Does this game really wind up being on Jalen Hurts‘ shoulders? It seems so because the quarterback is coming from an injury. Out of action since the first quarter of the week 16 loss to the Commanders, Hurts is surely eager to return to the gridiron today, and the stakes are already high for the Eagles vs. Packers showdown. And Peyton Manning couldn’t agree more.

When asked, “If this game becomes about Jalen Hurts having to throw the Eagles to a win, are you confident he can do that today?” Manning had a confident answer. “I’m very confident he can do that,” Manning said. “Because let’s remember Jalen Hurts is one pass interference call away from being a Super Bowl champion and defeating the best quarterback in the NFL, Patrick Mahomes. So, he can do it. He won championships in college and he’s made for this moment.”

Manning seems to believe that Hurts is the man who’s not gonna take today’s game for granted this time. And why wouldn’t he? After all, it’ll be his fourth consecutive playoff season for the Philadelphia team. Fourth postseason, and still no Super Bowl ring. That sends a kind of message to the QB that it’s time to end the season on a pretty high note.

Before sustaining a concussion during the week 16 games, Hurts led the Eagles to the team’s first 10-win strategy. During the showdown against the Commanders, he suffered a concussion, which later ended the team’s winning streak. The QB is entering the postseason after recording nearly 3,000 yards and 18 touchdowns with 5 interceptions. Fast forward, the QB is primed and ready to make his playoff comeback. That said, the Eagles’ fans might be getting some chills ahead of the Packers clash.

The duo of Hurts and Saquon Barkley is all set to be back again in action. The way this season shaped up, it seems that Barkley is the best thing that happened to the Eagles. The running back had rushed for over 2,000 yards in the regular season. Alas, the RB has missed out on the NFL rushing record by a narrow margin. But he must be eyeing the big picture right about now.

Playoffs’ Jalen Hurts is different

The head coach, Nick Sirianni, had confirmed earliier this week that Jalen Hurts is all fit and fine to play the Sunday’s wild-card round. “He made it through the protocol,” Sirianni said. “He’s had a good week of practice. Really good week.” The QB had a limited practice on Wednesday, followed by excellent sessions of practice on Thursday and Friday. “I feel ready to go,” Hurts said on Friday. “Being around the guys, it’s been a great week.”

Alright, there seems to be no denying that the QB is powering up for a memorable game tonight. But have you ever heard that playoff Jalen Hurts is different? Well, ask Jordan Mailata, and he’ll explain to you why. “He knows what the stakes are. It’s the perfect blending of understanding those stakes but also not making the game bigger than it is,” the offensive tackle said.

That’s it, then. Today’s gonna be the right day to witness the different QB who’s gonna take charge against the Packers. Talking about his postseason? Well, it looks solid enough but lacks a Super Bowl title. In the 5 games that he started for the Eagles in playoffs, Hurts had racked up over 1,000 yards with 5 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. Yeah, that includes his 2022 season when he almost clinched the Super Bowl from the Chiefs.

All in all, get ready for the showdown that’s been over a decade in the making! It’ll be even more exciting to see if Jalen Hurts can prove Peyton Manning’s confident true.