PHILADELPHIA -- Old habits creeped up on Jalen Hurts in the season opener. Garnering a reputation as a turnover-prone quarterback, Hurts didn't disprove that narrative with two poor interceptions in the Philadelphia Eagles' Week 1 victory over the Green Bay Packers.
The two interceptions Hurts threw were part of a three-giveaway performance, giving Hurts 23 giveaways in his last 18 games. The lost fumble Hurts had wasn't on him, but the two poor decisions that led to interceptions were.
"I made two unwise decisions," Hurts said of his interceptions this week. "Those are all things that I own. Those are things I gotta be better with, truly managing those situations. Just take what they give me."
Hurts' first interception was a late throw when he was trying to go deep to A.J. Brown over the middle of the field on the Eagles' first offensive possession. The second pick was midway through the fourth quarter when Hurts rolled to his right and didn't fire the ball when Brown was open. Hurts hesitated and Brown slipped in the end zone, leading to another giveaway when the Eagles could have put the game away against the Packers.
Philadelphia gave up just three points as a result of Hurts' giveaways. This was the first time the Eagles won when Hurts had three-or-more giveaways, yet Hurts knows the turnovers need to desist.
"In the end, it's my job to go out there and lead the football team, go out there and get us in the right play, get us out of certain situations, and ultimately play smart football situationally," Hurts said. "And I touch the ball every play. You gotta be wise with the ball in your hand, and I had some examples where I wasn't wise with the ball in my hands."
While the turnover reputation still lasts, Hurts did change the narrative on how he performs against the blitz. Hurts finished 6 of 7 for 91 yards and a touchdown when facing the blitz in the Week 1 win, compiling a 158.3 passer rating (which leads the NFL).
Hurts and the Eagles made it a priority to be better against the blitz in 2w024. Early returns are very encouraging.
"I'm just trusting the coaching and everything that's being delivered to me," Hurts said. "And we just want to go out there, execute the different things and try to learn from our history, learn from the different things that we experienced in the past.
"But the ultimate goal is to step out on the field and feel like you're in a good place. We're just taking it day by day with that."
