Morning Coffee: Hurts can forever change his legacy at Super Bowl 59

You don’t measure a person by where they started.

You measure them by how they evolve, adjust, and respond to the circumstances they are dealt.

The same is true for NFL quarterbacks.

If talent couldn’t evolve, then Tom Brady would have turned out to be just another journeyman sixth-round pick and Peyton Manning would have been a bust after throwing an NFL record 28 interceptions as a rookie.

Greatness isn’t just gifted; it’s built over time.

Out of the 14 starting quarterbacks this postseason, 12 were selected in the first round of the NFL Draft.

One of the two playoff QBs that wasn’t a Day 1 pick has already won a ring and been to two Super Bowls.

The other is headed to his second Super Bowl in three seasons with a chance to do something that only four active NFL quarterbacks have done: win a ring.

Jalen Hurts will never be considered in the same class as some of the league’s elite quarterbacks in terms of talent.

However, football fans love a good narrative.

And winning a Super Bowl can rewrite the script.

On Sunday, Hurts can change the conversation from “where does he rank?” to “how many rings can he win?”

He can go from a “good QB” to a “proven winner”.

Hurts has heard all the criticism about his ceiling as an NFL passer and the team’s ceiling with him as their starting quarterback.

Now he gets the opportunity to prove all of them wrong on football’s biggest stage.

This is the Morning Coffee for Wednesday February 5th, 2025.

Hurts Can Forever Change His Legacy At Super Bowl 59

The Super Bowl is the stage where legends are made.

One iconic performance can change everything.

Eli Manning built a legacy on a pair of Super Bowl wins over Brady and the New England Patriots.

Joe Flacco and Nick Foles were considered ordinary until they cemented their legacies with Super Bowl victories.

Hurts can go on to have a great NFL career and still be remembered as a QB that could never win the big one.

Or he could erase any doubts his potential, quiet his critics, and change his place in football history by leading the Philadelphia Eagles to a Super Bowl win and ending the Kansas City Chiefs dynasty.

Remember, Hurts has already delivered one of the best performances in Super Bowl history.

Two years ago, he threw for over 300 yards and ran for 70 yards and three touchdowns in a 38-35 loss to the Chiefs at Super Bowl 57.

With a pair of rushing touchdowns on Sunday, Hurts would match Emmitt Smith’s all-time NFL record (5) for the most rushing scores in the Super Bowl.

He can also become the first player in NFL history to throw 10 touchdown passes and run for 10 touchdowns in a postseason career.

Is there any reason to expect the Kansas City defence to be able to slow him down in the rematch?

There’s no doubt that Hurts has evolved over the last two seasons.

The numbers he’s produced this season are astounding.

In his previous 13 starts, Hurts has registered 33 total touchdowns compared to just three turnovers while leading Philadelphia to a 13-0 record.

A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, and Dallas Goedert make up an elite trio of pass-catching threats.

The addition of the NFL Offensive Player of the Year favourite Saquon Barkley has helped open things up for Hurts both through the air and in terms of rushing lanes.

Even though he finished with four total touchdowns in the NFC Championship Game win, Hurts hasn’t had to produce remarkable numbers for the Eagles to reach the Super Bowl.

That won’t be the case in the Super Bowl.

In case you missed it, I’ve already locked in a pair of FanDuel Best Bets for the Super Bowl.

First up, I recommended Mahomes over 28.5 rushing yards at -110.

I also jumped back on a couple of personal favourites of mine with Hollywood Brown over 38.5 receiving yards, JuJu Smith Schuster over 13.5 receiving yards, and Samaje Perine over 6.5 receiving yards as decent buy-low options for a Chiefs passing attack that I believe will need to operate at a high level to beat the Eagles.

Then I recommended a Same Game Parlay with Barkley 100+ rushing yards and Hurts 25+ rushing yards at +100. 

This morning, I’ll add Hurts over 36.5 rushing yards as a FanDuel Best Bet.

Hurts should be the healthiest he’s been all season after two weeks to prepare.

The Chiefs will be in tough to account for Barkley, Brown, Smith, and Goedert.

All four players will be featured again on Sunday, but I’m also confident that Hurts will take off and run the football when the opportunities are there.

There’s also the “tush push” situation, although I don’t expect to need many two-yard gains for Hurts to get to 37 rushing yards. 

Hopefully, he can get me just more than half of the 70 rushing yards he registered against the Chiefs in Super Bowl 57.

I’ll add Hurts over 36.5 rushing yards as a FanDuel Best Bet.

I’ll also lock in a builder SGP with the Eagles +10.5, the alt total over 39.5, and Dallas Goedert 40+ receiving yards at +115 odds.

To recap, here is a look at my updated betting card for Super Bowl 59:

Chiefs to win the Super Bowl +550
Patrick Mahomes over 28.5 rushing yards
Hollywood Brown over 38.5 receiving yards
JuJu Smith-Schuster over 13.5 receiving yards
Samaje Perine over 6.5 receiving yards
SGP (+100): Saquon Barkley 100+ rushing yards | Jalen Hurts 25+ rushing yards
Jalen Hurts over 36.5 rushing yards
SGP (+115): Eagles +10.5 | Alt over 39.5 total points | Dallas Goedert 40+ receiving yards

Have a great day, everyone.