The Philadelphia Eagles are looking for rookie QB Jalen Hurts to provide a spark to an offense that is in desperate need of one. [View in browser]( [FOX SPORTS INSIDER WITH MARTIN ROGERS] In todayās FOX Sports Insider: The Philadelphia Eagles are hoping rookie QB Jalen Hurts simply can come in and do a better job than what came before him ... we take a look at why the Baseball Hall of Fame must act with more urgency before itās too late ... and we are treated to a hilarious story from Chad Johnson. Savior. Savior. Savior. There you go, Iāve used the word. Letās not hear it mentioned again between now and the end of this column. Why? Because this piece is about Jalen Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles and the time is not now to start throwing out the careless (and somewhat biblical) term that typically comes at one of these franchise moments. The āsā word gets hot-potatoed around frequently in the National Football League but never more so than at the precise intersection when one quarterback (in this case Carson Wentz) gets relieved of his duties and another (Hurts) is given a handshake ā or an elbow bump - is shunted into the driverās seat, then receives a look that begs: āplease help us.ā Itās just a word, and in this case, itās nonsense. Teams that are bad, a category that the Eagles fit squarely into at present, donāt need āsavingā by one individual. They need to get better. [STORY IMAGE 1] Prospects of an improved immediate future for Philadelphia arenāt best served by wishful dreams that Hurts will somehow conjure solo miracles, but that he can be a little more dynamic and much more accurate than his predecessor and inject an energy that is significantly less beaten-down. If he holds his nerve, greets the challenge and if that promise is accompanied by better play-calling, improved organizational decision-making and a more cohesive spirit, the Eagles will have a chance to write a new story that is decisively less grim than the current tale of horror and woe. Thatās not a knight in shining armor, itās being part of a process. They know all about processes in Philly, right 76ers fans? Should we trust this one? With [reports swirling that head coach Doug Pederson is on the toastiest of hotseats]( was there any other way? āThis may be the only decision that could possibly save Pedersonās job,ā [former first team All-Pro Eagles running back Brian Westbrook said, on FS1ās First Things First](. āIt also could be one of the only things to save face in the locker room. [STORY IMAGE 2] āWentz has not played very well at all. He has looked confused at times, not understanding where to get the ball to. When he has guys open, he has been hesitant to pull the trigger. Thatās just not very good quarterbacking.ā Pederson said this week that his motive in switching things up was to āget the team over the hump, to try to get everybody playing better,ā with the Eaglesā faint hopes in the NFC East race having probably dwindled beyond repair. Hurtsā installation manages to be a mixture of desperation and common sense and with any such move, there is a lot that needs to be answered. The 3-8-1 Eaglesā Sunday clash with the NFC-best New Orleans Saints (4:25 p.m. ET on FOX) will start to serve that purpose. [According to FOX Bet]( the Saints are currently listed as 6.5-point favorites heading into Sundayās matchup in Philadelphia. However, there is a lot to fix beyond one change in personnel. The narrative that the locker room is divided on how much blame should go to Wentz and what must be apportioned to the coaching staff prevails. [STORY IMAGE 3] āThis more comes down to a failure of pretty much every position, including the coaches, to facilitate a functioning offense,ā center Jason Kelce told reporters. āThatās the biggest story here, not that Jalen Hurts was picked and there was some sort of internal battle and struggle going on with Carson Wentz. I donāt buy that.ā The apparent best-case scenario of Hurts shining bright would create issues of its own. There is a punitive cap hit to be swallowed on account of Wentzās contract. He canāt be cut without extraordinary fiscal penalty, meaning that either a trade at a time when his stock has plummeted or having him ride the bench while making $34.7 million are the main, unappetizing options. Then there is this weekendās reality that Pederson could scarcely have chosen a more difficult game for a 22-year-old to make his first NFL start, despite Hurts performing well in relief of Wentz towards the end of last weekās 30-16 defeat to the Green Bay Packers. The Saints have won nine straight while conceding just 44 combined points in their last five outings, highlighted by signature shutdowns of the Atlanta Falcons (twice) and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. [STORY IMAGE 4] āThis is a terrible opponent to have your first start for a rookie,ā Westbrook added. āAgainst a team that held Matt Ryan and Tom Brady. It is a tough situation. But sometimes you do get a spark from a young guy.ā Thatās the word. Spark. Thatās what the Eagles need. Not a saviā¦, ahem ā a transformative magic worker ā but someone who simply can come in and do a better job than what came before him. Thatās the barometer, thatās the requirement. Thatās the beginning. And that, as Hurts takes the first steps towards proving he belongs in one of the toughest jobs in sports, should be the expectation. [STORY IMAGE 5] Hereās what others have said ... Louis Riddick, ESPN: āThis is a tough assignment for Jalen Hurts. This is like ice skating up hill. I wish him well because I love Jalen Hurtsā story. But Iāll tell you this ... Baring something unforeseen, this game could get ugly. I would be shocked if it doesnāt. He could really be in a situation where he is under siege over and over and over again.ā Jalen Reagor, Philadelphia Eagles Wide Receiver: āHeās a very funny guy. I mean, heās a very laid-back guy, like myself. āWe click. We kind of share the same kind of personality. We joke a lot. A lot of people donāt really know about the things we do outside of football because weāre pretty laid-back guys. We like to chill. Heās a pretty good guy. He really doesnāt do too much. Heās about his business, about his work. And Iām pretty confident in him.ā Michael Vick, FOX Sports: āJalen provides a spark. The team needs a spark. Not just the offense, but the defense too. At some point, you can eventually lose the locker room. Give this team a chance. Let them go out there and let it all hang out. Give them a reason to believe.ā [IN OTHER WORDS] - From frequent and invasive COVID-19 testing, to the inability to interact with loved ones, the 2020 college football season came with a lot of demands for the nearly 12,000 FBS college football players. [Pete Thamel of Yahoo Sports]( explains why the average person has no idea what college football players have endured to make this season work.
- Is Jared Goff capable of being a Super Bowl-winning quarterback for the Rams? [ESPNās Lindsey Thiry]( has the answer here.
- The Cooperstown case for MLBās oldest living players not yet in the Hall of Fame needs to be heard more frequently. [Sports Illustratedās Stephanie Apstein]( explains why the Hall of Fame must act with more urgency before itās too late. [THE INTERNET IS UNDEFEATED] [THE INTERNET IS UNDEFEATED]( Chad Johnson was one of the most dominant wide receivers in the NFL during the mid-2000s. He was also quite the character off the field, as he became known for his outspoken nature. Johnson and former Bengals wide receivers coach Hue Jackson recently appeared on Brandon Marshallās I AM ATHLETE podcast, where they shared a laugh-out-loud story about Johnsonās relationship with his former position coach. āI would call him in the middle of the night and say āCoach Hue, Iām openā and then hang up,ā Johnson recalled. Jackson explains that Johnson would then proceed to ask him about the upcoming game plan, even when they had meetings scheduled early that morning. Marshall fell over laughing after he heard the story, which was 100 percent the correct reaction. This video will be sure to give you a good laugh. Enjoy! [VIEWER'S GUIDE] UM Kansas City at Minnesota (FS1, 8 p.m. ET)
Marcus Carr and the Minnesota Gophers go up against UM Kansas City. New England Patriots at Los Angeles Rams (FOX, 8:20 p.m. ET)
Cam Newton and the New England Patriots take on Jared Goff and the Los Angeles Rams. San Diego State at Arizona State (FS1, 10 p.m. ET)
Matt Mitchell and the No. 24-ranked San Diego State Aztecs take on Remy Martin and the No.23-ranked Arizona State Sun Devils. [BET OF THE DAY] [BET OF THE DAY] Odds provided by [FOX Bet](
New England Patriots at Los Angeles Rams
Both Teams to Score a TD in Each Half: +200 This is a challenging game to bet against the spread. On paper, the Rams are the better team, and they are playing on their home field. But the Patriots know this is a must-win game if they are going to make a move towards the playoffs, and in reality, home field advantage really doesnāt change much without fans in attendance. The Patriots put up 23 points per game, while the Rams average 25 per contest. This feels like it will be a close game, itās just tough to say who will come out on top. With that said, taking 2-to-1 odds that each team will score a TD in each half could be your best play! [WHAT THEY SAID] āObstacles are what you see when you take your eye off the goal.ā
ā Vince Lombardi [FOLLOW FOX SPORTS] [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [YouTube]( [Instagram]( Download FOX Sports App: [Fire TV](
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