Eagles notebook: One of the best plays we've seen from Jalen Hurts?

Eagles notebook: One of the best plays we've seen from Jalen Hurts? originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

During his time as the Eagles’ starting quarterback, Jalen Hurts has made some fantastic plays.

That touchdown pass to Olamide Zaccheaus on Monday night?

Offensive coordinator Brian Johnson said it was “as good of a play that I've seen him make here in three years.”

What made the play so good?

“I think just the throw — because he did get hit at the end of the throw,” Johnson said. “To be able to throw that ball like that while getting hit, while standing in there and taking the hit, I think that was a really impressive play.”

It’s impossible to know but this was a play that Hurts probably doesn’t make a couple years ago. There’s a good chance he would have felt the pressure, put his eyes down and escaped the pocket. It might have worked but this was the meat we still saw on the bone after the 2021 season.

Hurts said his decision to hang tough in the pocket or to escape really comes down to feel.

On this play, Hurts trusted his line and was able to stand and deliver the 34-yard touchdown pass just before a big hit.

“I think I was able to stay in the pocket and the O-line did a really good job of holding up,” Hurts said. “OZ continued on his route throughout the progression and ended up making a big-time play. That was a huge play in the game.”

Creating punt return lanes

As the Eagles’ punt returner, Britain Covey gets a lot of the blame when the return game isn’t working and a lot of the credit when it is. In reality, it’s about all 11 guys on the field.

The first order of business for the punt return team is slowing down the gunners on the outside. Special teams coordinator Michael Clay pointed that out this week.

“Kelee Ringo and Josh Jobe, they're in the toughest position being one-on-one against a gunner who's going full speed forward and they're in a back pedal,” Clay said. “By having those guys kind of slow down the gunner gives Britain that extra time where he can see the whole thing, so Britain does a really good job of setting it, catching the ball, and getting the yards, but those guys on the outside, we really preach that if you can get the returner started, it starts with you guys on the outside.”

Ringo explained that it’s all about technique and not giving up too much ground

Clay said it take a lot of patience and technique to be good in that role. And the better they do it, the more the returner can build up trust in those guys and believe that he’s going to have an opportunity to return the football.

Ringo, Jobe and Eli Ricks have been in these roles for the Eagles. They have some common traits that help.

“There are also some traits that help out the vice,” Clay said. “If you look out there with Joshua, Eli and Kelee, they're tall corners and they all can run, so that helps out a lot in terms of getting the hands on, slowing down the gunners, and giving Covey a lot of space to go out and make a chunk play.”

So far, so good

Week 3 was the first game the Eagles have played without veteran nickel cornerback Avonte Maddox, who is on IR after having surgery to repair his torn pec.

The Eagles used a few different replacements but the highest percentage of snaps in the slot went to James Bradberry. The 30-year-old veteran played outside cornerback for 18 snaps and slot corner for 24, according to ProFootballFocus, in the Eagles’ win.

And it went pretty well.

“James did a good job,” Eagles DC Sean Desai said. “This was his first time in game-like speed to play in the slot and he did a good job in the roles we asked him to do. Will he get better? Yeah, for sure. Everybody is getting better. It's only Week 3 for us. We're still climbing in terms of our technique and fundamentals and building that cohesiveness. And then when you have transitions that we've had in terms of moving pieces, we're still building that continuity.”

When Bradberry slides inside, he’s replaced on the field by second-year cornerback Josh Jobe out of Alabama. Jobe (5-11, 190) is known for his length and physicality.

Jobe was targeted 6 times against the Bucs and gave up 4 catches for 27 yards. Even though Tampa was clearly targeting him, the young corner held up.

“The good part of it is they're all getting it,” Desai said. “They are all getting those reps at it. Josh falls in a similar place. This was his first time playing a big chunk of plays and he got a feel out there and there are some things he knows he wants to clean up and we want to clean up with his techniques and fundamentals, but for him it's about trusting his techniques and fundamentals and being able to continually down in and down out, like we talked about with the other guys, do that.”

Changing of the guard going smoothly

Through three games, Cam Jurgens has looked good.

The Eagles lost veteran Isaac Seumalo in free agency and even though they talked about a potential position battle between Jurgens and rookie Tyler Steen, one never materialized. This was always Jurgens’ job and he’s been showing why early this season.

“After every game we felt like he's played well, so three good games in a row,” Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni said. “Just want to continue with that. He's fit in nicely. He's in between two pretty good players. That helps that transition. Jason (Kelce) is a great communicator. Being able to get him on the same page obviously being able to double team with Lane (Johnson) is huge as well.

“Cam has done a nice job of stepping into the starting role. He was a center in college and so even a little bit out of what he was used to. So obviously had a lot of time and he did a lot of work last year being the swing guy, being able to back up all spots on the interior. But he's done a good job with his first three opportunities, and we just have to keep it going.”

Through three games, Jurgens has not surrendered a sack and has given up just five pressures. Just as importantly, he’s looked really solid in the run game. While Jurgens isn’t the biggest guard in the NFL, he is strong and that has shown up.

Early in this season, Jurgens ranks as the 29th-best guard in the NFL out of 74 qualified players, according to PFF. For reference, Landon Dickerson is 11th. For what it’s worth, Jurgens is actually ranked higher than Seumalo, who is now the starting left guard in Pittsburgh.

Jurgens, 24, is coming off the best game of his young career against Vita Vea and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. But things don’t get any easier in Week 4. He’ll have to face the combination of Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne.

A fun wrinkle

The Eagles have obviously mastered the QB sneak and while so much attention gets paid to the “Tush Push,” what’s more fascinating is the wrinkles they’re developing off of it.

In that Week 3 game, we saw the Eagles play with the timing of the play and then later ran a fun wrinkle off of it … but Hurts got tripped up for a sack in the red zone and the Eagles had to settle for a field goal.

Johnson seemed a little frustrated that they wasted the design.

“Well, you're always trying to find unique ways to complement things that you do and things that you do a bunch,” Johnson said. “So, any time that we can find these unique ways to complement what we are doing offensively that marries certain formations or that marries certain schemes, you want to try to do that to make sure you are keeping the defense honest and protect your main plays.

That's what that was about. Unfortunately, it didn't work, so we have to go back to the drawing board and find something else.”

No fun league

The NFL has some explaining to do to A.J. Brown’s young daughter Jersee after making her dad take off his highlighter green cleats on Monday night.

Brown has worn the bright cleats at training camp practice before so his daughter can spot him on the field. He tried to bend the rules and wear them against the Bucs but the league made him take them off.

“That rule sucks,” Brown said on Friday. “It’s OK, though, man. I really tried to bend the rules a little bit. It was green, even though it’s highlight green. I think all players should just wear whatever they want to wear. They’re not going to be able to fine everybody in the league. I think we should start that movement as players. But it is what it is. Like I said, I tried to bend the rules but they made me take them off.”

Brown said he was not fined because he took the cleats off. According to the league website, the first equipment infraction is a fine of $5,464. The second infraction jumps to $16,391.

The bad news was delivered in the game by Eagles VP of equipment operations Greg Delimitros. The NFL said it was either take off the cleats or come out of the game.

“I wore the cleats for my daughter,” Brown said. “She’ll have to be OK. I’m not trying to come out.”

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