Getty Images Jalen Hurts of the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Philadelphia Eagles and quarterback Jalen Hurts have looked sharp to start the season, which has the attention of Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones.
Jones watched the Eagles’ 24-7 throttling of the Minnesota Vikings on Monday Night Football carefully and voiced some thoughts on Hurts’ development, acknowledging the threat the Cowboys’ NFC East rival poses.
“Watched every snap [Monday],” Jones told 105.3 The Fan in an interview on Tuesday. “So that’s what we got. He’s a guy that has always been able to run, very athletic, very strong. That’s not surprising. It doesn’t surprise me or startle me that we’re playing a Philadelphia team with a quarterback threat.”
Hurts has inserted his name into the MVP conversation through the first two games. He has recorded 576 passing yards and 147 rushing yards in the Eagles’ first two games. That rushing number is just 21 yards less than the Cowboys have as a team.
“Hurts has really evolved,” Jones said. “As better than when he came out (of the NFL Draft) than we might have thought. I was particularly impressed with the passing.”
Cowboys Have Defensive Weapons to Slow Down Hurts
The Cowboys have a few more weeks before they’ll see the Eagles, with the first matchup slated for October 16. The hope is that Dak Prescott will be back under center for Dallas by then, although a clear timeline for his return from thumb surgery is still unclear.
On the defensive side of the ball, the Cowboys have weapons to slow down Hurts and his dynamic scrambling ability, with the most obvious being linebacker Micah Parsons. The Defensive Player of the Year candidate has the athleticism to keep up with Hurts and will make him uncomfortable in the pocket. He’s notched a pair of sacks in each of the Cowboys’ games so far this season.
With Prescott sidelined, Parsons has rallied the defense to step up.
“I don’t care what the offense puts up,’’ Parsons said after beating Cincinnati last week. “They can have zero, but we’ve got to do our part. I think we’re doing a damn good job at doing that.
“We’ve held two of the most elite offenses to one touchdown the last two games, and we’re making them earn every little bit of it. That’s how you be relentless. That’s what we’ve been preaching. Every guy in this room has bought in.”
Cowboys Confident in Prescott’s Expedited Return
Prescott went down with the thumb injury at the tail end of the Cowboys’ Week 1 disaster against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. There were fears he could land on IR and miss a chunk of the season, but the team has been more optimistic over the last week on when their QB could return.
“I don’t know that anybody knows [when he’ll be back],” Jones said. “But when he [gets enough strength in his hand], then you’ll probably see some real advancement in his timeline. I don’t know when that is. I do know that with a good airing out last week, everybody recognizes that he’ll be back sooner than later as far as the timeline.”
The Cowboys are still getting their offense on track and Prescott should return with a more complete wide receiver corps. Michael Gallup will likely be back in the lineup to complement No. 1 pass-catcher CeeDee Lamb, filling a gap that was very visible in Week 1. Prescott managed just 134 yards in the opener — his lowest total since 2017.