Eagles QB Jalen Hurts embracing challenges of recent skid

Philadelphia Eagles star quarterback Jalen Hurts made it known Thursday he's embracing challenges that face the team coming off blowout losses to the San Francisco 49ers and Dallas Cowboys.

"This is a great opportunity for us and it’s something we’re going through and that’s a beautiful thing," Hurts explained to the media, as shared by Bob Brookover of NJ Advance Media for NJ.com.

Head coach Nick Sirianni told reporters Thursday that his 10-3 Eagles aren't "hitting a panic button" coming off back-to-back double-digit defeats that left last season's NFC champions sitting behind the Cowboys in the division standings with four weeks remaining in the regular season. Hurts suggested Thursday he feels no differently about Monday's prime-time game at the 6-7 Seattle Seahawks than he would if that contest occurred when Philadelphia was 10-1. 

"Never get too high or too low," Hurts remarked. "Just stay focused on what’s important to me ... which is just challenging myself and challenging everyone around me to be the best that they can be. That’s just a constant thing. It’s just who I am."

As of late Friday morning, oddschecker showed that Hurts had fallen to a distant fourth at +1100 odds as it pertains to betting favorites for the Most Valuable Player Award. According to ESPN stats, the 25-year-old enters the weekend ranked eighth in the NFL among qualified players with a 60.3 adjusted QBR and 10th with a 93.5 passer rating on the season. He's tied for second in the league among all players with 12 rushing touchdowns and is second among signal-callers with 460 rushing yards. He also contributed 19 passing scores over the campaign's first 13 games. 

"I think it’s about execution," Hurts said about the Eagles getting out of their current funk. "It’s the same answer I’ve given you guys to every question you guys have asked. We have to do a better job of executing." 

On Friday, oddschecker listed the Eagles as only three-point favorites against the Seahawks. Philadelphia failing "to do a better job of executing" at Lumen Field on Monday night would inevitably lead to more questions about what's wrong with the Super Bowl hopefuls heading into Philadelphia's Christmas Day matchup versus the New York Giants.