Jalen Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles have looked like bona fide Super Bowl contenders for most of the 2023 NFL season. Recently, however, things have gone downhill. Philadelphia finished the season losing five of their last six games. And that includes a 17-point loss in Week 18 to the New York Giants.
After the game, Hurts addressed the slide with the media. The star defender spoke quite openly about what went wrong with his team. “It’s about taking advantage of the opportunity. Do I think we did a good job of it? No,” Hurts told Eagles reporter Martin Frank.
But the Alabama product believes he can turn things around. “Now it’s about finding it deep in our souls, finding ways to win,” he told Frank on Sunday after the Eaglesand#039; Loss in Week 18.
Hurts played in regular season finale against New York. He completed seven of 16 pass attempts for 55 yards and one interception. Philadelphia’s signal caller suffered a finger injury on the play, although it does not appear to be serious.
Backup Marcus Mariota handled the ball during the game. He completed 13 of 20 pass attempts, including a fourth-quarter touchdown to Quez Watkins. The former first overall pick also threw an interception in the Week 18 loss.
The Giants came out swinging and led 24-0 at halftime. Tyrod Taylor caught 23 passes and threw for nearly 300 yards to finish the season. Running back Saquon Barkley added two touchdowns as New York picked up its sixth win of the year.
The Giants finished third in the NFC East going into the offseason. Meanwhile, the Eagles are on their way to the playoffs despite a late-season slump. However, they will have to go on the road when they open their playoff series against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Philadelphia really hopes to turn things around and defend their position as NFC champions. It remains to be seen if Jalen Hurts and the Eagles can put things together or if their collapse will result in an early playoff exit..