Eagles Jalen Hurts Seems To Understand He Has A Turnover Problem

The Eagles quarterback had 20 turnovers last year and already has six this season, including another red-zone turnover in Sunday's 33-16 loss to the Buccaneers.

Sep 29, 2024; Tampa, Florida, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) runs with the ball against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the second half at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images / Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

The turnovers the Eagles continue to commit are staggering.

They haven’t won the turnover battle in 12 straight games now. Not since a 21-17 win on Monday night, Nov. 20, against the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium last year have they won the turnover battle. Their record since then is 4-8, including Sunday’s 33-16 blowout loss against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The Eagles were -10 in turnover ratio last year, which was sixth worst in the NFL. This year, they’re already at -6 with 13 more games to play.

Quarterback Jalen Hurts is at the root of the issue. He made 20 turnovers last year and already has six this season.

“We have to make sure as coaches we're doing the right things with him,” said Sirianni. “At the end of the day, we're minus-6. We all gotta own that. We all gotta put our name on that. I obviously haven't done a good enough job on that to date...Everything will be evaluated.”

The Eagles have a bye week to figure it out and it has to start with cutting down on turnovers. But not just that, but also forcing them from the other team.

That’s on the defense. The only two they have forced this season were two interceptions from Reed Blankenship. That’s just as bad as the Eagles turning the ball over.

It was nice that Hurts’ streak of interceptions ended at seven in the loss, but his lost fumble after the Eagles reached the Tampa 19 was his third turnover inside the red zone just this season.

“You can point fingers wherever, but I own all of that,” he said after his career record against the Bucs dropped to 1-4. “There are a ton of different things that go into it. Ultimately, the goal is to protect the ball. That’s the goal."

Sep 29, 2024; Tampa, Florida, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) looks on against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the second half at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images / Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

To his credit, Hurts said at least a half-dozen times that he has to be better. He seems to understand he has a turnover problem even though he had a built-in excuse in this one, being without his two top receivers, A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith but declined to lean on it.

“I didn’t play good enough,” he said. “We had opportunities. Put a lot of time in this week to take advantage of this game and what we had and the guys that we had a lot of trust in. ... Ultimately it starts with me. I had a ton of confidence in the guys we had going out there. I don’t think I did enough.”

Not having Brown for three straight games and no Smith for the first time has certainly made it difficult for the Eagles to find an identity. Hurts believes that the team will be better once an identity is forged.

“I think it’s challenging when you’ve had different moving pieces throughout in that, so, given the opportunities you have it’s truly a so-what-now, now-what-mentality, and that’s the approach that I’ve had and I don’t think I’ve been good enough in those areas,” he said.

“I have to play point out there and distribute it. Really run the show and lead it, lead the charge offensively. I have to be better at that.”

Hurts is in his fifth season. He’s still learning, presumably. The learning should never stop, really, but the turnovers must.

Asked what’s at the top of his list in improving, he said: “Production, taking care of the ball, and just the efficiency. We have to put points on the board and that starts with me.”

His fumble after the offense reached the 19 was a big turning point in the loss. A core there, and the Eagles would have cut the Bucs' deficit to one score with a whole quarter left to play.

"I think we get that ball off, we have an opportunity to Grant Calcaterra down the middle of the field, just didn’t end up having enough time in that situation," he said.

The Eagles are paying him handsomely to be better, and he has to start making good on that $255 million and turn the football over. He has won a lot of games the past two years, but after the way last year ended, the decline seems to be continuing.

Is that Hurts? Is it Sirianni? The answer is still to be written.

“We have high aspirations as a football team," said Hurts. "We’ve grown together and we’ll have different adversities that will challenge us. We just have to continue to grow and learn from everything we experience.”

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