The Kansas City Chiefs picked their poison in Super Bowl LIX, choosing to load up to stop running back Saquon Barkley. They did a commendable job doing that but died anyway at the hands of Jalen Hurts. To be more precise, the arm and legs of the Eagles quarterback.
Hurts proved again he is not to trifled with, and whether his performance quieted any doubters across the country, and even some right here in Philadelphia and its suburbs, remains to be seen. And really, why should anyone care about what the Nick Wright’s of the world have to say?
Hurts is a Super Bowl champion. He is a Super Bowl MVP.
When the lights shine the brightest, he has, more often that now, risen to the occasion. He threw daggers all night long on the Bayou leading to a 40-22 drubbing of the two-time defending Super Bowl champs.
Hurts lofted a beautiful touch pass to Jahan Dotson to set up the first touchdown. He threw a nifty back-shoulder pass to A.J. Brown and, late in the third quarter, dropped a dime into the arms of DeVonta Smith from 46 yards out for a TD.
“Whenever we need him and whatever we need him to do, he’s elite in his own way,” said cornerback Darius Slay. “You see the plays he makes. … He’s been a starting quarterback four years. Two Super Bowl appearances should say a lot.”
That was what Slay said in the days leading up to the Big Game.
Now, Hurst is one of just three of 36 quarterbacks who lost their Super Bowl debuts to win one in his next appearance, joining Kansas City’s Len Dawson, who lost Super Bowl I and then won it three straight years later, and Miami’s Bob Griese, who a loss in Super Bowl VI with a win the following year.
In two Super Bowls, Hurst has accounted for seven touchdowns – four rushing, three passing. Those four rushing scores are tied for the second-most in Sper Bowl history behind Emmitt Smith (five). Hurts is tied with John Elway, Franco Harris, and Thurman Thomas.
He has thrown for 525 yards and run for 142 and his Super Bowl passer rating of 109.4 is the fourth-highest in Super Bowl history behind Hall of Famers Joe Mantana (127.8), Terry Bradshaw (112.8), and Troy Aikman (111.9).
And there’s more, much more, but this one is good: he is one of five quarterbacks in NFL history to win 50-plus games and be a Super Bowl MVP in his first 75 starts, joining Patrick Mahomes, Joe Montana, Roger Staubach, and Tom Brady.
With all that achievement, it might be wise for future Eagles opponents to pick another poison.
