Is it time to bench Eagles’ quarterback Jalen Hurts?

Maybe, but it won’t happen. Unless Hurts is injured or totally inept, you won’t see Tanner McKee. Despite Hurts’ struggles, he’ll be under center Sunday against the Raiders at the Linc.

In this version of the Inside the Huddle column, I will take a look at Hurts and the Eagles, swirl around the league, and look back at a former Marian standout.

It Hurts ... Most of us saw Hurts’ four-interception, lost fumble performance in the Eagles 22-19 loss to the Chargers Monday night, as the Birds are mired in a three-game losing streak. Afterwards, that uneasy feeling about the Eagles got you queasier.

This is the third three-game losing streak of Hurts’ fifth year as a starter.

Hurts has a lower passer rating (69.9), more total turnovers (seven), and fewer rushing yards (72) than in previous losing streaks. Over his last five games, Hurts has five interceptions and four touchdowns and a completion rate of 57 percent.

There isn’t any doubt that Hurts cost the Eagles the game Monday, but his season overall isn’t poor. He’ll enter Sunday with 2,754 passing yards with 19 touchdowns and six interceptions.

Through his first seven games, Hurts had strong numbers with just one interception, but he had three sub-200 yards passing games. In his last six, he has three of them.

Hurts has been criticized for not running enough this year. He has 337 yards rushing with eight touchdowns as opposed to 589 last season. Hurts missed the last two regular-season games last year with an injured finger and ended the year with 630 yards with 14 touchdowns.

Due to Saquon Barkley’s off year compared to last season — 825 yards this season compared to 1,623 last year at this point — Hurts’ inefficiencies have been thrown into the spotlight.

Overall, the Eagles haven’t scored more than 21 points in their last five games, and they are ranked 24th in total offense, 22nd in both passing and rushing.

Quick Fix ... Hurts couldn’t have asked for a better solution to his problem than facing the 2-11 Raiders, who have lost seven straight. They did look respectable against Denver last week in a 24-17 loss. Las Vegas hasn’t won since Oct. 12.

Yet, on paper, the Raiders are surprisingly ranked 16 overall defensively, 16th against the run, and 17th against the pass.

Offensively, though, the Raiders are 31st overall in total yards, 26th in passing and 32nd in rushing.

The Eagles’ defense, which had seven sacks and an interception last week, should have a feast against ex-Eagle and now Raiders’ quarterback Kenny Pickett.

However, Hurts needs a breakout game to get back on track, more importantly to the psyche of the team.

What Happened? ... When the season began, the Eagles, Chiefs, Ravens, Rams and Bills were viewed as legitimate Super Bowl contenders. How many of you had envisioned an Eagles-Chiefs or an Eagles-Bills Super Bowl? I know I wrote it here.

Well, it certainly has been an unpredictable season. Heading into Week 14, there really isn’t a clear-cut favorite. Instead, the league is leaning toward parity that always has been sought.

The Rams still appeared to be a Super Bowl contender despite their clunker in Carolina that broke a six-game winning streak. Still, LA looks like the most complete team.

The Chiefs and Ravens will have to regroup next season, while the Eagles, Bills and Lions are still viewed as candidates to get to Santa Ana in 2026.

New England is the biggest surprise, and maybe they should be with their offseason signings, their draft, and their hiring of Mike Vrabel.

The Bears, Packers and Jaguars are teams to watch over the final four weeks, as they all are able to make some long postseason runs.

Controversies and Results ... In 2020, Hurts was drafted in the second round, and Carson Wentz was the incumbent. Wentz, whose role was taken over by Nick Foles for the Super Bowl run, was back under center again in 2019 when Foles signed as a free agent with Jacksonville.

Wentz never got on track in 2020, as the team stumbled its way to a 3-8-1 start. Hurts replaced Wentz and won his opening start, 24-21, over the Saints, completing 17 of 30 passes for 167 yards with a touchdown. The Birds lost their final three games to finish 4-11-1.

Worsening Trend ... In 2020, the Eagles finished 24th in total offense and 26th in points scored. Their sputtering offense cost Doug Pederson his job.

Similarly, Andy Reid was given the pink slip after a 4-12 season in which the offense ranked 29th in points scored and 15th in total offense.

In Ray Rhodes’ final season in Philadelphia, the offense was ranked 30th overall and 30th in points scored.

If Nick Sirianni’s team continues to scuffle, could the Super Bowl winning coach be in trouble? Beleaguered offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo will be the first one to go.

Fighting Irish ... By now, most of you are aware of Notre Dame’s snub from the college football playoffs, but some of you may still be stunned. Irish athletic director Pete Bevacqua voiced some harsh criticism of the snub, and has been eviscerated publicly by several conference commissioners for them.

As a result of the snub, Notre Dame declined any bowl bid invitations. Pop Tart Bowl officials sought a Notre Dame-BYU matchup, which would have been a good one.

Notre Dame, which has played in 46 bowls, will miss its first bowl game since 2016 when they went 4-8.

Another major issue is the future of head coach Marcus Freeman, who has been linked to other major college jobs as well as to the New York Giants’ job.

Freeman received a contract extension through 2030, and he reportedly is making $9.5 million annually. According to several reports, Freeman may be extended further, as Notre Dame officials don’t want him to walk.

The Irish will open the 2026 season against Wisconsin at Green Bay’s Lambeau Field Sept. 6.

Life is a Fantasy ... Looking at this week’s schedule, here are a few players to play or acquire:

Barkley: He is coming off a 122-yard game, and snow is in the forecast Sunday. Run Saquon Run.

Quarterback Trevor Lawrence: Has been in a groove, and the Jets’ defense is porous.

Wide receiver Jakobi Meyers: He has emerged as the team’s No. 1 receiver and see above.

Quarterback Jaxson Dart: Off the bye week, Dart should take advantage of a collapsing Commanders’ squad.

Quarterback Brock Purdy: Also off the bye week, Purdy should light up the Titans.

Scrapbook ... In each column, I will peel back the pages to review the career of a former standout from the area.

Ed Shober was a 1977 Marian graduate who was a stellar offensive tackle and tight end. He played a key role in helping four different running backs surpass the 1,000-yard rushing plateau during the 1975 and 1976 season, a feat that was never accomplished by any other team from the 1980s through 1995.

As a tight end in his junior and senior seasons, Shober was part of a 19-2 run over those two years.

Shober was an All-County, All-Region, All-Anthracite, All-Southern Division choice and also received an All-East-West honor, as well as being a Big 33 Game nominee. He was recruited by over 25 colleges and chose Brown University as his choice.

He went on to become an offensive tackle who later had workouts with the Cowboys, Chiefs, Seahawks and the Jets.

Time Passages ... In each column, I will rewind the tape to look at a former player, coach, or game from the past gridiron.

On Nov. 23, 1980, the Eagles met the Raiders at the Vet in Week 12 of the season with the Eagles having a 10-1 record with Oakland owning an 8-3 mark. It was the third meeting between the teams, and Oakland won the previous two in 1971 and 1976.

It was a defensive battle throughout the afternoon, and the Eagles’ defense recorded eight sacks against Jim Plunkett, who had taken over for the injured Dan Pastorini.

Tony Franklin’s third-quarter, 51-yard field goal gave the Birds a 3-0 lead.

The Raiders then took the lead when Plunkett connected with Cliff Branch on an 86-yard scoring play midway through the fourth quarter.

Late in the game, the Eagles marched down the field for the game-winning drive that culminated when Wilbert Montgomery ran off left tackle three yards for a 10-7 victory.

Plunkett unleashed a down-field pass in the closing seconds that was intercepted by Eagles’ linebacker Jerry Robinson to seal the victory.

Neither quarterback had a great day, as Plunkett was 10-36-237 with a touchdown and two interceptions, and Eagles’ quarterback Ron Jaworski went 14-32-181 yards with an interception.

Montgomery rushed 22 times for 76 yards and caught four passes for 30 yards. Mark van Eegen rushed eight times for 36 yards, and Branch caught four balls for 125 yards.

The Eagles would finish the regular season 12-4, and the Raiders went 11-5.

Ironically, the teams met in the Super Bowl two months later with Oakland claiming a 27-10 victory.

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