Any lingering concerns about Jalen Hurts' QB1 status in Philadelphia were washed away in a 32-6 blowout win over the Falcons in Atlanta.
Hurts was marvelous, tossing for 264 yards, completing 77.1 percent of his passes with three TD tosses and no interceptions for a 126.4 passer rating. The QB also proved dangerous with his legs, scampering for 62 yards on seven carries as the Eagles leaned on run-pass options.
Coach Nick Sirianni, who impressed as a play-caller in his first game in Philly, was thrilled with how Hurts handled the game plan, particularly noting how well he guided the club in the two-minute drill to stake the Eagles to a two-score halftime lead.
"Just taking what the defense gave him," Sirianni said, via the Philly Inquirer. "Methodically going down the field, making big throws when he needed to make big throws, checking down when he needed to check it down, making a run when he needed to make a run. Just good quarterback play. To go down and get a touchdown in two-minute drill. Sometimes you're thinking, let's go get points, and then you get to a point where you're like, 'All right, let's go get seven.'
"Jalen was in complete control there. He was in complete control the whole game. He played a heck of a football game. I'm really happy with the way he played."
Hurts continued the impressive dual-threat ability he displayed as a rookie. With the Eagles giving the second-year pro freedom at the line of scrimmage and in RPO's, Hurts shined in his fifth career start.
"It's not about control, it's [about] me going out there and doing what I'm coached to do," Hurts said on his pre-snap power. "We prepare, we hit it every day. I always talk about executing. I want to execute at a high level, whatever that is - running the ball, throwing the ball, alignment things, situation things - I just want to execute at a high level."
Hurts is the first player with 250-plus pass yards, 3-plus pass TD, 0 INT and 60-plus rush yards since he did it in Week 15, 2020 at Arizona, per NFL Research.
The QB wasn't the only young Eagles offensive player to show out. First-round rookie DeVonta Smith scored a touchdown on his first career catch en route to a six-catch, 71-yard debut. And fifth-round rookie Kenneth Gainwell added nine carries for 37 yards and a TD.
"I think it's good to win on opening day. All the hard work we put in, all the different changes we've endured." Hurts said. "We've had to overcome and persevere with new coaching, new values as a football team, and buying into it. Coming out here, we won and started off the right way. I think that's good."
