Joe Whitt Jr. has warned Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts not to expect any special treatment if he runs the ball in the NFC Championship Game. Hurts will be viewed as a running back and hit like one, according to the Washington Commanders defensive coordinator.
Whitt told reporters, if the Eagles plan to use Hurts’ rushing talents, “we are going to treat him like a running back, and we are gonna hit him that way. So that’s their decision if they wanna get him hit the way he gets hit. If they don’t, they will keep him in the pocket,” per NBC Sports Philadelphia’s John Clark.
“If he is going to run the ball, and if the coordinator makes a decision for him to run the ball, we are going to treat him like a running back, and we are gonna hit him that way. So that’s their decision if they wanna get him hit the way he gets hit. If they don’t, they will…
Although Clark referenced Hurts suffering a concussion against the Commanders in Week 16, this isn’t personal between the Eagles and their NFC East rivals. Instead, Whitt’s plan is an aggressive commitment to taking away what makes Hurts a dangerous, dual-threat playmaker.
Having an answer for every facet of what the Eagles do on offense is necessary with the conference title up for grabs. The prize is why the Eagles will likely still go ahead and let Hurts run, despite Whitt’s warning and the signal-caller dealing with a knee problem requiring a brace.
Commanders Following Familiar Formula vs. Mobile QB
This isn’t the first time Whitt and the Commanders have declared their intent to treat a mobile QB like he’s a running back. It was the plan against Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Wild-Card round.
The intent to be physical paid off when Whitt’s defense limited Mayfield to just 3.3 yards per rushing attempt. Washington’s defense also prevented Mayfield from moving the pocket and throwing on the run too often, but Hurts is a different kind of threat.
He’s got a fullback’s mentality and deceptive speed on the move. Those qualities were key to Hurts rushing for a 44-yard touchdown against the Los Angeles Rams last week.
Jalen Freaking Hurts 44-yd run ladies & gentlemen 😌
A quarterback who can make big plays like this on the ground is a core part of perhaps the best rushing attack in the NFL. Defenses can’t tee off on 2,005-yard running back Saquon Barkley when Hurts is at full strength.
If his knee prevents Hurts from running at top speed, the Commanders will gain a huge advantage. Especially since the Eagles don’t plan to keep Hurts static, no matter his condition.
Jalen Hurts, Eagles Won’t Heed Warning
Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni isn’t about to “change the game plan” because of Whitt’s warning, according to Clark. As Sirianni put it, “Every team is going to try to tackle Jalen like a running back. He’s running with the football. They’ll try to tackle him. We already are ultimately cautious with how we use him and how we think about each play because we know how important it is to have him out there.”
“Every team is going to try to tackle Jalen like a running back. He’s running with the football. They’ll try to tackle him.
We already are ultimately cautious with how we use him and how we think about each play because we know how important it is to have him out there.
But I…
The Commanders will hope Hurts is reluctant to break contain because the Eagles are close to unstoppable on the ground when he does. He and Barkley combined for 185 yards and three rushing touchdowns during a 26-18 win for the Eagles in Week 11.
Barkley and Hurts had added 191 more yards before the latter had to leave the field five weeks later. Former Washington and Pittsburgh Steelers free safety Ryan Clark explained to NFL on ESPN how “early on we watched the run game with Jalen Hurts be extremely explosive. Whether it was him on the zone reads, called quarterback runs or even using his legs in the scramble. Things started to tighten up when Kenny Pickett was at the quarterback position.”
“We watched the run game with Jalen Hurts be extremely explosive. … How does Jalen Hurts’ injury change that?”
@Realrclark25 on the Eagles run game 👀
The Commanders need to condense the pocket around Hurts early and prevent any confidence-building runs. Forcing him to be one-dimensional will make it tougher for Hurts to prove he can be better than irrepressible Commanders rookie QB Jayden Daniels in the biggest games.
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Commanders DC Sends Warning to Eagles QB Jalen Hurts