The Eagles QB spoke after the divisional round win and talked about his knee injury and what it was like playing in the snow.
The Philadelphia Eagles managed to pull off a win against the Rams and advance to the next round of the playoffs. Before the team turns their attention to the Washington Commanders, Jalen Hurts spoke to reporters about his knee injury, and how the snow impacted the game.
He didn’t hold back about how much it means to be able to play in the NFC Championship Game and continue toward the Super Bowl.
“It is everything. This is what you work for. This is what all of our energy and all of my energy has been geared towards.”
Hurts didn’t have a particular reaction to facing the Washington Commanders for a third time this season, and noted it didn’t really matter to him who the opponent was.
Here’s what else the QB had to say:
On his knee injury
“Tough game. A challenging game. I was able to finish the game, and we will see how the week goes.”
The QB clarified that he did not suffer two different injuries during the game. Hurts said that this would not affect his status throughout the week, and when asked if he’s confident he’ll play next week, he simply said, “Yeah.”
On playing in the snow
“It was a new experience. Definitely, next time that happens, I’ll be able to look back and pull from this game and be better from it.”
Hurts went on to say that he learned that in a game like that, communication and fundamentals are important, and being in attack mode. He admitted that those are things they should be focused on anyway, but particularly in those conditions.
“I want to give a ton of credit to the team we just played. They’ve evolved as the years have gone on, and offensively, defensively, they’ve been very, very efficient in what they do. We talked about their front seven all week and how they’re able to affect the pass, and they did that tonight. On the other side of the ball, they were able to move the ball at certain points, but our defense nutted up and played a hell of a game. They got some crucial turnovers in those moments. Just attest that to the work that everyone has put in and be able to come out here and play in a snow game.”
He was later asked if the game was challenging with those weather conditions, but he said they’re all the same if you have the right mental approach. He explained that it all bounces back on their preparation – conditions vary in every game, but it’s their job to prepare for what’s expected.
“It was a different game, but we were able to weather the storm. That took complementary football, that took big-time plays on offense in the right moments, that took big-time plays on defense in the right moments, and special teams being able to play the way they did. I would’ve loved to capitalize on those turnovers when we had those opportunities, and we will the next time around. But just happy we were able to pull this one out and get a win as a team.”
On Saquon Barkley’s 78-yard TD
“I knew exactly what was about to happen. Just the run we had on, how they were playing the run, and then the man you’re handing the ball off to. You know that there’s an opportunity to take advantage of it, and [Saquon Barkley] took advantage of it. It was a big-time play we needed.”
Other notables
- One thing Hurts took away from the pressure he faced against the Rams, was that rhythm is everything. They have to be able to find their rhythm – and that doesn’t necessarily mean quick passes, or long passes, or whatever, it’s just finding their niche.
- The QB had good things to say about Jalen Carter and his late-game sack to nearly secure the win. He called it a great defensive play, and while he was on the sideline preparing for two minute offense, the defense ended the game on their terms.
“I couldn’t be more proud of them for that.”
- Hurts wouldn’t answer about the offense’s approach to play-calling when starting drives deep in their own territory, only saying that he tries to execute what is called and then deferring to Kellen Moore or Nick Sirianni for that answer.
- He didn’t seem too concerned about the missed connections on deep passes, saying they just didn’t connect — but also admitted it’s been a minute since they’ve done those in general, so it’s about learning and improving.
