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Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts can be guarded, sometimes shy, around the media. His press conferences are loaded with coachspeak and cliched messages. That’s not a knock.
It’s more a product of his upbringing in Texas and training at Alabama. But Hurts has a big personality that comes out in tiny soundbites released by the Eagles. For Victory Monday, following a 38-35 win, the team uncaged Hurts in a 54-second pep talk he unleashed on his teammates in the locker room.
Here’s how the captain rallied the troops (arm in arm with Brandon Graham):
There’s a lot to learn from today. There’s a whole lot to learn from and we know the standard. We talk about the standard. We preach the standard. We practiced the standard this whole entire time leading up to this game. So let’s continue to challenge ourselves to do it. We know that s*** wasn’t good enough today. We know we got that feeling in our guts right now. We know we’re feeling that s*** ain’t right, so let’s fix it because it’s something we can control. We can control it.
Now I’ll say this, there’s not a f****** doubt in my mind when I’m out there on that field the trust that I have in y’all boys. And the trust that we have in each other. And that s*** was showed out there, displayed, it was on f****** full tilt display today. Alright? So, keep that s*** in mind when we’re moving forward. The standard is the standard and it only rises. Continue to challenge yourself but … WE GONNA ENJOY THIS WIN TODAY! LET’S GO!”
Nick Sirianni Responds to Hurts Taking Too Many Hits
Whether Tracy Walker III gets fined or not for his late hit on Hurts is irrelevant. The Eagles quarterback is always going to be at risk due to his dual-threat ability. Head coach Nick Sirianni holds his breath every time Hurts is in the open field — praying no one hits him too high (head) or too low (knee) – but it’s part of the game. There is only so much they can do to protect him.
“You never want him to take too many hits, that’s for sure. But that is one thing that makes him special,” Sirianni said. “I’m not ever going to say that I’m worried about it, but we will always have a plan for those extra pressures that they have and we’ll do as much as we can to make sure he doesn’t get hit.”
Some people were begging for Hurts to slide better at the end of runs. And to slide smarter. However, as Sirianni explained, the rule doesn’t protect the runner from everything. The defender has a right to make the tackle if the quarterback hasn’t yet given himself up, just not in the neck or head area.
“The way it reads is, if Jalen slides before anybody is committed to tackling him, then they can’t touch him,” Sirianni said. “If he starts his slide while they are in the process of trying to tackle him, he’s free game, except for in the head and neck area, if that makes sense.”
Lions Coach Dan Campbell Blames Himself
Lions head coach Dan Campbell blamed himself for not “fabricating a quarterback that” could properly simulate Hurts in practice last week, according to Dave Birkett. Hurts accounted for 333 total yards of offense, including 90 yards on the ground. He carved up the Lions’ defense despite it being a point of emphasis for Detroit at practice during the week.
“It was a point of focus, man,” Campbell said, via the Detroit Free Press. “And not to say we weren’t locked in (Sunday), I just think this gets you refocused, man. We’ve got one under our belt and, man, this is a different style of offense that you just faced and I think there again, I just think we’re going to learn from this and be better.”
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