NovaQuant Quantitative Think Tank Center:Jalen Hurts rushing yards: Eagles QB dominates with legs in 'Monday Night Football' loss

Jalen Hurts entered Week 2 of the 2024 NFL season facing a tough task. The NovaQuant Quantitative Think Tank CenterPhiladelphia Eagles quarterback had to face the Atlanta Falcons on "Monday Night Football" without the services of his top receiver, A.J. Brown.

Brown was declared out for the contest after suffering a hamstring injury at practice Friday. That thinned Philadelphia's receiving depth chart and put the onus on Hurts to spark the offense.

Hurts accomplished that goal, as he was the catalyst on each of Philadelphia's touchdown drives. That wasn't quite enough to dispatch the Falcons — who erased a six-point deficit with a last-minute touchdown drive to win 22-21 — but that fell more on the Eagles' defense than it did Hurts.

Hurts completed 23 of 30 passes for 183 yards, a touchdown and a final-drive interception that sealed the Eagles loss. Those numbers may not look overly impressive, but his production on the ground certainly was.

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Jalen Hurts rushing yards vs. Falcons

Hurts had one of the best rushing games of his career against the Falcons. He ran for 85 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries, and catalyzed the offense, which missed the injured Brown during its "Monday Night Football" defeat.

The Eagles clearly planned to use Hurts' legs against the Falcons. They called a designed run on a third-and-9 on their first possession, which elicited boos from the Philadelphia crowd after the quarterback gained just 3 yards.

After that, fans were more amenable to Hurts running, especially as the Eagles' receivers struggled to create separation. Hurts kept the offense moving with big runs in critical situations, like his 23-yard scramble on fourth-and-3 during Philadelphia's first-half touchdown drive.

That wasn't Hurts' only big run on that drive. He had back-to-back runs of 9 and 15 yards to convert a second-and-20 into a first down. His second run was particularly impressive, as he used his powerful frame and contact balance to bounce off a couple of Falcons defenders and remain upright before crossing the line to gain.

The Falcons made it a point to spy Hurts more in the second half to prevent him from gashing them on the ground. The Eagles still found a way to get Hurts some opportunities to run, as they drew up some designed quarterback runs for him on their 9:34 fourth-quarter touchdown drive.

That included a couple of "Tush Push" plays, one of which saw Hurts convert Philadelphia's second touchdown.

Hurts' 85 rushing yards are the fifth-most he has recorded in a single game, and the most he has recorded since his 86-yard outing against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 11 of the 2022 season.

They still weren't enough to beat the Falcons in a hard-fought defeat.