Coming into the 2020 NFL Preseason one of the major questions looming over the Philadelphia Eagles was how would second-year quarterback Jalen Hurts look as he sought to improve his accuracy coming off a year in which he completed just 52% of his passes.
Last season’s sample size of Hurts was small and yielded mixed results. The results of Hurt’s four starts were so erratic. That no truly definitive answer was ascertained as to whether he is an NFL-caliber passer. On the one hand, he showed elite playmaking ability, especially on critical downs. Which is exactly what you want from a leader. But on the other hand, there were major improvements that needed to happen. Two of them were ball security and consistent accuracy. The preseason would give us a small yet impactful look into how much the second-year quarterback has improved on those aspects of his game. Unfortunately for Eagles fans everywhere it just hasn’t been that simple.
Hurts had a solid outing in the opener against the Steelers. Well, he looked about as solid as you can on just seven pass attempts, but it was enough to inspire hope moving forward. However, a game-day sickness kept Hurts from playing against the Patriots this past week and it’s well noted that traditionally starters are usually withheld from the final preseason game. So when it’s all said and done the preseason will conclude with the Eagle’s new starter playing in just games with only seven passes. So how will we as fans know if Jalen Hurts is taking the necessary steps to improve his game? Must we wait until he either shines or falls flat on his face in the season opener? Well no.
It’s a tradition that throughout training camp teams hold joint practices with teams they will face during the preseason. It’s mostly for scrimmage purposes but it is effective as it gives starters a chance to match up against someone other than the same teammate they compete against day in and day out.
The Eagles have held these joint practices with both the New York Jets and New England Patriots. And word is Jalen Hurts has looked excellent throughout the team drills and scrimmages. Although practices aren’t games, there’s no doubt that these visiting teams are bringing their all to these joint sessions. A lot of pride is at stake. From the coaching staff to the punter both teams have something to prove and will not just lay down and let the opposing team walk all over them. We haven’t gotten to see the reps we desperately wanted out of Jalen Hurts in live preseason games. But joint camp practices aren’t too far off in terms of the intensity brought to scrimmages. With that said, Eagles fans should be thrilled with all the reports from insiders detailing just how well Hurts has played. His completion percentage has been stellar and touchdowns are becoming second nature. Hopefully, the upward trajectory of Jalen Hurts’ development continues. Philadelphia should be excited for what he brings to the table in the season opener despite the lack of preseason reps. Of course, if he doesn’t. There is always Joe Flacco and Flacco has looked fairly good in the preseason
