Jalen Hurts, Roquan Smith Headline Madden 23 Player Ratings Update After Week 3
Sep 28, 2022
LANDOVER, MARYLAND - SEPTEMBER 25: Quarterback Jalen Hurts #1 of the Philadelphia Eagles reacts after his team's 24-8 win against the Washington Commanders at FedExField on September 25, 2022 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts has been turning heads with his incredible start to the 2022 season, and the Madden 23 ratings adjusters have taken notice.
One of the front-runners for NFL MVP is now rated 77, up from 76 last week, after he threw for 340 yards and three touchdowns in a win over the Washington Commanders. If Hurts' play so far is any indication, he is still massively underrated.
Hurts has now completed 67.3 percent of his passes for 916 yards, four touchdowns and an interception while adding 167 rushing yards and three scores to lead Philadelphia to a 3-0 record, one of only two undefeated teams remaining in the NFL.
Chicago Bears linebacker Roquan Smith also saw his ranking increase, as he's officially a member of the 90 club after a 16-tackle performance in Sunday's win over the Houston Texans. Smith added an interception and a pass defended.
Atlanta Falcons rookie wide receiver Drake London earned a one-point bump up to 77 after catching a touchdown in his second straight game on Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks. The USC product also caught a pass of at least 30 yards for the second time in his first three NFL games.
London wasn't the only rookie receiver to move up, as Green Bay Packers first-year wideout Romeo Doubs is up to a 72 after catching all eight of his targets for 73 yards and his first career touchdown against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Doubs wasn't the only player from that game to earn some recognition, as Bucs cornerback Jamel Dean was upgraded to 84 after finishing with six tackles.
For a list of the rest of the risers and fallers from this week, check out Madden's official website.
Jalen Hurts Leading Eagles into Territory the Cowboys, Giants, NFC East Can't Match
Sep 26, 2022
LANDOVER, MARYLAND - SEPTEMBER 25: Quarterback Jalen Hurts #1 of the Philadelphia Eagles attempts a pass against the Washington Commanders at FedExField on September 25, 2022 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
There were a number of impressive performances in Week 3, whether it was the Miami Dolphins outlasting the Buffalo Bills to claim first place in the AFC East or the Jacksonville Jaguars serving notice that they are no longer a tomato can by shelling the Los Angeles Chargers.
But no performance was more dominant than what happened in
the nation's capital. For the second week in a row, the Philadelphia Eagles made
quick work of their opponent, blasting the Washington Commanders 24-8 in a game
that wasn't as close as the final score. Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts was fantastic
again in the win, building on his early-season MVP buzz.
That's not the only buzz in the City of Brotherly Love three weeks into the season. It's admittedly still early, but right now, the Eagles look the part of both a complete team and the clear-cut front-runners in the NFC East.
As a matter of fact, given the issues facing the division's other teams, it's fair to question whether the Commanders, Dallas Cowboys or New York Giants really have a shot of giving the Eagles a run for their money in 2022.
For the second week in a row, Hurts was excellent throwing the football—the third-year pro completed just under 63 percent of his passes for 340 yards and three touchdowns with a robust passer rating of 123.5.
It marked the second straight 300-yard game for Hurts, who is now completing 67.3 percent of his passes, averaging over 305 passing yards a game and has a passer rating of 106.5.
PHILADELPHIA, PA - SEPTEMBER 19: Jalen Hurts #1 of the Philadelphia Eagles runs the ball against the Minnesota Vikings at Lincoln Financial Field on September 19, 2022 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
After torching the Vikings for 390 total yards and three combined touchdowns in Week 2, Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni told reporters that he wasn't surprised by the growth that Hurts has shown this season.
"I wouldn't say I'm surprised. I've seen the
growth," he said. "We talk about this so much with Jalen. Why is he
going to continue to reach his ceiling? Because he's tough, he has high
football character, and he loves football. He's going to reach his ceiling.
It's fun watching him grow."
He's growing, all right.
Players in NFL history with at least 900 pass yards and 150 rush yards in their teams first 3 games of a season:
For his part, Hurts was quick to thank his teammates for the
success he has enjoyed this season.
"You have to draw your strength from others," he
said. "I can't perform without the other 10 on the field. Same on the
other side. They need me to do my job for them to eat. It's a collective group."
Hurts is spot-on. It hasn't just been him.
With the Eagles run game stymied by the Commanders, the team's pass-catchers all stepped up in a big way. Wide receiver DeVonta Smith balled out, hauling in eight passes for 169 yards and a touchdown. Fellow wideout A.J. Brown caught five passes for 85 yards and a score.
Tight end Dallas Goedert also chipped in a touchdown. And an offensive line that Sam Monson of Pro Football Focus ranked as the NFL's best once again controlled the point of attack.
PHILADELPHIA, PA - SEPTEMBER 19: Philadelphia Eagles offensive tackle Lane Johnson (65) sets up to block during the game between the Minnesota Vikings and the Philadelphia Eagles on September 19, 2022 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia PA. (Photo by Andy Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
It's not just the offense, either. After giving up just 240 yards of offense and eight points (two of which came from a safety) against the Commanders, the Eagles are giving up 296.7 yards per game and 16.7 points per game—numbers that both rank inside the top 10.
And after sacking Carson Wentz a whopping nine times Sunday, the Eagles rank toward the top of the league in that category. Three games in, the Eagles have a turnover differential of plus-four, which, wait for it, also ranks toward the top of the NFL.
An explosive offense. A stifling defense. These Eagles are loaded on both sides of the ball. Balanced. Dangerous. Without a glaring flaw.
The same cannot be said about the rest of the division.
First off, it was plainly demonstrated Sunday that the Commanders will not be a factor in the division. After surviving the Jaguars in Week 1, the Commanders have been shredded by the Detroit Lions and now the Eagles.
The offense has seemingly forgotten that the first half is a thing—in two straight games, Washington has been invisible offensively before halftime. The defense is giving up over 402 yards and 27 points per game.
LANDOVER, MARYLAND - SEPTEMBER 25: Quarterback Jalen Hurts #1 of the Philadelphia Eagles runs past linebacker Jamin Davis #52 of the Washington Commanders and defensive end Montez Sweat #90 of the Washington Commanders during the second half at FedExField on September 25, 2022 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
Heading into Monday's showdown with the rival Cowboys, the Giants are 2-0 for the first time since 2016 after beating the Tennessee Titans and Carolina Panthers. But the reality is the Titans and Panthers aren't very good—and neither are the G-Men.
New York's offense ranked outside the top 20 in yards per game and averaged just 20 points a contest entering Week 3. The defense's numbers are inflated by playing two of the league's most stagnant offenses.
The Giants are a mirage. They don't have the firepower on either side of the ball to maintain their early success.
Then there's Dallas, the preseason favorites to win the division in the eyes of most pundits. The Dallas offense should improve once the team gets quarterback Dak Prescott and wide receiver Michael Gallup back, but offensive line issues have led to the Cowboys averaging a dismal 89 yards per game despite the presence of Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard.
The Cowboys are better defensively than the Giants and Commanders, but they aren't as stout on that side of the ball as the Eagles.
That's the thing. Last year, the run-heavy Eagles had a flaw—one that was exposed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the playoffs. The recipe was simple. Load the box, take away the run game and make Hurts beat you throwing the ball.
But if Sunday's domination of the Commanders was any indication, if you do that against the 2022 Eagles, your secondary will get carved up like a rotisserie chicken.
Maybe it's the arrival of a true "alpha" receiver in Brown. Maybe it's the maturation of Hurts. Maybe it's another year of familiarity with Sirianni's offense. Maybe it's a combination of all those factors. But whatever the reason, Philly's biggest weakness in 2021 is a strength in 2022.
There are no guarantees in the NFL, and there's a long way to go. All it takes is a couple of critical injuries to derail a season. But three weeks into the season, it appears that may well be what it takes to stop the Eagles.
LANDOVER, MARYLAND - SEPTEMBER 25: Quarterback Jalen Hurts #1 of the Philadelphia Eagles scrambles during the first half at FedExField on September 25, 2022 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
In the game billed as Carson Wentz taking on the team that drafted him for the first time, it was the Philadelphia Eagles' current quarterback who stole the show.
Jalen Hurts continued his torrid start to the season with 340 yards and three touchdowns through the air in the Eagles' 24-8 victory over the Washington Commanders.
Jalen Hurts vs. Carson Wentz went from being a debate to a complete quarterback mismatch in the span of a year. One guy plays winning football. The other plays losing football.
In the past six days, Hurts has thrown for 673 yards and accounted for six scores. He likely could have had more production Sunday, but head coach Nick Sirianni took his foot off the gas pedal in the second half after going up by 24 at the intermission.
The first half Sunday was nothing short of a masterpiece for the Eagles on both sides of the ball. Hurts had 291 total yards (279 passing) and three touchdowns. DeVonta Smith was the recipient of seven catches for 156 yards and a score through two quarters.
The final sequence before halftime was a feather in Hurts' cap. He attempted a quarterback sneak from Washington's 1-yard line on 3rd-and-goal but got stopped for a loss of one yard with 18 seconds remaining.
With no timeouts remaining, Hurts and the offense quickly got in shotgun formation. The third-year quarterback got the snap off before the clock expired and found Smith in the back of the end zone for a touchdown to take a 24-0 lead.
The Philadelphia Eagles are absolutely phenomenal on offense… That got Slim Reaper going today and he is taking souls!
Oh and don’t look now but if you’re having Early MVP conversations without Jalen Hurts then you ain’t having realistic MVP conversations!
There was talk coming into the season that the Eagles could be plotting to add one of the top quarterbacks in the 2023 class. They added to their receiving group by acquiring A.J. Brown from the Tennessee Titans and maintained both of their first-round picks in next year's draft.
While it's still early in 2022, the results so far suggest Hurts is their quarterback of the future.
nfl reporters: eagles will look for a qb in the 2023 draft if jalen hurts doesn't live up to his potential
As Hurts continues to move up the early-season MVP rankings, Wentz was not given a warm reception by his former team. He finished 25-of-43 for 211 yards, but his day was even worse than those numbers would indicate.
The Eagles defense sacked him nine times, with six coming in the first half. Wentz had minus-16 net passing yards going into halftime (24 passing yards, 40 yards lost on sacks).
Carson Wentz has been sacked more times in the first half (6) than the Commanders have 1st downs (5)
Washington's offense in the first half over the past two weeks has been abysmal. The unit has been shutout by the Eagles and Detroit Lions with a total of 86 yards.
Wentz has been great at putting up numbers in the second half, though most of that has been garbage time because the Commanders were losing by three scores at the start of the third quarter against the Eagles and Lions.
There was little doubt that Philadelphia had to move on from Wentz when he was traded to the Indianapolis Colts in March 2021. Hurts' development since being a second-round draft pick in 2020 has the Eagles standing tall in the NFC after another dominant performance.
When the going gets tough, you continue to swing for
the fences—that’s what our NFL experts will do after another 7-9
week. Kirk Cousins has a new head coach,...
The Philadelphia Eagles produced an early-season statement with their 24-7 victory over the Minnesota Vikings on Monday night. Jalen Hurts looked every bit of...
Jalen Hurts Is 'Going to Reach His Ceiling,' Eagles HC Nick Sirianni Says
Sep 20, 2022
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - SEPTEMBER 19: Jalen Hurts #1 of the Philadelphia Eagles warms up before the game against the Minnesota Vikings at Lincoln Financial Field on September 19, 2022 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
Jalen Hurts is on the shortlist of NFL MVP candidates through the first two weeks of the season, and Nick Sirianni doesn't even think we've seen the best of his quarterback.
"I wouldn't say I'm surprised. I've seen the growth," the Philadelphia Eagles coach told reporters after Monday's 24-7 win over the Minnesota Vikings. "We talk about this so much with Jalen. Why is he going to continue to reach his ceiling? Because he's tough, he has high football character, and he loves football. He's going to reach his ceiling. It's fun watching him grow."
Hurts has thrown for 576 yards and one touchdown against one interception as a passer while adding 147 yards and three scores as a runner to lead the Eagles to a 2-0 start. He's exhibited massive improvement as a passer, completing 69.8 percent of his passes while averaging 9.1 yards per attempt through two games.
Neither the Vikings nor the Detroit Lions are strong defensive teams, and the Eagles' schedule is relatively light on top defenses until a Week 6 matchup with the division-rival Cowboys.
There's a good chance Hurts single-handedly locks some fantasy managers into the playoffs over the first five weeks of the season and sets himself up as a no-doubt franchise quarterback in Philadelphia.
That's a far cry from where Hurts and Sirianni were early last season, when some in Philly were calling for Hurts to be benched and wondering whether the first-year coach was the right guy for the job.
A year later, and both are the toast of the town after a dominant win on national television.
Jalen Hurts Plays Like 'MVP Candidate' as Eagles Beat Kirk Cousins, Vikings on MNF
Sep 20, 2022
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - SEPTEMBER 19: Jalen Hurts #1 of the Philadelphia Eagles warms up before the game against the Minnesota Vikings at Lincoln Financial Field on September 19, 2022 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
Welcome to the early MVP discussion, Jalen Hurts.
The Philadelphia Eagles are loaded with talent, but the biggest question coming into the season was whether their quarterback would play at the necessary level to compete for a Super Bowl title.
If Monday was any indication, Eagles fans have nothing to worry about.
Hurts led his team to a 24-7victory over the Minnesota Vikings, turning in a brilliant first half and finishing 26-of-31 passing for 333 yards, one touchdown and one interception that bounced off Kenneth Gainwell's hands to go with 57 yards and two touchdowns on the ground.
He also garnered plenty of love on social media in the process:
Jalen Hurts making some very high level throws tonight. Passing into tight windows with great touch. Not to mention him being a dangerous weapon as a runner. Most impressive NFL performance by far. #Eagles
The third-year signal-caller put the team on his back before intermission with two rushing touchdowns and a beautifully placed 53-yard touchdown to Quez Watkins on a deep ball.
His touchdown runs in particular stood out, as he used both his speed and agility to evade potential tacklers in the open field and his physical strength around the goal line to power through defenders.
Hurts also didn't solely rely on star wide receiver A.J. Brown and instead spread the ball around to Watkins, Dallas Goedert and DeVonta Smith. He was in full control of the offense as both a runner and a passer in a performance that surely had Philadelphia thinking about an NFC East crown this season.
The Eagles will have a chance to make a statement in the division in Week 3 against the Washington Commanders, and the version of Hurts that took the field Monday should have no trouble in that one.
While fantasy football managers must be cautious about overreacting to early season anomalies, they also need to be careful about simply dismissing what's...
4 Fans Suing Commanders, More for $300K After Being Injured in Fall at FedEx Field
Sep 12, 2022
LANDOVER, MARYLAND - JANUARY 02: A railing collapses as Jalen Hurts #1 of the Philadelphia Eagles walks through the tunnel celebrating with eagles fans following the win over the Washington Football Team 20-16 at FedExField on January 02, 2022 in Landover, Maryland.
The Washington Commanders are facing a lawsuit stemming from a railing collapse at FedEx Field last season that caused fans to fall to the ground.
John Keim of ESPN reported four people filed the suit Friday and are seeking "in excess" of $75,000 each and $300,000 total because of "loss of income, medical expenses, pain and suffering."
Keim noted the lawsuit said the plaintiffs suffered cervical strains, muscle strains, bone contusions, cuts, bruises, headaches and "other potential long-term effects, both physical and emotional" that are still requiring treatment.
The railing collapse spread on social media at the time in large part because Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts was present at the scene following his team's game against Washington.
He even helped some of the fans who fell to the ground back up on their feet:
This angle of Jalen Hurts and the Eagles fans falling after the railing collapsed at FedEx Field 😧
While Washington said stadium representatives provided medical treatment options, the plaintiffs said that was "patently false."
A team official said the railing was not load-bearing in an area that is designated for disabled people in wheelchairs, but Bob Sokolove, who is a plaintiff's attorney, said stadium employees told the fans they could enter the area after the game and did not warn about the railing.
"It's beyond negligent to skimp on a safety measure in such a high visibility, high trafficked area," Sokolove said. "Whether it's an NCAA game or a pro basketball game or the NFL, everybody comes to the tunnel where the players are coming out. The weight of everyone pushing forward to get a high-five or a wristband or whatever puts even more pressure on what otherwise were pathetic railings."
The lawsuit also said nobody from the team or Contemporary Services Corporation, which provides security at FedEx Field, reached out to determine the severity of any injuries from the railing collapse.
It happened in Week 17 of the season and after the Eagles completed a 20-16 victory.
Hurts threw for 214 yards and helped his team improve to 9-7 before he played a helpful role in the aftermath of the incident.
Assumptions are always dangerous. That's even more true when formulating hot takes after Week 1 of the NFL season. The opening Sunday of the NFL is one of the...
