LAS VEGAS - Time is running out on Jalen Hurts but not when it comes to playing for the 2021 Eagles.The second-year quarterback remains the best option for a poor football team in a transition year with aging backup, Joe Flacco, here as injury insurance. As far as Gardner Minshew, that bridge might get cro sed only if Nick Sirianni believes his own reputation is taking on too much water. A bridge is exactly that, however, something that gives you pa sage over an obstacle. Once you get to the other side, exciting new po sibilities could open up.The stark reality for this team these days is the belief that the future at the game's most important position is not in the building right now and that thesis was only furthered by a 33- Eric Staal Jersey 22 lo s to the Raiders on Sunday.RELATED:The current Eagles regime evaluates QBs by looking at them with four traits in mind. The first two are the nece sities - accuracy and decision making. The third - off-schedule ability - is the icing on the cake. The final part of the equation is arm strength and is more of a bar one must clear to play in the NFL.From an obvious standpoint, Hurts reaches the bar in one category: his ability to create when things break down. Despite some outside Charlie Coyle Jersey noise on Hurts' arm strength, the Eagles aren't concerned with that understanding that the only time the really big arms like Aaron Rodgers are showing off is in Hail Mary situations. Deep balls in the NFL are generally about getting the football out on time and ball placement, sort of an amalgamation on the first two traits Philadelphia has defined as musts.Scroll to ContinueDeVonta Smith's case of the drops Sunday was about more than getting his hands on the football. It was about the QB making things just a little harder Chris Stewart Jersey on a WR that wasn't having his best night.MORE:Hurts didn't say a lot after the latest setback. He's shown an admirable ability to stay on an even keel through good times and bad but he did talk about consistency when ruminating about what's holding the offense back."Its that consistency," he said. "Playing at a high level on a consistent basis and doing it all the time. I know this is the NFL, everybodys got talent. Everybody can go out there and ball, but when we eliminate the self-inflicted wounds and the things that are self-imposed, were going to roll."We've been promised that roll for weeks, however, and the more troubling - dare say consistent pattern - has been getting torched in the meaningful portion of games before padding the stats when it doesn't really matter.In the end, that's enough for the apologists to point out raw numbers once the smoke of another disappointing result has di sipated."Consistency. Making the plays when the plays are there for me to be made, making the plays when it doesnt look to nice, still finding a way Alex Stalock Jersey to get it done," Hurts said on what needs to happen. "So, got another week, another opportunity. I put the 24-hour rule on this one as well and well move on. We have a big one in Detroit."The Eagles have their eyes wide open now and Hurts' opportunities are dwindling.For now, Sirianni has continued to stay optimistic but the patience is starting to dwindle at least a bit. "We gotta get him in some situations where hes staying in the pocket," a theme Sirianni has started to expre s consistently. "We gotta be able to Nino Niederreiter Jersey move him enough to be able to hit some things down the field. "I gotta look at the tape. I thought he played average to above average (Sunday) if I had to say right now. I think he can make all the throws and make them accurately Youre going to have some mi sed throws when you throw 34 attempts Thats any quarterback." -