NEW ORLEANS – Jalen Hurts smiled as he held the Lombardi Trophy in his proper hand and the Tremendous Bowl MVP trophy in his left hand, reflecting on all he has gone via to achieve the top of success.
The hurdles he confronted alongside the best way helped result in the place he stood Monday morning: a Tremendous Bowl champion and MVP.
“Whenever you hoist these trophies, it’s extra so in regards to the journey and fewer in regards to the outcomes,” Hurts mentioned. “Clearly we’re going to be judged by outcomes and that’s what everybody talks about. The journey is what fuels us and makes us who we’re.”
The end to the 2024 season for the Philadelphia Eagles with a dominating 40-22 win over the two-time defending champion Kansas Metropolis Chiefs for his or her sixteenth win in 17 video games is available in stark distinction to 2023.
The Eagles began 10-1 that season and seemed like they might have an opportunity to avenge a Tremendous Bowl loss the earlier season to the Chiefs. However then they misplaced 5 of their ultimate six regular-season video games and had been blown out in a wild-card loss at Tampa Bay, with the brunt of the criticism being targeted on Hurts and coach Nick Sirianni.
However Sirianni believes the celebration that occurred Sunday night time on the Superdome would not have been attainable with out the frustration from 2023.
“Adversity tends to convey you collectively,” he mentioned. “I look again on final 12 months and the way final 12 months ended and I’m grateful. As loopy because it sounds, I’m grateful how final 12 months ended as a result of it formed us to who we’re right now and the place we’re standing right now.”
Hurts has been formed by adversity all through his profession. He misplaced the school soccer championship sport as a freshman at Alabama within the 2016 season after which was benched at halftime the next 12 months within the title sport and will solely watch as Tua Tagovailoa led the Crimson Tide to a title.
Hurts spent the subsequent season as a backup earlier than transferring to Oklahoma, the place he improved as a passer and was drafted within the second spherical by the Eagles in 2020.
The decide was panned by some as a result of Philadelphia already had Carson Wentz in place, however Hurts took over as starter late in his rookie season. He helped the Eagles make the playoffs the next 12 months in his first full season as a starter and reached the Tremendous Bowl within the 2022 season.
The questions on his capability as a pure passer lingered regardless of his success on the sector, however Hurts might have put them to relaxation at the very least for now because of the best way he managed the sport Sunday night time in opposition to Steve Spagnuolo’s protection.
“When it’s all mentioned and achieved for me, I received’t measure my success by any numbers or statistics or passing yards or touchdowns or something like that,” Hurts mentioned. “I measure it off rings and championships. That’s how I take a look at it.”
Hurts had each the stats and the championship in opposition to the Chiefs. He went 17 for 22 for 221 yards and two touchdowns, and he ran for 72 yards and a landing, becoming a member of Corridor of Famer Joe Montana as the one quarterbacks to throw for at the very least 200 yards and two TDs and rush for at the very least 50 yards and a rating in a Tremendous Bowl.
Whereas that efficiency led to Hurts profitable the award for Most Helpful Participant, probably the most useful individual for the Eagles might need been defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, who delivered a signature efficiency in a protracted profession that had lacked solely a championship.
The Eagles sacked Patrick Mahomes six occasions — the primary time that has occurred in his 8-year NFL profession — and generated three takeaways, together with a pick-6 by rookie Cooper DeJean.
They managed to try this with out calling a single blitz all night time, based on NFL Subsequent Gen Stats, as Fangio’s protection repeatedly took away Mahomes’ first learn on performs, permitting the four-man entrance to get strain.
“Clearly we’re very gifted on that aspect of the sector,” Sirianni mentioned. “Vic Fangio is likely one of the finest coordinators of all time. He cemented his legacy in being possibly the most effective defensive coordinator of all time final night time.”
Hurts’ legacy has but to be decided; he’s solely 26 and has a few years of soccer remaining. He is aware of there may be nonetheless a lot extra to do even after profitable a Tremendous Bowl MVP.
“It’s a journey. It’s all a journey and I’m nonetheless but to reach,” he mentioned. “We’re nonetheless but to reach as a crew.”
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