Quarterback Jalen Hurts was already on a nice roll, leading the Philadelphia Eagles to three wins in four games.
He wasn’t forcing the issue by allowing the Eagles run game to dominate.
#Eagles QB Jalen Hurts going with the backwards cap for team walk-through pic.twitter.com/gPQSjQVLYa
— Josh Tolentino (@JCTSports) November 24, 2021
More importantly, the Eagles were just two games behind the Dallas Cowboys for the NFC East lead.
Those four weeks convinced skeptics that Hurts is the long-term quarterback that the franchise has been looking for since Donovan McNabb.
But he’s back to square one after a disappointing Week 12 performance against the New York Giants.
Hurts Wasted A Great Opportunity
The Giants were an inferior team to the Eagles.
They have some of their starters back, but their return to full health is still questionable.
Meanwhile, the Eagles had great momentum coming into their encounter.
Their ground game was working to perfection, and Hurts limited his turnovers.
That dream scenario changed when they struggled and eventually lost against the Giants.
Jalen Hurts with ANOTHER INT, his 3rd of the day!
Xavier McKinney with the INT, his 5th of year, nicely done #NYG pic.twitter.com/U19CQkD084
— Alex Wilson (@AlexWilsonESM) November 28, 2021
The Eagles were right in the mix of things until the end.
Once again, Philadelphia dominated the ground game, 208 yards to 70, and finished with more total yards.
But blame Hurts for this loss because of his three interceptions, two of which occurred during lengthy drives.
The first one came during a ten-play, 54-yard drive when Hurts attempted a pass to Quez Watkins.
His second pick off running back Boston Scott capped off a 15-play, 92-yard drive.
Jalen Hurts seeing his WR's in double coverage and throwing it anyway 🤷♂️ pic.twitter.com/hC9ehx8cfV
— FanDuel Sportsbook (@FDSportsbook) November 28, 2021
Worst, both instances were scoring opportunities for the Eagles.
They could have quickly put the game away if they scored touchdowns on both instances.
Even if they settled for field goals, those points might have been enough to send the game to overtime.
Hurts had one more opportunity to force an extension, but he forced a pass in double coverage to Jalen Reagor, resulting in another Giants takeaway.
Jalen Hurts threw two game winning touchdowns to Jalen Reagor on that drive. He didn’t catch either one. #Eagles
— Mike Greenberg (@Espngreeny) November 28, 2021
As a consolation, the starting quarterback added 77 rushing yards.
But it’s hard to win when you finish with a 17.5 passer rating.
Frustratingly, a victory by the Eagles could have trimmed their deficit with the Cowboys to one game.
Instead, it was the Giants that inched closer to them.
Hurts Gets Persecuted Again
Eagles fans can be vocal, and they’d boo anyone they hate, even Santa Claus.
This performance by Hurts won’t escape their scrutiny.
A few weeks ago, it seemed like the franchise found their savior after the messy situation with Carson Wentz.
How many picks will Jalen Hurts throw today? pic.twitter.com/8IPluijYGp
— Giants Videos (@SNYGiants) November 28, 2021
After this game, the people from the City of Brotherly Love won’t have love for Hurts.
While he’s back to square one, there’s still time for him to prove that this performance was an aberration, not the norm.
Hurts must rediscover the formula that gave them good fortune with five games left on their regular-season schedule.
The Eagles have a great chance of securing a 5-0 record during the home stretch because they will be playing the Giants again, the New York Jets, and the Washington Football Team twice.
This was a game that the Eagles had no business losing. Jalen Hurts normal tendency of not turning the ball over was broken by 3 interceptions. Still in the final minute he led the team downfield and put them in position to win. This was a critical loss.
— Merrill Reese (@mreeseeagles) November 29, 2021
Those games lead to a Week 18 clash between Hurts and Dak Prescott.
Depending on how the Cowboys perform leading up to the game, that quarterback face-off may decide the NFC East.
If that’s the case, Hurts needs to be at his best to bury the haunting memory of Week 12.
NEXT: Jalen Hurts Is Now The Answer At QB For The Eagles