The Facts: HC Nick Sirianni compared Hurts to Michael Jordan when asked about the emotional lift the quarterback provided his team Saturday night in its 38-7 romp of the New York Giants in an NFC divisional round playoff game. "I know this is high praise, but to have him out there is like having -- I shouldn't even go there -- it's like having Michael Jordan out there," Sirianni said. "He's your leader. He's your guy."

Diehards Line: Sirianni continued, "Hopefully, that's the biggest respect I can pay to him, comparing his ability to being on the field to a Michael Jordan type. This guy leads. He brings this calmness to the entire team. He plays great football. He's as tough as they come. To me, nobody has played any better football than him this year. ..." Hurts threw for two touchdowns and ran for another despite playing through a sprained sternoclavicular (SC) joint in his throwing shoulder, an injury suffered at the Chicago Bears on Dec. 18 that sidelined him for two games. According to the Fox broadcast, Hurts said before Saturday's contest that he is "nowhere near 100 percent," adding that he also came down with an illness late in the week. "Good enough," Hurts said when asked how he felt physically during the game.