Eagles News: Jalen Hurts “should be the leader in MVP consideration”

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

Eagles report cards through the first half of the season: Offense edition - PhillyVoice
Second quarter of the season: Over the last four games, Jalen Hurts is 81 of 116 (69.8%!) for 922 yards, 8 TDs, 0 INTs, and a passer rating of 116.4. He also rushed for 121 yards and scored 2 TDs on the ground. In my opinion, he should be the leader in MVP consideration, above Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes. Grade: A+

Breaking down 5 key offensive Eagles having career seasons - NBCSP
QB Jalen Hurts (Age: 24). Hurts is the most obvious one on this list. Because he went from being an average NFL quarterback in his first season as the starter to being a legitimate MVP candidate this season. Hurts has the third-shortest odds to be named the NFL MVP behind Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen, according to PointsBet. Even if he doesn’t take MVP honors, Hurts is clearly the most improved player in the NFL and is going to have a major payday this offseason. Through eight games, Hurts has led the Eagles to an 8-0 record while completing 68.2% of his passes for 2,042 yards, 12 touchdowns and 2 interceptions with 326 more rushing yards and 6 rushing touchdowns. Take a look a the difference between Hurts’ 2021 season (in 15 starts) and his pace in 2022 (over 17 starts) 2021: 61.3%, 3,144 yards, 16 touchdowns, 9 INTs; 784 rushing yards, 10 rushing TDs. On pace in 2022: 68.2%, 4,339 yards, 26 touchdowns, 4 INTs; 693 rushing yards, 13 rushing touchdowns. Even if Hurts can’t keep up the pace he’s shown in the Eagles’ first eight games, he’s clearly going to smash his 2021 season if he stays healthy. The Eagles won with Hurts last year but they’re winning in 2022 because of him.

NFL QB Index, Week 10: Justin Fields vaults into top 10; Matthew Stafford tumbles out of top 20 - NFL.com
3) Jalen Hurts — Hurts sits at the motherboard of an offense that finds manifold ways to win on a weekly basis — and sometimes within single games. I enjoyed Philly’s opening possession against the Texans: an 18-play, 91-yard drive that chewed eight-plus minutes off the clock and barely used star wideouts A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith. Hurts was strip-sacked on the following possession, but even that drive — with a 31-yard dart to Brown and another chunk shot to Smith — showed how explosive and versatile the Eagles can be. Notably, that lost fumble was the QB’s first of the season, giving him just three total turnovers in eight games. No player east of Geno Smith has made a bigger leap from a year ago than Mr. Hurts.

NFL players, coaches with most to gain or lose in 2022 - ESPN+
At this point for Hurts, it’s really just about staying healthy. He has continued to flourish in Nick Sirianni’s offense, leading the Eagles to an undefeated record through the first eight games of the season. Any doubters wondering whether Hurts should be Philadelphia’s quarterback of the future have been silenced. This is Hurts’ team, and even though Philadelphia has two first-round picks in 2023, he’s not going anywhere. As long as he doesn’t suffer a long-term injury over the next two months, he’s going to get a massive deal this offseason.

NFL Power Rankings: Week 10 edition - BGN
1 - Philadelphia Eagles (Last Week: 2) - With Buffalo losing and KC looking shaky, the undefeated Eagles should be the undisputed No. 1 team in NFL power rankings. The Birds have led by at least 12 points in every game and have never trailed in second half action. The Eagles rank first overall in DVOA, second in point differential, and have an MVP candidate at quarterback. It’s fair to acknowledge they have holes; their tackling is an issue, which is related to a concerning run defense. But the positives greatly outweigh the negatives here. I mean, they’re off to their best start in franchise history. The Eagles have a very attainable path to 9-0 with a home game against Washington up next.

NFC East Mixtape Vol.83: A weird week in the division - BGN Radio
Brandon Lee Gowton (@BrandonGowton) and RJ Ochoa (@rjochoa) discuss the biggest storylines in the division.

A Very Good Offense - Iggles Blitz
This isn’t just about X’s and O’s. The Eagles have the right guys to execute. In a way, Jalen Hurts and Dallas Goedert are the keys. Hurts can run or throw. Last year he was a runner who could sometimes throw. He’s worlds better this season. And Goedert is tough because he’s very good as a blocker and receiver. If you want to run, he gives you six good blockers. That’s tough on a defense. If he goes out on a pass play, he can beat you short or downfield and he’s most dangerous with the ball in his hands. Versatility is good, but having players who can execute both run and pass at a high level is a whole other story. That’s what helps make the offense so tough to stop. There might be a play where the defense does know what’s coming and still can’t stop it.

Eagles film: With better run offenses coming, how can the defense weather the loss of Jordan Davis? - Inquirer
Tackling has been a season-long problem. The Eagles rank second to last in the NFL, according to Pro Football Focus. Nine of their 14 missed tackles vs. Houston came on runs alone. But how much has it cost the team? A year ago, for instance, it ranked first, and no one would take that unit over the current one. The new faces on defense could be one reason for the increase. Three of the top four starters in missed tackle percentage — linebacker Haason Reddick, safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson, and cornerback James Bradberry — arrived just this year.The Eagles’ double-digit leads in each game may also have some bearing on the whiffs. With softer coverage calls, there could be more space underneath, thus making it harder to wrap up and bring ballcarriers down. “There were a couple calls in there that I didn’t love that I was really kind of, honestly, putting our guys at a disadvantage,” Gannon said. “Because I was thinking one thing and it wasn’t happening, and that makes it hard for the players.”But Davis’ importance in the overall function of Gannon’s scheme, which places precedence on not surrendering explosive passing plays, can’t be overstated. His statistical production may not look like much, but the 6-foot-6, 336-pound rookie’s presence in the Eagles’ five-man front not only helps slow the run but allows the coordinator to favor defending the pass.

Spadaro: Dallas Goedert is quite simply dominant - PE.com
Dallas Goedert laughs as he is asked about catching a pass and turning up the field and seeing his options. A 6-5, 256-pound battering ram with speed and an affinity for contact, Goedert is a weapon with the football in his hands and he sure welcomes the chance to show a defense just how much damage he can inflict. “I weigh 256 pounds and I’m seeing defensive backs who are a lot lighter than me – 25, 30 pounds lighter and sometimes more than that less than me,” said Goedert, who led all tight ends with 331 YAC (after the catch) following the Week 9 Thursday night win over Houston. “I think that’s an advantage for me and I’ll do everything I can to make the most of that.” Goedert has made the most of everything in his fifth Eagles season, his first as a full-time starter at the tight end position. He has become one of the most complete players at his position in the NFL at a time when the tight end job requires a player to do everything. Tight end has evolved so much through the years – once upon a time, a tight end was little more than a glorified offensive lineman, and then the ask was for the player to show more athleticism to the point where some tight ends were wide receivers who lined up at the line of scrimmage and split off the edge, and now it is a combination of everything.

Eagles make Super Bowl, Jalen Hurts sets franchise record: Second-half predictions - The Athletic
Jalen Hurts finishes second in the MVP race; Nick Sirianni wins Coach of the Year. Whichever quarterback of the AFC’s top seed (Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen or Lamar Jackson) will receive the top award, while the Eagles’ record will be undeniable as Sirianni takes home his hardware. An Eagles player has never won the MVP award in the Super Bowl era. Two Super Bowl-era Eagles head coaches have won the Associated Press Coach of the Year award: Andy Reid in 2002 and Ray Rhodes in 1995.

Projecting the top 2023 offseason needs for all 32 NFL teams - PFF
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES: Safety, Wide Receiver, Offensive Guard. The Eagles have the best roster in the NFL, so it’s hard to find needs for this team going into 2023. They could use another safety, especially with Chauncey Gardner-Johnson and his middling 55.6 PFF grade through Week 9 set to hit free agency. They could also use another receiver with some speed to pair with A.J. Brown, who ranks fourth among wideouts in yards per route run thus far, and DeVonta Smith, whose 115.8 passer rating when targeted is a top-15 mark through Week 9. Otherwise, this roster is set.

Week 10 NFL Survivor pool strategy with safe, value, trap picks - DraftKings Nation
Safest picks. Eagles over Commanders. Chiefs over Jaguars. Plenty will stay away from a divisional game, but the Commanders remain in a bit of turmoil. Philadelphia probably won’t win every game this year, but a home divisional game should be one they can get up for with aplomb.

Cowboys defense has been elite, but there is a glaring hole defending the run - Blogging The Boys
Regardless of how elite this defense is as a whole, they need to fix how they are playing the run or it could spell trouble later. With eight games in the rear view, the Cowboys defensive unit has allowed over 100 yards on the ground in six of those contests. The two games the defense held their opponents under this mark of 100 were against the Bengals and Rams. The Bengals stumbled the first two games of the season and aside from Joe Mixon’s performance in Week 9, they haven’t run the ball very well. The same goes for the Los Angeles Rams, which have had their own drama to deal with regarding running back Cam Akers. Akers, and Darrell Henderson, have not been very effective in 2022. In the other six games where the opposing offense rushed for over 100 yards, the Cowboys allowed an average of nearly 5.1 yards per carry. That means on average it only takes two rushes to gain a first down. That isn’t a good look.

Poll: Who will own the Commanders in 2023? 12 potential buyers for you to vote for - Hogs Haven
Jay-Z is not simply some token minority to make the bid look good, however. He has earned his chops in the media industry, launching an online digital magazine and working in the production area of the TV and movie industries. Jay-Z founded an urban clothing line, Rocawear, and eventually sold the rights to the clothing line for over $200 million. In 2013, Jay-Z launched a sports agency, RocNation, to represent professional athletes. This week, TMZ reported that the two billionaires were seen having an extended dinner together in LA on Monday night, apparently going over plans for their intended purchase of the Commanders. Undoubtedly, there will be a few other people in the ownership group — Mathhew McConaughy’s name surfaced a few days ago as one possibility, but this bid, which we’ve been told will be presented in January, will have be headlined by Jeff Bezos & Jay-Z. So far, this pair has gotten favorite’s odds on all online betting sites, though a number of people are skeptical of Bezos’ chances, saying that Dan Snyder personally hates Bezos due to the constant negative reporting on Snyder by the Washington Post, and that Dan is vindictive enough to simply refuse to sell to Bezos. Others mention a “Bezos premium” that could be paid to turn the bid into a so-called Godfather offer (the kind that you can’t refuse). In any event, it may not be as straightforward as just outbidding the competition.

Giants-Texans Wednesday injury report: WR Kenny Golladay trending toward return - Big Blue View
New York Giants wide receiver Kenny Golladay, out since Week 4 with a sprained MCL, moved closer on Wednesday to a return to action when the Giants host the Houston Texans on Sunday at MetLife Stadium. Golladay was a limited practice participant on Wednesday, his second straight day of practice. On Tuesday, head coach Brian Daboll said Golladay “should be ready to go” against the Texans. Offensive coordinator Mike Kafka said before Wednesday’s practice that Golladay has “worked his tail off to get ready for this week. We’re happy that he’s available.” Golladay said Wednesday that he was “really excited” to be back on the practice field and that he is “pushing towards” playing on Sunday. “I feel pretty good,” Golladay said. “Stacked two good days on top of each other.” The 29-year-old has been a disappointment since signing a four-year, $72 million contract with the Giants before the 2021 season. This season, Golladay has just two catches for 22 yards

Using Brian Robinson as a shield is the latest embarrassing move by Dan Snyder and the Commanders - SB Nation
In an email to reporters sent Wednesday Karl Racine, the Attorney General for the District of Columbia, announced on a press conference for Thursday to announce a “major announcement” regarding the Washington Commanders. On Wednesday night, the Commanders released a statement in advance of Attorney General Racine’s press conference, pushing back on the news. And invoking the shooting of rookie running back Brian Robinson in an absurd, tone-deaf way to shift the attention away from the Commanders and owner Dan Snyder.

Yes, Seahawks Fans, Geno Smith is for Real - Football Outsiders
The Geno Smith Revival Tour isn’t a fever dream. It’s not a fluke or the product of an unsustainable model of offense (sorry, Daniel Jones) or any other explanation that takes credit away from the individual. Smith, with nearly a decade of NFL knowledge and training pent up just waiting to be unleashed, has become one of the league’s preeminent pocket passers. Smith’s emergence is that much sweeter, at least for the Seahawks, because he is winning in all the ways Russell Wilson rarely did. Wilson, at his best, was obviously a better player and an MVP candidate, but he flew by the seat of his pants, trading three-and-outs for moonball deep passes and miraculous plays from outside the pocket every other drive. Smith, by contrast, is a prim and proper passer. He commands the pocket, he exhausts all of his progressions down to the humble checkdown, and, yes, he throws the hell out of the middle of the field.

49ers WR Deebo Samuel, & the midseason MVP Gauntlet - The SB Nation NFL Show
This week on the SB Nation NFL Show, Rob “Stats” Guerrera, Kyle Posey, and Justis Mosqueda discuss their case for the NFL’s MVP ahead of the midway point of the season. Before that, “Stats” sits down with 49ers superstar wide receiver Deebo Samuel.

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