(Video) Jalen Hurts Appears to Take Shot at OC Kevin Patullo Ahead of Playoffs

Jalen Hurts has rushed 105 times which is fewer than his Super Bowl winning season when he had 150 carries from the line of scrimmage.

(Video) Jalen Hurts Appears to Take Shot at OC Kevin Patullo Ahead of Playoffs

Jalen Hurts and Kevin Patullo inside the circle (Image via IMAGO)

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Jalen Hurts kept his mouth shut when the media expected the Philadelphia Eagles quarterback to say something negative about offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo. Things have shifted in the past few days, as indicated by Hurts’ recent speech.

The last year’s Super Bowl MVP performed amicably during the regular season. He finished with 3,224 yards with 25 touchdowns, six interceptions, and completed 64.8% of passes. While he flourished with his hands, Hurts only made 105 rushing attempts (lowest since the 2020 season).

If anyone’s wondering about his numbers from 2024, he had 150 carries under Kellen Moore. Of course, Moore left to manage the Saints in the offseason, and the Eagles appointed Kevin Patullo as the new offensive coordinator.

Ahead of the wildcard showdown against the San Francisco 49ers, reporters asked Hurts about his declining rushing attempts this past calendar year. The Pro Bowler didn’t mince his words.

No, the season has just gone the way it is. The approach this year, and the way the games have been called with this coordinator, [Kevin Patullo], it’s just gone that way. I’ve taken it in stride and am giving my best with the position they’ve put me in.

Jalen Hurts said

Patullo’s methods lacked the flair and creativity of Moore’s system. For that reason, many fans demanded that the owners fire Patullo before they regressed further. The plea got vetoed because of head coach Nick Siranni, who originally nominated Patullo’s name for the job.

Jalen Hurts must run with the ball more against the 49ers in the playoffs

Hurts is at his best when he uses his legs to extend plays. That was missing this year. Mostly because he had to accommodate the needs of AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith. Tight end Dallas Goedert benefited the most. He finished with the most touchdowns scored by a TE (11).

(Video) Jalen Hurts Appears to Take Shot at OC Kevin Patullo Ahead of Playoffs
Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (Image via IMAGO)

It might have been effective during the regular season, but in the playoffs, the margin for error is razor thin. If the passing games don’t yield the desired results, then it’s best to make runs with the ball in hand. In a recent segment of The Soop City podcast, Zach Berman of The Athletic urged Hurts to run more.

Since [Hurts] became the starter in 2021, and in every postseason, there’s an injury question of some sort, and that’s not the case this year. And he doesn’t view those two things as related. He says he’s just running the offense as the offensive coordinator coach, [Kevin] Patullo is calling it. That said, for this offense to be what it can be and frankly what it needs to be in the postseason, Jalen’s legs need to be a major element of it.

Berman told host James Palmer

Berman noted that the Eagles tend to win 72% of the time if Hurts has 30 or more rushing yards. However, when he has rushed fewer than 20 yards, the Eagles finished 9-7.

It’s not just his legs, but what it does to the entire offense.

Berman quipped

Hurts has accumulated 3554 yards on the ground from 773 rushes and 63 touchdowns in 93 appearances for the Eagles. Since 2021, he has led all quarterbacks with 60 rushing touchdowns in 78 games. Bills QB Josh Allen, with 54, is second on the list, but he has taken 84 games to reach that tally.

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