Tag Archives: Jalen Hurts

Super Bowl LX Fallout: Sam Darnold & The Moving Goalpost

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Its amazing how some in the media don’t want to anoint Sam Darnold to an elite status calling him Trent Dilfer etc. Over the last 15 years coverage of the NFL has turned into fan-boy central with most media only supporting the players of their favorite teams. Its cheap and it robs players of coverage they’ve earned and cheats them out of accolades. Once a player they don’t covet turns their career around several don’t want to admit he should be seen differently. It shows they were wrong or need to see it differently and they let their egos get in the way.

Don’t listen or watch these idiots!

First off Sam Darnold had a moderate perfromance in Super Bowl LX and came out a champion. He went 19 of 38 for 202 yards and a 4th quarter TD pass to AJ Barner which showed the Seahawks were about to be crowned. Detractors kept waiting for Darnold to fold but wait….he already made his bones when he struck down NFL MVP Matt Stafford in the NFC Championship. You can’t overlook his 25 of 36 for 346 yards and 3TDs when you picked him to lose. Well he had a defense and a running game. Well in that game Walker only had 19 carries for 62 yards not the MVP performance (135 yds rushing) we had from him last night.

They’re not in position if he didn’t take over the NFC Championship Game then play a supporting role in LX. He and Walker III flip flopped these roles and as a team came through with the biggest win in their careers. Compare his performance with Tom Brady’s first win in XXXVI. He went 16 of 27 for 145 yds and 1 TD but media acts as though he threw for 500 yards in all his Super Bowls.

Last week the national media on ESPN and elsewhere no one wanted to anoint him with that performance treating it as an abberation. Performances in championship games are not abberations and they need to be lauded or I’d be a hypocrite anointing Doug Williams Super Bowl XXII MVP performance. Its not about having to do it all the time but doing it when your team NEEDS you to.

You CAN’T downplay great performances just because Darnold proved you wrong lighting up Golden Child Coach Kyle Shanahan 41-6 in the NFC Divisional Playoff. Then you stayed silent with your firngers crossed he would falter in the NFC Championship Game to offer “I told you so” then were thwarted. Now he “didn’t turn the ball over” in the Super Bowl vs he made the plays to win the game where other more celebrated QBs like Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson haven’t been.

  • Super Bowl LX – Darnold: 19 of 38 for 202 yds 1TD
  • Super Bowl LVI – Stafford: 26 of 40 for 283 yds 3TDs 2 Ints *Super Bowl MVP*
  • Super Bowl LIX – Hurts: 17 of 22 for 221 yds 2TDs  1 Int  *Super Bowl MVP*

Here are the stat line for 3 of your Super Bowl winners in the last 5 years and only Stafford has been considered elite by the sporting press. His LVI win seems to have erased a decade of marginal play and blew him up to being an elite QB but it hasn’t for Darnold and hasn’t for Hurts. The elite mantra has followed Stafford ever since propelling him to this year’s MVP in the eyes of the voters. Even though he hasn’t always played elite over the last 4 seasons.

So they are moving the goalpost on Sam Darnold, not Taylor Blitz Times. His win last night validates his complete career and draft status. Period. He never has to answer to those lows again now that he’s scaled the mountain. You cannot talk to me about the potential of Justin Herbert, Trevor Lawrence, Bo Nix, Baker Mayfield, or any of the “Rudy try hard” types who can’t win 2 playoff games or even show up in the conference championship game.

Its time to cover players for what they’ve performed and not “cheerleading” about their perceived potential. When you get it wrong, re-evaluate how you got there and make changes when new informati0n about a player comes in. Don’t dismiss it because it doesn’t fit the narrative of your slanted view. This type of b.s. with the national media / writers not only cheated football with the Pro Football Hall of Fame vote this year, it allows them to roll the goalpost out to 150 yards in the covering judgment of Sam Darnold.

This is completely wrong… you’re supposed to cover players for who they are and what they have accomplished. Not cover them as you wished they’d be had you been in their shoes. Now they’re waiting for next year’s performance for their “Aha…see!” moment. Disgraceful…

Darnold is an elite quarterback and he has a chance to grow as Tom Brady did from his Super Bowl XXXVI stats (16 of 27 145 yds 1 TD). By the way “It was a different league then) doesn’t count as an argument since they beat The Greatest Show on Turf who amassed 7,075 yards in 2001 which is still 4th highest in NFL history.

Congratulations Sam Darnold on your elite status and Super Bowl LX  champi0nship

 

 

The Truth About Jordan Love

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Now I don’t want to go off on a ran here…but its time to talk about Jordan Love’s performance thus far. He earned the large contract and was on a trajectory to become one of the faces of the NFL but something happened. For clarity sake I am fond of the history of the Packers organization and championed the positions of black quarterbacks (Shameful Impatience w/ Black QB series) through many articles.

Its been a heavy burden filling Aaron Rodgers shoes and leading this football team. He’s done it admirably and when there were questions if he was the right quarterback he silenced them with his performance in the 2023 playoffs. After squeaking into the playoffs at 9-8 they were a heavy underdog and Love cooly led the Packers to a 20-0 start in Dallas on the way to a 48-21 upset. He went an efficient 16 of 21 for 272 yds throwing 3 TDs and never showed the nerves that most QBs face in their first playoff game.

Then the following week again on the road against the favored 2nd seeded 12-5 49ers, Love outplayed Brock Purdy. Going into the 4th quarter the Packers held a 24-14 lead before a defensive collapse and a costly 4th quarter interception. San Francisco didn’t take their 1st lead until McCaffrey’s 6yd run with just 1:07 to go in the game. Love had the Pakcers on the brink of the NFC Championship Game with a 21 for 34 performance 194 yds 2 TDs and 2 Ints, yet everyone left that game feeling Love showed growth solidifying his status as a franchise quarterback. Every pundit lauded his performance and couldn’t wait to see what was to come.

He was sailing along smoothly the following season until he came up against the new bullies of the block in Dan Campbell’s Detroit Lions. These were the two surprising teams from  the previous season showing promise and the 11-1 Lions were hosting Love’s 9-3 Packers with the winner having inside track to homefield throughout the playoffs. Love was never in the game and came out slowly in a 34-31 loss. Hey were the Lions just that good or…. hmmm? Then two weeks later a repeat performance against the red hot 13-2 Vikings, falling behind 27-10, ultimately losing 27-25.

They had gone from playing for a chance at homefield advantage and the best in the NFC to 3rd place in just the NFC North. Love and the offense were anemic at the start of each game and then scrambled back to make the score look respectable. When the eventual Super Bowl champion Eagles vanquished them 22-10 in the playoffs we were left with “Which is the real Jordan Love?” The Daniel who took his slingshot after 2 Goliaths in the ’23 playoffs or the disinterested lackluster QB we saw in 3 gigantic games with most of America watching when all was on the line?? All 3 happened in primetime and we needed to remove the stink that those 3 games gave us.

He now has the big contract and clearly the most important player on the Packers with a 9-6-1 record and losers of 3 straight.and barely hanging on in the 7th seed. Seriously?? Micah Parsons knee injury late in the year didn’t help but hold on with the excuses… Love went 18 of 25 for 183 yards in an inexplicable 13-10 loss to the 4-12 Browns. The opposing QB Joe Flacco, was traded just weeks later. Love could only muster 13 points in a loss to the Carolina Panthers in Lambeau & only 7 American points in a loss to the Eagles in back to back weeks. Each of the teams he was facing have had terrible offensive seasons where Bryce Young may not be back in Carolina and turmoil is abound in Philadelphia over Jalen Hurts play.

Love and the Packers were 3-5 against winning teams in 2024 & 2-4 in 2025. There could be more but 4 teams they faced this year are currently 8-8 but this has been a poor follow-up to the ’23 playoff run. This is a team that acquired a bellcow runner in Josh Jacobs (1,329 yds in ’24) they haven’t had since Ahman Green. Made a trade for impact defensive terrorist Micah Parsons to bolster the defense and his receivers? Well Josh Allen would light the NFL up if he had Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs, Dontayvian (what kind of name is that?) Wicks, and Jayden Reed. Ask any Bills fan to which I am one if we would trade receiving staffs even up with the Packers… in a New York minute!!

All these moves were made to aid Love in fulfilling the promise from 2 seasons ago and we just haven’t seen any progress. Every time he has faced the teams with winning records he has come out with the yips. Only scoring 10 in a home loss to the 8-8 Panther team who were 4-5 at the time with only 1 win on the road (Jets)? They breathed playoff life into a team when they should have buried them. Same with only scoring 10 in a loss to the 4-12 Browns constitutes a bigger pattern. Love and the Packers keep playing with their food when it comes to weak teams also. After two years of this underperfomance and watching Malik Willis play well in relief it may be time to ask “Is Jordan Love the franchise quarterback we thought he was after 2023?”

I’m leaning toward no for an answer and he has to prove it or watch over his shoulder for a replacement in 2026. He may need a deep playoff run to stem the tide but this is a very large sample size to analyze & he may have become Pope Dak Prescott II. I don’t see him coming out of this as he hans’t exhibited a killer instinct to put his opponents away. That is something that can’t be coached…it has to be already in a player especially a franchise quarterback.

At the beginning of the season I was of the ilk this is the season Jordan Love would stake his claim and take the Packers to the NFC Championship. I was high on Love to rebound but as the season wore on I knew. This was why I predicted they would lose 2 weeks ago to Chicago whose overtaken them after predicting they would finish ahead of the Bears in my NFC North Preview. Caleb Williams has grown to the place Jordan Love did not. I have seen enough!

Should they trade Jordan Love and go with Malik Willis next year?? *shrugs shoulders*

What do you think?

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AJ Brown Dilemma With Jalen Hurts

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Now before we start this off keep in mind Taylor Blitz Times has been advocating for Jalen Hurst since he came up for the NFL Draft in 2020. In Shameful Impatience With Black QBs Take Two, we let everyone know the values he would bring to his future team and maturity would make him a franchise QB. Or the article when The Chancellor called for Hurts to replace Carson Wentz and trying to pinpoint when the Eagles would make the move. It pains me to say Hurts hasn’t developed enough as an NFL quarterback.

Yes he has gone to 2 Super Bowls and was the MVP in LIX but the nuance of playing QB in the NFL goes beyond The Pistol read option, single high throw deep play we see in Philadelphia. Where are the back shoulder throws Aaron Rodgers & Peyton Manning have built Hall of Fame careers on? Where are the slants or hot routes that come from Hurts recognizing a defense pre-snap that puts AJ Brown in a situation where he will win off the line?? So lets reword that… Nick Siriani and the Eagles Coaching Staff hasn’t developed Hurts enough as an NFL quarterback. Madden Coaches.

Caught in this vice is All Pro Receiver AJ Brown having a down year for the 2nd straight year in the middle of a possible Hall of Fame career. In ’22 & ’23 Brown had 1,496 and 1,456 yards on 88 & 106 receptions respectively, he is on pace to have 65 receptions with 867 yards. His frustrations are warranted as the Eagles can’t adjust the game plan to include one of the best receivers in football. He has a right to want to produce and make the stats, accolades, and maximize his chance at the Hall of Fame. Its not selfish… If his stats stay low, you can bet the Eagles will come back and want to rework his contract…. guaranteed.

One aspect of his game is he isn’t a total burner on the outside but he does make contested catches against close guarding corners. Hurts has to let the ball go and develop the trust that seems to be lacking. A few years back he gave AJ those chances so what’s happened??

Well here we are with another supposed set of coaching gurus who can’t scheme their top passing weapon open. I’ve never heard something so pathetic in my life. Jerry Rice’s whole career the 49ers would have 5 plays within their first 15 to get the ball to him. They’d move him in formation as well as have him in motion. It is not that hard.

Y0u can’t move him inside and isolate him on an OLB when the team is in a predictable zone alignment?? What are you watching game film for?? Well here lets give you Madden Coaches a quick example if you want to stay with simplified reads and play calls … sigh.

 

Line up in this formation and just run double slants with Jalen Hurts under center. Get out of the Pistol as it limits linebacker influence and do this on a play where you expect zone coverage. Have Brown as the “X” and Smith “Z”… If it’s Cover 3, Hurts throws it right on his 5th step to Brown right as he’s breaking with a low trajectory throw. If they run Cover 2 just hit Smitty  on the post.

You can do it with a FB in the game or do it from a 2 TE alignment with the second TE lining up in the FB position. Hurts…no dancing around you throw it right when your 5th step plants whether going “X” Brown or “Z” Smitty. Make sure your eyes are on that Free Safety to not tip off the MLB in case their running a “Tampa Cover 2.” 5th step…turn and fire.

Here is the practical application on 1st down by one of the greatest passing teams in history with The Greatest Show on Turf so don’t tell me it doesn’t work:

Ok… they threw it to Smitty who was in place of where HOF Isaac Bruce was but I promise you any defense will adjust to their FS in the middle and open up this same play for Brown on his post. This play has been in the NFL for 50 plus years and Brown can muscle through any CB trying to jam him so this is a fool proof play. Get out of that jackass Pistol and open up the passing lanes by holding the linebackers.

Truth of the matter is the Eagles haven’t developed the nuances of playing QB with Jalen Hurts and its shown. Any Madden Coach can have 200 plays but if they don’t tailor it to the personnel they have its useless. More important if the plays don’t have progression / priority changes based on the possible defense from the exact same look, its also worthless.

Beyond that, skillful play selection should culminate in moving or influencing a specific defensive player to react in a way to attack him later in the game. Same look, same formation, same down and distance and make adjustments to what he’ll cheat on when he sees the formation set up for the 3rd, 4th or 5th time in the game.

To play for another Lombardi you have to get the ball to AJ Brown.

The Eagles have kept it simple and not worked on holding the safeties with your eyes and throwing on time to a spot on the field. Throw your receivers open. Teach / Coach the full nuance of an NFL quarterback. This was something I warned in my original article “The NFL’s Shameful Impatience With Black Quarterbacks” and its time to develop the full arsenal of Jalen Hurts.

Get the ball to AJ Brown… sigh. There should be no less 8-10 throws to him per game and get him engaged early. Its no secret the game doesn’t begin in a receiver’s mind until that first catch and he gets hit. Every conversation the best receivers always admit this so why not get the ball to Brown 2 or 3 times on the first drive alone? Hurts has to pull the trigger and throw it to him and quit playing in fear of throwing an interception.

The psyche of this offense and their ability to defend their Super Bowl championship depends on it.

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The NFL’s Shameful Impatience with Black Quarterbacks: The Odyssey of Shedeur Sanders

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What has transpired with Shedeur Sanders since the NFL Draft has been a study in contrasts. The debate between fans & media everywhere: “Was this collusion meant to humble a black QB from a proud family? Those wanting to strike a blow to Deion Sanders ego who have laid in wait taking shots at his stint in Colorado & his son at quarterback?” All of the above coalesced into Shedeur dropping to the 5th round and the 2nd QB Cleveland selected behind Dillon Gabriel.

He was the winner of the 2024 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award for his senior season at Colorado. The winner in 2023? A kid by the name of Jayden Daniels, who was runaway rookie of the year taking Washington to last year’s NFC Championship Game. Daniels was the 2nd pick overall v. Sanders at 146. So here we are with a crowded 4 quarterback carousel in training camp in Northeast Ohio. Free agent Kenny Pickett, Dillon Gabriel picked in the 3rd round this year, Sanders and projected starter Joe Flacco.

Who?? Yes…current Brown QB Joe Flacco was Super Bowl XLVII MVP when he was with the Baltimore Ravens. Do you understand how long ago that was?? His teammate Ray Lewis was enshrined in the PFHOF 7 years ago. The MVP of Super Bowl XLVI the season before, Eli Manning, has retired and passed the 5 year mark and is eligible for Canton himself. This is Flacco’s 2nd stint with the Browns after toiling for the Broncos, Jets, and Colts after playing for the Ravens. At 40 years of age this journeyman is going to navigate the Browns to Super Bowl LX?? Uhhhhhh…ok

In camp Sanders has made throws that have made the media rounds showing promise. He has spun the ball well and ESPN Cleveland posted these stats on all 4 quarterbacks performance thus far. He’s thrown for the most TDS and completed the highest percentage but it’s unclear how many have been against the 1st team defense.

Yet the gap between Sanders and Dillon Gabriel, selected ahead of Shedeur is alarming. While putting this article together an episode of FS1’s First Things First was on in the other room. They reported Gabriel going 0 for his first 5 throws in Friday’s live practice and he wasn’t close on any. They showed each one in succession on the air, leaving the panel looking befuddled at how poor each throw was.

Dillon looks completely undersized and overwhelmed and these preseason games will be the truth serum for himself & Shedeur. Yet the Browns aren’t really showing signs of totally being behind Sanders.

What was with Brown’s Owner Jimmy Haslam’s comments in a press conference last week? It didn’t engender confidence & brings to question will he get a legitimate chance to play meaningful football this preseason. He didn’t make it seem as though he even wanted him.

The ESPN Cleveland stats withstanding, the Browns placed Sanders 4th on their starting depth chart. Is this based on performance or draft status? Yes he was behind Dillon who has completed 54% of his throws in camp v 70%. Being drafted in the 3rd round doesn’t justify that. Just keep in mind the Browns have had 40 QBs under center since the Browns came back to the NFL in ’99.

Sanders draft day plummet withstanding, the kid has shown up ready to work and has viewed this opportunity with optimism. Reports have come in he’s mixed well with the veterans and players have gravitated to him. You don’t gain locker room stature from high visibility before joining a team. Yet he appears to be on a short leash and the Browns need to put the best quarterback on the field. Even if he does get on the field he won’t have the chance to have any bad moments in preseason or look poor during the season. The Browns have multiple #1 draft picks coming in 2026 and its been reported Haslam has a relationship with the Manning family.

This installment of “Impatience With Black Quarterbacks” is unique vs the articles on Lamar Jackson & Jalen Hurts yet totally related. It began with the 5th round draft selection and is ongoing midway through training camp. Not only with the depth chart but the owner distancing himself from Sanders selection in the 1st place. Dillon was a 3rd round pick not some highly touted #1 overall pick that would embarrass the franchise if left on the bench. We still haven’t distanced ourselves from the collusion that took place during the 2025 draft to say racial attitude isn’t & wasn’t a factor.

This preseason will be watched with tremendous scrutiny. Shedueur, your mission should you choose to accept it…

Thanks for reading and the previous 2 installments of this series are below:

2018 – The NFL’s Shameful Impatience with Black Quarterbacks: Lamar Jackson

2020 NFL Draft: Wither Jalen Hurts – Shameful Impatience with Black QBs Take Two

Jalen Hurts

2022 NFC Championship Preview: Philadelphia Eagles v San Francisco 49ers

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We have entered the home stretch to find out who will represent the NFC in Super Bowl LVII. On one hand you have the 49ers riding an underdog wave of the next “Rudy” in 3rd string QB Brock Purdy. On the other, the final steps of validation for Jalen Hurts who leads a talented Eagle roster at home in this contest. However here at Taylor Blitz Times the excitement generates from the two best offensive lines and the NFL’s #1 & #2 ranked defenses taking the stage.

Did you know the difference between the NFL’s #1 and #2 ranked defense is less than a yard this season? San Francisco 300.59 ypg to Philadelphia 301.47?? Yet a tell tale sign is how those defenses fared coming down the stretch. In the last 7 games the edge goes to the Eagles (286.2 ypg) to (331 ypg).

The Eagles rushing attack led by Miles Sanders (1269 yds 11TD) and Hurts (760 yds rush/ 13TDs) is the 5th best in the NFL. With design runs whether they come from RPOs, sweeps or scrambles should be able to maintain their 147.5 yards per game average. The graphic below shows the 49ers are 1-3 when allowing just 100 yards.

Christian McCaffrey has to have a career game to keep the 49ers in it. Yes the Niners have other backs and Deebo Samuel but they will need their best play makers to win on bubble screens and jet sweeps. McCaffrey will need to make Eagle defenders miss and silence a raucous Philly crowd.

Otherwise this game lands in the hands of a 3rd string QB whose Cinderella story is coming to an end. Not only will the hostile crowd be at full throat but the Eagles vicious pass rush will be loose. The Eagles have a historic pass rush which has recorded 70 sacks. Just 2 shy of the record set by the 1984 Chicago Bears. We haven’t seen this many since the 1989 Minnesota Vikings (71) and its a sack by committee defense. Hassan Reddick (16 sacks) Brandon Graham, Josh Sweat and Jay Hargrave each finished with 11! Where are you sliding the line to?

Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith (6) celebrates his touchdown with wide receiver A.J. Brown (11) and center Jason Kelce (62) during the NFL divisional round playoff football game against the New York Giants, Saturday, Jan. 21, 2023, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)

The line of scrimmage is where this game will be won or lost and the edge has to go to Philadelphia. Once T Lane Johnson made it back last week and showed he can gut it out the Eagles looked like the team that was 14-1 with Jalen Hurts in the lineup. This game looks to be close for a quarter and a half with the Eagles pulling away 38-16.

As we clearly stated in our 2020 NFL draft preview, Jalen Hurts deserved to be the 2nd quarterback drafted after Joe Burrow. In the next 10 hours we will find out if they can rematch their 2019 college football playoff.

The Eagles are going to be headed to Super Bowl LVII.

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Whither Carson Wentz: Jalen Hurts Peers Over His Shoulder

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When the Philadelphia Eagles drafted Jalen Hurts with a surprise 2nd round pick, specuclation took off as to why. Many pundits were dumbfounded with the selection where fans argued the Eagles would use him as trade bait. The Chancellor of Football took a different approach… Hurts was insurance against Wentz not making it back to his 2017 pre-injury form.

If the Eagles give another knock kneed performance its time to turn it over to see what Hurts can do. 

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