Eagles QB Jalen Hurts (Post-Game Transcript)
On his message to Eagles RB Saquon Barkley after the loss:
“Obviously it’s a tough loss. We learn from it. I trust him every day of the week to make a play just like everybody else, and so we’ll be better from it.
On the interception to end the game:
“Just trying to make a play down the field. I mean, [Falcons S Jessie Bates III] made a good play after a little too long. Just have to continue to prepare in those situations and put ourselves in those positions so we can take advantage of it. I think in the end, I felt very prepared going into those moments. In that moment, it just wasn’t our time.”
On whether that was the play call he was expecting:
“It’s not a matter of expectations, it’s just a matter of executing what’s called and came up short in that moment.”
On why it was important for the players to talk to each other post-game:
“Just in the moment.”
On Eagles WR A.J. Brown’s injury changing the gameplan:
“Obviously, he’s one of the best receivers in the league. Of course he’s definitely missed, but it doesn’t change the trust that I have in everybody else to step up. I think we had, you know, guys step up in a big way. [Eagles WR Britain] Covey made some great plays out there. [Eagles WR DeVonta Smith] made plays. We just didn’t meet the moment in terms of it wasn’t for us tonight.”
On the message he delivered to the team post-game:
“Keep pressing forward. Keep your head up at the end of the day. We have to intensely control the controllables. I think when I look at this game, there are a lot of things that we could have controlled fundamentally in our details. The little things that we just didn’t take advantage of. And so that’s this opportunity for us to learn from it. I think we’ve taken big steps in terms of coming together as a unit and need to continue on that journey and learn from this. I think it’s a great test for us.”
On the coaching point if the third-and-three play wasn’t open:
I don’t want to add any extra wood to it. We just didn’t make the play in that moment. And I trust [Eagles RB Saquon Barkley] in every moment. He’s a [heck] of a player. He gave us a big spark in those moments. It just wasn’t for us tonight.”
On whether that was a play they read heavily in practice:
“Yes.”
On what he saw in the red zone efficiency:
“We’re pretty aggressive in the red zone, coming out the gate early. Had some opportunities for sure to score in the red zone and we didn’t. I have much respect for that team we just played and that defense. They had two great safeties, a great defensive back group, and you know, they were disruptive up front. When they had the opportunity to score in the end, they did. Much respect to them.”
On whether a play call was made before the third-and-three play, going heavy on the left-hand side, and then had to call a timeout:
“That’s just a simple, you know, operational thing. It’s making sure we got the right guys on the field and executing. You know, I think in those moments, that was a big-time drive and you think you could close it out, but we came up short.”
On having a good running game and whether anything was different that caused it:
“Some things turn on when they need to, and it turned on, but clearly, it wasn’t enough to get the win.”
On dealing with adversity knowing it was bound to hit this season and whether he spent time in the offseason thinking about how to handle it:
“There’s no secret to it. There’s no secret ingredient to it. It’s just a matter of, am I gonna learn from it, and am I gonna get better from it? I said this before and I’ll say it again, there’s no difference between, you know, the joys and the pains, the wins and the losses. It’s a matter of if you can learn from it. I think that’s the perspective that I have on this, whether it is good, bad or indifferent, we’re going to learn from our goal out there to go out there and play dominant football and win football games and do enough to win the game. Ultimately to better ourselves. Better ourselves in growth and learning from these moments. And so in the end, winning is the only thing that matters. And to win, you have to continue to learn. You have to continue to grow. And I think this team will continue to do that.”
On Eagles WR A.J. Brown’s absence:
“I think that’s a [Eagles Offensive Coordinator] Kellen [Moore] question, and I trust him with everything as we continue to build this and find our rhythm and build our rapport with one another. But in the end, you know, guys had an opportunity to step up, and I think guys did that. We’ve got to be better. I’ve got to be better. But I feel like we went out there and played really hard, we just didn’t take advantage of some opportunities.”
On the trust he has in Eagles WR Britain Covey:
“It’s just a lot of time on task working with [Eagles WR Britain Covey], and, you know, conversations and reps, his approach, his intentionality in what he does. And you know, he showed up for us, and we’ll need him to continue to do that. And I think the most important thing is everybody is focused and doing their jobs to help the team win. And, as I said before, to do that, you just have to learn from everything. You have to learn from your mistakes. And we will, we’ll be better from it.”