Philadelphia Eagles QB Jalen Hurt Backpedals on 'Commitment' Comments

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts said after their third straight loss that he didn't think the team was committed enough, but backtracked and said "Everyone has the right mentality."

PHILADELPHIA – Jalen Hurts spent some time on Thursday trying to douse the brushfire he started with seven words, uttered in the heat of the moment shortly after the Philadelphia Eagles’ third straight loss last Monday night – “I don’t think we were committed enough.”

The quarterback said what he meant by that was “me” not “we.”

“My mind was in a place of really just trying to challenge myself,” he said. “I think when you think holistically about the things you want to accomplish and everything we’re trying to do, it all runs through me. It all starts with me. So, when I say we, I mean me because I’m the point guard out there, I’m the one that makes everything go, and I’m the guy everyone trusts to do and set the pace for everything.

“That’s how I play, that’s in my leadership, that’s in every aspect of the game that comes with shoes that I walk in.”

Jalen Hurts :: Ed Kracz/SI Eagles Today

He double-downed further on his teammates and their commitment.

“I think everyone has the right mentality,” he said. “I think everyone is pushing forward and I think everyone is approaching it in the right way and at the end of the day it takes everyone. Everyone wants to take advantage of that opportunity and I think everyone has to challenge themselves to do that, and that starts with me. I’m talking to myself as well, first and foremost.”

“The reality is that to win, it takes everyone. As committed as a team as we have to be to the process and that excellence, I take ownership of that and leading that and setting the tone and temperature of things. We’re pushing forward.”

Hurts isn’t wrong about himself and setting the tone.

While there may have been some truth in what he said about the team not being committed enough, everything does start with him, and he hasn’t played up to his standard, as he likes to say.

And right now, his standard has been compromised.

He admitted he did not see Kenny Gainwell off to his left, just a few yards away, when he fired a pass deep down the field to A.J. Brown that was intercepted and ended the game in Seattle’s favor, 20-17.

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It looked like Gainwell had plenty of space in front of him to perhaps sprint 20-30 yards to get into field goal range for the strong-legged Jake Elliot to at least attempt a game-tying field goal.

Instead, it turned into Hurts’ 12th interception of the season after having just six last year. He’s also lost five fumbles. The 17 turnovers are nine more than he had last season and there are still three games remaining for Philly, beginning with a Christmas afternoon (4:30 p.m./FOX) date against the visiting New York Giants.

“Some of them have been unfortunate,” he said about the turnovers. “I think some of them have been unrhythmic, bad decisions. Ball security has become an issue for all of us, starting with me. I take ownership for a lot of that. It starts with me. Put it on me. We’ll be fine.”