Getty Eagles QB Jalen Hurts sounds off on team’s “identity” following their playoff loss.
The Philadelphia Eagles are going home early after another disheartening loss.
Despite entering their wild card playoff game as favorites, the Eagles fell 32-9 to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. It continued a free fall that has been going on since Philadelphia lost 42-23 to the San Francisco 49ers in Week 13, with the Eagles dropping six of their final seven games.
Following the team’s latest loss, quarterback Jalen Hurts sounded off on the team’s lack of “execution” as a reason why the Eagles were never able to break out of their slump at the end of the season.
“For us this year, I don’t think we played well,” said Hurts on Tuesday, January 16. “Didn’t play well enough. the identity, the consistency, the execution for us, the turnovers — everything, all of those come into play when you talk about having the opportunity to win championships. Something we have to be able to learn from.”
Report: Jalen Hurts Frustrated With Eagles’ Lack of ‘Identity’
The word “identity” is a familiar term because an ESPN report from Tim McManus just hours prior to the game cited that Hurts was frustrated due to their lack of one.
“On top of those struggles, Jalen Hurts’ desired direction for the offense has not materialized, which has been a source of disappointment for the franchise quarterback, according to a source with direct knowledge of Hurts’ thinking,” McManus said in a January 15, 2024 story. “A disconnect between the visions of Sirianni, Hurts and offensive coordinator Brian Johnson has affected the offense’s ability to land on an identity, the source said.”
There was a clear decline on both the offensive and defensive units from the Eagles during the 2023 season in comparison to last year when they advanced to the Super Bowl. After ranking third in points per game, fifth in rushing yards and first in rushing touchdowns during the 2022 season, they ranked seventh in points per game, eighth in rushing yards and fifth in rushing touchdowns this season.
However, those statistics don’t show the entire picture. During the Eagles’ slide to end the season — they went 1-6 in their final seven games — they averaged just 18.8 points per game, a far cry from the 28.1 points per game they averaged last season. Stretched over an entire season, that per-game average would have ranked Philadelphia 27th in the NFL.
“Philly’s offense posted above-average numbers relative to the rest of the league during the season but didn’t match the lofty standards set in 2022,” wrote McManus. “The Eagles (11-6) slipped from third in points per game (28.1) to seventh (25.5), went from ninth in passing (241.5 yards per game) to 16th (225.5), and fell from fifth in rushing (147.6) to eighth (128.8). The feeling that they were underperforming weighed on players even after wins.”
Eagles Unable to Establish Running Game in Loss to Buccaneers
Furthermore, despite offseason pickup D’Andre Swift filling in admirably for the departed Miles Sanders — Swift turned in a Pro Bowl season with 1,049 yards — it never felt as if Philadelphia committed — or dominated — full with the run game.
That became apparent in their playoff loss to the Buccaneers, as they ran the ball just 15 times for 42 yards for a yards per carry average of just 2.8. Swift carried the ball just 10 times for 34 yards while Hurts — who averaged 50.7 rushing yards per game in 2022, but just 35.6 yards per game this season — had just one carry for five yards.
As the Eagles search for answers to their free fall at the end of the season, finding an offensive “identity” is likely at the top of the to-do list.
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