Regrading the Eagles vs. Jets: Film review shows Jalen Hurts’ shaky pocket presence, Josh Sweat’s impact

Regrading the Eagles’ 20-14 loss to the New York Jets upon reviewing the coaches’ film (original instant grades here):

Did Jalen Hurts’ finish offset all the good he had done through the first three quarters? Did the cumulative effect of unrelenting pressure result in the quarterback having arguably the worst fourth quarter of his NFL career? Those were questions I asked myself after Hurts inexplicably tossed an interception to safety Tony Adams and he failed to redeem himself with a last-minute comeback drive at MetLife Stadium.

» READ MORE: Jalen Hurts blew it, but there was plenty of fault from other Eagles in the loss to the Jets

Hurts had done so much to keep the Eagles in the game despite dropped passes, mishandled balls, shoddy protection, and dubious play-calling. Some of his escapes and throws on the run were spellbinding. He often had no choice but to scramble. But he started to feel the pressure and his line of vision seemingly dropped as the game progressed.

The Jets’ defensive line ran a stunt on this fourth-quarter play. The right side of the Eagles’ offensive line — which had struggled for long stretches after right tackle Lane Johnson left with an ankle injury — actually did well to pick the switch up. Sua Opeta (No. 78) was in position to block Bryce Huff (No. 47) up the middle. But Hurts’ eyes dipped and he took off to his right, as he is prone to do.

He reversed field and scrambled 11 yards for a first down, so it’s difficult to be overly critical. But if Hurts had stayed in the pocket, he would have seen wide receiver DeVonta Smith (No. 6) open downfield over the middle on an over route.

I asked Eagles offensive coordinator Brian Johnson if he thought Hurts was leaving the pocket too early.

“No,” Johnson said Tuesday. “I think Jalen has great instincts and feel of how to create space for himself, create operational space in the pocket.”

» READ MORE: Jalen Hurts embraces his ‘triple-threat’ uniqueness. Will the Eagles’ franchise QB have to transform his game?

The Eagles don’t want to place Hurts in a box because he can at times make something out of nothing with his legs. The franchise has had to toe this delicate line before with mobile quarterbacks like Randall Cunningham, Michael Vick and Carson Wentz.

But there is a time and place.

On the fateful interception, Hurts again had a clean pocket. He didn’t backpedal as much as he re-set his feet.

“Was that unnecessary?” Johnson said when asked about Hurts’ extra movement. “No, I just think any time you’re back there in the pocket, you’re just trying to create that space to find windows to maneuver the defense.”

The additional movement probably had little effect on the timing of the throw, but it seemed unnecessary. Was he feeling the heat, or did the 6-foot-1 Hurts feel the need to create a passing lane vs. the Jets’ rush?

Adams read his eyes, though, and the quarterback never accounted for the safety. Adams said after that game that his coaches told him to drop into the “B” gap and that Hurts would “throw it right to him.”

Eagles coach Nick Sirianni disputed the notion that Hurts or the play call had “tells.” Either way, that can’t be the throw. Sirianni pointed out Hurts’ mistake specifically. Johnson did not when asked about the interception.

“Just credit to the Jets,” he said. “They made a good play. Obviously in that situation, protecting the two-point lead, we are trying to get the first down and end the football game. Unfortunately for us, we didn’t do a good enough job on that play.”

» READ MORE: Snatched away: 4 turnovers lead to the Eagles’ first loss of the season

We don’t know what Johnson and the coaches are telling Hurts privately. It doesn’t make much sense to publicly rebuke him, although it can speak to how hard they’re coaching him behind the scenes. But as long as Sirianni & Co. are pointing out his errors and Hurts is responsive, his decision-making in that situation may be just a blip.

Josh Sweat has been the Eagles’ most consistent D-lineman through six games and is making an early case for an All-Pro nod. He’s second in the NFL with 31 pressures behind only the Cowboys’ Micah Parsons (38), and he’s fourth with 12 quarterback hits behind only the 49ers Nick Bosa (16), the Steelers’ T.J. Watt (15), and the Browns’ Myles Garrett (14).

That’s select company. Sweat (No. 94) has only 3½ sacks, but informed observers are paying notice. He has the complete set of tools as exemplified in the clip below: A quick trigger off the snap, maneuverability and impressive strength to fight through what could have also been a holding penalty.