The Philadelphia Eagles earned their second Super Bowl appearance in three seasons after the offense exploded for 55 points in last Sunday's win over the Washington Commanders, setting a new conference-championship scoring record.
Jalen Hurts accounted for half of Philadelphia's eight total touchdowns in the NFC title game, proving a lingering knee injury wasn't going to hold back the Eagles quarterback in the biggest game thus far this season.
In the postgame press conference, Hurts said the game plan against Washington “let me out of my straitjacket a little bit."
Hurts, who went 20-of-28 passing for 246 yards and a TD while navigating behind an injury-laden O- line, broke out through the air, surpassing the 200-yard passing mark for just the second time in his last eight starts and the fifth time all season. Coming off 128- and 131-yard passing performances in the prior two playoff games, respectively, perhaps his latest performance through the air influenced his postgame quip.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni didn't make much out of Hurts' comment.
“I think he was having fun after the game," Sirianni said. "You know, we’ve been winning a couple different ways this year. I think he’s just having fun after the game. But I know this. He’s said this plenty of times, 'I don’t care how we win, as long as we win. And we do everything we can do to be able to win.’ As we’ve talked a lot, there’s been different circumstances of how games have went, and where we’ve been at late in games, but we’ve found a way to win and rattle off 15 out of 16. So, again, thought he was having fun with that after the game. Just loved how he went out and executed and prepared for this game."
The Eagles quarterback also found pay dirt three more times on the ground to help seal a dominant 55-23 win over the Commanders. The Eagles QB did it all despite a knee injury which had him on the practice report all week, though he never missed a session and wasn't listed on the game's injury report. Hurts sustained the ailment against the Rams the week prior, though he posted his second-highest rushing total of the season (70) in the Divisional Round victory.
"I always admire the heck out of him for how hard he works regardless of the situation," Sirianni said. "And same guy every day: his mentality, his worth ethic. We had to win a different way this game, and we did. We showed that we can win multiple ways, and that shows the type of team we have, and the type of selfness we have on our team starting with Jalen.”
Helping Hurts' cause was the incredible rushing performance from Saquon Barkley. On just 15 carries the Eagles running back produced 115 yards and three TDs, an outing that began with 60- and 4-yard scores on his first two touches of the game. Like it would with any offense, a healthy ground attack certainly aided Hurts' outburst through the air.
With the defense causing four turnovers against Washington, everything was hunky-dory in the city of brotherly love last Sunday, and Hurts' performance in particular should maintain Philly's high hopes as the Eagles go on to face the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX on Feb. 9 -- rematch from two seasons ago.
In-between the Eagles' Super Bowl appearances was a tumultuous 2023 season that put into question the relationship between head coach and quarterback, which was a focus this offseason and the reason behind a bye-week bonding session among the pairing earlier this season.
Apparently, it worked and now Hurts will become just the eighth QB in NFL history to start multiple Super Bowls in their first five career seasons, joining John Elway, Troy Aikman, Kurt Warner, Tom Brady, Ben Roethlisberger, Russell Wilson and his adversary come Feb. 9, Patrick Mahomes.
Certainly, Hurts won't be restrained as he looks to finish the job this time around.