As the NFL slowly heads into its most exciting stretch, several teams are emerging as playoff contenders. The Philadelphia Eagles are one of them, and largely thanks to the great performance of key players like Jalen Hurts and Saquon Barkley. Nick Sirianni, the mastermind behind this team, knows that one of his players undoubtedly deserves the MVP of the season.
After the resounding 24-19 victory over the Ravens, in Baltimore no less, the coach spoke with the press and showered his team with praise, specifically for his quarterback and even for Barkley, one of the best running backs in the league.
“Jalen’s stats aren’t going to say this, but Jalen deserves, like, Saquon deserves, being an MVP consideration. Jalen Hurts deserves to be an MVP consideration because of how clean a football game he’s playing. Look at his quarterback rating throughout the last month and a half of the season. Jalen Hurts is a winner, [and he’s] playing great football. He may not have the stats, but because his team’s winning in the fourth quarter. He doesn’t get to make those stats. He’s just done such a good job,” Sirianni stated.
Not only that, but the coach also made it clear how Jalen Hurts managed the game throughout all four quarters: “You can’t say enough good things about how Jalen managed that four-minute.”
Head coach Nick Sirianni of the Philadelphia Eagles looks on during the second quarter against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paycor Stadium on October 27, 2024 in Cincinnati, Ohio.
“You’ll say, ‘Well, game manager,’ That’s all BS. Jalen played an awesome game. His stats are going to say, ‘We didn’t throw it a lot.’ We were 11 of 19. He had 118 yards, but that guy made runs when he needed to make runs. He made good checks. He managed the game in a four-minute [offense] to take the clock down to use as much time as he can,” the HC finally concluded.
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Jalen Hurts thanked his coach for the kind words
Nick Sirianni showered his quarterback with praise after the resounding victory at the Baltimore Ravens’ home. The coach not only considers him an MVP but also appreciated the way Hurts manages games.
Once the game was over, Jalen Hurts was asked about his coach’s comments, to which the quarterback expressed his gratitude for the compliment. “I appreciate his intentions with it,” the QB stated. “I have a lot of love for coach. My focus is winning and doing what I need to do to help this team win.”
Also Hurts isn’t worried about being called a game manager: “I just think it’s a term. Everybody can be called that depending on the day, but the reality is, everyone that plays a position is asked to manage a game to an extent. So, it’s the quarterback’s job to go out there and do what he’s asked to do — execute, play clean football and initiate the plays that are called.“
Eagles cornerback Cooper DeJean (33) celebrates with teammates after slaming Ravens running back Derrick Henry (22) to the ground after a pass in the flat during the Philadelphia Eagles versus Baltimore Ravens NFL, American Football Herren, USA game at M&T Bank Stadium on December 1, 2024 in Baltimore, MD.
Cooper DeJean outshined Derrick Henry
The dominant performance of the Eagles is not only limited to what their star players like Jalen Hurts and Saquon Barkley were able to accomplish. Rookie QB Cooper DeJean made a standout play by taking down one of the best running backs in the league, Derrick Henry.
“I didn’t expect to fully pick him up and put him on the ground,” the rookie said. “It kind of just happened like that. I was just trying to do my job, run through him and make the tackle. He’s a big dude, I felt it for sure. Luckily he was just turning around so he didn’t see me coming. I was able to sneak up on him and make the tackle.”
🗣️Is this your King? -Cooper DeJean
What’s next for the Philadelphia Eagles?
- vs Carolina Panthers, December 8th
- vs Pittsburgh Steelers, December 15th
- vs Washington Commanders, December 22nd
- vs Dallas Cowboys, December 29th
- vs New York Giants, January 5th
