Jalen Hurts is stone-cold winner with one big win to go

By Marcus Hayes Philadelphia Inquirer PHILADELPHIA Terry Bradshaw, more a winner than a great quarterback, said it best: All he does is win! Bradshaw said on the postgame presentation platform.

Moments later a classic from DJ Khaled blasted from the speakers at Lincoln Financial Field: All I do is win, win, win, no matter what! The quarterback draw that sealed Jalen Hurts latest and greatest win was, in many ways, the perfect play to prove his value.

To cement his worth.

To comfort anyone who questions a $255 million contract for a 195-yard passer in a league that has devolved into flag football with shoulder pads.

Hed hit A.J.

Brown, the best receiver in Eagles history, to start the drive.

Hed faked a handoff to Saquon Barkley, the best running back in Eagles history, to start the play.

He followed Barkley into the hole, veered left when Barkley blocked Frankie Luvu, then sprinted full-bore to the corner of the end zone and beat safety Jeremy Chinn to the pylon.

That made it a 19-point lead.

The Eagles road to the Super Bowl was paved by Barkleys unmatched season as a runner and the best Eagles defense since the Minister himself, Reggie White, created his legend 25 years ago.

Nick Siriannis humility as a head coach, Kellen Moores innovation as an offensive coordinator, and Vic Fangios defensive genius created a culture of comfortable competence and maximal execution.

The Eagles forced four turnovers in their 55-23 win over the visiting Commanders on Sunday evening.

Barkley ran for 118 yards and scored three touchdowns on 15 carries.

But without Hurts, its all for nothing.

Without Hurts, the Eagles arent in the Super Bowl for the second time in three years.

His offense scored 55 points Sunday, the second-highest total in the clubs 54 playoff games.

Hurts went 20 for 28 for 246 yards, a passing touchdown, the game-sealing run as well as two Tush Push scores.

He left game with 3 minutes, 53 seconds to play to a wild ovation, his last game at the Linc until September, but not his last game of the year.

Hurts and his Eagles have next week off before heading to New Orleans for Super Bowl LIX on Feb.

9.

They will face the winner of the AFC championship game between the Chiefs and Bills, played in Kansas City on Sunday night.

Dont bet against them in two weeks.

Dont bet against Jalen Hurts.

This is the best Eagles roster in history, bar none.

It also has its best general manager, Howie Roseman, and its best owner, Jeffrey Lurie.

None of this matters without Jalen Hurts.

Lurie might have kept Howie and Nick on board and pushed to draft Hurts and pushed to pay Hurts the most money in franchise history.

Roseman might have shopped for the groceries and the coaches might have concocted this potent stew.

Yes, all of that paved the road.

Jalen Hurts drove the bus.

Hurts entered the game injured, having twisted his knee against the Rams the week before.

Hed missed the final two games of the regular season with a concussion.

Hurts entered the game embattled, having finished the season averaging just over 193 passing yards per game, then averaging less than 130 yards in the two playoff wins that sent him to the NFC championship game.

Hurts exited the play with 199 passing yards, 15 rushing yards, and two rushing touchdowns, the first a Tush Push special.

Hed committed no turnovers.

He led by 19 points.

With 24 minutes to play hed already done it all.

As usual.

The career of Jalen Hurts has been curious.

Hes been dissected and minimized and so often evaluated for what hes not instead of for what he is.

Embattled and questioned and criticized for much of the last two seasons for everything from aptitude to attitude, Hurts has reached the Super Bowl for the second time in just four seasons as a starter.

Most of the critics from the stat-rich, win-poor legends to the talking-head failed NFL backups cannot say the same.

Most of them werent winners.

Not winners like Jalen Hurts.

Hurts isnt the NFLs best quarterback.

He cant throw it like Josh Allen and Joe Burrow, never could, never will.

He cant run like Commanders rookie Jayden Daniels or Ravens superman Lamar Jackson; at least, he cant anymore.

He doesnt diagnose defenses like Matthew Stafford, and he doesnt have the magic of Patrick Mahomes.

You know what he does? He wins.

And wins.

And wins.

He was 39-4 in college.

Hes 51-23 as a pro.

If he gets No.

52, hell become the greatest QB in franchise history.

Low bar, maybe, but it is what it is.

So maybe Hurts isnt Mahomes or Allen, or Lamar or Jayden, or Joe Cool in Cincinnati, but Hurts makes the plays that need to be made, with his legs, or his arm, or his brain, and Hurts protects the football like a momma bears protects her cubs.

He has committed just three turnovers since Game 4.

The Eagles are 13-0 in the last 13 games he both started and finished.

His passer rating in that stretch is 102.7, which would have ranked sixth in the regular-season, just behind ...

Whattaya know? Jalen Hurts! Yep, hes been this efficient all year long.

Not especially pretty, and not especially productive, but pretty production doesnt always win unless its efficient, and Hurts has been a model of efficiency.

So he isnt Favre or Montana or Brady or Rodgers.

He isnt supposed to be.

What he is, is, a stone-cold winner.

With one more win to go..

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