CHICAGO (AP) — It was a rough game for Jalen Hurts, both on the field and in the blue injury tent on Philadelphia's sideline.
Hurts was sacked twice and threw an interception during Monday night's 27-7 loss to the Chicago Bears. The Eagles were limited to 62 yards of offense in the second half and 248 for the game.
“We just got to take this brick by brick,” Hurts said. “So it’s an opportunity to learn from it. We have to choose to learn from it, and
that was my message to everyone. Nobody’s gonna wait on us to do the things that we need to do. So we just gotta all dedicate ourselves to this cause, and keep pushing forward.”
Hurts directed Philadelphia (2-1) to two wins in the first two weeks of the season, throwing for 467 yards and five touchdowns with two interceptions. He tossed a 3-yard TD pass to Darius Cooper with 9 seconds left in a dramatic 24-20 victory at Tennessee last weekend.
But Hurts was held in check by Chicago, going 16 for 25 for 153 yards. He also had four carries for 25 yards and a touchdown.
Trailing 7-0 in the second quarter, the Eagles drove into Bears territory. Facing a second-and-4 from the 15, Hurts absorbed a late hit by linebacker D’Marco Jackson along the sideline. Right tackle Lane Johnson was called for holding, and the down was replayed because of the offsetting penalties.
But Hurts was pulled off the field to be checked for a concussion. Eagles coach Nick Sirianni yelled at Jackson from the sideline after the big hit on his quarterback.
“I love our guys, and so the emotion of the game probably got the better of me today,” Sirianni said, “and I have to learn from that. In that particular moment, I have to be more steady in that situation. ... I didn't like how I handled that."
Andy Dalton came in and handed the ball off to Saquon Barkley for a 14-yard run that set the Eagles up with first-and-goal at the 1. But two more carries for Barkley went nowhere, and Dalton was intercepted by Dillon Thieneman in the back of the end zone on third down.
Hurts said he was waiting for clearance to go back in when Dalton turned it over.
“I was just waiting for the thumbs-up,” Hurts said. “I felt fine, we already checked it. I don’t know the extent of the process. Obviously wish we could have expedited things. I know I felt fine.”
Hurts scored on a quarterback sneak as time expired in the first half, but Chicago controlled the final two periods.
Hurts was picked off by T.J. Edwards on a fourth-and-5 play from the Chicago 46 in the final minute of the third. Edwards dropped a potential interception on third down on Philadelphia’s first drive of the second half.
“Situationally, I’ve got to play better ball,” Hurts said. "Third down is a very big down for us. I think that’s been a very big down for us in these first two games. Today, we were not good enough, and I wasn’t good enough. Fourth down, I wasn’t good enough as well. We were able to put some drives together. Situationally, I’ve got to be better and find ways to produce some points.”
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