Tanner McKee’s quiet words about Jalen Hurts suddenly carried real weight as the Eagles’ blowout of the Raiders made them impossible to ignore.QQ
Hurts bounced back, but that was expected from his teammate.
Everyone can breathe a small sigh of relief in Philadelphia. The Philadelphia Eagles got back on track in Week 15 with a shutout win over the Las Vegas Raiders, and both sides of the ball found consistent and imminent success all day long. The pressure has been turned up on quarterback Jalen Hurts, offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo, among others, but they answered the bell in a gem they were expected to win.
The lack of confidence in Hurts, in particular, has been loud via social media. Inside the locker room, he’s got quite a bit of support, and that was clear from backup QB Tanner McKee’s comments just before the win.
Tanner McKee was confident in Jalen Hurts ahead of Raiders matchup
When asked about a potential bounce back for Jalen Hurts before the game against Las Vegas, there was no doubt in the backup QB’s voice or opinion of the starting QB for Philly. Instead, he mentioned the accountability aspect that has earned Hurts so much of his teammates’ respect over the years.
Even while some fans clamored for a look at McKee as the starter (which Nick Sirianni strongly put and end to last week), the young QB didn’t feed into those pushes. He understood that Hurts has earned a bit of leeway when it comes to struggles, considering he and his team’s success in the postseason over recent seasons.
The backup was proven right in his expectation that Hurts would not let a rough performance in Week 14 completely doom his next outing. Hurts completed twelve of fifteen passes for 175 yards and three touchdowns. He also ran for 39 yards on seven attempts and took care of the football. The unit was efficient.
McKee did get some game action in Week 15 against the Raiders as well. With the Eagles owning a commanding lead in the second half, McKee came in for Hurts as the starter nursed an ankle injury. The backup went 3/3 for 33 yards and added nine yards on one attempt on the ground. He looks confident versus a struggling Raiders unit that had already put in some backups for key players. They knew the game was over as well.
Regardless, any action for McKee is important just in case he does have to step in for Hurts at any point this season due to injury. There is no doubt he is preparing for any and every situation where he will need to help the Eagles win, but he is also steadfast in his belief for Hurts to get the job done for Philly.
