Philadelphia Eagles: Jalen Hurts Needs To Be More McNabb, Less Vick

While the Philadelphia Eagles haven’t been hurting at quarterback quite like other teams, they haven’t really nailed down a franchise quarterback either. Carson Wentz got close before his injury derailed his time. Nick Foles took them to a championship but wasn’t the answer. Now Jalen Hurts is up and he’s following in the footsteps of their last two good quarterbacks, Donovan McNabb and Michael Vick.

Both McNabb and Vick had good careers with the Eagles despite never winning a championship of their own. While Hurts is still young and finding his rhythm as a quarterback, he needs to create a playstyle that fits his success and not just the Eagles’ offense. As it stands right now, Philly is a run-first offense that relies heavily on clock control and game management. While they don’t have all the pieces right now, the Philadelphia Eagles should be high on free agents lists this offseason. The fact they have a solid run game already established will make it easier for wide receivers to benefit from a balanced offense.

Couple that with the fact that Hurts can hurt you with both his arm and his legs, and the Eagles should be able to spread that offense out. However, going forward both the Eagles and Hurts need his style to be more Donovan McNabb and less Michael Vick. While they had similar skill sets, how they approached the run was the key to Philly’s success.

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When it comes to Michael Vick, he could burn you with his speed. Defenses not only had to account for his downfield play but he also moved the offense outside the tackles and forced defenses to cheat towards the line. The problem Vick had was he was too opportunistic. As soon as he saw a lane, he took it. Yes, of course, he did make those downfield passes, but more often than not, if where he wanted to go with the football wasn’t there, he’d tuck it and run.

Against bad teams, it worked, but complete defenses were what kept him out of championships. With a set of weapons that make Philly a run-first team, this will eventually lead to the same results for Hurts. At the very least, sets him up for a few extra bumps and bruises.

Then there’s Donovan McNabb. He’d be just as dangerous with his legs and could take off downfield if pressure was coming. You could call designed run plays for him and keep defenses honest. His style was a little bit more fitting for Hurts. Jalen Hurts can run the football, but he can also pick apart defenses if given time. One of the keys to success with McNabb was knowing when to run, knowing when to move the pocket, and knowing when to stand in and take the hit.

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With Donovan McNabb under center, the Philadelphia Eagles made 8 playoff appearances and one in the Super Bowl. Jalen Hurts has a similar skillset and is just a touch smaller. The Eagles need to find a way to shore up their line and skill players to balance out his game the same way they did McNabb. Vick was one hell of an athlete, but because he knew he was quick he’d blow past the defenses. Hurts has the same read/react, but give him time and patience and he can make those same explosive throws.

If he develops anywhere close to the success that Michael Vick or Donovan McNabb had, Philadelphia Eagles fans would be grateful. Stop the “is he the guy or not” talk and build around this young quarterback’s skills. The blueprint for success is there, the Eagles just have to find the pieces that work.