they nonetheless handle to get inside strain on Hurts, because of a learn blitz from the mugged-up defenders. On this play, the 2 mugged-up linebackers begin to blitz, and can learn the motion of the middle, Jason Kelce. If the middle turns to at least one aspect, that defender will then drop into protection, and the opposite will proceed on his blitz path. Kelce opens to his proper and spots linebacker Chris Board. As soon as he does this, Board drops again into protection and his cohort, Alex Anzalone, continues his blitz. Kelce tries to double-back and assistance on Anzalone, and operating again Kenneth Gainwell steps up into the A-Hole to tackle the linebacker, however Anzalone nonetheless manages to get into the pocket.

But Hurts hangs within the pocket, and realizing that Brown is operating an out route, he makes an anticipation throw in opposition to the comfortable protection to transform the third down.

That is the type of second Eagles followers had been hoping to see this season from Hurts. At occasions final yr, these had been the performs the place Hurts would pull the soccer down in response to strain and look to create together with his legs, quite than make a throw from the pocket. Hurts’ athleticism is a real weapon, and he delivered some athletic moments on Sunday in Detroit, however right here he takes benefit of the data gained presnap and makes a learn and throw from the pocket, shifting the chains.

Philadelphia would end the drive with a landing.

For my cash, the most effective instance of Hurts’ improvement got here earlier within the recreation. With the Eagles going through a 2nd-and-5 with simply over 5 minutes left within the first quarter, Hurts stood within the shotgun to try to diagnose the Lions earlier than the play. Detroit confirmed him a pair of safeties deep, and when broad receiver Quez Watkins got here in movement throughout the formation, no person trailed him.

In his thoughts, Hurts may be anticipating zone protection, within the two-deep household.

However as we famous earlier than, a protection’s response to movement — or lack thereof — is a bit to the puzzle, and never the definitive reply. As a result of as this play unfolds, the Lions rotate into Cowl 1.

Hurts reads it completely, and hits Brown on a fast submit route:

As with the earlier play, the pocket begins to interrupt down round Hurts, this day without work the best edge. But he hangs within the pocket and, after studying out the rotation, makes a throw on-time and in-rhythm to Brown. The timing provides the receiver an opportunity to choose up extra yardage on the play, turning a 10-yard throw into an 18-yard acquire.

In fact, the athletic performs had been there from Hurts on Sunday. He picked up a 16-yard acquire early within the first quarter together with his legs to maneuver the chains on a third-and-long state of affairs, and gave the Eagles their first landing of the yr when he took it himself on a fourth-and-goal early within the second quarter. He additionally delivered an incredible throw on the transfer and whereas underneath duress within the fourth quarter, combining his athleticism together with his arm expertise:

Whereas these moments are nice from Hurts, his development and improvement from inside the pocket might inform the story of the Eagles’ 2022 season.

Given what he confirmed on Sunday in Detroit, that could possibly be an excellent story.