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Ben Arthur
AFC South Reporter
Editor’s note: This is the first of a five-part series on the quarterbacks and teams best equipped to challenge Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs and potentially stop them from becoming the first NFL team in the Super Bowl era to three-peat. No. 5 on our list: Jalen Hurts and the Eagles.
In Super Bowl 52, Jalen Hurts did what most quarterbacks can’t fathom: trade blows with Patrick Mahomes on the biggest stage.
Hurts was a force with both his arms and legs, giving the Chiefs a full taste of his dual-threat prowess — the skill set that made him the runner-up for NFL MVP to Mahomes that season. In the NFL title game, Hurts completed 71% of his passes for 304 yards and a touchdown. He added 15 carries for 70 yards, three more touchdowns and a two-point conversion.
The Eagles ultimately lost 38-35 — the Chiefs hit the game-winning field goal with eight seconds left — but Hurts registered one of the best Super Bowl performances ever.
“That was a special performance that I don’t want to get lost because of the loss they had,” Mahomes acknowledged postgame.
Yet after that classic Super Bowl, Philadelphia imploded in 2023. A 10-1 start devolved into a 1-5 finish to the regular season. The Eagles were humiliated in the first round of the playoffs, falling 32-9 to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC wild card. Reports of tension between Hurts and coach Nick Sirianni, an ineffective late-season offense and lackluster pass defense were primary issues. In some ways, the Eagles’ Super Bowl LVII appearance feels like a lifetime ago.
Can Eagles return to the Super Bowl with Nick Sirianni and Jalen Hurts?
It wasn’t all bad last season. Hurts threw for career highs in passing yards (3,858) and passing touchdowns (23), and he registered a career best in rushing touchdowns (15) despite playing through a painful bone bruise in his left knee. Now healthy, he has been on fire during training…
Source link : https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nfl/biggest-challengers-chiefs-three-peat-no-5-jalen-hurts-eagles
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Publish date : 2024-08-08 16:12:19
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