Only one player – Cowboys linebacker Chuck Howley in Super Bowl V – has ever won Super Bowl MVP in a losing effort, but Jalen Hurts could’ve doubled that number on Sunday night. The Eagles quarterback was the best player on the field and accounted for all four of his team’s touchdowns.
Hurts completed 27 of 38 passes for 304 yards, including a 45-yard touchdown pass to A.J. Brown to start the second quarter. Of course, he also ran for three scores and was the Eagles’ leading rusher with 70 yards on 15 carries.
NFL insider Jason La Canfora of the Audacy Original Podcast “In The Huddle” raved about Hurts’ performance and explained why he wouldn’t have flinched if the Eagles quarterback was awarded Super Bowl MVP.
“Hurts played one of the all-time great games,” La Canfora said (11:45 in player above). “He literally was the entire offense. He made throws the likes of which Mahomes didn’t even attempt in that game and he made them time and time again. And he was the only person who could run the football for that team. Other than throwing a pass to himself, I don’t know what more anyone could ask of him.”
On top of Hurts’ 27 completions for 304 yards, he had a long pass to Quez Watkins that fell incomplete off of the receiver’s hands, and another overturned completion to DaVonta Smith as well.
The dual-threat quarterback was forced to use his legs, which isn’t a problem for him, as Kenneth Gainwell, Miles Sanders, and Boston Scott combined for just 45 yards on 17 carries.
There would’ve been no doubt about Hurts winning SB MVP if the Eagles had won the game, but he didn’t get one last chance after the controversial defensive holding call late in the game.
“He was the entirety of their offense and he didn’t get one last bite at the apple. It’s 11 seconds instead of 35 or 48 or 1:12 or whatever it could’ve been had they not thrown a flag when they did,” La Canfora continued. “So as well as he played, you would’ve really liked to see him have at least one timeout and thirty-some seconds to operate with and see if he can get into field-goal range.”
Nevertheless, Hurts was able to silence some of his critics and the 24-year-old quarterback showed he’ll be a force to be reckoned with for the foreseeable future.
“What a tour de force performance,” La Canfora said. “Had they given Jalen Hurts the MVP award I don’t know if anybody could have flinched; I wouldn’t have. I get it, from start to finish, opening drive to the last time he had the ball in his hands, he was the best football player on that field for the totality of that game.”
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