How many games on the Eagles’ schedule do they have a quarterback advantage in?

Jalen Hurts will hopefully break the bobbing trend he has been on over the last three years: Even years he does exceptionally well (2022 and 2024 reaching the Super Bowl), and the odd year, there was a dramatic fall (2023). Last year, when we did this, Hurts came out 10-7 (he finished 12-3 as a starter and looked good). Two years ago, we had Hurts 16-1 (he went 11-6, though lost six of his last seven starts, and didn’t look good). Three years ago, we had Hurts coming out 4-13 over the 17 games we predicted in the quarterback challenge. It was terribly wrong.

This year, we have Hurts as the better quarterback in 12 of the Eagles’ 17 games in 2025.

In compiling this year’s stats, the Saquon Barkley effect leaped out: Except for two, Russell Wilson and Dak Prescott (who played in only eight games due a season-ending hamstring injury), every quarterback the Eagles are projected to face this year that played last season threw for more completions and more yards than Hurts (248 completions/2,903 yards) in 2024.

That includes three rookies, Jayden Daniels (331/3,568), Bo Nix (376/3,775) and Caleb Williams (351/3,541).

The Eagles showed that they could have an effective passing game in their 40-22 Super Bowl victory over the Kansas City Chiefs, despite Hurts throwing the ball just 22 times.

How long, however, can a team sustain that throughout a whole season?

Not long.

Captain Obvious: You need to throw the ball to win consistently in the NFL.

The Eagles and the city of Philadelphia have been marinating in Super Bowl bliss since February. Someone needs to remind them that winning a Super Bowl does not automatically make a quarterback elite (see Jeff Hostetler, Mark Rypien, Trent Dilfer, Brad Johnson, and Joe Flacco). Hurts is a razor-thin level below the elite. The 2024 Eagles benefitted more from Hurts not throwing the ball than throwing the ball—and his passing ability should be more consistent, as it was in the Super Bowl, not the way he played during the regular season.

This season, Hurts and the Eagles will again be facing a solid group of opposing quarterbacks, topped by two-time former MVP and three-time Super Bowl champion Patrick Mahomes, reigning NFL MVP Josh Allen, and rising stars Jayden Daniels, mixed with established, though considered second-tier elite starters like Matt Stafford, Justin Herbert, Baker Mayfield and Jared Goff. Geno Smith has, and can, beat the Eagles.

It’s an interesting list who the Eagles and Hurts will face in 2025.

Hurts is the best quarterback in the NFC East, however, it is a reign that may not last long, with the Washington Commanders’ Daniels showing remarkable poise and polish his rookie season beating the Eagles on a last-second TD pass. Dak Prescott is still formidable, just two years removed from going 12-5 as a starter, while throwing 36 touchdowns against nine interceptions for 4,516 yards. Wilson, however, is shot.

The Eagles will have challenges ahead Mahomes, Allen, Daniels, Stafford, Herbert, Goff, Smith and Mayfield, who has beaten the Eagles in his last two starts against them.

Here’s a look at who the Eagles will face in 2025 and a brief summary as to who the better quarterback will be.

2025

Week 1 – Dallas Cowboys (Sept. 4, 8:20 PM, NBC)

Week 12 – at Dallas Cowboys (Nov. 23, 4:25 PM, FOX)

Dak Prescott

GS: 8

Rec: 3-5

TDs/INTs: 11/8

Pass completions: 185/286 (64.7%)

Yds: 1,978

QB Rating: 86

Jalen Hurts

GS: 15

Rec: 12-3

TDs/INTs: 18/5

Pass completions: 248/361 (68.7%)

Yds: 2,903

QB Rating: 103.7

Summary: Prescott injured his hamstring during the Cowboys’ Week 9 game against the Atlanta Falcons, tearing a part of the muscle off the bone. It required season-ending surgery. Prescott, who will turn 32 before the season begins, has two prime targets in CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens. He also has a 9-4 record in 13 starts against the Eagles, one of the few winning teams he seems to play well against. That is, when he is on the field. Two years ago, he was an MVP candidate, going 12-5 as a starter, while throwing 36 touchdowns against nine interceptions for 4,516 yards. Now, he could be a mere shell of himself. Everyone will find out fast in the NFL season opener, when Prescott and the Cowboys visit the Eagles.

Winner: Hurts

Poll

Week 1 and Week 12 QB advantage

• 0%

  Jalen Hurts

  (0 votes)

• 0%

  Dak Prescott

  (0 votes)

0 votes total

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Week 2 – at Kansas City Chiefs (Sept. 14, 4:25 PM, FOX)

Patrick Mahomes

GS: 16

Rec: 15-1

TDs/INTs: 26/11

Pass completions: 392/581 (67.5%)

Yds: 3,928

QB Rating: 93.5

Jalen Hurts

GS: 15

Rec: 12-3

TDs/INTs: 18/5

Pass completions: 248/361 (68.7%)

Yds: 2,903

QB Rating: 103.7

Summary: Yes, Hurts got the better of Mahomes the last time these two met. Yes, Hurts arguably played better than Mahomes in Super Bowl LVII—save for one crucial fumble. But what quarterback would you want for an entire season? It’s easy, Mahomes. He is still the best quarterback in the game. His 2024 season was a down year, and he still led Kansas City to its third-straight Super Bowl and fifth Super Bowl in six years. That is an amazing body of work that Hurts is still climbing to reach. Mahomes ran for his life during Super Bowl LIX, as did Hurts the year before in the Eagles’ 32-9 loss to Tampa Bay in the opening round of the 2023 playoffs. One game should not diminish what Mahomes is able to do. Week 2 could be an ugly one for the Eagles.

Winner: Mahomes

Poll

Week 2 QB advantage

• 0%

  Jalen Hurts

  (0 votes)

• 0%

  Patrick Mahomes

  (0 votes)

0 votes total

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Week 3 – Los Angeles Rams (Sept. 21, 1:00 PM, FOX)

Matthew Stafford

GS: 16

Rec: 10-6

TDs/INTs: 20/8

Pass completions: 340/517 (65.8%)

Yds: 3,762

QB Rating: 93.7

Jalen Hurts

GS: 15

Rec: 12-3

TDs/INTs: 18/5

Pass completions: 248/361 (68.7%)

Yds: 2,903

QB Rating: 103.7

Summary: Stafford is 37 and still rolling. He was the only quarterback to truly threaten Vic Fangio’s defense during the Eagles’ 2024 postseason run. The Eagles may be one Jalen Carter sack from winning the Super Bowl. Stafford, though 37, has seen everything, there is not much that will fool him. He still threw for 3,762 yards and 20 TDs last year, and is 4-3 against the Eagles, with 14 TDs against one interception. He’s accurate. He’s poised. He’s dangerous. The edge, however, goes to Hurts strictly on the fact that he’s younger and far more mobile than the nearing-40 Stafford.

Winner: Hurts

Poll

Week 3 QB advantage

• 0%

  Matthew Stafford

  (0 votes)

• 0%

  Jalen Hurts

  (0 votes)

0 votes total

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Week 4 – at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Sept. 28, 1:00 PM, FOX)

Baker Mayfield

GS: 17

Rec: 10-7

TDs/INTs: 41/16

Pass completions: 407/570 (71.4%)

Yds: 4,500

QB Rating: 106.8

Jalen Hurts

GS: 15

Rec: 12-3

TDs/INTs: 18/5

Pass completions: 248/361 (68.7%)

Yds: 2,903

QB Rating: 103.7

Summary: Mayfield has undergone a career resurrection in Tampa. He had the best season of his career in 2024, throwing for a career-best 4,500 yards and 41 touchdowns. He is 2-1 over his last three starts against the defending Super Bowl champions, though will be under Josh Grizzard as the new OC for the Bucs, replacing Liam Coen, named the new head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars. Grizzard will be Mayfield’s third offensive coordinator in three years in Tampa. Even though Grizzard will be the fourth different offensive coordinator the Bucs have had in the last four years, he worked under Coen and knows the system—an offense that looked sharp against the Eagles. How much better would Mayfield be if he were wearing midnight green?

Winner: Mayfield

Poll

Week 4 QB advantage

• 0%

  Baker Mayfield

  (0 votes)

• 0%

  Jalen Hurts

  (0 votes)

0 votes total

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Week 5 – Denver Broncos (Oct. 5, 1:00 PM, CBS)

Bo Nix

GS: 17

Rec: 10-7

TDs/INTs: 29/12

Pass completions: 376/567 (66.3%)

Yds: 3,775

QB Rating: 93.3

Jalen Hurts

GS: 15

Rec: 12-3

TDs/INTs: 18/5

Pass completions: 248/361 (68.7%)

Yds: 2,903

QB Rating: 103.7

Summary: Get Nix now when you can. He started 2024 slow, when the NFL game came at him fast, and ended fast when he was able to slow down the game. He started all 17 games, going 10-7 and reaching the playoffs. Now in his second year under Sean Payton, he should be that much better, after completing 376 of 567 for 3,775 yards with 29 touchdowns against 12 interceptions. Hurts holds the edge, based on experience. It is a gap that is not that wide. The Broncos will also have one of the better defenses in the NFL.

Winner: Hurts

Poll

Week 6 QB advantage

• 0%

  Bo Nix

  (0 votes)

• 0%

  Jalen Hurts

  (0 votes)

0 votes total

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Week 6 – at New York Giants (Oct. 9, 8:15 PM, Amazon Prime Video) Thursday Night Football

Week 8 – New York Giants (Oct. 26, 1:00 PM, FOX)

Russell Wilson

GS: 11

Rec: 6-5

TDs/INTs: 16/5

Pass completions: 214/336 (63.7%)

Yds: 2,482

QB Rating: 95.6

Jalen Hurts

GS: 15

Rec: 12-3

TDs/INTs: 18/5

Pass completions: 248/361 (68.7%)

Yds: 2,903

QB Rating: 103.7

Summary: This is how much the Giants think of Wilson: They drafted Jaxson Dart in the first round and signed Jameis Winston. Wilson was awful for the Steelers last year, going 6-5 with 16 TDs against five interceptions and at 36, his best is long behind him. The Eagles may not even face him by the time Week 6 rolls around.

Winner: Hurts

Poll

Week 6 and Week 8 QB advantage

• 0%

  Russell Wilson

  (0 votes)

• 0%

  Jalen Hurts

  (0 votes)

0 votes total

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Week 7 – at Minnesota Vikings (Oct. 9, 1:00 PM, FOX)

J.J. McCarthy

GS: N/A

Rec: N/A

TDs/INTs: N/A

Pass completions: N/A

Yds: N/A

QB Rating: N/A

Jalen Hurts

GS: 15

Rec: 12-3

TDs/INTs: 18/5

Pass completions: 248/361 (68.7%)

Yds: 2,903

QB Rating: 103.7

Summary: McCarthy will be doing much learning on the go, after he missed last season with a meniscus injury. The No. 10 pick in the 2024 draft, the four quarterbacks drafted ahead of him had healthy rookie years and became full-time starters. Retread Sam Darnold led the Vikings to a 14-3 record, before their ugly demise in a 27-9 by the Rams in the wild card round. McCarthy will have talent around him, and talent in his ears, 2024 NFL Coach of the Year Kevin O’Connell. Still, he is untested.

Winner: Hurts

Poll

Week 7 QB advantage

• 0%

  J.J. McCarthy

  (0 votes)

• 0%

  Jalen Hurts

  (0 votes)

0 votes total

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Week 9 – BYE

Poll

Week 9 QB advantage

• 0%

  Bye week QB

  (0 votes)

• 0%

  Jalen Hurts

  (0 votes)

0 votes total

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Week 10 – at Green Bay Packers (Nov. 10, 8:15 PM, ESPN) Monday Night Football

Jordan Love

GS: 15

Rec: 9-6

TDs/INTs: 25/11

Pass completions: 268/425 (63.1%)

Yds: 3,389

QB Rating: 96.7

Jalen Hurts

GS: 15

Rec: 12-3

TDs/INTs: 18/5

Pass completions: 248/361 (68.7%)

Yds: 2,903

QB Rating: 103.7

Summary: Who knows where Love is. In the 2023 postseason, he looked like one of the hottest, young rising quarterbacks in the league, getting the Packers to the divisional round. He went from someone able to make high-risk, big-time throws to being unsure. Last year, he struggled, especially against the Eagles, losing twice, and intercepted three times. The Packers were spearheading the ban against the Eagles’ “Brotherly Shove.” By Week 10, some raw feelings will undoubtly surface, and Hurts will explode before a national TV audience.

Winner: Hurts

Poll

Week 10 QB advantage

• 0%

  Jordan Love

  (0 votes)

• 0%

  Jalen Hurts

  (0 votes)

0 votes total

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Week 11 – Detroit Lions (Nov. 16, 8:20 PM, NBC) Sunday Night Football

Jared Goff

GS: 17

Rec: 15-2

TDs/INTs: 37/12

Pass completions: 390/539 (72.4%)

Yds: 4,629

QB Rating: 111.8

Jalen Hurts

GS: 15

Rec: 12-3

TDs/INTs: 18/5

Pass completions: 248/361 (68.7%)

Yds: 2,903

QB Rating: 103.7

Summary: Was it Goff or OC Ben Johnson, now head coach of the Bears, that produced the 2024 Lions’ high-octane offense? Goff was amazing. He was 15-2 as a starter, throwing 37 TDs against 12 interceptions and 4,629 yards. The Eagles were bracing themselves for a collision with Detroit when the wheels fell off the team from the Motor City under a deluge of defensive injuries. Goff still remains a top 10 quarterback and does more with less than Hurts has.

Winner: Goff

Poll

Week 11 QB advantage

• 0%

  Jared Goff

  (0 votes)

• 0%

  Jalen Hurts

  (0 votes)

0 votes total

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Week 13 – Chicago Bears (Nov. 28, 3 PM Prime Video)

Caleb Williams

GS: 17

Rec: 5-12

TDs/INTs: 20/6

Pass completions: 351/562 (62.5%)

Yds: 3,541

QB Rating: 87.8

Jalen Hurts

GS: 15

Rec: 12-3

TDs/INTs: 18/5

Pass completions: 248/361 (68.7%)

Yds: 2,903

QB Rating: 103.7

Summary: The 2024 No. 1 overall pick is still developing. He showed flashes of being the one the Bears will need moving forward. He started in all 17 games, going 5-12, while throwing for 3,541 yards, and 20 touchdowns, against just six interceptions. New Chicago head coach Ben Johnson, who improved Goff, will sharpen him even more. He is still years behind Hurts.

Winner: Hurts

Poll

Week 13 QB advantage

• 0%

  Caleb Williams

  (0 votes)

• 0%

  Jalen Hurts

  (0 votes)

0 votes total

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Week 14 – at Los Angeles Chargers (Dec. 8, 8:15 PM, ESPN) Monday Night Football

Justin Herbert

GS: 17

Rec: 11-6

TDs/INTs: 23/3

Pass completions: 332/504 (65.9%)

Yds: 3,870

QB Rating: 101.7

Jalen Hurts

GS: 15

Rec: 12-3

TDs/INTs: 18/5

Pass completions: 248/361 (68.7%)

Yds: 2,903

QB Rating: 103.7

Summary: This game is being played in December, so watch out when it comes to Herbert. He can look as good as Patrick Mahomes during the regular season. It’s the playoffs in January that has been his problem. His passer grades are among the highest in the league, and he is coming off a season in which he threw 23 TDs against just three interceptions, completing 332 passes for 3,870 yards, almost 100 completions and 1,000 yards more than Hurts last season. He still needs to prove he can win in January. This game is being played in December.

Winner: Herbert

Poll

Week 14 QB advantage

• 0%

  Justin Herbert

  (0 votes)

• 0%

  Jalen Hurts

  (0 votes)

0 votes total

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Week 15 – Las Vegas Raiders (Dec. 14, 1:00 PM, FOX)

Geno Smith

GS: 17

Rec: 10-7

TDs/INTs: 21/15

Pass completions: 407/578 (70.4%)

Yds: 3,389

QB Rating: 93.2

Jalen Hurts

GS: 15

Rec: 12-3

TDs/INTs: 18/5

Pass completions: 248/361 (68.7%)

Yds: 2,903

QB Rating: 103.7

Summary: Smith remains competent and capable of winning, just not at the level Hurts has. Smith will rejoin Pete Carroll in Las Vegas, along with a better offensive line with the Raiders. He can make the big throw (see 20-17 over Eagles, Dec. 18, 2023 when he was with Seattle). He just cannot do everything Hurts can.

Winner: Hurts

Poll

Week 15 QB advantage

• 0%

  Geno Smith

  (0 votes)

• 0%

  Jalen Hurts

  (0 votes)

0 votes total

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Week 16 – at Washington Commanders (Dec. 20, 4:30/8:00 PM, FOX)

Week 18 – Washington Commanders (TBD)

Jayden Daniels

GS: 17

Rec: 12-5

TDs/INTs: 25/9

Pass completions: 331/480 (69.0%)

Yds: 3,568

QB Rating: 100.1

Jalen Hurts

GS: 15

Rec: 12-3

TDs/INTs: 18/5

Pass completions: 248/361 (68.7%)

Yds: 2,903

QB Rating: 103.7

Summary: The difference between these two is very thin. Right now, Hurts holds the edge, based mostly on experience. Daniels did wonders his rookie season, including engineering a 36-33 Week 16 win over the Eagles on Dec. 22. The Eagles played the last three quarters of that game without Jalen Hurts, who left with 9:29 left in the first quarter due to a concussion when Washington linebackers Frankie Luvu and Bobby Wagner converged on him after a 13-yard scramble. Though this is what Daniels did against the No. 1 defense in the NFL: 22 fourth-quarter points, five touchdown passes, four combined to Olamide Zaccheaus and Jamison Crowder, who each had not caught a TD pass until that Week 16 game, completing 24 of 39 passes for 258 yards, and coming back from two 14-point deficits, despite Washington turning the ball over five times. Hurts rebounded to lead the Eagles by the Commanders in the NFC championship, making Commanders’ owner Josh Harris hide after scoring a record 55 points in a 55-23 victory. Hurts completed 20 of 28 passes for 246 yards and a touchdown, scoring three touchdowns in getting the Eagles to the Super Bowl.

Winner: Hurts

Poll

Week 16 and Week 18 QB advantage

• 0%

  Jayden Daniels

  (0 votes)

• 0%

  Jalen Hurts

  (0 votes)

0 votes total

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Week 17 – at Buffalo Bills (Dec. 28, 4:25 PM, FOX)

Josh Allen

GS: 17

Rec: 13-4

TDs/INTs: 28/6

Pass completions: 307/483 (63.6%)

Yds: 3,731

QB Rating: 101.4

Jalen Hurts

GS: 15

Rec: 12-3

TDs/INTs: 18/5

Pass completions: 248/361 (68.7%)

Yds: 2,903

QB Rating: 103.7

Summary: Allen did more with less in 2024, posting amazing numbers with nowhere near the talent around him that Hurts had. And still, Allen threw 28 touchdowns against six interceptions for 3,731 yards and a 101.4 QB rating. It all resulted in Allen deservedly receiving the MVP award. Allen is what Hurts should aspire to be, a fine mix of passing and running.

Winner: Allen

Poll

Week 17 QB advantage

• 0%

  Josh Allen

  (0 votes)

• 0%

  Jalen Hurts

  (0 votes)

0 votes total

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FINAL TALLY

Hurts is the better QB in 12 of the Eagles’ 17 games in 2025.