Every decision mattered as the Philadelphia Eagles trailed by 7-0 against the Chicago Bears in the Week 3 matchup. A penalty in such scenarios is the last thing that the teams would want. But the Eagles’ star quarterback Jalen Hurts couldn’t avoid a controversial penalty eight minutes into the game.
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Hurts suffered an incomplete pass on a 2nd-and-6 in the first quarter as he sent the ball straight ahead for a short distance. The referees flagged him for intentional grounding, a call that didn’t sit well with Sirianni.
Visuals of the head coach lashing out at the referee for the controversial call quickly went viral on the internet. He was visibly upset with the call and argued with the officials for quite some time. But that was just the beginning – and he wasn’t alone in his frustration. Many others found the flaw in the controversial call for intentional grounding.
Intentional grounding occurs when the quarterback throws a forward pass without any chance of completion just to avoid getting sacked. A QB cannot throw into empty space to avoid a sack. And Hurts’ throw went short and bounced off the ground. However, the visuals show that the Eagles’ tight end Johnny Mundt appeared to be in the area. But in the end, the Eagles’ opening drive went on for 29 yards on five plays and ended with a punt from Chicago’s 46-yard line.
The pressure was higher for the Eagles because Case Keenum threw a TD pass on the Bears’ opening drive. And later, Keenum set the stage for a field goal, putting a 10-0 lead against the Eagles. Nevertheless, the Eagles managed to catch up with a touchdown in the second quarter, but the gap was still there.
Of course, this isn’t the only time Nick Sirianni showcased his rage in the Week 3 game against the Bears. With about seven minutes into the second quarter, during a 2nd-and-4 at Chicago’s 15-yard line, Hurts attempted a scramble and ran for two yards before D’Marco Jackson brought him down.
The linebacker’s late hit drew a penalty for unnecessary roughness. But it became a highlight when Sirianni called him names for hurting his quarterback.
“You’re a p—y!” the Eagles’ head coach yelled at the opponent’s defense.
Well, the hit sent Hurts into the blue tent for a brief concussion evaluation. The quarterback got his clearance by the time the Bears finished their drive and almost secured another touchdown. But in the Eagles’ previous drive, Andy Dalton was pretty close to securing a touchdown. He spent three downs just two yards away from the endzone and before getting a pass intercepted. And that likely hurt Hurts more.
Not having Hurts on the field frustrated Sirianni as well.
“Obviously frustrating,” Sirianni told ESPN on the sidelines. “But the doctors have to do their job. They gotta protect these guys. We have a hit on the sideline that they looked at, and that’s the way it goes. We gotta be able to run the ball in from the one, regardless of who’s in there.
“I’m bummed that Jalen wasn’t in for that. We got to take care of the ball with Andy. But, hey, I mean, they’re doing their best to keep the players safe.”
Hurts has become the foundational centerpiece of the Eagles’ offense with his dual-threat style. He has completed over 1,500 passes for more than 18,350 passing yards and scored 115 touchdowns in a span of seven years. He has also covered over 3,600 rushing yards to score 63 rushing touchdowns.
Additionally, Hurts is one of the leaders in the league for a low interception rate of only 1.9%. However, he has faced 189 sacks in the past and lost 1,147 yards because of them. He’s one of the safest quarterbacks in the NFL. And that has put him in the conversation for the MVP. However, he still has to tackle some early-season controversies on the field.
With controversial penalties stalling the offense and Hurts taking late shots, Philadelphia’s head coach made it abundantly clear that nobody targets his franchise quarterback without facing massive repercussions.