Because of Hurts or Despite Him?

A Philadelphia Inquirer report about tension between Jalen Hurts, AJ Brown, and the Eagles coaching staff lit the fuse, and the show works through whether Philadelphia wins because of Hurts or despite him.

The anecdote at the center is Nick Sirianni asking Hurts what he wanted to run on fourth down against the 49ers, Hurts calling four verts, and San Francisco sniffing it out. If it works, it's player empowerment. If it doesn't, it's coaching malpractice. John Harbaugh did the same thing with Lamar Jackson and looked like a genius. Sirianni did it and lost a season.

Rich pushes back on the idea that the Eagles win in spite of Hurts. The guy was Super Bowl MVP. He was the best player on the field in two Super Bowls against Kansas City at the peak of their powers. America voted him MVP while his team lost. That does not happen by accident.

The other side of the argument lands too. Look at the offensive coordinator carousel Hurts has run through since college. When the play caller is elite and the line is superior, Hurts is MVP-level. When either piece slips, the offense stalls. The tush push is not a scheme, it's a cheat code, and Saquon Barkley carried a lot of last year's story.

The most interesting wrinkle is the locker room texture. Big Dom and Brandon Graham reportedly told Hurts he needed to be more accessible to his teammates, show more personality, be one of the guys. The pushback from fans is similar. Does this guy care? All you see is him sitting on the bench looking like he's sulking.

Rich invokes Kevin McReynolds, the Met who never showed a pulse. Northeast fans want to see you scream, throw your helmet, take a bat to a Gatorade jug. Hurts does not operate that way. He also never adds fuel to Philadelphia's talk radio bonfire, which is probably why he survives there.

Todd Bowles never showed emotion until he started winning. Joe Torre spent years looking like he had no pulse, then won four World Series and became a steady hand. That is the Hurts bet. Win enough and the flatline becomes leadership.

The Cowboys fan in the room is just grateful Dallas has stayed out of the headlines.