Cameron Heyward talked Thursday about the opposing quarterback’s mobility, his skill at dissecting defenses as a run-pass option threat, his accurate arm and the bevy of young wide receivers in his arsenal of playmakers

Heyward could have been reviewing the Pittsburgh Steelers’ previous game, the 16-10 loss to the Miami Dolphins and third-year quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.

Instead, he was previewing what the Steelers defense will face this weekend when they play the Philadelphia Eagles and another former Alabama quarterback from the 2020 draft class: Jalen Hurts.

“He’s similar to Tua in some ways,” Heyward said. “They are both really good mobility-wise and in the RPO game, throwing the ball downfield to some pretty talented receivers.”

Then, Heyward brought up the trait that sets Hurts apart from his former Crimson Tide teammate.

“He does a really good job running the ball,” he said. “Six touchdowns rushing out of their 13 is a pretty good number for what they are trying to do.”

Hurts has emerged as a force in the red zone for the undefeated Eagles as his half dozen touchdowns are tied for second most in the NFL, running backs and quarterbacks included. He also has rushed for 293 yards — or 36 fewer than the Steelers’ Najee Harris — while not being the Eagles’ primary option in the backfield.

Steelers coach Mike Tomlin outlined ways Hurts could beat his team when he gathered players after practice Thursday. Those words were nothing new.

“We’ve been talking about him all week,” inside linebacker Rob Spillane said. “We know what type of player Jalen Hurts is.”

When Tomlin sought a quarterback with mobility in the post-Ben Roethlisberger era, perhaps he had someone in mind such as Hurts, who excels at the short passing game and can make plays with his legs when that option presents itself.

“I’ve just got so much respect for him and the way he plays the position,” Tomlin said. “His intangible quality, his leadership skills, his prudent decision making, his prudent use of mobility at the position. It’s all really good, and that’s why they have very little negativity in their offense.”

The negativity is so negligible that the Hurts-led Eagles have committed just two turnovers during their 6-0 start that has left them as the NFL’s lone unbeaten team. As defensive coordinator Teryl Austin noted, both were interceptions off tipped passes.

“He makes it tough,” Austin said. “There are quarterbacks who have done that in the past, and I look at that. Not necessarily the style, but the way he throws with accuracy and makes good decisions.”

The Steelers didn’t force any turnovers last Sunday against Tagovailoa, dropping four potential interceptions. The Steelers also weren’t able to sack Tagovailoa but did settle down and limited the damage after he staked the Dolphins to a 13-0 lead in the first quarter.

Inside linebacker Devin Bush said the Steelers can’t draw too much from their success in the final three quarters against the Dolphins and think it can carry over into how they defend Hurts.

“It’s a whole new challenge,” he said. “Tua is not more of a runner than Hurts. That is the difference. You knew he wasn’t going to take off running like a Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson or Hurts.”

Among quarterbacks, only the Giants’ Daniel Jones, the Bears’ Justin Fields and Jackson have gained more rushing yards this season. Hurts picks his spots to run, particularly because he isn’t the Eagles’ first option to carry the ball. That would be former Woodland Hills and Penn State star Miles Sanders, whose 485 yards rushing rank eighth in the NFL.

“He does a great job going north to south, but he can also bounce it,” Heyward said. “They have the RPO with Jalen, but if you don’t take Miles Sanders seriously, he’s really going to dice you up.”

With Hurts and Sanders leading the way, the Eagles have dominated time of possession like no other team this season. The Eagles have possessed the ball for nearly 34 minutes a game, a league high.

Given the way the Eagles move the ball methodically and with precision — without making mistakes — it’s no wonder the Steelers have spent so much time studying a quarterback and offense that is more damaging than the one they just faced.

“They have such a diverse offense, and they do a good job of marrying the RPO with the run, screen, play-action pass,” Spillane said. “They do a lot of things very well, not to mention they have one of the best offensive line groups I’ve studied in my five years in the NFL.

“They are a tough code to crack, and they haven’t been cracked this year. We look forward to playing our (butts) off and doing what we can.”

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