Jalen Hurts does it again. The former second-round pick from Oklahoma might’ve just leapfrogged Patrick Mahomes for MVP voting after he surgically cut the Titans’ defense up in a statement victory for the Philadelphia Eagles.
Has Jalen Hurts Surpassed Patrick Mahomes For MVP?
The former Heisman runner-up had plenty of questions coming into the season, and he is now undoubtedly proving all critics wrong with his excellence as a dual-threat quarterback. After torching the Tennessee Titans for a career-high 380 passing yards, three passing touchdowns, and a rushing touchdown in a 35-10 victory, Hurts capped the night by praising his teammates.
“When your opportunity comes, for us to be successful as a team, every man has to be able to step up and take advantage of their opportunity, and we’ve been fortunate enough to have guys like A.J. and Smitty [DeVonta Smith] take advantage of those opportunities when they come,” Hurts said after the game when speaking about players stepping up as the key to success.
Jalen Hurts is the MVP of the league after Week 13.
— Brenden Deeg (@BrendenDeeg_) December 5, 2022
Jalen Hurts Shows Great Leadership
Brown and Smith were vital components in the Eagles’ win. A.J. Brown, who was fired up and ready to play the team that traded him to the Eagles in the offseason, caught eight passes for 119 yards and two touchdowns. Talk about a revenge game.
The former Heisman winner Smith also stepped up in a significant way, tallying 102 yards and a touchdown as well.
The receivers dominated their matchups early in the game, making it easy for Hurts to pick that secondary apart all day.
Hurts would also name a few other players he noticed stepping up against the Titans. The organization praises this type of leadership. The talent fits in perfectly with the team and their culture.
While many like to look at the Eagles’ Week 2 domination of the (10-2) Minnesota Vikings as Hurts’ coming-out party. Sunday’s win was the after party and proof of how far Hurts has progressed in the passing game.
Elevating the standard#ProBowlVote @JalenHurts @FirstrustBank | #FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/QmoOABrizG
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) December 4, 2022
MVP Race: Jalen Hurts vs Patrick Mahomes
Hurts is also top 10 in passing yards (2,940) and passing touchdowns (20) while only having three interceptions through week 13.
But what has Hurts toe to toe with Patrick Mahomes for league MVP is that Hurts is second on his team in rushing yards behind running back Miles Sanders with 609 and is tied for fifth place in rushing touchdowns (nine) in the NFL. The epitome of a dual-threat, Hurts is tied with teammate Miles Sanders and Seahawks rookie Kenneth Walker III.
This air supremacy and ground superiority from Hurts allows the Eagles’ offense to be dominant in any way they want. Hurts is a nightmare to game-plan for, and so far it looks like defensive coordinators still need to figure out how to do so.
Hurts’ case for MVP also gets a little help from Mahomes himself because Mahomes only threw for 223 yards and a single touchdown in Sunday’s 27-24 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. Mahomes 59.3 completion percentage was uncharacteristic and the loss takes them down another notch in the overall league standings.
Hurts has been leading this Eagles team week in and week out. All he does is win, and as long as the Eagles can continue riding the coattails of his success, the Lombardi Trophy could possibly be going through Philadelphia.
