Why Jalen Hurts loves Russell Wilson; Saquon Barkley is losing the MVP; DeSean Jackson, remembered: NFL Week 15

Jalen Hurts seldom allows glimpses into himself, but after he beat the Steelers on Sunday, he did just that.

He was asked how he felt being named player of the game by Fox analyst Tom Brady, and he politely accepted the honor. He then mentioned how he’d been asked about going head-to-head with Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson two weeks before, and he acknowledged that, yes, having two of the best dual-threat quarterbacks in the game on the same field was a big moment for football:

“You see a ton of kids out there watching Jalen Hurts and Lamar Jackson go at it, and that’s what they see. All eyes on them.”

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And then Jalen let us in.

Hurts loves Steelers quarterback Russell Wilson. He clearly sees himself in Wilson.

It makes sense.

Ten years ago, Hurts was a boy, then a young man, training to be an NFL quarterback, and there was no better example for him than Wilson.

What Wilson did from 2012-21 in Seattle was as groundbreaking as it was breathtaking. His passer rating of 101.8 ranked third among QBs with at least 3,000 attempts, behind Aaron Rodgers and Drew Brees. His 4,689 rushing yards rank second behind Cam Newton. His 158 starts ranked second behind Matt Ryan. He is 9-7 in the playoffs, went to two Super Bowls, and won one. He was a dual-threat quarterback who was incredibly durable, completely implacable, thoughtful, and intelligent.

Sound familiar?

He also was undersized. He endured questions about his arm. He was drafted outside of the first round and was projected as a backup. And, for what it’s worth, he was a Black NFL quarterback. Perhaps race still mattered more in regard to that particular position than it does today, but still.

Again:

Sound familiar?

It makes sense, then, that with so many predecessors from which to choose — Randall Cunningham, Steve McNair, Donovan McNabb, Michael Vick, and Newton, among others — Hurts seems to identify most with Danger-Russ, who is recreating himself for a second time, having done so first in 2022-23 in Denver:

“I think for today, even all week, Russell Wilson … Man, he’s paved the way for a ton of guys, including myself,” Hurts said. “My brother [Averion Jr.] loved him. I loved him, and still love him. Watched him do many things where people said he couldn’t. He’s experienced some adversity. And he’s overcome that. He’s come back stronger from it.

» READ MORE: Mike Sielski: Jalen Hurts shuts up his critics with a brilliant game against the Steelers on a big night for the Eagles

“And so to be able to go to battle against him today, a guy that I looked up to and have a ton of respect for, defied all odds with his size. And being able to go to championships and win a championship, tons of respect for him. Definitely cool beating him, but nothing but love for him.”

On Sept. 15, 2008, under the bright lights of Monday Night Football at archrival Dallas, electric rookie DeSean Jackson, in his second NFL game, pulled away from the defense for what should have been a 61-yard touchdown reception … except he only carried it 60 yards. Notoriously, Jackson dropped the ball at the 1-yard line.

On Dec. 15, 2024, two other players did the same thing.

» READ MORE: Marcus Hayes: What A.J. Brown wants, A.J. Brown gets in Eagles’ 27-13 win over the Steelers

Bengals safety Jordan Battle turned a sure scoop-and-score fumble recovery against the Titans into a touchback when he celebrated his feat one yard too soon and fumbled the ball out of the back of the end zone. Just minutes later, Colts running back Jonathan Taylor dropped the ball before he broke the plane on a breakaway run against the Broncos; his ball went out of bounds on the end zone sideline. Both resulted in touchbacks for the opposition.

The Bengals won anyway. The Colts lost. Taylor’s TD would have given the Colts a 20-7 lead in the third quarter. Instead, a special-teams gaffe and a scoop-and-score helped the Broncos come back for a 31-13 win.

Back in 2008, the Eagles were awarded the ball at the Cowboys’ 1 and scored en route to a loss. But it’s remarkable that, 16 years later, after a borderline Hall of Fame career featuring dynamic plays, the defining play of D-Jax’s 15-year career is a rookie mistake.

» READ MORE: How the Eagles’ stingy defense stopped Russell Wilson and the Steelers

(That is, outside of Philadelphia; the defining play of Jackson’s career for Eagles fans will always be the Miracle at the Meadowlands II, when he returned a one-hop punt in the last seconds of a 2010 win over the Giants.)

In what might have been a Super Bowl preview, Bills quarterback Josh Allen passed for two touchdowns and ran for two more in a 48-42 road win in Detroit. The game was good news and bad news for the Eagles.

The good news: The Lions’ loss, precipitated in part by injury woes, moves them to 12-2 and a tie atop the NFC with the Eagles, though the Lions hold the tiebreaker for the NFC’s top seed and the accompanying bye. If the Eagles win their final three games — at Washington, home against the Cowboys, home against the Giants — they have a chance at the top seed if the Lions lose again. The Lions play at Chicago, at San Francisco, then host the Vikings in the finale. The Vikings enter Monday Night Football, hosting the Bears, at 11-2, but the Eagles hold the tiebreaker over the Vikings.

» READ MORE: Eagles’ Saquon Barkley deals ‘with a little something’ in Steelers slugfest and will ‘get ready for next week’

The bad news: Allen not only threw for 362 yards, he ran for 68 yards.

Which means he outrushed MVP candidate Barkley by 3 yards.

Patrick Mahomes, who has chronic ankle issues, left Sunday’s win over the Browns with another ankle injury. It happened in the fourth quarter. Mahomes was replaced by Carson Wentz, the failed Eagles, Colts, and Commanders starting QB. Wentz managed to not lose the game.

» READ MORE: Eagles grades: Nick Sirianni kept the team focused vs. Steelers amid drama, and the passing game thrived

Mahomes said his ankle is not broken, but it’s definitely injured. The Chiefs are 12-1 and have a two-game lead over the 11-3 Bills for the No. 1 seed and AFC bye, so they might face a dilemma Saturday:

Do they push Mahomes to start against the visiting Texans, a stout 9-5 team that leads the AFC South? Or do they put their short-term fate in the hands of Wentz, who hasn’t started a meaningful game since New Year’s Day in 2023, which he lost for the Commanders, knocking them out of the playoffs? Wentz is 14-21-1 as a starter since 2019.

Good luck, Andy.

The Saints tried a two-point conversion with no time left and failed, gifting the Commanders a 20-19 win and a 9-5 record coming off their bye. The Eagles can clinch the NFC East if they beat the Commanders at Washington on Sunday. … Baker Mayfield threw four TD passes and the Buccaneers stayed atop the NFC South at 8-6 with a win over the 8-6 Chargers. … Lamar Jackson had five TD passes in a blowout win over the Giants as the Ravens moved to 9-5 coming off their bye — but then, playing the Giants is like having a second bye.