From the naked eye, Jalen Hurts appears to be a better passer.

The Alabama sophomore quarterback's footwork is enhanced, he exhibits more patience scanning the field and the technique in his delivery has been upgraded.

Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban provided affirmation of those observations.

"I think that's why he's made a tremendous amount of improvement at his position, especially pocket presence, staying in the pocket, reading, being more accurate as a passer," Saban said Wednesday. "He's done a really, really good job of that and has gotten a lot better. I think he has a lot more confidence. I think we have a lot more confidence. We feel like if people are going to play us a certain way now, we can make plays in the passing game."

The stats provide even more corroboration of Hurts' growth, showing that the Alabama has more confidence in his ability to send the ball downfield.

This season, according to data supplied by ProFootballFocus.com, 54 percent of his 194 pass attempts have traveled 10 or more yards in the air. Last season, through 11 weeks, only 35 percent of his passes covered that distance.

"[There is] the maturity level of standing in the pocket and trusting his o-line, trusting his receivers and throwing the ball," receiver Cam Sims said.

It's a clear sign that Alabama is directing Hurts to make more challenging passes with coordinator Brian Daboll shepherding the offense.

"I think he's done a good job of taking care of the ball and throwing the ball to the right place," Saban said of Hurts.

In recent weeks, that means targeting players running extended routes. Only seven of his last 64 passes have been delivered to teammates lurking behind the line of scrimmage. The constant stream of screens and jet sweeps that was so prevalent with Daboll's predecessor, Lane Kiffin, in charge has dissipated to a trickle.

In its place has been a slew of intermediate passes over the middle of the field. At this point last season, only seven percent of Hurts' throws entered an area with horizontal dimensions between the numbers and vertical parameters of ten and 19 yards beyond the line of scrimmage. He completed only 57 percent of them for 193 yards with two interceptions.

This year, however, that section of the field has become a sweet spot for Hurts and Alabama. Fifteen percent of his attempts have entered this region. And 73 percent have been completed for 463 yards and five touchdowns.

This shows tangible evidence of the progress Hurts has made as a passer.

In the spring, Saban said in a radio interview on WJOX that the Tide protected Hurts when he was a freshman.

"It didn't enhance his development and sometimes later in the year when people played us in a way where we needed to be able to throw the ball, we may not have been efficient as we would have liked to have been," he explained.

According to CFBfilmroom.com, one-third of his passes in 2016 were thrown to receivers running ten or more yards beyond the line of scrimmage. This year, that number has jumped to 54 percent.

It's a clear sign the restrictor plates have been removed from Hurts -- the engine of Alabama's offense.

"I think you're overanalyzing this whole thing a little, a lot more than I am," Saban said.

But the evidence is compelling and it shows how Hurts has made strides playing the most important position on the field.

Rainer Sabin is an Alabama beat writer for the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @RainerSabin