Jalen Hurts to face his biggest test yet vs. the 49ers defense

On the Friday afternoon, before the biggest game of his NFL career — maybe his entire career — Jalen Hurts sat at his locker stall and played New Edition’s “Mr. Telephone Man” on his portable speaker.

Twice.

What could possibly be gained from analyzing Hurts’ musical choice, which prompted head bobbing and impromptu singing from several nearby teammates? Probably not very much. But that the Eagles quarterback was behaving the way he normally does two days to kickoff suggested what has been said about Hurts since he first burst on the national scene:

Nothing seems to affect him.

Sunday’s NFC championship game against the 49ers should test that theory. The San Francisco defense will likely be pound for pound the toughest unit Hurts will face in his 37th start as a professional.

It has first team All-Pros at all three levels, a lethal combination of speed and physicality, and a defensive coordinator in former Eagles linebacker DeMeco Ryans who seems to wring every last ounce of effort from his players.

“One of the most impressive things about coaches that I see sometimes is when their guys are just like selling out for them,” Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said, “and I really see that with DeMeco Ryans’ defense.”

» READ MORE: DeMeco Ryans went from Eagles LB to hot head coaching candidate as he runs the 49ers defense

The 49ers, though, haven’t seen a dual-threat offense the likes of the Eagles this season, and a quarterback who factors as much in the run game as Hurts. San Francisco won at Philadelphia a year ago, 17-11, in Sirianni’s second game at the helm.

But the coach’s scheme wasn’t as sound, the personnel wasn’t as strong, and Hurts wasn’t the MVP-caliber quarterback he has been in his third season. The 24-year-old exorcised the playoff demon with his steady hand in the Eagles’ 38-7 pounding of the New York Giants last weekend.

» READ MORE: Super Bowl MVP odds: Four remaining quarterbacks lead the charge

Hurts has an uneven record in knockout games dating back to high school. But a small sample size and the many other variants that can affect a quarterback’s performance made it difficult to place much stock in either the outcomes or his struggles pre-divisional playoff.

The pressure increases exponentially with each postseason round, however, and he knows as well as anyone that legacies can hinge on how athletes perform on the largest stages.

“You just want to go out there and kind of do the things that got you there, not necessarily change your approach,” Hurts said Friday when asked about thriving in the biggest moments. “Go out there and attack it like another game.”

If Hurts were 100 percent healthy, it would be easier to have that mindset. But he will likely not be at full strength. The right shoulder sprain that caused him to miss two games has been on the mend, and while it didn’t force Sirianni to restrict him in the run game against the Giants, this will be his first one-week turnaround since returning for the season finale.

“I don’t think he’s thinking about that at all,” Sirianni said. “He’s ready to go.”

Hurts hasn’t been listed on the injury report the last two weeks. He’s still receiving treatment, per his coach, but there were zero restrictions in practice this week.

“He’s just ripping it like any normal week,” Sirianni said.

» READ MORE: Eagles’ injury report: Avonte Maddox’s return would mean 22 starters available vs. the 49ers

After last week’s victory, Hurts said his 40-yard pass to wide receiver DeVonta Smith on the second play from scrimmage was the first time he had thrown a ball that far in two weeks. He attempted just one more throw of plus-20 yards, but missed receiver A.J. Brown in the end zone.

Before his injury, Hurts averaged 4.1 attempts over 20 air yards per game. But the Eagles didn’t need his arm much in the destruction of the Giants. He will likely have to drop more against the 49ers’ potent pass rush.

Defensive end Nick Bosa was arguably the NFL’s defensive player of the year, but if tackles Lane Johnson and Jordan Mailata can contain him without excessive help — Bosa switches sides almost evenly — the rest of the offensive line is equipped to keep Hurts relatively clean.

» READ MORE: Key Eagles-49ers matchups to watch in the NFC championship game

The other variable in the pass game will be Ryans’ coverage calls. Like most defenses, the 49ers lean heavy zone (64%) vs. man (21%). Of his zones, Ryans calls Cover 3 the most.

“It’s having the guy in the middle of the field to protect against the deep ball and … sometimes it’s also to get an extra guy in the run game,” Sirianni said.

Not all Cover 3′s are the same. Ryans typically has one cornerback play man vs. the No. 1 outside receiver while five drop into a zone over three receivers on the inside.

» READ MORE: Eagles vs. 49ers predictions: Our beat writers make their picks for the NFC championship game

Cover 3 reached its apex in popularity after the initial success of the Seahawks’ Legion of Boom in the early 2010s. But Seattle coach Pete Carroll had stud talent in his secondary. It’s easy to disguise man coverage with Cover 3 or vice versa.

The Colts’ Cover-3-heavy defense may have been the only one to keep the Eagles offense in check for an extended period, but that’s because they were able to flip between zone and man and they had personnel to match Brown and Smith.

The Eagles were also for the first time without tight end Dallas Goedert, their best zone-beater, and Sirianni’s game plan and offensive coordinator Shane Steichen’s play calling lacked cohesion and rhythm.

Goedert, of course, is back. In fact, the Eagles have every possible player available, although Johnson will be playing through a torn groin tendon. The offensive personnel isn’t much different than it was a year ago when the 49ers visited Lincoln Financial Field.

Tight end Zach Ertz was still in the fold, as was right guard Brandon Brooks, but Brown for Jalen Reagor has been the Eagles’ most significant positional upgrade. Hurts completed 12 of 23 passes for 190 yards in that game, but 91 of the yards came on one pass to receiver Quez Watkins.

Hurts was more effective on the ground and rushed 10 times for 82 yards and a touchdown. He scrambled five times for 68 of the yards, but Sirianni called only three zone-read plays in which the quarterback kept the ball and ran. On the two plays in which the Eagles left Bosa unblocked, Hurts gained 9 yards and running back Miles Sanders picked up 7.

The 49ers faced only one plus-quarterback this season: the Falcons’ Marcus Mariota. Four of his six carries came on designed runs and he gained 27 yards and scored. Atlanta won, 28-14, but San Fran was without three defensive starters, including Bosa.

Hurts ran six times on designed runs last weekend. He didn’t necessarily “get freaky,” as he is prone to describe his more athletic moments, but he gained 24 yards, scored a touchdown, and most important, established the threat that helped the Eagles gain 268 total yards on the ground.

“I don’t know,” Hurts said when asked if getting freaky on Sunday was attainable. “We’ll see.”

The 49ers are not the Giants.

» READ MORE: Jalen Hurts’ unrelenting work ethic: From SoCal to his locker stall, the Eagles — and Tony the janitor — tell stories

But Hurts is unlikely to panic or become dismayed if the Eagles struggle for stretches. To say that nothing affects him is probably untrue. He is only human. But he doesn’t outwardly change.

When the second playing of “Mr. Telephone Man” ended, Hurts walked to the Eagles’ weight room at the NovaCare Complex, like he always does on Friday afternoons. While most players headed home during the long break, their quarterback started his workout in solitude.