PHILADELPHIA — Jalen Hurts doesn’t have to be reminded of his turnover-prone reputation. He’s fully aware of his carelessness with the football of late.
Since the start of last season, Hurts has 27 giveaways — easily the most in the NFL. Hurts has seven giveaways in the first four games this season, three of which are in the red zone. Only Will Levis has more with nine.
The Eagles are 2-2 in part because of Hurts’ giveaways. Again, he’s fully aware that needs to improve.
“I think it starts with me in terms of us playing clean football,” Hurts said. “I touch the ball every play. There’s a ton of responsibility in that and I love the position because of that and an opportunity to set the pace, set the tempo for everything else on the field.
“I’m just excited for that. We’re all excited for it.”
Hurts hasn’t had his full cast of characters throughout the first four games. A.J. Brown missed three games with a hamstring injury, while DeVonta Smith and Lane Johnson missed a game with a concussion. All three are going to be back on Sunday, but having three of the five most important players missing from the offense has affected Hurts.
Of course, the Eagles quarterback isn’t looking for excuses.
“I jokingly said it’s nice to see some familiar faces out there, but we trust everybody that’s out there,” Hurts said. “That’s always the mentality when we’re out there, but you know those guys bring a different level of impact with their presence on the field and what they’re able to do.
“Ultimately it comes down to what you do and what you have and the positions we’re in and taking advantage of those things. Like I said, everything is predicated. It’s about the playmakers and having opportunities to make plays and those guys play a big role in that.”
In addition to the giveaways, Hurts and the Eagles offense have started slow throughout the first four games. The Eagles are last in the first quarter in yards per game (44.2) and third-down conversion rate (11.1%). They are the only team in the NFL not to score a point in the first quarter this season.
“That’s something that’s traditionally been something we’ve done well, and we haven’t been able to do it as well as we want to this year,” Hurts said. “We’ve had some good drives early but maybe couldn’t finish or had a turnover or all these different things.
“I think once we get going, we get going. We just have to be able to do that earlier. It’s definitely a goal. Everybody’s working towards that. We’re just going to continue to take it day by day. I think we’ll get to a point where we get rolling. It’s just about continuing to remain steadfast.”
The importance of starting fast has been vital for the Eagles to get back on the right track. It’s another reason why Hurts and head coach Nick Sirianni coming together over the bye week has been vital toward where the 2024 Eagles want to be. They won’t survive without a strong relationship between Hurts and Sirianni.
“Coach Sirianni talked about the details today and I think that’s what it comes down to, from timing to communication,” Hurts said. “Everyone being on the same page in terms of what play is called and how we execute that play, defining it, and let the talent take over when it’s time to.”
