As the great philosopher and former Yankees manager Yogi Berra once said, “It’s déjà vu all over again” for Eagles fans when they heard that their star quarterback and MVP candidate Jalen Hurts suffered a throwing shoulder injury and would likely miss this week’s big game against the archrival Cowboys.
As the line ballooned in favor of the Cowboys on Monday afternoon, the city of Philadelphia began to panic. Fans knows the only reason for a sudden line movement six days before the game had to be related to a serious injury. And only one position could cause a line to move dramatically, which made fans think back to the 2017 season. Week 14 on the grass at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum facing the Los Angeles Rams, Eagles fans watched their MVP candidate quarterback Carson Wentz get off the ground reaching for his knee, come to the sideline then return to the field to score a touchdown before being removed from the game with a torn ACL. At that moment, every Eagles fan thought their season was over — but it wasn’t. With backup quarterback Nick Foles, their running game and a solid defense, the Eagles overcame the injury and won Super Bowl LII.
This injury to Hurts isn’t season-ending. Regardless of the rhetoric coming out of Eagles camp about his chances of playing this week, he isn’t. And he may not play next week against the Saints. And for sure, he won’t play in a meaningless game against the Giants to end the season, which means Hurts has more than a month to get healthy and be ready for the playoffs. Keeping Hurts off the field is the smart move. All that matters now is for him to be completely healthy for the big game in January. The remaining three can be handled by capable backup Gardner Minshew.
The Eagles won’t be a “six back” attack team with Minshew, but they can be as dangerous as the core strength of the Eagles offense is their offensive line. Because of their line play, the Birds can alter their offense, still run the ball effectively and use their passing game. With Minshew under center, the Eagles will be more of a rhythm passing offense and still have a power run game. Yes, Hurts is having a great season, but other parts of the Eagles team are also playing well, so for the line to shift five points because of him being out is a total lack of respect for what the Eagles have built and their overall talent. This isn’t a slight toward Hurts or a knock on his skills, rather a tribute to the Eagles’ team building and organizational flexibility.