Why Hall of Famer is often left dumbfounded by Eagles QB Jalen Hurts

Both Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts and head coach Nick Sirianni are confident the Eagles' offense will play its best football of the season during upcoming win-or-go-home postseason games. 

During the latest edition of "The Mike Francesa Podcast," Hall of Fame quarterback Kurt Warner indicated that breaking down Hurts' performances can be a frustrating experience for an in-the-know NFL analyst. 

Kurt Warner left scratching his head after watching Jalen Hurts

"(Hurts has) won big games," Warner explained, per NJ Advance Media. "He’s played well in the big moments. When you have great quarterbacks, what you see most of the time is consistent greatness, right? From a week-to-week basis, you know what you can expect from the great ones...And that to me is the dichotomy with a guy like Jalen Hurts. There are some games where you leave the game scratching your head."

The Eagles' playoff run last winter offers examples of what Warner described. Hurts recorded 131 passing yards in Philadelphia's wild-card win over the Green Bay Packers before he passed for 128 yards in a divisional-round victory over the Los Angeles Rams. 

He then completed 20-of-28 passes for 246 yards and a touchdown in the NFC Championship Game win over the Washington Commanders. Hurts later earned Super Bowl MVP honors when he became the first player since Joe Montana (1985) to record two-plus passing touchdowns, 50-plus rushing yards and a score on the ground in a Super Bowl. 

Does Kurt Warner think Jalen Hurts can flip the switch? 

While speaking with reporters on Wednesday, Hurts noted that he plans to "lean on experience" during the playoffs. Warner suggested Hurts could silence his doubters over the next several weeks, beginning with Philadelphia's home wild-card game versus the 12-5 San Francisco 49ers on Sunday. 

"I still would say I go into the playoffs believing that Jalen is somehow going to flip a switch and be the Jalen Hurts we’ve seen in the playoffs more than we’ve seen in the regular season," Warner told Francesa. "Just because I see it, and that’s kind of how it’s etched in my mind, is the big games."

One wonders how the Eagles' front office may respond if Hurts produces a dud in a big game as soon as this Sunday. As of Thursday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook had 11-6 Philadelphia as a 4.5-point home favorite over San Francisco.