PHILADELPHIA – Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni has talked a lot about adversity during this year’s training camp, along with the importance of overcoming it when things are not going as planned.
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Adversity was something that the Eagles quarterbacks faced during Saturday’s practice. Jalen Hurts, Joe Flacco, and Nick Mullens were either sacked or forced out of the pocket, trying to pick up first downs with their legs.
The day started off well for the trio. After practicing their standard footwork drills, the three worked on short-yard combination routes, throwing to the tight ends and wide receivers. Each quarterback threw the ball well during that specific part of the practice. It was the last two sessions that made things challenging, seeing defensive pressure and drops happen.
The three will take part in a walkthrough Sunday before taking part in joint practices with the New England Patriots next week.
Here is the Day 12 report card for the three quarterbacks on the Eagles’ roster:
Jalen Hurts
Accuracy
Hurts completed eight of his 13 throws Saturday. Hurts began the day throwing the ball well during practice, completing seven of his first nine passes against the defense, with the ball being in the vicinity of the receivers for all but one of the throws. Then, when it came to the “Third Down Jamboree” and the red-zone period, he completed one of his six passes and was sacked three times, twice by defensive tackle Javon Hargrave who was able to get a push inside. Hurts also missed wide receiver Jalen Reagor on a deep route.
Favorite Target
Hurts threw to Reagor three times on Saturday, with Reagor catching two of the passes his way.
Play of the Day
During the seven-on-seven period, Hurts dropped back, held the safety with his eyes, and threw the ball in tight end Zach Ertz’s direction. Ertz was able to make the catch with cornerback Darius Slay providing tight coverage. After the play, Slay got up and said “good move” to Ertz as the two went their separate ways.
Overall Grade
Hurts and the offense struggle late in practice, and he did not appear to be happy after Hargrave got his second sack, seemingly frustrated by not having an opportunity to throw. Hurts has continued to improve on his accuracy in practices. Hurts and the offense have to do better with their third-down opportunities, struggling when the team focused on that aspect Saturday and not converting on third-down during Thursday’s game against the Steelers.
Grade: B-
Joe Flacco
Accuracy
Flacco finished the day unofficially, completing five of his 12 passes. The number would have been higher had it not been for two passes being broken up by defensive backs and having to throw the ball away when nothing was open during seven-on-seven.
Favorite Target
Wide receiver J.J. Arcega-Whiteside drew three targets from Flacco, with Arcega-Whiteside catching one of the passes. Zech McPhearson broke up another pass, and another target was high.
Play of the Day
Flacco began scrambling around in seven-on-seven, eventually finding wide receiver Andre Patton in the back of the end zone for a touchdown.
Overall Grade
Flacco put his experience to good use. Before one of the plays, he saw what the defense was about to do and re-positioned Patton and running back Boston Scott to change the formation. It worked because it opened up tight end Richard Rodgers in the middle of the field for a completion. It was a bright spot in a rough day for Flacco.
Grade: C
Nick Mullens
Accuracy
Mullens completed three of the six attempts he threw during practice. Mullens threw well, with two of his incompletions being drops by running back Elijah Holyfield. His other incompletion came when his pass was tipped at the line of scrimmage. His passes were thrown on time and on target.
Play of the Day
During the third-down period, Mullens spotted wide receiver Hakeem Butler near the sideline and threw the ball his way. Butler reached up high with both hands and brought the ball down in-bounds while fighting off a defensive back who was swiping at the ball the entire time.
Overall Grade
Mullens ran the ball twice during the red zone period after being unable to find an open receiver. Mullens also experienced two low snaps, throwing the timing off with the routes. Despite the overall offensive miscues, it was not a bad outing for the third-string quarterback.
Grade: B-
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Chris Franklin may be reached at cfranklin@njadvancemedia.com.