Jalen Hurts' Best Practice Day Ever? Nick Sirianni Thought So

What made the quarterback's practice on Wednesday vs. the Dolphins better than the coach had seen before? Find out here

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – None of the starters are expected to play Saturday night when the Eagles play the Miami Dolphins in the preseason finale at Hard Rock Stadium.

Only having one joint practice, after Miami sat out Thursday’s second one with a stomach virus that impacted a few of its players, did not alter head coach Nick Sirianni’s script.

The starters are out.

At least the Eagles can now begin ready for the country’s darlings, the Detroit Lions, who it seems most of America has fallen in love with after seeing their appearance on Hard Knocks this summer.

A portion of the Eagles’ fan base is still trying to fall head over heels for Jalen Hurts.

The quarterback ended training camp with a flourish.

Maybe not so much on Thursday, when it may have been difficult to raise the intensity level after the Dolphins let a few sour stomachs get the better of them, but Wednesday’s joint practice?

“(It) was the best practice he's had as an Eagle since I've been here,” said Sirianni.

What exactly did the coach like?

Hurts was reading and going through his progressions. 

That was something he was charged with not being able to do by the Tampa Bay defensive coaches in last January’s playoff loss to the Bucs.

“What he was doing with the football and being able to go through reads and the progressions that fast and getting the ball to where it needed to go, I thought, was unbelievable,” said Sirianni.

The coach cited a third-down play where the offense was going to run a slant to A.J. Brown, but the coverage took it away.

Hurts, though, checked it down quickly to his tight end, Jack Stoll, in a presnap audible.

The QB did it again when another slant to Brown was taken away and he went over the top to DeVonta Smith.

“I'm not sure on all the times I've ever been a part of that play, I've never seen the ball go there and Jalen found it and figured out how to get it there,” said Sirianni. “It was just happening. Everything was happening so quick for him - not quick for him - actually it seemed like everything had slowed down for him and he was getting the ball out on time. 

"And I just thought he was at the top of his game (Wednesday). And that's a great development for us.”

Hurts was asked for his reaction to what his coach said.

“You know, he's looking at it in terms of me doing my job,” the QB said. “And that's what I strive to do every day. Go out there and just do my job and just be consistent, I think (Wednesday) was very consistent. So, we're just chasing growth, chasing growth every day.

“One thing I know, I think y'all understand is, is nobody has a higher standard for myself than me. So, I'm never going to ride waves, I'm never gonna get too high or low, I'm just gonna stay consistent in my approach. My work ethic and attack every day.”

Hurts attacked every day in the offseason, physically and mentally, diving into the same playbook with the same play-caller for the first time since high school.

Has that helped him learn to “read”?

“It's all-inclusive,” said Hurts. “I think it's an understanding of the playbook. I think it comes with time. I think it comes with repping stuff with your guys, with your receivers knowing where they're gonna be. It's all-inclusive.”

Ed Kracz is the publisher of SI.com’s Fan Nation Eagles Today and co-host of the Eagles Unfiltered Podcast. Check out the latest Eagles news at www.SI.com/NFL/Eagles or www.eaglesmaven.com and please follow him on Twitter: @kracze.