Jalen Hurts credits the Eagles’ ability to execute against the Giants for the win

The quarterback talked post-game about how special this group of guys is, and also how special the game environment was at The Linc.

Eagles’ quarterback Jalen Hurts led the offense and the team to a huge victory over the Giants on Saturday night, and despite dealing with a lingering shoulder issue, nothing seemed to hold him back as he threw deep balls and also didn’t shy away from running it. The QB spoke to reporters afterward about how special the team is, and how special the environment was in Philly.

“I think it was very important for us to come out and start fast. I think as a football team, we just came out, we played with a lot of energy. We prepared really well throughout the week.

We always talk about challenging everybody to play their best ball, right? Because I truly never put a limit on myself, and I never put a limit on what this team can do. So, there’s always more out there for us to get. And to come out there and play the way we did tonight, I’m proud of this group, I’m proud of this team, I’m proud of the preparation we put in to get to where we are.

So, a lot to be grateful for, but it was earned during the week. Excited to have another opportunity to play for something big again.”

It was brought up that the Eagles have won so many coin tosses during the season, that they haven’t started with the ball that often. Hurts was asked if having the ball to start against the Giants helped get them some momentum early.

“Regardless of the circumstance, you just want to go out there and execute. And, I think that’s what we did a really good job of.”

Hurts went on to give a lot of credit to the Giants, who he called a really good and well-coached team. He pointed to the type of performance they had against the Eagles two weeks ago with their backups in, and knowing that they were going to need to execute to win.

The QB said that his opening pass to DeVonta Smith for 40 yards wasn’t to send any kind of message about his ability — although, Hurts said it with a smile. He explained that ultimately, they know who they are as a football team, and they just wanted to go out there and do their jobs and play for the man next to them.

“I think executing is the most important thing out of all of it. Whether it’s a five-yard route, or a deep shot, kind of sealing the block and capturing the edge, reaching the guy on the edge, we want to do our jobs.”

Hurts talked about how everyone knows that him being able to run the ball adds an extra dynamic to the offense and the run game. Later, he was asked if he needed to take a hit on a run to make sure his shoulder could handle it, but the QB said that regardless of how he was feeling physically, mentally, he was already there, so that wasn’t a factor.

Tight end Dallas Goedert mentioned post-game that the QB set the tone for the team with his speech indicating that he’s not hungry, he’s starving for the postseason run.

“You know, you work really hard for these opportunities, and they come a dime a dozen sometimes — you work really hard for them, though. Just very eager. Eager to continue to grow. Eager to go through anything and everything with this group. It’s a special thing. It’s a special feeling. It’s a special type of togetherness that we have and it’s something that I don’t think I’ve experienced quite like this — for sure on the NFL level. So, we just want to continue to grow together, hold each other accountable, and believe in one another.”

The QB also acknowledged that last year’s playoff game was something he learned from, but just as much as he learned from all the games he played last year and this season. He considers every opportunity beneficial in his growth.

On The Linc and special environment

“I go back to the Monday Night Football game we had versus Minnesota, and that was an electric environment. And, I think the one tonight, man, it was beautiful. I always kind of measure it by how many fans are there for pre-game warmups, and I think it was pretty thick. So, it’s exciting. You know, I didn’t think they would take ‘It’s a Philly Thing’ and run with it, but it’s truly a Philly thing, here. It’s truly a Philly thing and the special type of support we have, the spirit and pride behind what we’re doing. We just want to continue to do good things for the city.”

Hurts admitted that he can’t imagine what things will be like next weekend at The Linc when they’re playing for the NFC Championship, just 60 minutes away from earning a spot in the Super Bowl.

Other notables

• Hurts once again said that his shoulder was “good enough” to perform and get the job done. When asked what was easier for the QB on Saturday physically compared to two weeks ago, Hurts admitted he didn’t really know other than the mental approach he took.
• On Lane Johnson playing through injury:

“He’s a warrior. He’s a true warrior. He’s a very important piece of this team, and you know, he’s been doing great things for a very long time, and I’m very grateful to have him. We’re happy to have him. I’m happy he’s kind of coming out of this thing clean.”