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Oklahoma football: Jalen Hurts renders a hurt on Saints in 1st NFL start

By Chip Rouse

Dec 13, 2020; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (2) runs with the ball past New Orleans Saints defensive tackle Shy Tuttle (99) during the second quarter at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 13, 2020; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (2) runs with the ball past New Orleans Saints defensive tackle Shy Tuttle (99) during the second quarter at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /
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Former Oklahoma football quarterback Jalen Hurts was being Jalen Hurts in his first NFL start on Sunday.

And the result was a stunning Philadelphia Eagles win over the NFC-leading New Orleans Saints. The former Sooner and Alabama quarterback replaced starter Carson Wentz, who has struggled this season.

Hurts took full advantage of the starting opportunity, completing 17 of 30 passes for 167 yards, including a 15-yard touchdown pass to Alshon Jeffrey, capping a seven-play, 65-yard scoring drive on the Eagles second possession of the game.

Known more through his career for what he is able to do with his legs and size running the ball, this part of Hurts’ skill set was on full display at Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday. Hurts carried the ball 18 times against the Saints, gaining 106 yards and averaging nearly six yard per carry.

Hurts has appeared in 11 games for the Eagles this season, and mostly on running plays, although he did throw a touchdown pass very late in the game against Green Bay the week before, his first NFL TD pass. The Green Bay game was also his previous best rushing game. He gained 29 yards on five carries.

Hurts was selected by the Eagles in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft, the 53rd player taken overall.

Hurts transferred to Oklahoma as a graduate transfer prior to the 2019 season. His 5,149 yards of total offense in a single season ranks eighth all-time in Sooner history, and his 3,851 passing yards in the 2019 season ranks ninth in career passing yards.

The runner-up in last season’s Heisman Trophy voting, Hurts spent three seasons at Alabama, where he was 26-2 as a starter in 2016 and 2017 and played in three College Football Playoff national championship games with the Crimson Tide. He ranks fourth in Alabama history with 7,602 yards of total offense and 48 touchdown passes and is the Alabama career leader with 23 rushing touchdowns by a quarterback.

Eagles head coach Doug Pederson has not made a decision on who will start at quarterback next week for Philadelphia at the Arizona Cardinals.

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