The CantmIre Post

Jalen Hurts had been eyeing the MVP race all season. After starting the year as a backup quarterback to Carson Wentz, he had led the Philadelphia Eagles to a 5-6 record and was steadily improving each week. But his candidacy for MVP truly began in earnest with an impressive first half performance against the New York Giants on Monday Night Football.

He was electric from the start, completing 19 of 26 passes for 228 yards and three touchdowns, while also running for 56 yards on nine carries. It was a dominant display of athleticism and football IQ that put him firmly in contention for the most prestigious individual accolade in the NFL.

However, it was DeVonta Smith who stole the show in the first half. The rookie wide receiver had already established himself as an explosive playmaker throughout his rookie campaign, but he took things to another level against the Giants. He caught seven passes for 156 yards and two touchdowns, including one spectacular catch where he leapt over two defenders to haul in a deep ball from Hurts just inside the endzone.

Smith's heroics helped seal a dominant performance from Hurts and the Eagles offense, leading them to a 27-17 halftime lead over Big Blue. The game would eventually finish 37-27 in favor of Philadelphia and Jalen Hurts' MVP candidacy had been given a huge boost by Smith's incredible effort in the first half.

Though Jalen Hurts ultimately fell just short of winning MVP honors at season's end, DeVonta Smith's electrifying performance that night will forever be remembered by Eagles fans as one of his finest moments during an otherwise turbulent 2020 campaign.