Jalen Hurts Solid in Limited Action as Eagles Fall to Steelers in Preseason Clash
August 13, 2021
The Pittsburgh Steelers are now 2-0 in preseason play, and 2-0 against the NFC East.
The Steelers beat the Philadelphia Eagles 24-16 on Thursday night, a week after knocking off the Dallas Cowboys in the Hall of Fame game.
Anthony McFarland Jr. and Jaylen Samuels each registered rushing touchdowns for Pittsburgh, while Anthony Johnson wrangled a 22-yard touchdown reception from quarterback Dwayne Haskins.
NFL @NFLIf at first you don't succeed...<br><br>Anthony McFarland Jr. finds daylight for the <a href="https://twitter.com/steelers?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@steelers</a>! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PITvsPHI?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PITvsPHI</a> <a href="https://t.co/JsnOCQYUrv">pic.twitter.com/JsnOCQYUrv</a>
NFL @NFLFREE PLAY and <a href="https://twitter.com/dh_simba7?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@dh_simba7</a> makes the most of it. Six!<a href="https://twitter.com/steelers?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@steelers</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PITvsPHI?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PITvsPHI</a> <a href="https://t.co/bNqP1Jzr5g">pic.twitter.com/bNqP1Jzr5g</a>
Quez Watkins scored the lone touchdown for the Eagles on a 79-yard catch-and-run after a screen pass.
Philadelphia Eagles @EaglesAny Quez-tions???<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PITvsPHI?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PITvsPHI</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FlyEaglesFly?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FlyEaglesFly</a> <a href="https://t.co/dyzmqSRyWl">pic.twitter.com/dyzmqSRyWl</a>
The Eagles raced out to a 13-0 lead in the second quarter before the Steelers roared back, buoyed by the strong play of Haskins under center.
Key Stats
Mason Rudolph, PIT: 8-of-9 for 77 yards
Dwayne Haskins, PIT: 16-of-22 for 161 yards and a score
Jaylen Samuels, PIT: 10 carries for 45 yards and a score; one catch for 17 yards
Jalen Hurts, PHI: 3-of-7 for 54 yards; one run for four yards
Alex Singleton, PHI: Seven tackles
Jake Elliott, PHI: 3-for-3 on field goals; 1-for-1 on extra points
The Steelers Have a Backup QB Battle on their Hands
With Ben Roethlisberger sitting this one out, Rudolph got the start and looked solid, missing on just one pass, though he didn't lead the Steelers to any scoring plays in his short stint.
Then Haskins stepped into the game and looked pretty darn good. Sure, it was the preseason, and sure, it was against a bunch of backups.
Emory Hunt @FBallGameplanThe biggest difference in Haskins that I see so far in the preseason vs his time in WFT, is his willingness to quickly take the layup. And it’s in taking those layups, that has allowed him better consistency going downfield.<br><br>Which has what been reported from practice & in games.
Brett Kollmann @BrettKollmannI would be okay with this just for curiosity's sake.<br><br>Rudolph has been a three and out factory so far this preseason anyway, might as well try to figure out what you have in Haskins by increasing his opportunities. <a href="https://t.co/IZkdQRza97">https://t.co/IZkdQRza97</a>
But for a player who had such a tumultuous time with the Washington Football Team, Haskins acquitted himself well on Thursday evening. At the very least, if he continues to play this well, he's going to give Pittsburgh's coaching staff something to think about when they choose their backup behind Roethlisberger.
Jalen Hurts Looked Sharp
Hurts played well in his two series with the first-team offense, even if the stats didn't pop. Those numbers would have looked better if it weren't for two dropped passes, however. Generally, Hurts looked poised and accurate.
NFL @NFL.<a href="https://twitter.com/JalenHurts?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JalenHurts</a> on the money to <a href="https://twitter.com/goedert33?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@goedert33</a>! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PITvsPHI?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PITvsPHI</a> <a href="https://t.co/MIhvxS7wjo">pic.twitter.com/MIhvxS7wjo</a>
Dave Zangaro @DZangaroNBCSFirst-half thoughts: <br><br>- Overall very impressed by how prepared Eagles look on both sides.<br><br>- Hurts better than stats, showed poise, did miss on the deep ball to Quez<br><br>- Quez can fly. He needs more first-team reps<br><br>- Milton Williams is disruptive<br><br>- Tyree Jackson is good
One of the major questions in Philadelphia, both for this season and the future, is whether Hurts can seize the quarterbacking gig and prosper. If he doesn't have a big year, Philly has a ton of draft capital to address the position next offseason.
But so far, so good for Hurts.
What's Next?
Both teams continue their preseason slates next week. The Eagles will face the New England Patriots on Thursday, Aug. 19 at 7:30 p.m. ET, while the Steelers will face the Detroit Lions on Saturday, Aug. 21 at 7:30 p.m. ET.