What we learned from Eagles-Steelers: Nick Sirianni and Jalen Hurts are preparing for bigger stages

The Eagles delivered their most complete performance of the season in their 35-13 demolition of the Steelers to move to 7-0 for only the second time in franchise history on Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field. Win, lose, or draw, here’s what we learned:

The Eagles’ offensive game plan, first and foremost, was designed to counter and attack what the Steelers do defensively. But it seemed as if as much emphasis was placed on altering past tendencies and preparing for a future against stronger opponents. Struggling Pittsburgh offered the perfect opportunity for coach Nick Sirianni and his staff to peek ahead while maintaining their focus on the present.

» READ MORE: In Eagles’ rout of Steelers, Jalen Hurts keeps proving how far he has come as a QB

The Eagles of the first six weeks had become reliant on the run-pass option, zone-read game. It was easy to see why. With quarterback Jalen Hurts’ running ability, few defenses could stop it. But NFL defensive coordinators, at least the better ones, are bound to catch up. The Eagles used their week off to look inward and self-scout the areas in which they needed to improve. But they also dug deep into where they’ve been most successful and the dangers that come with predictability.

“We felt like we fixed some tendencies,” Sirianni said after the game.

The coach denied that there was an emphasis placed on having fewer RPOs. They ran some, and with success. But, ultimately, the zone-read game wasn’t called as much, which meant more traditional drops and less running from Hurts. The results spoke for themselves: The Eagles’ averaged 7.57 yards per play (401 yards on 53 plays), their best output since Super Bowl LII when they averaged 7.58 yards (538 yards on 71 plays).

This unit has a way to go before it can be equated to that 2017 powerhouse. But with effective offenses, there are often similarities in versatility, explosiveness, and preparation. In terms of the ability to adapt, the Eagles have multiple means and weapons in which to beat defenses. On Sunday, they utilized their aerial passing attack vs. the Steelers’ single-high-safety man coverages, and wide receiver A.J. Brown set career marks in receiving yards (156) and touchdown catches (three).

But they also made a point of getting Dallas Goedert more involved. The tight end had only three third-down catches through the first six games, but he caught that many — for 30 yards — on Sunday. Goedert finished with six grabs on as many targets — one he pulled with one hand — for 64 yards. Five came in the first half and when the Eagles came out of the break, they faked a screen to him underneath that drew multiple defenders. Slot receiver Zach Pascal was open over the top as a result and caught a 34-yard touchdown pass to expand the lead to 18 points.

The Eagles scored 14 points in the second quarter and now have a remarkable 126 points in the frame. (Last season, all told, they had 104 points in the second.) They also jumped out to yet another 14-point first-half lead. But after failing to close out teams for most of their first six games, the Eagles finished off the Steelers in the second half.

“I thought we had a good first and second half today,” Sirianni said.

Jonathan Gannon’s defense did its part, as well. But as the offense goes, so goes the Eagles. The upcoming schedule is seemingly forgiving. The next four opponents — the Texans, Commanders, Colts, and Packers — have a combined 11-18-2 record (.387 winning percentage). But each game comes with potential trip-ups.

“You’ll never get to a point to where you say, ‘I’ve arrived,” Hurts said. “There is no arrival, there’s only the journey.”

Hurts’ demeanor won’t allow for complacency. After each of the Eagles’ first six victories, he has harped on mistakes and, with a metaphor he often evokes, money left on the table. The offense came darn close to cleaning house against Pittsburgh. But there were plays left out on the field. Receiver DeVonta Smith uncharacteristically dropped a couple of passes. Brown had one drop himself. Hurts was a touch late on a few early tosses. He was sacked three times. The errors were minor in the big picture, but tougher foes will capitalize.

It would be nice to see how the Eagles would fare against the best of the NFL — the Bills and Chiefs among them. But they’ve already beaten the NFC’s top teams: the 6-1 Vikings and the 6-2 Cowboys. Hurts and company have answered the bell each week and it may just be time to accept their superiority. The quarterback’s progress has been remarkable. Has he profited from the effectiveness of the scheme and the strength of the personnel? Absolutely. Has he benefited from one of the easier slates in the league? Sure. Context is needed when evaluating the third-year quarterback.

But the improvements Hurts has made, specifically as a thrower, were again on display. Brown may have bailed the quarterback out on his first touchdown catch, but the next two were dimes. He made some mechanical adjustments this offseason, but the tweaks were minor. Hurts has always had good touch on deep balls, but he’s a feel passer and was in rhythm with his best friend on Sunday.

» READ MORE: Action Network: Eagles odds: Unbeaten squad flying high in futures markets

Hurts ran only twice for 10 yards, matching a career low for carries as a starter. He was limited by an ankle injury the first time in last December’s game against the New York Giants. But the fewer designed opportunities to run appeared to be by design. Hurts was averaging 12.8 rushes a game and was on pace to set an NFL mark for quarterback runs in a season. Sirianni doesn’t want to stop his mobile quarterback for running, but he also doesn’t want to reveal a proclivity that could expose Hurts to harm.

He’s done well to protect himself. The Eagles want to take advantage of his duality. Hurts embraces being a dual-threat quarterback. But he wants more so to be what he called “a triple threat.”

We all “call it a dual threat but I like to call it a triple threat,” Hurts said. “You have to be able to kill them with your legs at times, make the throws when you need to in the passing game, and kill them with your mind and with what you see and how you react.”

Defensive coordinators increasingly blitzed Hurts the last month and were having relative success. The Steelers, to no surprise, threw the kitchen sink at the quarterback. They sent extra rushers at him on 20 of his 32 drops (62.5%). But Hurts had answers, or was given them by the Eagles’ play design. He completed 13 of 20 throws for 169 yards and three touchdowns against the blitz. When you beat it, fewer defenses will likely follow suit.

Hurts has touched the ball on 477 plays and has yet to fumble. He’s tossed only two interceptions and one bounced off running back Kenny Gainwell in Week 2. The Eagles, as a whole, have only two turnovers and since 1940 only one other team — the 2017 Chiefs with one — has had fewer through the first seven games. But their defense, conversely, has forced a league-high 16 takeaways. The Eagles’ plus-14 turnover differential is eight more than the next-best team. Safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson notched his fourth interception in the last three games and is tied for the NFL lead.

There’s a lot to like about the defense. Darius Slay and James Bradberry form arguably the Eagles’ best outside cornerback duo in years. Their combined 18 pass breakups are tops in the league. Inside linebackers T.J. Edwards and Kyzir White continue to swarm to the ball and keep offenses from controlling the middle. They had a total of 24 tackles against the Steelers. The Eagles’ defensive front has been solid. Outside linebacker Haason Reddick (one sack on Sunday) has upgraded the edge rush. Rookie nose tackle Jordan Davis has been the anchor of the base five-man front that has kept offenses from running at will.

But can the unit compensate for the offense when it isn’t clicking? Gannon’s defense has essentially gotten the job done and had maybe its best outing against the best quarterback it faced: Kirk Cousins. The Eagles were up and then down against the capable Kyler Murray several weeks later. But the Cooper Rushes and Kenny Picketts of the position aren’t exactly playoff-worthy measuring sticks. The Eagles sacked Pickett six times on Sunday. Stopping the run early helped, but the offensive explosion forced the Steelers into becoming one-dimensional. That’s how the Eagles want to draw it up. But if there are quibbles to be found, the pass rush remains a concern.

Robert Quinn was acquired to strengthen the unit. He played 20 snaps, but was relatively quiet. Brandon Graham’s snap count dipped to 13 as a result, although he was also dealing with a hamstring injury. More worrisome is how the Eagles will replace Davis, who could be out for more than a month with a high ankle sprain. If Gannon has to devote another defender to stopping the run, and use less of his 5-1-5 package, it could leave the Eagles more susceptible through the air.

» READ MORE: How the Eagles can replace injured defensive lineman Jordan Davis

Davis’ injury has been an anomaly in relation to the Eagles’ health. They lost defensive end Derek Barnett (ACL) for the season in Week 1, and they’ve had their share of bumps and bruises along the way. But they had yet to lose a starter for an extended period. They’ve had three games so far this season — the first two and this past week — with no injury designations for rostered players. The Eagles receive criticism from some outsiders, however ill-conceived, about the fewer and shorter practices in training camp. Some old-school types have ridiculed the resting of veterans during certain days in-season. But the process appears to be working. The Eagles reversed a three-year trend of being one of the more injured teams last season and this season have been one of the healthiest in the league.

The sports science and medical staffs have emphasized the importance of recovery, and with the short week ahead of Thursday’s game at Houston, had recuperation stations in the postgame locker room at the Linc. There were exercise bikes, massage tables, and compression therapy beds, and each player was required to use one before departing.

“It’s all about recovery,” Sirianni said after Sunday’s game. “Those guys are in there right now. Because we just have such an unbelievable training staff, strength staff, the trainers, and the doctors, they’re in there getting massages right now, eating the right things.

“That quick turnaround is what are we going to do to make sure our bodies are ready to go.”

Sirianni also noted that the Eagles medical team identified during the bye week a better way to handle players’ fitness coming out of halftime. Maybe that had something to do with their quick-strike touchdown?

“I’m not smart enough to say the word, how the body works there going into the second half,” Sirianni said. “We’ll do anything we can to make this team better.”

The Eagles were also able to rest a number of their starters and pulled Hurts and others on both sides of the ball with about nine minutes left in the fourth quarter.

Quez Watkins has become a relative afterthought with all the team’s success. The slot receiver was targeted just once and didn’t have a catch on Sunday. On the season, he’s caught six of 10 targets for 88 yards and a touchdown. With so many mouths to feed, someone had to starve. Watkins, to his credit, hasn’t griped publicly. He’s had to block more, but Pascal is better suited for a receiver screen game that’s been suspect. … Rookie Josh Jobe had been one of the gunners on the punt cover unit, but he was inactive and Josiah Scott took his place. Scott, though, left in the second half with an ankle injury. … The Eagles got burned by a fake punt for the second time in three games. Desperate teams are more likely to take those chances, so special teams coordinator Michael Clay may need to spend more time on preparation. His units otherwise were more effective than in previous games. Punter Arryn Siposs and gunner Zech McPhearson teamed up for a precise boot downed at the 1-yard line.