Winning the turnover battle. Protecting the rock at all costs.
Popular phrases synonymous with championship caliber teams, and words that still echo loud and clear when it comes to Jalen Hurts and the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles.
Despite witnessing a season that has seen the Eagles' success (8-2, #1 NFC seed) largely sparked by a devastating defense of late, the talented but inconsistent offensive performance of the Eagles has still shown that Jalen Hurts and company consistently know how to hold onto the ball - and decisively win the weekly battle of turnovers.
According to Brad Gagnon of Bleacher Report, one stat that defines each team has the Eagles' most important statistic - turnovers - leading the charge:
"4. This is the total number of turnovers by the Philadelphia offense this season. It's been shakier than usual for much of the year, but the Eagles are 8-2 (with seven of those wins coming by just one partly because they've been so careful on offense. Jalen Hurts has thrown just one interception against the league's second-toughest schedule to date."
Eagles' success with turnovers has saved their season through 10 games
Four turnovers is the least of any team leaguewide, and it all starts under center.
Week three's showdown with the Rams included a strip-sack by Jared Verse, a blown pass protection that left Hurts out to dry. It also represented Philadelphia's only turnover in the first five weeks of the season.
Crucial to note is that the lone interception came amid a woeful collective effort in the team's Week six 34-17 defeat to the New York Giants, where little, if anything, seemed to go the way of the Birds. An A.J. Dillon fumble spelled two turnovers against the Boys in Blue - the only time Philadelphia has coughed up possession twice this season.
Meanwhile, a fumble at the tail end of a splash play by QB1 in Week 10 versus the Packers remains the only other blemish in the turnover category. On that play against Green Bay, a spirited scramble for big yards ended in vain, as a pair of Packers defenders swooped in to lay the lumber.
A high-risk, high-reward sequence that went south. But that's how it goes on the gridiron. While occasional turnovers are bound to occur, the underlying key is limiting them - and Hurts traditionally does that perhaps better than any signal caller in the game.
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Much has been discussed about the bouts of inconsistency as an offensive unit - and that's fair game - but only four turnovers through 10 games is highly commendable. As the Eagles continue their quest towards another potential Super Bowl run, Hurts and company are once again protecting the rock at all costs.