You ever just watch a game and think, “How the heck did that just happen?” That’s gotta be exactly what Eagles fans are feeling right now after seeing their team take the lead against the Jacksonville Jaguars with a mere eight seconds left, only to blow it and lose the game. It’s an absolute gut-punch, especially since the Jags were actually favored to win, making the Eagles’ late lead feel like a done deal that just evaporated.
Hurts Was Left Out to Dry, Again
But here’s the kicker: You can’t put that loss on Jalen Hurts. Not when you look at the cold, hard facts of the lineup and what he was working with. ESPN’s Tim McManus broke it down, and it paints a clear picture. Hurts was out there trying to make something, anything, happen with a seriously depleted group on offense, especially in that first half. McManus specifically pointed out how Hurts went 5-of-7 against the blitz before the break. That’s huge, man, because going against the blitz was a real problem for them just last week against the Rams. And let’s not forget he dropped a beautiful 61-yard touchdown pass to Darius Cooper in the second quarter. The dude was grinding.
Late-Game Heroics Couldn’t Save Them
The second half, though? Woof. The offense just couldn’t get anything going. They were stymied for most of it and were legitimately on track to get held scoreless after halftime for the third straight game. Talk about a struggle! But even with all that, Hurts dug deep, moved the Eagles down the field in those crucial final moments, and set up Jake Elliott for that go-ahead 48-yard field goal with just eight seconds on the clock. It felt like a miracle. So, yeah, McManus is right. Hurts wasn’t perfect, no one ever is. But he did everything he possibly could. The blame for that crushing loss lies somewhere else entirely.
A loss like that stings, no doubt, and it’s gonna hang over the Eagles this week. But if there’s any silver lining, it’s seeing Hurts battle the way he did, even when his offense was struggling big time. The team has gotta figure out how to give him more help, because you can’t keep putting your quarterback in these impossible situations and expect a different outcome. Every game counts, and they need to rally to make sure his efforts aren’t wasted going forward.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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