Jalen Hurts called former Giants DC Wink Martindale for help in the middle of the Eagles' 2023 collapse
The 2023 Eagles were so chaotic, man
When you look up the word chaos in the dictionary, you’ll probably see a picture of the 2023 Philadelphia Eagles right next to the definition.
Chaotic is the only way to describe the team’s collapse last year.
The team went from being 10-1 to looking like one of the worst teams in the league. To be fair, that 10-1 was fool’s gold — the team’s point differential showed us that. But still, for the Eagles to lose five of their last seven games (including the playoffs) is embarrassing. They were searching for answers and never found them.
One of the places Jalen Hurts went to look was with Giants’ then-defensive coordinator Wink Martindale.
The Eagles were dominated by New York 27-10 in their week 17 matchup. New York’s game plan against Hurts and the Eagles’ offense was remarkably effective, with the quarterback only completing seven of 16 passes and throwing an interception.
Hurts wanted to know what the Giants saw in him and his team that made them so easy to defend against, so he simply called him up to ask him, according to reporting from ESPN’s Tim McManus.
Well this is fascinating https://t.co/rY8w26abLU pic.twitter.com/STDbQQklj5
— Mina Kimes (@minakimes) August 7, 2024
Hurts was asked about the call at Eagles camp and explained why he did it.
Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts was asked about calling former Giants DC Wink Martindale last season.
He was also asked about what pointers he received in terms of countering blitzes, since Martindale is known for blitzing. @KYWNewsradio pic.twitter.com/Iqt0JONW5s
— Dave Uram (@MrUram) August 7, 2024
“I was just trying to pick his brain and see what he saw in us and try to get some tips on some things,” Hurts told reporters. “I’ve got a lot of respect for what he’s done and we’ve had a lot of success versus him. I think that was a point where we were definitely trying to make a run, make a push and I was just trying to pour into my cup of knowledge from him and go over some things.”
On one hand, that’s undoubtedly an odd move. For a quarterback to call an opposing defensive coordinator who just beat their team is interesting. Normally, those are conversations you have with your own coach.
RELATED: Jalen Hurts downplays tension between him and Nick Sirriani
But, as McManus’ article points out, Hurts and Eagles head coach Nick Sirriani weren’t exactly on the greatest terms at that point in the season. That doesn’t mean that’s why he called Martindale, but it certainly didn’t help.
On the other hand, it’s nice to see Hurts seeking to improve — even if it means looking for counsel outside of the resources readily available to you.
This is sure to stir up a bit more dust around Hurts and Sirriani’s relationship, but if it makes the team better, it won’t matter. Winning solves everything.