CINCINNATI — Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts, in any case, had the advantage over Joe Burrow, recording four touchdowns (3 rushing, one passing) in a 37-17 road win over the Bengals on Sunday.
When asked if he enjoyed dueling Burrow, considered one of the best quarterbacks in football, Hurts responded: “That’s the league. I have standards for myself, too.”
Hurts has played the role of runner-up to Burrow in previous editions. Burrow won the Heisman Trophy in 2019, the month in which Hurts came in second. The only future they played every single down throughout their college careers, Burrow’s LSU Tigers trampled Hurts’ Oklahoma Sooners 63-28 in the 2019 CFP semifinals.
His first meeting with executives on Sunday was in favor of Hurts, who was 16 of 20 for 236 yards (132.5 QB rating) and added 10 carries for 37 yards in the outfield. Burrow was 26 of 37 for 237 yards (84.7 rating) with one touchdown and one interception and had 3 carries for 15 yards.
Hurts has played more efficient football since the Eagles’ bye at Presen 5. He had seven handoffs in Philadelphia’s first four games, second most in the league at the time behind leader Will Levis, but has not given up in his last three. games, all won.
“Jalen works hard,” coach Nick Sirianni said. “That’s something Jalen Hurts doesn’t talk about enough: how much he loves football and how much time he puts into the game. And that’s how you want one of your leaders on your team to be.”
This was Hurts’ third professional game with three rushing touchdowns, which is the most of any quarterback since the early 1950s, according to ESPN Research. It was his 14th professional game with more than one rushing TD, extending his record to the most by a quarterback in NFL history.
The Eagles have leaned more on Saquon Barkley (22 carries, 108 yards) and the outfield attack in recent weeks, which has made it easier for Hurts and similar defenses.
Hurts called Sunday’s win a “great team win” and believes the offense is headed in a favorable direction.
“I don’t think we’re there yet. Little by little we’re finding it and trying to rebuild things,” he said. “Ultimately, it comes down to cadence and pace and how we play and, in the end, optimizing all the talent we have.”
