![]() ![]() ![]() But they still manage to get interior pressure on Hurts, thanks to a read blitz from the mugged-up defenders. The Lions bring just four, and indeed drop into zone coverage. The Lions have a pair of defenders mugging the A-Gaps, and with seven men down on the line of scrimmage, there is a chance Detroit brings pressure and rotates into man coverage behind this pressure front. Again, indications that zone coverage is at play.īut the job is not done, as Hurts has to decipher the pressure look up front from Detroit. Both defenders are playing off their receivers, and have their feet and hips open towards the middle of the field. Hurts has a few other zone indicators to work with, primarily the alignments of the cornerbacks. (Although as we will see in a moment, this is never a guarantee). With no defender trailing him, that is an indicator to the quarterback that the Lions might be in zone coverage. Prior to the snap, Brown aligns on the left side of the field, and comes in motion across the formation. This play is a good example of Hurts taking information before the snap, and using it to his advantage as the play unfolds. Hurts and Brown would not give them that satisfaction: This is the first third down of the second half, and the Lions and their fans are hoping desperately for a stop to give their offense a chance to cut into Philadelphia’s 24-14 lead. The next example comes from the third quarter, with the Eagles facing a third down in their own territory. ![]() The long completion got the Eagles inside the red zone, and they finished the drive with a field goal to extend their lead. It is not the most complex coverage rotation, but Hurts reads it perfectly, keeping his eyes trained in the middle of the field - drawing attention to the route working across the field from tight end Dallas Goedert - before dropping in a perfect throw to Brown along the right sideline on his vertical route. Tracy Walker III, who begins the play aligned as the single-high safety, flashes downhill at the snap and is replaced in the middle of the field by DeShon Elliott, who is down in the box over the running back before the snap. But how they get there involves a rotation among the safeties. The Lions show a single-high safety before the snap, and indeed run Cover 1 on the play. What stands out about Hurts on this play is how he reads the rotation in the secondary, and how he uses his eyes. Philadelphia runs a four verticals concept out of a 3x1 formation, and Brown is aligned along the right sideline. This play comes just before halftime, with the Eagles holding a 21-14 lead over Detroit. The first we will examine comes right before halftime, as Hurts connects with one of the Eagles’ big additions, wide receiver A.J. Three moments from yesterday’s win over the Lions highlight his growth and development in these areas. But if the Eagles are going to meet their lofty expectations, Hurts needs to improve within the pocket, both with his decision-making and his willingness to stay in the pocket and fight, and not escape the pocket at the first sign of pressure. His strengths as a quarterback are well-known: His athleticism, his ability to throw on the move, his ability to attack in the vertical passing game with touch, and his creativity inside and outside the pocket. One of the biggest questions facing Hurts was how he would improve as a pocket manager. Beyond the box score, did Hurts show the signs of growth that Eagles fans were hoping for all summer? Hurts completed 18 of 32 passes for 243 yards in the win, and added another 17 rushing attempts for 90 yards and a touchdown. Would quarterback Jalen Hurts live up to the expectations, or would the Eagles fall short of their aspirations thanks to inconsistent quarterback play?Īs the NFL world wildly overreacts to the first full slate of games, part of the discussion this Monday morning is how Hurts fared in the season-opening win over the Detroit Lions. But as the 2022 NFL season loomed, the biggest question facing the Eagles centered on the most critical position in the game: A tremendous offseason, coupled with mounting injuries in Dallas, propelled the Philadelphia Eagles to the forefront of the NFC East discussion. ![]()
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