Image credit: ClutchPoints

Eagles’ Jalen Hurts couldn’t stop gushing about Russell Wilson after beating him

Originally posted on NFL on ClutchPoints
By Sonny Giuliano | Last updated Dec 16, 2024 11:26 AM ET

In the shadow of a Bills-Lions barnburner, the Philadelphia Eagles hosted the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday afternoon in a game that had massive postseason implications for both teams. Coming into the game, both Philly and Pittsburgh led their respective divisions and were still in the hunt for a 1-seed and opening round bye in the Playoffs. Coming out of the game, it’s clear that Philadelphia is in better position moving forward, thanks in large part to Jalen Hurts.

Hurts’ recent struggles have been well-documented, as the 5th-year quarterback had gone a month and a half without a 250-yard game heading into Sunday. But against one of the best defenses in the NFL, he delivered arguably his best performance of the season, completing 25-of-32 passes for 290 yards and 2 touchdowns. In typical Hurts fashion, he also punched in a score in the ground, his 14th rushing touchdown of the season.

Was the inspired performance due to some tinkering behind the scenes in the Eagles locker room, or did it maybe have to do with Jalen Hurts having the opportunity to take the field against Russell Wilson… a player he’s idolized for years and has a great deal of respect for?

“He’s paved the way for a ton of guys, including myself,” Hurts said of Wilson after the game, per Jori Epstein of Yahoo Sports. “My brother loved him. I loved him and still love him and watch him do many things people said he couldn’t. Tons of respect for him. Definitely cool beating him, but nothing but love for him.”

Jalen Hurts gets the better of on-field doppelgänger in 27-13 Eagles win

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) and Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson (3) shake hands after the game at Lincoln Financial Field. Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

There are no shortage of similarities between Hurts and Wilson, a pair of quarterbacks who transferred in college, were drafted outside of the 1st round — Wilson in Round 3 and Hurts in Round 2 — and emerged as starters early on in their careers thanks in large part to intangible qualities that coaches and teammates alike raved about. Dig a little deeper into the numbers, and you’ll see that there are statistical similarities too.

Russell Wilson, first 65 career starts – 65% completion, 14,232 passing yards, 119 total touchdowns, 35 interceptions, 47-18 record

Jalen Hurts, first 65 career starts – 65% completion, 14,514 passing yards, 139 total touchdowns, 38 interceptions, 46-19 record

For the last two months it had been the Saquon Barkley show in Philadelphia, but on Sunday afternoon, the league’s leading rusher was held to just 65 yards on Sunday, his second-lowest total of the season. Barkley is now 418 yards away from breaking Eric Dickerson’s single-season rushing record, meaning he’d need to average 139.3 yards per game over the final three games of the season.

Fortunately, based on how Jalen Hurts played on Sunday, it looks like the Eagles may not need to lean too heavily on Barkley ahead of the postseason.

This article first appeared on NFL on ClutchPoints and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: