Getty Eagles QB Gardner Minshew struggled during Philadelphia's 20-10 loss to the Saints.
The Philadelphia Eagles are struggling without Jalen Hurts.
As the Eagles played their second game without their franchise quarterback, it became abundantly clear just how much Hurts means to Philadelphia’s offense. The Eagles not only lost to a New Orleans Saints squad that won’t make the playoffs — they did so while being vastly outplayed.
Former NFL veteran and current analyst Darius Butler took a jab at Gardner Minshew, who has served as the team’s starting quarterback in Hurts’ absence.
Damn. I thought any QB could play in this Eagles Offense. 🤔🧐
Eagles’ Offense Struggles Drastically in Minshew Start
It’s not just the fact that the Eagles lost against a subpar Saints squad, but the manner in which they did it in.
Philadelphia was shut out during the first half for the first time this season. In fact, they failed to convert a first down until there were 12 seconds left in the first half.
Outside of the Eagles’ offensive ineptitude, Minshew made multiple mistakes. The backup quarterback threw a fourth quarter interception that was returned for a touchdown by cornerback Marcus Lattimore and failed to convert on a run on a short fourth down conversion.
As Adam Hermann of NBC Sports Philadelphia pointed out, Minshew just doesn’t look like a starting quarterback. Not only is he underwhelming when it comes to completing passes, he’s taking way too many sacks.
“The 26-year-old completed 63% of his passes in 20 starts with the Jaguars, not a bad figure by any means,” said Hermann. “In two starts this season, Minshew has left a lot to be desired when it comes to making the easy plays look easy and making the harder plays look possible. He’s completed 58% of his passes. He holds on to the ball for far too long and was sacked six times Sunday.”
Eagles Remain Uncommitted to Starting Hurts in Week 18
Due to the Eagles’ second consecutive loss, Philadelphia has yet to clinch the NFC’s No. 1 seed. In fact, they could still lose the NFC East with a loss next week against the New York Giants and a win by the Cowboys over the Washington Commanders.
While the pressure will certainly be on the Eagles to win in Week 18, they’ll have the likely advantage of playing a Giants squad resting their starters. New York clinched a playoff berth in Week 17 and won’t have anything to play for in the final week of the season.
Head coach Nick Sirianni remains uncommitted to the idea of starting Hurts, who has sat the past two weeks due to a sprained shoulder.
“His health is the No. 1 priority,” Sirianni said after the game.
Sirianni said that Hurts will play if he’s “medically cleared,” per Jeff Skversky:
“Jalen Hurts will play next week if the Eagles QB is cleared medically per Nick Sirianni,” said Skversky.
Despite the Eagles facing the prospects of potentially losing the No. 1 seed and the NFC East division in the final week, Sirianni has a strong message for his team — it’s not time to hit the panic button just yet.
Via Les Bowen of The Philadelphia Inquirer:
“Sirianni says he isn’t going to hit the panic button,” said Bowen. “Nobody wants him to do that. But a sense of urgency and minimal competence would be nice.”
If the Eagles lose out on the No. 1 seed and the NFC East title, they’ll soon be hitting the “panic button.”