The new Jalen Hurts is the same as the 2023 version in the Eagles’ opener, but shows glimpses of positive change

SÃO PAULO, Brazil — For all the months of chatter about returning Jalen Hurts to how he performed in 2022 — the changes at offensive coordinator and in scheme that were made to get him back there, and how he seemed on his way following a strong training camp — the quarterback looked a lot like he did last season in the Eagles’ season opener.

Hurts was all over the map, which might have been a product of playing a game 5,000 miles away from Philadelphia on another continent. But it felt a lot like some of his performances during the epic collapse of 2023, save for the obvious: The Eagles won on Friday night.

And they beat the Green Bay Packers, 34-29, in spite of Hurts’ three turnovers, three more that he nearly had, and several other dubious decisions that could have sunk the Birds in South America.

It wasn’t all bad, of course. The Eagles didn’t score four touchdowns and two field goals without their quarterback producing at times. Hurts had some impressive throws, some tough runs, and, if you looked closely enough, there were hints of how effective he can be in Kellen Moore’s new offense.

“I thought he did some really great things in some clutch moments,” Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said. “There’s going to be plays he wants back, but he had some really good moments, as well.”

» READ MORE: Eagles grades: Jalen Hurts with an uneven performance vs. Packers while the D-line struggles

But Hurts’ ill-advised pass that led to an interception on the first series, and a fumble when he wasn’t ready for the snap on the second, could have been more costly, had Vic Fangio’s defense not held the Packers to just six points.

“Those are things that I control, and I have to be better at and I take accountability for that,” Hurts said. “But that’s what it’s about. You have moments where it’s like, ‘Oh, well, we missed this opportunity; we didn’t take advantage of this opportunity, but how do we respond from it?’”

Moore’s response was to draw up quick passes to receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith and to start feeding workhorse running back Saquon Barkley after the early turnovers. Those three, including the offensive line, were the heroes of a game that went back and forth when the Eagles defense started to look like the 2023 version.

» READ MORE: Saquon Barkley Show saves Eagles’ putrid defense and Jalen Hurts in the NFL’s Brazilian misadventure

But Hurts’ teardrop touchdown pass to Barkley on a wheel route that gave the Eagles their first lead was a beauty, and after the Eagles trailed, 19-14, at halftime, he hit Brown for a 67-yard touchdown that he credited mostly to his receiver.

“A.J. ran a great route,” Hurts said of Brown’s double move. “Got on the ball. Let him do the rest.”

The Packers regained the lead, 26-24, on their next possession, and the Eagles offense went three-and-out on their next two series. A review of the film will provide more concrete answers, but Hurts seemed to be holding the ball too long. His pass protection was solid.

“It felt like Jalen had a lot of time to throw the football,” Packers coach Matt LaFleur said.

» READ MORE: Eagles receiving duo A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith deliver down the stretch vs. Packers

Hurts looked much different than he did in camp. Practice, of course, isn’t a game. But after four weeks without throwing an interception until the last workout, Hurts forced passes to receivers who weren’t open at Corinthians Arena.

He tried for Smith on a deep post on his first interception, and safety Xavier McKinney was waiting for the ball. Hurts would have been picked off in the fourth quarter had Brown not switched to defender and broke up a pass. He almost tossed a pick-six later, but Keisean Nixon dropped the ball.

And then on that same drive, with the Eagles up, 31-26, after Barkley’s third overall and second rushing touchdown, Hurts threw across his body into the end zone on third down and was intercepted.

Brown slipped on the play and might have had another chance to stop Jaire Alexander from making the easy grab. But it was another ill-advised decision by Hurts. Maybe Moore can be faulted there for not going to Barkley in that situation. A field goal would have given the Eagles an eight-point lead early in the fourth quarter.

But Hurts has to protect the ball better. Last season, he had 20 turnovers — 15 interceptions and five fumbles. He nearly lost the ball again on a Tush Push attempt at the Packers’ 1-yard line that would have sealed the outcome. But Barkley saved the day by pouncing on his fumble.

Hurts had successful moments on the ground. He scrambled for some gritty yards during the Eagles’ seven-minute-plus drive that essentially sealed the win. But the plus-one quarterback run plays mostly were snuffed out by the Packers.

The Eagles may not need Hurts to be as involved in the run game with Barkley, but a few quarterback carries can go a long way in creating space for the running back. Moore is still figuring out what’s best for Hurts & Co.

“I’ll continue to get that rhythm with him,” Hurts said of Moore.

A good place to start would be more pre-snap motion. Moore’s offense utilized motion on 48 of 73 plays (65.8%), their highest mark in a game since 2020, according to Next Gen Stats. Last season, in Sirianni’s scheme, the Eagles used motion at the lowest rate league-wide (35.1%).

Hurts was significantly more effective when a play featured motion, completing 15 of 21 passes for 212 yards and two touchdowns, per Next Gen. Without motion, he finished 5 of 13 for 66 yards and two interceptions. Seems like a no-brainer to give Hurts more pre-snap intel about defensive coverages.

For a designated home game, the Eagles offense had to deal with a fair amount of crowd noise. The atmosphere felt much more like a Super Bowl with both fan bases nearly split and casuals in attendance.

There also were the field conditions, which caused slipping for both sides.

“Y’all saw out there that it was kind of rough to get traction,” Hurts said. “Definitely challenging on that field.”

But Hurts wasn’t making excuses. He knows he has to be sharper. He knows more blitzes are coming. The Packers, to some surprise, given how much the Eagles struggled against the blitz late last season, and with center Jason Kelce’s retirement, didn’t test Hurts as much with extra rushers.

Hurts, to some extent, forced Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley to dial it back. There had been a lot of banter about the quarterback taking on more pre-snap vs. the blitz with Kelce gone. Hurts was going to have to be “hot” more, but that also creates opportunities.

And on his first “hot” read, Hurts got the ball out quick to his open receiver.

“First hot throw of the year!!” Kelce tweeted. “Well done brotha.”

» READ MORE: Minus Jason Kelce, Eagles QB Jalen Hurts will be making the O-line protection calls

Hurts went the opposite way on his next “hot” read, but still completed a first-down pass to Brown. He wasn’t perfect, far from it, but one game does not a season make.

“It’s a work in progress,” Hurts said of beating the blitz. “Everything is a work in progress. I know the notion out there. Bring it. Bring it, and we’ll respond.”

They responded in foreign land despite the quarterback’s shaky performance. The new Hurts may have looked like the old Hurts. But there were subtle differences, too. At the least, the offseason speculation is over.