Eagles News: Jalen Hurts is trying to be the coffee bean

Let’s get to the Philadelphia Eagles links ...

As QB controversy roasts, Jalen Hurts trying to be ‘coffee bean’ for Eagles - ESPN
Interestingly enough, the Eagles rookie used the same analogy in August 2019 after being named starting quarterback at Oklahoma, where he succeeded Kyler Murray, who will be playing opposite Hurts Sunday. “You’ve got to try to be the coffee bean,” Hurts said at the time. “You’ve got the carrot [and] the egg. You put an egg in boiling water, it hardens up. It doesn’t affect anything. The carrot softens up. The coffee bean spreads and gets stronger and impacts the people around you.” This game can be viewed as a full-circle moment, or at least an interesting footnote, in Hurts’ circuitous football journey. The first true freshman to start for coach Nick Saban at Alabama, Hurts went 26-2 for the Tide before being replaced in the second half of the 2018 national championship game by Tua Tagovailoa. Hurts lost the starting to gig to Tagovailoa the next year, transferred to Oklahoma, amassed 52 touchdowns for the Sooners his senior season, got selected in the second round of April’s draft by the Eagles, supplanted Wentz in the lineup last week, and is now squaring off against Murray, whom Hurts called “an OU legend” and credited for paving the way for him in Norman.

Eagles fan confidence quadruples following Jalen Hurts’ first win - BGN
The last time we checked in on Eagles fan confidence via SB Nation Reacts polling, Philadelphia had the least confident base in the entire NFL. The Eagles were all the way down at 5%! That figure has since more than quadrupled following Jalen Hurts’ first career NFL start, which happened to be a win over the New Orleans Saints. It’s hardly like Eagles fans think everything is back on track and all problems have been solved. But there was enough encouragement to bring the Eagles up to 22%, which is their highest mark in about 1.5 months.

The QB Factory #20: Heat Checking w/Hurts & Murray - BGN Radio
Michael Kist and Mark Schofield get nerdy regarding the strengths and weakness of Jalen Hurts PLUS a dive into what Kyler Murray and the Cardinals offense bring to the table against the Eagles defense! Powered by SB Nation and Bleeding Green Nation.

5 Q’s and 5 A’s with Bleeding Green Nation: Philadelphia Eagles quarterback switch, Doug Pederson on the hot seat and more - Revenge Of The Birds
1 - Obviously the big question right now is how different does the offense with Jalen Hurts look? ... Actually functional! And that’s certainly an upgrade from the broken state it was in before Carson Wentz got benched. Hurts’ mobility obviously offers a different dynamic. The rookie was able to move the chains with his legs eight times against the Saints. Hurts generally showed good accuracy as a passer, which allowed the Eagles to have their best YAC total of the season. Most importantly, though, Hurts did a great job of avoiding negative plays. Whereas Wentz has been the NFL’s most sacked quarterback, Hurts did a good job of running out of pressure or just throwing the ball away. He did have a near pick-six that was dropped and he fumbled late in the game but he mostly played a smart, winning brand of football. Of course, it’ll be interesting to see if Hurts can sustain success with the Cardinals now having film on him in the Eagles’ offense. The feeling here is that there will be more pressure on him to move the team with his arm and not just rely on his running ability. Teams are going to challenge him to beat them with his arm.

Can Doug Pederson still save his job as Eagles coach? - Inquirer
But the win over the Saints, with rookie Jalen Hurts making his first start at quarterback, was easily the finest performance of the season. And Pederson’s 14-8 record in December, and the previous two seasons when strong finishes procured playoff spots, have shown that players and coaches, if anything, give maximum effort for the guy. “We’re 3-8-1 and guys are still going out there and giving him everything they got,” Eagles center Jason Kelce said Wednesday. “I think a great head coach is a guy that is a great motivator. I mean, is it important to be a genius? It helps, I guess. Is it important to be a big rah-rah guy? It helps. But the most important thing is, does this guy relate to people and does he motivate people? And does he get the most out of people, players, the coaches under him, everybody?”

Carson Wentz playing ‘carefree’ in a brand new role - NBCSP
Doug Pederson is finally excited to watch Carson Wentz play football. All it took was benching him. Pederson on Friday raved about the work Wentz has been doing running the scout team, which is a new experience for the 27-year former Pro Bowler. Running the scout team or the look team is one of the bigger responsibilities for any backup quarterback, and Pederson said Friday morning Wentz has embraced his new duties of working with the young receivers and giving the defense the best possible look at the next week’s opponent. Most tellingly, he used the word “carefree” to describe Wentz running with the 2’s, a dimension that was definitely missing from the fifth-year veteran’s game this year.

Your Week 15 NFL Matchup Guide: Saints-Chiefs Is a Potential Super Bowl Preview - The Ringer
Welcome to the Sooners bowl. This game features 2019 Oklahoma quarterback Jalen Hurts vs. 2018 Oklahoma quarterback Kyler Murray. Hurts is coming off a huge win in his first career start, where he looked as calm and in control as could be. Murray, meanwhile, is coming off a win over the Giants, but Arizona’s defense and special teams had a bigger role in that than Murray’s play. The Cardinals defense could also feast against the Eagles. Arizona edge rusher Haason Reddick had five sacks and three forced fumbles against the Giants last week. And while Jalen Hurts has far better pocket awareness than Giants QB Daniel Jones, Hurts is playing behind a similarly bad offensive line. Philly is also shedding offensive linemen—four of their five starters are out, and now the second-string guys are getting hurt too. This week it was backup right tackle Jack Driscoll, who will miss the rest of the season with an MCL injury. Driscoll was replacing right tackle Lane Johnson, and now the team will turn to Matt Pryor. This week will present Philly’s 13th offensive line combination in 14 games.

Eagles-Cardinals cheat sheet: Predictions, key matchups, lineup news and more - The Athletic
Kapadia: What stood out the most with Hurts in his first start was his poise. This is admittedly random, but he became the second quarterback in the past five years to produce 100-plus rushing yards in a game without taking a sack. Hurts’ short-pass accuracy was very good and resulted in the Eagles setting a season-high for yards after the catch. For the most part, Hurts avoided negative plays and knew when to throw the ball away. The Eagles’ biggest issue this week is their banged-up secondary. That could mean big trouble against Hopkins. The Cardinals occupy the last playoff spot in the NFC. They win, but the Eagles keep it close. Cardinals 27, Eagles 24.

Cowboys vs. 49ers final injury report: Ezekiel Elliott, Xavier Woods questionable for game - Blogging The Boys
The Cowboys look like they will be a lot healthier this week as they prepare to host the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday. Last game, the Cowboys had to roll with a group of young and inexperienced cornerbacks and a they were also missing a safety. This week, it looks like they will get their corners back and their safety, but the other safety is a question mark. Xavier Woods popped up on the injury report mid-week with a groin injury and he is questionable of the game. Fortunately, it looks like the Cowboys will get Donovan Wilson back after he missed a couple of games. Anthony Brown is also good to go his week as he avoided any kind of Friday designation on the injury report.

Giants-Browns injury report: QB Daniel Jones questionable - Big Blue View
The New York Giants have not announced a decision, but it seems increasingly unlikely that Daniel Jones will be at quarterback on Sunday night when the 5-8 Giants host the 9-4 Cleveland Browns on Sunday Night Football. Media members who witness the opening portion of Giants practice on Sunday said McCoy took first reps during the individual period, and that Jones still appeared hobbled by his right hamstring and left ankle injuries. The Giants are officially listing Jones as questionable.

Ron Rivera Presser: Alex Smith Out vs Seahawks, Antonio Gibson doubtful - Hogs Haven
[BLG Note: Dwayne Haskins will get the start against Seattle. Looking like a loss for Washington.]

Friday Update: Jones out, corner issues continue - Jaguars.com
The Jaguars’ cornerback issue continues. So does their roster turnover. Jaguars cornerback Sidney Jones IV, who missed three consecutive starts with an Achilles issue before starting this past week, will miss Sunday’s game at Baltimore. The Jaguars ruled Jones out Friday. [BLG Note: Jones is still struggling to stay healthy.]

Rapid at-home Covid-19 tests are finally here. Here’s how they could help end the pandemic. - Vox
Since the spring, many public health experts have been calling for rapid, at-home, over-the-counter Covid-19 tests for people without symptoms. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) finally authorized the first one Tuesday, potentially ushering in a new approach to combating the pandemic, which is projected to continue taking thousands of US lives each day through the winter and early spring. These home tests would work alongside the standard, lab-based PCR tests that have been the backbone of testing in the US but have often been too slow at catching infections before they spread. Rapid at-home tests, like the recently greenlit one from Ellume, could alert people they have the virus before they start feeling sick — and even if they never get symptoms at all.

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