The unique quality Phillies Bryce Harper, Eagles Jalen Hurts share to shine in Philly

PHILADELPHIA − In the pantheon of great Philadelphia athletes, we're lucky to have two of the best right now in Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts and Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper.

It's not just because they're great athletes. It's because they also get what the region is all about. And it's no wonder why the fans love them.

It's also why both the Eagles and Phillies turned around their fortunes after both arrived. Harper signed as a free agent in 2019, getting the richest free-agent contract at the time at 13 years and $330 million.

He came to a team that hadn't had a winning season since 2012 − and he insisted on a no-trade clause for the duration of the deal.

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Hurts, meanwhile, was drafted in the second round in 2020, with a reputation as a running quarterback who may or may not be able to become a good passer in the NFL. Hurts didn't get his chance until Carson Wentz became a lost cause during a dreadful 4-11-1 season.

Since the Eagles' 2-5 start in 2021, they're 22-1 in the last 23 regular-season games with Hurts as QB. You might have heard of the other four QBs since 1950 with a similar stretch of success: Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Joe Montana and Jim McMahon.

For this perspective, we'll let the quintessential Philly athlete and erstwhile parade speaker and Christmas crooner Jason Kelce explain. Kelce, after all, has enmeshed himself in the culture of Philadelphia, and he, like everyone else, was thrilled when Harper hit the two home runs in Game 3 of the NLDS on Wednesday.

The Phillies closed out the Braves in Game 4 on Thursday and begin the NLCS against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday night at rollicking Citizens Bank Park.

"This city, and really any hard-working, blue-collar town … the biggest thing that fans want to see is that you give a (crap), and that it’s important to you, and that you’re giving it everything you’ve got," Kelce said. "If you combine that with being really (expletive) good, it’s going to lead to some good things.

"I think Jalen does it in maybe a little bit slightly different way. But it leads to the same end result. They both are very much themselves. But you can tell that it means everything in the world to them."

We saw that Wednesday night with Harper's homers. No doubt, Harper was inwardly seething from Braves shortstop Orlando Arcia mocking him when Harper was doubled off first base to end Game 2.

The Phillies lost 5-4 after blowing a 4-0 lead. Arcia was reportedly yelling in the clubhouse: "Haha, atta boy, Harper!"

Then Harper delivered with his home runs. As he rounded second base each time, he stared down Arcia. And social media had a field day with that, with one showing the picture as a painting at the Louvre.

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After the game, Harper gave an impassioned answer about how the Phillies fans give him "chills," and the only thing that matters is winning.

"I signed here for a reason, to do everything I could to bring back a trophy to this town, to Mr. (team owner John) Middleton, to this organization," Harper said. "I got chills thinking about it because that's what it's all about. I absolutely love this place. ... I could go on and on, man. There's nothing like playing here."

It was a page out of Hurts' playbook.

How many times have we seen Hurts say "winning is the only thing that matters"? In fact, he did it just this past Sunday when he threw for 303 yards and ran for 72 more in the Eagles' 23-14 win over the Rams.

"This is a result-based business," Hurts said. "And so, you’re judged on what you do, and the outcome of what you do. Nobody really cares about how you do it. They just want to see if you win or you lose, or if it works or if it doesn’t. However we find a way to do that … winning is the main thing. There’s nothing more important than that."

It's hard to argue with the results. Hurts led the Eagles to the Super Bowl last season when he had another game for the ages − 304 yards passing, 70 yards and three TDs running. But the Eagles lost 38-35, and Hurts' fumble return for a touchdown was a factor.

Hurts spent the offseason going back to work. When asked where he was when the Eagles signed him to a five-year extension worth as much as $255 million, which at the time was the richest contract in NFL history, Hurts replied:

"I was out West working out. I had my Facetime calls ... and I went back to work. I didn’t really have anything crazy going on, just doing what I always do."

Then Hurts added: "Money is nice; championships are better."

Hurts has the Eagles on track to repeat as NFC champions for a return trip to the Super Bowl. The Eagles and the 49ers are the only undefeated teams in the NFL, putting them on a collision course for a rematch at the end of January.

The Phillies, meanwhile, are shooting for their second straight World Series appearance.

Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown is among the Phillies' biggest fans. He, too, has seen the hold that Harper has over the region. It's the same way with Hurts, Brown's best friend since high school.

"He’s doing a good job," Brown said about Harper. "The whole Phillies team is doing a good job. They’re feeding off each other. The city is behind them. The crowd was crazy once again. It’s everything, and it’s what Philly needs right now."

No Aaron Rodgers, but will Jets be a problem for Eagles?

No, Zach Wilson isn't nearly as good as Aaron Rodgers, who tore his Achilles four plays into his first game with the Jets, seemingly sinking the Jets' postseason hopes.

Instead, the Jets are 2-3, and Wilson is rated as the second-worst quarterback in the NFL with a passer rating of 73.4. Only the quarterback who shares MetLife Stadium with Wilson, the Giants' Daniel Jones, is worse.

But the Jets are helping Wilson out, relying on a strong running game behind Breece Hall, who had 177 yards last week in the Jets' 31-21 win over Denver. He's averaging an incredible 7.2 yards per carry, and he ranks sixth in the NFL with 387 yards.

And, of course, the Jets have a strong defense, led by defensive tackle Quinnen Williams and cornerback Sauce Gardner. But the Jets' defensive stats don't seem that impressive (22nd overall, allowing 352.6 yards per game) because the offense ranks last in passing yards per game (160.4) and 26th in time of possession at 27 minutes, 14 seconds.

And the Jets are hurting in their secondary, with DJ Reed (concussion) already ruled out and Gardner (illness) listed as questionable.

The Eagles' offense ranks second in offense, averaging 404.4 yards per game, fifth in scoring at 28.2 points per game, and second in time of possession per game at 34:42. They simply have too much firepower.

And the Eagles' defense, even without defensive tackle Jalen Carter, cornerback Darius Slay and safety Justin Evans, should be able to stop the Jets' running attack, thus forcing Wilson to pass.

If that happens, the Eagles won't have any trouble going 13-0 all time against the Jets.

Score: Eagles 26, Jets 8

Contact Martin Frank at mfrank@delawareonline.com. Follow on Twitter @Mfranknfl.

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Why Eagles Jalen Hurts, Phillies Bryce Harper shine brightest in Philly