The Philadelphia Eagles lost a heartbreaker in London on Sunday, dropping to a 2-3 record after a special teams mistake cost them a win against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Yet, the narrative around quarterback Jalen Hurts is shifting in an unexpected way. Former NFL MVP Cam Newton, who has often criticized Hurts in the past, is now defending the franchise quarterback’s performance despite the 19-17 defeat.
Newton spoke on his 4th&1 show this week, acknowledging that Hurts did his job even though the team fell short. This change of heart comes as the team faces scrutiny over their recent three-game losing streak. While the final score hurts, the former star sees value in how Hurts managed a depleted offense in a tough environment.
A Shift in Perspective From Cam Newton
Cam Newton was once one of the loudest voices questioning Hurts’ ability to lead the Eagles to a championship. That stance has softened significantly now that the 2026 season is five weeks old. Newton admitted he sees the situation differently after watching Hurts navigate a game with many key offensive players missing.
Despite the loss, Newton credited Hurts for “holding up his end of the bargain” in the loss, according to Heavy.com. He argued that being a good quarterback does not always show up on the stat sheet in a pretty way. “Jalen Hurts did what Jalen Hurts does best. He found ways to win,” Newton said on his 4th&1 show. The former MVP noted that Hurts’ job was to execute, and he did that even when the outcome was not what fans wanted.
Statistical Context and Offensive Struggles
In the defeat, Hurts finished 21 completions out of 40 attempts, accumulating 220 yards and scoring one touchdown. He faced a blitz-heavy defense from Jacksonville, a problem that also plagued the team last week against the Rams. Tim McManus of ESPN highlighted this specific struggle while praising Hurts’ early efforts.
“Jalen Hurts did well to help manufacture some offense with a depleted group in the first half,” Tim McManus of ESPN notes, as reported by Yahoo Sports. For the third straight game, the team faced the danger of leaving the second half scoreless because the offense faltered for most of it.
The Real Blame Lies Elsewhere
While Hurts played well enough to win, a single decision on special teams handed the victory to the Jaguars. With eight seconds left and the Eagles leading 17-16, the team failed to use a squib kick. This allowed Jacksonville to return the kickoff 53 yards and set up a game-winning field goal. Former Eagles cornerback Asante Samuel Sr. believes the head coach, Nick Sirianni, should take full responsibility for this lapse.
Asante stated, per Yahoo Sports, “You lost the game for your team.” Samuel argued that a squib kick is a normal play done all the time to end a game safely. He suggested that Sirianni had a lapse in judgment that cost the team the win. Sirianni himself took the blame after the game, stating, “I didn’t make the right decision and I lost us that game.”
The team will host the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, Oct. 18, at Lincoln Financial Field. With Hurts proving he can move the offense even without key stars, the coaching staff must find a way to protect that lead in the final seconds.
