News Eagles Team Notes

[Philadelphia Eagles]

NFL Week 1 odds: Eagles favored to beat Cowboys

The last Sunday without NFL football until February is now behind us.

Week 1 is here!

And for the Philadelphia Eagles, that means they’re in the bright spotlight of the NFL Kickoff Game after winning a second Vince Lombardi Trophy.

Their opponent: the dastardly Dallas Cowboys.

The team with the longest streak of failing to merely appear in the NFC Championship Game will bear witness to the Eagles raising their Super Bowl LIX banner at Lincoln Financial Field on Thursday evening.

The Birds are currently entering this NFC East rivalry matchup as 7.5 -point home favorites, according to FanDuel.

That’s just slightly more than the Kenny Pickett-led Eagles were favored (-7) against the Cooper Rush-led Cowboys in Week 17 last season.

Unlike in that game, Dallas will have Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb available for them this time. As such, the Cowboys’ offense figures to provide much more of a challenge. In addition to dealing with that duo, the Eagles also now have to account for offseason trade acquisition George Pickens. Philly’s shaky CB2 situation will be put to the test.

Of course, it remains to be seen if the Cowboys can properly protect Prescott. There are multiple question marks on their offensive line and the Eagles have some promising young defensive linemen who could be poised to take advantage.

When it comes to the Cowboys’ pass rush, they have an elite edge defender by the name of Micah Parsons. Just kidding. Dallas unwisely decided to trade the best player on their team to the Green Bay Packers for a relatively meager return. Looking at the Cowboys’ updated depth chart, there just aren’t players who should strike fear into the Eagles (via Ourlads):

The Cowboys are apparently banking on Kenny Clark, who turns 30 in October, being able to help them stop the run. Yeah, I’m sure that’s the key to slowing down Saquon Barkley.

Cornerbacks Trevon Diggs and DaRon Bland have logged top-notch ball production in the past but the former seems unlikely to suit up on Thursday and the latter is coming off a down year. The Cowboys could find themselves pretty thin at corner, where they’re already dealing with a number of injuries.

The 2025 Eagles will tell you themselves they’re not the 2024 Eagles. It’s a new season. But it’s hard not to feel good about the Birds in this moment.

The Eagles don’t regularly beat Prescott with ease, so, taking the points could be tempting. But, what are you, a coward? I’m leaning Eagles at -7.5.

What say you?

Source: https://www.bleedinggreennation.com...fl-week-1-odds-eagles-favored-to-beat-cowboys

 

[Philadelphia Eagles]

Eagles Injury Report: Landon Dickerson and Andrew Mukuba upgraded to full participation

The Philadelphia Eagles issued their second official injury report in advance of their Week 1 home game against the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday night.

The Eagles listed one player under DID NOT PARTICIPATE: Tanner McKee.

McKee has yet to be seen throwing a football since he suffered a fractured thumb injury late in training camp. Thus, Sam Howell will be the top backup quarterback behind Jalen Hurts on Thursday night.

The Eagles listed four players under FULL PARTICIPATION: Landon Dickerson, Andrew Mukuba, Joshua Uche, and Jalen Carter.

Dickerson returned to practice on Tuesday after sitting out on Monday. Nick Sirianni confirmed Dickerson’s knee injury wasn’t the reason for his absence; it was instead the listed “back” issue. Now again practicing in full, Dickerson is primed to start on Thursday night. Good news for the Eagles’ offensive line outlook.

Mukuba was upgraded to full participation after being listed as limited on Monday. The rookie safety figures to be a backup to Sydney Brown … but it’s not impossible that he’s starting. It’s also possible we could see Mukuba rotate in. He lined up as the sixth defensive back in dime packages this summer.

Uche was upgraded to full participation after being listed as limited on Monday. He’s poised to rank third in edge rusher snaps behind Nolan Smith and Jalyx Hunt.

Carter is ready to play.

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES INJURY REPORT (TUESDAY)​

DID NOT PARTICIPATE

QB Tanner McKee (right thumb)

FULL PARTICIPATION

DT Jalen Carter (shoulder)
OG Landon Dickerson (back)
S Andrew Mukuba (hamstring)
EDGE Joshua Uche (groin)

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DALLAS COWBOYS INJURY REPORT (TUESDAY)​

The Cowboys’ Tuesday injury report is identical to Monday’s version.

It seems like starting cornerback Trevon Diggs might be able to play, though that much has yet to be confirmed.

Starting left tackle Tyler Guyton is tracking to play.

Rotational defensive tackle Perrion Winfrey will not be suiting up.

DID NOT PARTICIPATE

DT Perrion Winfrey (back)

FULL PARTICIPATION

CB Trevon Diggs (knee)
OT Tyler Guyton (knee)
TE Brevyn Spann-Ford (ankle)

Source: https://www.bleedinggreennation.com...-andrew-mukuba-upgraded-to-full-participation

 

[Philadelphia Eagles]

The ‘Pickle Juice Game’ changed everything in the Eagles-Cowboys rivalry

25 years ago today, the Eagles’ rivalry with the Cowboys and positioning in the NFC East changed forever. In Week 1 of the 2000 season, the Birds headed down to Texas Stadium for a Week 1 matchup with Dallas.

The Eagles were in the second year of the Andy Reid-Donovan McNabb era. 1999 was a little rocky with the team going 5-11 in the duo’s first year in Philadelphia. McNabb was now the franchise guy though and expectations were being thrust upon him as the No. 2 pick in the previous year’s draft. The offensive line and defense were talented. Improvement was on the horizon.

Dallas, across the field, had a new head coach in Dave Campo. The 1990s had belonged to the Cowboys, who won three Super Bowl titles during the decade, but the franchise was on the downslide from that previous peak. Dallas last won a championship in the 1995 season. They lost in the Divisional Round in the ‘96 playoffs, missed the postseason entirely in ‘97 and then had back-to-back Wild Card losses in ‘98 and ‘99. Troy Aikman and Emmitt Smith were still out there, but these were not the same Super Bowl-winning guys they once were.

As the two teams were going in opposite directions, they met in the 109-degree heat. That’s brutal! That advantage would typically go to the home team who may be more used to such extreme early season conditions, but the Eagles had a plan up their sleeves of the briny variety. The Birds drank pickle juice on the field to stay hydrated and prevent cramping. I can’t speak to the scientific veracity of that, but if it even simply helped them from a psychological standpoint to think they were feeling better, it was a worthwhile endeavor for the Birds.

The Eagles also cooked up something special from the jump: an onside kick to begin the game. David Akers executed it perfectly, the Eagles recovered the kick and never looked back. McNabb would throw a touchdown on that drive to break things open, but the star of the day was Duce Staley. The fourth-year running back totaled 201 yards on the ground, plus a touchdown for good measure. Third-year linebacker Jeremiah Trotter, on the way to a First-Team All-Pro nod, added a pick-6 to the mix, too. When all was said and done, it was a 41-14 Eagles romp in Texas.

The balance was shifting between the two teams. Nature was healing.

The Eagles would make their first playoff appearance since 1996 that season and would win their first postseason game since ‘95. McNabb would finish second in MVP voting. The following year would begin a stretch of heights previously unseen for the franchise, as they made four-straight NFC Championship Games, including a Super Bowl berth in the 2004 season. While Reid would never win the big one in Philly, the Eagles reached the playoffs nine times under him. The organization rubric of building through the trenches continued on in the front office with Howie Roseman after Reid and the Eagles parted ways. It became the pillar of their success over the last decades that includes Super Bowl wins of their own. They own the NFC East now.

Life has never been better for Eagles fans. It may also never have been worse for Cowboys fans.

They went 5-11 in 2000, beginning a streak of three consecutive absences from the postseason. Campo didn’t work. Bill Parcels didn’t work. Wade Phillips didn’t work. Jason Garrett didn’t work. Mike McCarthy didn’t work. Brian Schottenheimer now? Well, you can guess how that’s going to turn out as well. Micah Parsons has been traded in embarrassing fashion. All Jerry Jones and the Cowboys have to show for it in the 21st century is a self-indulgent Netflix documentary series. Even Washington, once a laughingstock franchise in their own right, has leapt them in the divisional hierarchy. They haven’t even reached an NFC title game since the ‘95 season.

These are not your father’s Cowboys, nor are they your father’s Eagles. As the Eagles raise a banner in Jerry and the Cowboys’ face on Thursday night, soak it all up and remember how this colossal rivalry shift happened: with some pickle juice.

Source: https://www.bleedinggreennation.com...nged-everything-in-the-eagles-cowboys-rivalry

 

[Philadelphia Eagles]

Eagles opposing player to stop, Week 1 edition

CeeDee Lamb has probably been personally counting down the minutes and seconds until the Eagles and Cowboys open the NFL season on Thursday night at Lincoln Financial Field.

The elite Dallas receiver had to deal with Cooper Rush pitching him the ball last season after Dak Prescott suffered a season-ending hamstring avulsion in November 2024 against the Atlanta Falcons. It left Lamb with really no one. The Cowboys will George Pickens opposite Lamb, giving the Cowboys one of the NFL’s most formidable receiver tandems. The Eagles outscored Dallas by a combined 75-13. Lamb only played against the Eagles once, missing the last two regular-season games of 2024 with a right shoulder AC joint sprain. Over his career against the Eagles, Lamb has had 50 catches for 674 yards and has scored five touchdowns in nine games.

Over each of the last three seasons, Lamb is one of two NFL receivers (with Detroit’s Amon-Ra St. Brown) with 100-plus catches, 1,100-plus receiving yards and five-plus receiving touchdowns. He has five-plus catches in each of his past 13 road games and has 100-plus scrimmage yards in each of his four career road Thursday games. Lamb had 11 catches for 191 yards in his last road meeting.

Just imagine Lamb across from Eagles’ free agent corner Adoree’ Jackson. Stellar second-year corner Quinyon Mitchell has the opposite spot and will be a pick-your-poison proposition for Eagles’ defensive coordinator Vic Fangio.

Does Fangio have Mitchell follow Lamb all over the field, or do the Eagles stay pat and whatever side Jackson and Mitchell are assigned, that is where they will stay?

The secondary has been a point of concern throughout training camp for the Eagles, and if Dallas has any chance of stealing the Eagles’ Super Bowl-raising banner night, exploiting that area, given the time, is its best bet. Fangio had no problem moving Mitchell around this summer, which could lead to Fangio trying to lock down Lamb with Mitchell.

According to Pro Football Focus, Lamb lined up in the slot 48-percent of the time (396/of 826 snaps), and lined up wide on 413 snaps, exactly 50-percent. Mitchell is considered an outside corner, where he lined up almost exclusively last season, while Coooper DeJean lined up in the slot.

Here’s the issue the Eagles face: Shut down lamb, and there is still Pickens to deal with. He is considered one of the league’s premier deep threats and his 15 receptions for passes thrown over 20 yards in the air amounted to 515 yards receiving, the most in the NFL last season.

And Lamb and Pickens have Prescott throwing them the ball. Prescott is 9-4 overall against the Eagles, passing for 3,402 yards, 24 touchdowns, against eight interceptions and an average of 7.7 yards a reception.

Making the game a shootout is the only way Dallas has any chance of beating the Eagles, who have beaten the Cowboys four of the last six times the teams played, including three out of the last four. The last time Dallas beat the Eagles at home was Nick Sirianni’s first year as head coach, when he opted to sit his starters in a 51-26 Dallas thumping on January 8, 2022. The Eagles lost to Tom Brady and Tampa Bay in the NFC Wild Card round that season, while Dallas floundered at home in the Wild Card round against San Francisco.

Source: https://www.bleedinggreennation.com...eagles-opposing-player-to-stop-week-1-edition

 

[Philadelphia Eagles]

NFL Week 1 Game Picks

The 2025 NFL season is here!!!

Football is BACK and so are the Bleeding Green Nation writers’ picks. Every week, we’ll predict the winners of every game on the schedule. We’ll tally the results along the way and see who comes out on top at the end of the season. Feel free to post your own predictions or discuss the writer predictions in the comments.

You, the reader, can also join in on the fun by voting for who you think will win the games (scroll down for polls). I’ll tally those results in a “BGN Community” section under our picks table generated by Tallysight. The BGN community finished in first place last year (congrats!), so, you’re trying to go back-to-back just like the reigning Super Bowl champions. The top BGN staff member was Tyler Jackson.

When it comes to this week’s Philadelphia Eagles game, the Birds originally opened as 6.5-point favorites against the Dallas Cowboys but the line has since shifted to Eagles -8.5 on FanDuel. That’s some serious movement. The jump from -6.5 to -7.5 was a result of the Micah Parsons trade but then there was even more to follow. To me, that’s a line that points to the Eagles winning the NFL Kickoff Game. And perhaps quite comfortably.

MAKE YOUR PICKS​

Vote for your picks below.

Source: https://www.bleedinggreennation.com/general/157396/nfl-week-1-game-picks

 

[Philadelphia Eagles]

Eagles vs. Cowboys Week 1: First quarter scores updates

The Philadelphia Eagles kick off their 2025 NFL season by raising the Super Bowl banner in Lincoln Financial Field and then playing host to their NFC East rival, the Dallas Cowboys.

We didn’t get to see many of the Eagles’ starters through the preseason, so it should be fun to see such dynamic playmakers on the field, again. Hopefully the offense is able to continue to build off their dominance from the end of last season, and start games much faster than they did earlier on in 2024.

It’ll also be fun to see the young defense hopefully take a step up together, and to see what rookies like Jihaad Campbell and Andrew Mukuba can do with their opportunities.

Hang out here for updates and to chat, celebrate, vent, and argue in the comments!

The 2024 Eagles season is here! LET’S GOOOOOOO!

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TWITTER UPDATES​

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Note: This is an open thread. Discuss the games in the comments below.

Source: https://www.bleedinggreennation.com...arter-scores-updates-game-thread-nfc-east-nfl

 

[Philadelphia Eagles]

A.J. Brown will need to lean into lessons learned from last season

Ahead of the Eagles’ season opener, NFL Films released an interview with WR A.J. Brown. During his sit down with Clarissa Thompson, he talked about how he had to lock in differently as his role in 2024 changed into more of a supporting piece, and how the book, “Inner Excellence” helped on the sideline.

“I was battling a knee injury that I was kind of bouncing back from, and so, I’m in pain, I’m still playing. To be honest, I’m a decoy. And, a decoy and my mindset doesn’t go together. So, in that moment — think I had maybe one catch, and so, I was just trying to stay grounded.”

Brown may need to keep that same mentality heading into 2025 if the Eagles’ Week 1 gameplan was any indication. The wide receiver was targeted only one time in all of his 55 snaps, and his opportunity didn’t come until late in the game. He missed a lot of training camp due to injuries, but he was on the field for 87 percent of the offensive snaps, so it’s not as though he was on some kind of pitch count.

The Eagles passing game was more effective than the run game against the Cowboys, but there were only 19 total catches among seven targeted players. DeVonta Smith and Jahan Dotson both only had three catches each, and the majority of targets went to the tight end (Dallas Goedert) and running back (Saquon Barkley).

Quarterback Jalen Hurts spoke after the game and acknowledged that there’s some areas they need to work on, and noted that they will. He said that there were a lot of unknowns going into this game with the Cowboys having a new DC and head coach and no game film to review, but it was a learning experience. Head coach Nick Sirianni also admitted post-game that they obviously need to get Brown involved more, but games like this happen.

Brown implied during his speech at the Super Bowl parade that he doesn’t care about stats, but eight yards in a season opener against a rival probably isn’t something that’s easy to sit with, either.

Source: https://www.bleedinggreennation.com...ll-need-to-find-ways-to-stay-grounded-in-2025

 

[Philadelphia Eagles]

Eagles practice squad news: Javon Baker finally signs, APR is out

The Philadelphia Eagles made some changes to their practice squad one day after their Week 1 win over the Dallas Cowboys. Here’s an overview:

• WR Javon Baker was signed.
• EDGE Antwaun Powell-Ryland Jr. was released.

News of the Eagles signing Baker was first reported one week ago but it took until now for the addition to become official. Here’s what we previously wrote about him:

ESPN’s Mike Reiss reported that Baker decided to join the Eagles’ practice squad “after mulling multiple options, including a return to the New England Patriots.” The Pats originally kept Baker on their initial 53-man roster before cutting him to make room for waiver claims.

Baker played college football for Alabama from 2020-2021, where he notably overlapped with fellow Crimson Tide-turned-Eagles wide receivers DeVonta Smith and John Metchie III. Baker then transferred to UCF for two years, where he really took off a senior in 2023. His numbers from that season: 52 receptions, 1,139 yards (21.9 average), 7 TD.

The Pats picked Baker with a fourth-round pick (No. 110 overall) in the 2024 NFL Draft. As a rookie, he logged just 90 offensive snaps and 28 special teams snaps. Baker’s four targets resulted in one catch for 12 yards. He did also return three kicks for 79 yards (26.3 average).

The Eagles must believe in the 23-year-old’s upside to some extent. We’ll see if the 6’1”, 202 pounder can develop in Philly.

Baker is now the fourth wide receiver on the Eagles’ practice squad, joining Britain Covey, Elijah Cooks, and Terrace Marshall.

APR’s dismissal comes as a bit of a surprise since the rookie was a pick by the Eagles in the 2025 NFL Draft. And he did finally flash some pass rushing juice in the preseason finale after having an otherwise invisible summer. But apparently the Eagles are comfortable with moving on from him. It’s possible he returns to Philly at some point. Perhaps Howie Roseman is just churning the bottom of the practice squad as he’s wont to do. But maybe APR is gone for good. Time will tell.

EAGLES PRACTICE SQUAD​

Each player below is eligible to be temporarily elevated to the active roster up to three times in the regular season unless otherwise noted.

S Marcus Epps (two elevations remaining)

EDGE Patrick Johnson (two elevations remaining)

WR Javon Baker

LB Chance Campbell

WR Elijah Cooks

WR Britain Covey

RB Audric Estimé

TE E.J. Jenkins

CB Brandon Johnson

TE Cameron Latu

WR Terrace Marshall

QB Kyle McCord

CB Parry Nickerson

CB Eli Ricks

S Andre’ Sam

CB Ambry Thomas

OT Luke Felix-Fualalo (international exemption)

Source: https://www.bleedinggreennation.com...uad-news-javon-baker-finally-signs-apr-is-out

 

[Philadelphia Eagles]

Eagles open up roster spot by waiving Kenyon Green

The Philadelphia Eagles waived depth offensive guard Kenyon Green on Saturday afternoon, according to an official team announcement.

The Eagles originally acquired Green in March by trading C.J. Gardner-Johnson to the Houston Texans. The 2022 first-round pick struggled to impress this offseason, leading to the Eagles waiving him on August 26.

Green signed to Philly’s practice squad on August 27. Then the Eagles promoted him to the roster on August 31 after putting Willie Lampkin on injured reserve. Green was a healthy scratch behind eight active offensive linemen in Week 1.

One would think the Eagles wouldn’t be waiving Green if they were seriously worried about Landon Dickerson, who left Thursday night’s game early due to injury.

One would also think that the Eagles have another roster move coming now that they have an open spot to work with.

Some options there include:

• Signing a starting caliber cornerback since Adoree’ Jackson continues to struggle. Asante Samuel Jr. reportedly won’t be ready to play until the second half of the regular season. Stephon Gilmore is out there, though he turns 35 this month. Kendall Fuller has 104 games of starting experience
• Signing a fullback since Ben VanSumeren is now out for the season. Khari Blasingame remains unsigned.
• Signing someone from their practice squad (Marcus Epps? Britain Covey?) to the roster.

We’ll soon see what the Birds end up doing.

Source: https://www.bleedinggreennation.com/news/157802/eagles-open-up-roster-spot-by-waiving-kenyon-green

 

[Philadelphia Eagles]

Report: Eagles were 1 of the 2 teams Micah Parsons wanted to be traded to

The Philadelphia Eagles were one of the two teams Micah Parsons had interest in being traded to before the Dallas Cowboys ultimately sent him to the Green Bay Packers, according to a report from NFL insider Dianna Russini.

Bold emphasis is mine:

Once Parsons realized Dallas wasn’t moving off its offer — a five-year deal at $40.5 million APY with just one year guaranteed and a heavily backloaded structure — he started to face the reality that his days in Dallas were coming to an end. During the entire process, Dallas owner Jerry Jones never talked with agent David Mulugheta, one of the most powerful agents in the sport, despite Parsons’ repeated requests. In the final days, he again asked the Cowboys to negotiate with Mulugheta. Dallas’ answer? Take it or leave it.

It was already over for Parsons and the Cowboys, but this confirmed it.

As the relationship deteriorated, Parsons had two teams on his mind: the Packers and the Eagles.

Green Bay appealed for its small-town feel, a reminder of his Penn State days in State College. Philadelphia was the other obvious fit, because it’s close to his Harrisburg home. But Dallas wasn’t about to keep him inside the NFC East, even for a better offer (the Eagles have tons of draft ammunition).

Earlier this week, ESPN reported that the Eagles made a “strong play” to acquire Parsons. At the time, we noted that we’ve previously heard of Parsons having interest in landing in Philly. (In case him wearing Philly sports gear in the past didn’t already make it obvious.)

The sense here is that Parsons had some level of interest in returning to his home state of Pennsylvania, where he could’ve been reunited with former Penn State teammate Saquon Barkley. The two remain friends, as evidenced by Parsons attending Barkley’s birthday party celebration in New Orleans during the aftermath of the Eagles’ Super Bowl LIX win (hat tip to Jeff McLane).

The Cowboys were likely never trading Parsons to the Eagles. And he ultimately ended up in Green Bay, so, it’s moot now.

Should Parsons ever become available again down the road, however …

Source: https://www.bleedinggreennation.com...-2-teams-micah-parsons-wanted-to-be-traded-to

 

[Philadelphia Eagles]

Eagles News: Adoree’ Jackson says he has “room for improvement”

Let’s get to the Philadelphia Eagles links …

A closer look at Eagles’ passing defense shows ‘room for improvement’ – The Athletic
Adoree’ Jackson gave his performance a “C.” Letter grades fail to capture a full game’s nuances. Still, a reporter asked Jackson at the Philadelphia Eagles cornerback’s locker to grade his debut in Thursday night’s 24-20 win over the Dallas Cowboys. Jackson, who won the CB2 battle as much by default as by merit, was targeted a team-high seven times. Pro Football Focus saddled Jackson with 103 of Dak Prescott’s 188 passing yards. “Room for improvement, things that I did well, things that I can correct and get better at for the next week,” Jackson said. “I’m not gonna hang my head or hang it too high or too low at the end of the day, regardless if I played good or I didn’t. It’s always things that I can find to get better at and do better at.”

Report: Eagles were 1 of the 2 teams Micah Parsons wanted to be traded to – BGN
The Philadelphia Eagles were one of the two teams Micah Parsons had interest in being traded to before the Dallas Cowboys ultimately sent him to the Green Bay Packers, according to a report from NFL insider Dianna Russini.

Three quick thoughts on the Eagles’ signing Za’Darius Smith – PHLY
What this signing says about Azeez Ojulari. The Eagles’ decision to finalize the deal for Smith, whose free agency lingered into the regular season after the Detroit Lions released the veteran in March to avoid paying him a roster bonus, is the latest in a string of negative developments for Azeez Ojulari. The 25-year-old signed with the team on a one-year, prove-it deal this offseason with theoretical upside, but had a mostly quiet training camp and was among the inactives in the Eagles’ 24-20 win over the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday night. Ojulari’s fellow edge rusher Ogbo Okoronkwo was also inactive, reflective of how thin the bottom end of the edge-rusher rotation was for the Eagles going into the season. Behind the starting duo of Nolan Smith and Jalyx Hunt, situational pass-rusher Josh Uche played 31% of the Eagles’ defensive snaps against Dallas while veteran special-teams ace Patrick Johnson slotted in for 20%.

A rare achievement over the Cowboys in this year’s inaugural Roob’s Eagles Stats – NBCSP
With their win over the Cowboys Thursday night, the Eagles have now won three straight games vs. Dallas for the first time in over 20 years. Last time the Eagles had a three-game winning streak vs. their biggest rival was the second game in 2003, a 36-10 win at the Linc, and a 2004 sweep — 49-21 at Texas Stadium and 12-7 at the Linc. They won just 16 of their next 39 games vs. the Cowboys before the current three-game winning streak. Their last winning streak vs. the Cowboys longer than three games was a six-game streak with sweeps in 2000, 2001 and 2002. Their longest streak is eight games in a row from the 1987 rematch — after Tom Landry ran it up on Buddy Ryan in the early season strike replacement game — through the first game in 1991. The Eagles’ four-game home winning streak over the Cowboys is their longest since they won six in a row at the Vet and the Linc from 1999 through 2004.

Brazil becomes football country for Chiefs-Chargers – SB Nation
In 2024, Green Bay Packers vs. Philadelphia Eagles set the attendance record for the stadium at 47,236, and the city of Sao Paulo said it caused a positive impact to the local economy of $61.9 million. Gerrit Meier, head of NFL International, told the local media earlier this week that the NFL is “here to stay” as Brazil games have become a “mini Super Bowl” in terms of production.

5 winners and 5 losers from the Chiefs’ loss to the Chargers in Brazil – Arrowhead Pride
LOSERS: Head coach Andy Reid and defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo: When motivation and emotion look inconsistent and execution is rough — and the same issues pop up over and over again — that’s on the coaches. They have to adjust their plans, make sure players are ready and put them in a position to win. While Friday’s matchup wasn’t as lopsided a loss as Super Bowl LIX against the Philadelphia Eagles, it had some of the same problems: a lack of pass rush, no running game… and no answers.

Everything changed for the Cowboys in Philadelphia right before the lightning delay – Blogging The Boys
The Cowboys touched the ball three times after the delay and failed to score at all as we have noted. You do have to wonder though how things could or would have gone if all they had needed was a field goal as opposed to a touchdown. Maybe it makes a difference. Maybe it doesn’t. But it seems very clear that the lightning delay and the plays right before it served as the biggest points of change for Dallas overall.

Will 2025 be the last year of the tush push? – PFT
The biggest question will be whether the person(s) who instigated the effort to get the Packers to propose a tush push ban decide to make another run. That likely will require the league to get the Packers or another team to propose it again. As another source explained it, the effort to do an end run around the Competition Committee happened because a unanimous vote of the rule-proposing body is needed to take a proposed change to the owners. The league office did it twice in the offseason. The Lions admitted that the league office encouraged them to propose playoff reseeding, and PFT has reported that the league office got the Packers to mobilize against the tush push. If one team will do the league a solid in March 2026, and if two of the 10 that saved the tush push can be persuaded to go the other way (assuming that the 22 who voted to end it hold firm), this season could be the swan song of the tush push.

Saints’ Kellen Moore leans on experience to revamp offense – ESPN
Moore said one of the fun playcalls came against the Jacksonville Jaguars last season when the Eagles handed the ball to running back Saquon Barkley on third-and-17 and he scored a 19-yard touchdown. “We kind of looked at each other [like] that actually worked? It had more to do with Saquon being the running back, anything,” Moore said. “There’s always fun moments like that.”

How bad is the Giants’ run defense? – Big Blue View
So what does all this mean for the Giants’ run defense? To go back to my original question, just how bad are they? The answer is “not great, but not as bad as they seem at first blush.” The advanced stats suggest that the Giants’ defenders were often winning their assignments and in position to make plays — they just didn’t finish. That’s not good and absolutely needs to improve. But given that the Giants were frequently relying on young players (like Tyler Nubin and Dru Phillips), injured players (like Bobby Okereke and Brian Burns), or depth players (like Darius Muasau or Elijah Garcia), there is absolutely room for significant improvement. The Giants’ raw numbers were bad, but they weren’t terrible on average; their average efficiency was above average, while their win rate was legitimately good. Their biggest problems were that they saw SO MANY rushing attempts that the yardage just piled up. And over time, all those rushing attempts were opportunities for an opposing professional to make a play.

2025 NFL Week 1 bold predictions: Malik Nabers ties single-game receptions record – NFL.com
Malik Nabers ties NFL single-game receptions record. No player has hit 20 receptions in a game since Brandon Marshall set the record (21) back in 2009. That will change on Sunday when Nabers ties Marshall’s record against the Commanders. In two meetings with Washington last season, Nabers saw absurd target rates of 69.2 percent and 40.7 percent from Daniel Jones. Now in his Year 2 opener, with Russell Wilson under center, and in a play-from-behind contest against Jayden Daniels, Nabers will turn all that attention into the third 20-catch game in NFL history.

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Source: https://www.bleedinggreennation.com...oree-jackson-says-he-has-room-for-improvement

 

[Philadelphia Eagles]

Sunday Night Football: Ravens vs. Bills

The NFL Week 1 slate of Sunday games will cap off with a Sunday Night Football matchup between the Baltimore Ravens and the Buffalo Bills.

The Ravens lead the all-time series between these AFC teams, 7-4, and have won four of their five most-recent matchups. Baltimore may have the most recent regular season win, a home victory 35-10, but Buffalo beat the Ravens 27-25 in the AFC Divisional round of the playoffs in early-2025.

BGN’s Week 1 rooting guide suggests Eagles fans should be rooting for the Bills in this matchup.

“BALTIMORE RAVENS at BUFFALO BILLS: The Eagles play the Bills in Week 17. If the Eagles end up beating them, they’ll benefit from all of Buffalo’s other wins when it comes to the strength of victory tiebreaker. Also, the Birds want a non-Jets team to win the AFC East. Root for the Bills.“

Here’s everything you need to know about tonight’s game.

Baltimore Ravens vs. Buffalo Bills​

TV Schedule​

Game time: 8:20 PM EST

Channel: NBC

Date: Sunday, September 7, 2025

Location: Highmark Stadium | Buffalo, NY

Announcers: Mike Tirico, Cris Collinsworth, Melissa Stark

SiriusXM: Baltimore | Buffalo

Online Streaming​

Peacock | FuboTV

Odds via FanDuel

Odds via FanDuel​

Baltimore Ravens: -1.5 (-118)

Buffalo Bills: +1.5 (+100)

Over/under: 50.5 points

SB Nation Blogs​

Ravens: www.BaltimoreBeatdown.com

Bills: www.BuffaloRumblings.com

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This is an open thread — discuss the game in the comments below!

Source: https://www.bleedinggreennation.com...me-information-channel-stream-odds-nfl-week-1

 

[Philadelphia Eagles]

Eagles sign Patrick Johnson to roster and make 3 practice squad moves

The Philadelphia Eagles announced four roster moves on Monday afternoon. Here’s an overview:

• EDGE Patrick Johnson was signed from the Eagles’ practice squad to the active roster.
• RB Montrell Johnson and OL Hollin Pierce were signed to the practice squad.
• WR Elijah Cooks was released from the practice squad.

Let’s sort through this news on a player-by-player basis.

PATRICK JOHNSON​

Johnson was a bit of a surprise cut when the Eagles initially trimmed their roster down from 90 players to 53 in late August. He basically did everything within reason to justify making the team as a rotational edge rusher and special teams contributor. With Johnson not subject to waivers as a vested veteran, the Eagles signed him to their initial practice squad. They then temporarily elevated him to the Week 1 game day roster to be a fourth edge rusher behind Nolan Smith, Jalyx Hunt, and Joshua Uche. Johnson was notably active over Azeez Ojulari and Ogbo Okoronkwo, who were both healthy scratches. With the Eagles signing veteran pass rusher Za’Darius Smith, Johnson figures to see a decreased role on defense as the fifth edge rusher. But he’ll likely still help out on special teams, where the Eagles just lost a key player with Ben VanSumeren going down for the season.

The Eagles had an open roster spot to fill after waiving Kenyon Green over the weekend. With the team reportedly working out Mike Hilton, they could open another spot for him by waiving one of Ojulari or Okoronkwo.

MONTRELL JOHNSON​

As an undrafted rookie free agent running back, Johnson had some nice moments in training camp and the Eagles’ preseason finale. Some wondered if the Eagles might keep him on the roster as RB4 but that never seemed likely. Johnson wasn’t even brought back on the practice squad … until now.

Johnson’s return could be related to Will Shipley suffering a ribs injury in Week 1. Saquon Barkley and A.J. Dillon are the two healthy running backs on the roster. The Eagles also have Audric Estimé on the practice squad.

HOLLIN PIERCE​

The Eagles cut Pierce five days ago. At the time, we wrote:

It’s possible he does return in the future. Howie Roseman likes to shuffle the bottom of the practice squad to essentially work around the 17-player limit.

And now the big man is back.

Trenton makes, the Eagles takes.

ELIJAH COOKS​

The Eagles had four wide receivers on their practice squad after signing Javon Baker last week. They didn’t need that many, hence Cooks’ departure.

EAGLES PRACTICE SQUAD​

Each player below is eligible to be temporarily elevated to the active roster up to three times in the regular season unless otherwise noted.

S Marcus Epps (two elevations remaining)

WR Javon Baker

LB Chance Campbell

WR Elijah Cooks

WR Britain Covey

RB Audric Estimé

TE E.J. Jenkins

CB Brandon Johnson

RB Montrell Johnson

TE Cameron Latu

WR Terrace Marshall

QB Kyle McCord

CB Parry Nickerson

OL Hollin Pierce

CB Eli Ricks

S Andre’ Sam

CB Ambry Thomas

OT Luke Felix-Fualalo (international exemption)

Source: https://www.bleedinggreennation.com...son-to-roster-and-make-3-practice-squad-moves

 

[Philadelphia Eagles]

Eagles-Cowboys Film Review: One of the best games I’ve seen Jalen Hurts play

We are back! Week 1 is in the books, and it’s always a tricky one to analyse. Nobody should overreact too much, but we can still break down the film and talk about what actually happened. There were things I didn’t like in this game, but that doesn’t mean it will stay that way all season. There’s plenty of time to adjust. Let’s go!

Offense​

The opening few plays actually had me optimistic. On the very first snap, the Eagles lined up in pistol and threw the ball (the only time they’d do it all game – we will get into that later). The design was fantastic: they pulled the guard, faked the toss right, and threw it back left. This is a perfect blend of simplicity and misdirection. The execution was sharp and it felt like the team had settled into a good rhythm. Watching those first 10–15 scripted plays, I thought the plan looked promising and I was excited for what might come next. Everything looked clean.

Eagles Offense All22 Thread Week 1 vs. Cowboys. 1) It all started so well! The Eagles threw the ball once (!) all game from pistol, and it was the first play of the game. I thought the design early on was really encouraging and this was a great call. The pulling guard combined… pic.twitter.com/tI3zYAeWSq

— Jonny Page (@JonnyPage9) September 7, 2025

The Cowboys barely played man coverage all night, sitting back in soft zone for the majority of the game. The Eagles were much better against man coverage last year, so expect to see a lot of teams playing zone coverage against them this year. Early on the Eagles took what was there, hitting short passes and blocking well on the perimeter. Jahan Dotson had a particularly good rep here, and the receivers blocked well on the perimeter in this game in general. The drive sequencing looked fine, the ball was moving, and I wasn’t concerned at all with the game plan in those opening series. It was sensible football against a defense committed to taking away deep shots. The issue came later, when Dallas adjusted, but the Eagles didn’t. It was all smooth early on and the Eagles looked in control.

2) The Cowboys played soft zone all game and the Eagles did a good job converting short throws and taking what the defense gave them. The Eagles block this exceptionally well on the perimeter (check out Dotson's block!) and I had absolutely no concerns at all with the game plan… pic.twitter.com/GII4s5oP6s

— Jonny Page (@JonnyPage9) September 7, 2025

It’s time for my first angry rant of the year. Apologies. Here’s where the problems really started. I hate singling players out, but Grant Calcaterra was almost unplayable as a run blocker. Over and over, he was asked to take defensive ends and tackles in heavy personnel looks, and he just couldn’t hold up. That wasn’t on him. It was on the design. The Eagles leaned into 12 and 13 personnel, and it killed the run game. Calcaterra has never been a great run blocker and it was a bizarre way to use him.

The numbers from this game are sort of bizarre. It wasn’t just the use of heavy personnel that annoyed me. From under center they ran 12 times and passed only twice; from pistol they ran 11 times and passed once (the very 1st play of the game!) and from shotgun they ran six times and passed 30 times. That is absurd. Apart from the opening play, every pistol look was a run. That’s as predictable as it gets. Dallas stacked the box accordingly, and the Eagles never punished them with play-action. The whole point of heavy personnel with a pistol and under center runs is that you force the defense to stack the box and then hit them with a downfield shot. What’s the point of doing it if you don’t throw it down the field? Because the run game simply was not working. The stats tell a pretty clear story.

Last night, Saquon Barkley had 12 carries for 33 yards and -0.27 EPA/attempt against stacked boxes and 6 carries for 27 yards with 0.183 EPA/att against neutral or light boxes.

Even with all those stacked boxes (which almost always means 1 on 1 coverage outside), the Eagles…

— Shane Haff (@ShaneHaffNFL) September 5, 2025

The result of heavy personnel was a run game that looked disastrous in the second half. Even though Saquon Barkley ran hard and broke tackles, he averaged just 3.3 yards per carry. That tells you how bad the design was. With better sequencing, Barkley could’ve had a huge day, but instead, the Cowboys knew exactly what was coming.

3) I really hate picking on individuals because, after a while, it isn't their fault. It's on the coaches. But Grant Calcaterra had a pretty abysmal performance. I counted at least 5 times the guy he was blocking ended up making the tackle. By playing so much 12/13 personnel,… pic.twitter.com/bNRsxoEFRH

— Jonny Page (@JonnyPage9) September 7, 2025

Rant over! Let’s get back to the positives. Jalen Hurts was a huge positive in this game. This was one of the best games I’ve seen Jalen Hurts play, even though the box score looks average. He bailed out the offense multiple times when the structure collapsed. Importantly, this wasn’t a “one-read-and-run” game. He consistently worked through his reads, but with nothing opening up, he had to escape. Luckily for the Eagles, the Cowboys had no rush lane integrity and Hurts punished them. He scrambled for crucial first downs and touchdowns and did it all without taking big hits. His ability to extend plays with his legs was outstanding, and it kept the offense alive.

4) Jalen Hurts ability to extend plays and rush in this one was outstanding. This wasn't a 'one-read and run' performance. He was getting through his reads well. He wanted to throw first, but had no choice but to escape when nothing was open. He moved as well as I've seen in a… pic.twitter.com/mpnmRQtcRB

— Jonny Page (@JonnyPage9) September 7, 2025

I don’t know what more to say about A.J. Brown other than he clearly didn’t look right. On this rep, it was single-high coverage with a one-on-one matchup, but Brown ran the route like he never expected the ball. That’s not normal for him. He looked disinterested on several routes, and I can only assume he wasn’t healthy. The Eagles still played him heavily, maybe as a decoy, but if Brown isn’t himself, this passing game is going to look stale quickly. They need a healthy A.J. Brown or some more creativity.

5) Had a lot of Q's about AJ Brown, of course, and I don't know what to say. He just did not look right. I have no intel obviously, so I assume he wasn't healthy. I don't know why he played so many snaps but I guess the Eagles wanted him as a decoy. He's one-on-one with obvious… pic.twitter.com/NqlFaOqklq

— Jonny Page (@JonnyPage9) September 7, 2025

As I stated earlier, Hurts’ scrambling saved the offense. On this 3rd-and-5, the route spacing wasn’t great (which was a theme all of the second half), so the Cowboys sat in tight zone coverage, and nothing opened up. This happened far too often for my liking. However, Hurts moved decisively and picked it up with his legs. He moved so well in this one. It made me wonder if he was injured last year more than we realised, because I don’t recall him running past defenders so easily. He carried the ball 14 times on the night, but very few were designed runs and most were necessary escapes. He put the offense on his back, and this was one of several moments where his movement and poise turned a broken play into a successful one.

6) I thought Hurts bailed out a few questionable offensive play calls. This is a huge run on 3rd and 5. I didn't like the spacing on a number of calls and the Cowboys zone coverage was pretty tight all game. Hurts moved so well in this game. pic.twitter.com/IXiI4rFE0w

— Jonny Page (@JonnyPage9) September 7, 2025

Here’s another Hurts scramble! On this red zone snap, Barkley’s option route didn’t threaten much, leaving Hurts stuck again. Once more, he took off, this time for a touchdown. Dallas’ rush discipline was so poor that Hurts consistently found escape lanes. It worked here, but relying on his legs like this isn’t sustainable. Against better-coached fronts, those opportunities won’t be there as frequently. The passing design will need to be better.

7) Once again, another huge run. Nothing's open and Hurts scrambles for the TD. I'm not sure if this is supposed to be an option route for Barkley, but if so, it isn't a great route.

As good as Hurts was with his legs, I just don't see it as sustainable. It's quite incredible… pic.twitter.com/wSghRgtlzB

— Jonny Page (@JonnyPage9) September 7, 2025

Oh, baby. My word. What a ridiculous throw. Against quarters coverage, the Eagles finally dialed up a better concept, double-post-cross, and Hurts hit it perfectly. Dotson won with leverage and Hurts anticipated the break and delivered a perfect deep ball. If you paused it at the release, you’d never think the throw was on, but it landed perfectly in stride. You couldn’t hand it off better, honestly. It was a reminder of what this offense can be if the downfield shots are built in more consistently. Hurts throws a beautiful deep ball and we must see more of this. What a ridiculous throw. I could watch that one all day!

8) My goodness, this is an absolute DIME! The Eagles dial up a much better concept against quarters (double post cross). Dotson takes advantage of outside leverage and Hurts puts it on the money. You couldn't hand it to him any better. I'm shocked these down-the-field shots… pic.twitter.com/aYRIRcc2tv

— Jonny Page (@JonnyPage9) September 7, 2025

Let’s get into the less fancy stuff, but stuff that impressed me equally as much as that previous throw. Hurts’ processing was exceptional on the day. This is an area that Hurts has struggled with throughout his career. He often takes time to eliminate what isn’t there and can get stuck on this 1st read. But he was a lot better this week than I’ve ever seen him. On this play, he read through his full-field progression, eliminated what wasn’t there, and got to his checkdown. It looks like a routine swing pass, but it highlighted how far Hurts has come in terms of poise and eliminating what is not there. Last season he didn’t always get to that backside option quickly. Across the game, he repeatedly worked past the first and second read and kept the offense on schedule. That’s a really promising development.

9) I think this was one of the best games from a processing point of view I've ever seen from Hurts. He was getting through reads quickly and eliminating what wasn't there. The Eagles ran this concept a few times and the swing route was always on the backside but Hurts never got… pic.twitter.com/3UE5lxmSMX

— Jonny Page (@JonnyPage9) September 7, 2025

Shock: one of Barkley’s best runs came when the Eagles spread out and went shotgun out of 11 personnel. The offensive line dominated up front with two double teams, DeVonta Smith and A.J. Brown blocked downfield, and Barkley finished violently for a touchdown. He ran extremely hard all night, and his lack of efficiency was on the coaches, not him. The design out of heavy personnel looks gave him no chance; but when the formation suited him, he looked excellent. He is going to have a big year when the running game gets going, which I am sure it will, despite my complaints!

10) I don't think it's a coincidence that one of Barkley's best runs came from 11 personnel, shotgun, after spreading out the defense. The offensive line does a fantastic job at the LOS with 2 double teams. Barkley runs really hard, and Smith and AJ Brown do enough at the 2nd… pic.twitter.com/8QylFv0CRi

— Jonny Page (@JonnyPage9) September 7, 2025

Apart from that opening snap, the Eagles never threw from pistol. This exact play happened multiple times. They lined up in Pistol 12 times and had 11 straight runs after the first pass, and became entirely predictable. Dallas was all over it, stacking the box, and Barkley ran into traffic over and over again. It was really poor. Calcaterra’s weakness as an in-line blocker made it worse. If you want to run heavy personnel, you have to pair it with play-action and take some shots down the field. Even if they don’t work, they keep the defense honest. This stat below just proves it. Stacking the box is more about personnel than about who you are facing.

Saquon Barkley faced a stacked box (8+ defenders in the box) on 66.7% of attempts in the Week 1 opener, per Next Gen Stats.

This was more than three times the rate that Barkley faced a stacked box last season (20.6%), and the highest rate Barkley has faced in a game since…

— Jeff McLane (@Jeff_McLane) September 5, 2025

The Eagles didn’t, and the Cowboys simply teed off.

11) Except for the throw on the 1st play of the game, the Eagles didn't throw out of pistol. They used pistol 12 times and ran it 11 straight times after that 1st throw. It was just way too predictable. The Cowboys were all over every run and Barkley had no chance. I don't… pic.twitter.com/urorSkHxHT

— Jonny Page (@JonnyPage9) September 7, 2025

The Cowboys also found joy with corner blitzes in the second half. Once they realised the Eagles weren’t adjusting, they went after Hurts repeatedly and the Eagles’ offense had some troubles picking up the blitzes. Without being in the room it’s hard to know where the breakdowns were, but Barkley looked lost at times in protection. He’s an outstanding runner, but in obvious passing situations, his pass protection wasn’t clean. On several plays the spacing also compounded the problem as Hurts had nowhere obvious to go with the ball when pressure came off the edge. I expect the Chiefs to do this a lot next week so the Eagles better have a clear plan.

12) The Eagles' offense had an issue with cornerback blitzes in the 2nd half and they never fixed it. Without being in the room, I don't want to blame an individual, but Barkley did look a little lost multiple times in pass protection. Maybe Hurts is supposed to dump it off here… pic.twitter.com/KJJ6DqACOK

— Jonny Page (@JonnyPage9) September 7, 2025

I love this play. I know it doesn’t look like much, but I love it! This was my favourite Hurts play of the night. He started by wanting Brown on the slant, then worked back to curls in the middle, then all the way across to the crosser. He read the flat corner, saw him sink to take the crossing route, and instantly hit Barkley in the flat. It went down as a quick gain, but it was his 5th read and shows processing, calmness in the pocket, and perfect mechanics. These are the snaps that show Hurts’ growth as a quarterback. This is awesome to see.

13) Look at Hurts processing full field from the pocket! He wants to hit AJ Brown, but he isn't open. He gets back to Goedert but I think he feels he is a beat too late to throw it. He turns his gaze all the way over to the other side, reads the flat CB who is keeping an eye on… pic.twitter.com/nLD4GZ3qud

— Jonny Page (@JonnyPage9) September 7, 2025

Here’s another rep that shows off the calmness in the pocket. The Eagles ran four verts against Tampa-2, which should have allowed Hurts to take a hole shot on the outside, between the corners and safeties. But Brown was slow off the line (as he was all night), Smith got pressed out of the play, and the receivers didn’t win. Hurts stayed patient, avoided forcing it, and checked down to Barkley. I would love to see some motion here so Smith can avoid press coverage, rather than just having him charge into the cornerback. It’s an example of the design being a little flat.

14) This is also really encouraging from Hurts. The Eagles run 4-verts against Tampa-2, which should give Hurts a hole shot on the outside, but AJ Brown is too slow, and DeVonta Smith gets pressed off the field. I'd love to use motion to give DeVonta a head of steam. Hurts stays… pic.twitter.com/T38GPM85jW

— Jonny Page (@JonnyPage9) September 7, 2025

And finally, the scramble that sealed the game. Once again, the spacing wasn’t good as Goedert, Dotson, and Brown were bunched too tightly, but Hurts made it work. He read the field, immediately recognized that nothing was there, and he escaped for the first down that ended the game. Hurts carried the offense on his back in this one and I thought he played really well.

15) Let's end with the vital scramble that ends the game. Once again, I really do not like the spacing. You can draw a small circle around Goedert, Dotson and AJ Brown. If Goedert breaks to the right and pushes the LB towards the sideline with him then Dotson would be open on the… pic.twitter.com/WWO0OnZh3S

— Jonny Page (@JonnyPage9) September 7, 2025

Overall, there were a lot of problems with predictable personnel usage, poor run game design, and shaky pass protection adjustments in the second half against the blitz. Despite all of that, I thought Hurts had a top game and the offense did have moments where it looked really good. When things went wrong, though, Hurts bailed the offense out on a day when little else worked.

It’s just Week 1. The Eagles won despite missing players from the first snap, and A.J. Brown clearly wasn’t himself. But in the future, they need a more expansive pass game, a smarter run game without so much heavy personnel, and a better plan for cornerback blitzes. If Hurts keeps playing like this, though, the floor is still very high. The ceiling is still incredibly high with this much talent.

Thank you for reading! I’d love to hear your thoughts, so feel free to comment below and ask any questions. If you enjoyed this piece, you can find more of my work and podcast here.

Source: https://www.bleedinggreennation.com...e-of-the-best-games-ive-seen-jalen-hurts-play

 

[Philadelphia Eagles]

Eagles host 7 free agents for try outs, including Quez Watkins

The Philadelphia Eagles hosted seven free agents for try outs on Monday, according to the NFL’s official personnel notice.

The names:

• LB Jamin Davis
• EDGE Isaiah Foskey
• OG LaDarius Henderson
• CB Mike Hilton
• WR K.J. Osborn
• OT Kadeem Telfort
• WR Quez Watkins

This news doesn’t necessarily mean any signings are imminent. The Eagles could merely be doing due diligence. The pro personnel department keeps an updated list of the top available free agents at every position and these try outs help to give them more information.

Some quick notes on these players:

• Davis was the Washington Commanders’ first-round pick (No. 19 overall) in the 2021 NFL Draft. He clearly turned out to be a bust for them. After being released in October 2024, he spent some time with the Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, and New York Jets. The Eagles love themselves former first-round picks.
• Foskey also boasts draft pedigree as a 2023 second-round pick (No. 40 overall). He has since signed with the Cincinnati Bengals, however.
• Henderson has experience at both left tackle and left guard. He played for the national champions (Michigan) in 2023.
• We previously wrote about Hilton on Monday. The Eagles could conceivably sign him to play nickel cornerback if they want to shift Cooper DeJean to the outside. Which they shouldn’t be in a rush to do but might eventually have to.
• Osborn has logged 34 starts in 67 career games played. He was fairly productive for the Minnesota Vikings before falling off last season. Has some limited punt and kick returning experience but didn’t perform well in either category.
• Telfort is a 6’7”, 322 pound blocker who attended four different colleges before signing with the Green Bay Packers as an undrafted rookie free agent in 2023. The 26-year-old has played just 23 career snaps on offense.
• Oh, hey, Quez Watkins! There was once hope that Watkins could be a solid starting wide receiver for the Eagles but his struggles led to the Birds not re-signing him after his rookie contract expired. He then failed to catch on in stints with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Arizona Cardinals.

Source: https://www.bleedinggreennation.com...ee-agents-for-try-outs-including-quez-watkins

 

[Philadelphia Eagles]

Eagles Film Review: Jordan Davis among defensive standouts from Week 1

Week 1 is always a funky time to analyse a defense. Last year, Vic Fangio opened with spot-drop Cover 3 in Week 1 and the defense looked completely different for the rest of the season. This year was even more challenging to judge because the Eagles played the whole game without Jalen Carter, and that obviously made a huge impact. (Previously: Offense film review.)

Defense​

The opening play summed up the problems with Adoree’ Jackson this week. The Eagles moved Jihaad Campbell down to the edge and rushed five, playing three-under, three-deep coverage. Jalyx Hunt nearly got home with a strong rush, but CeeDee Lamb destroyed Jackson. Jackson had outside leverage and safety help inside, yet still gave up the sideline without competing. Losing to Lamb happens, but Jackson wasn’t even close. This wasn’t a rookie making mistakes. Jackson is a veteran. He knows that with this coverage he needs to force Lamb inside to his safety and other defenders. He just can’t give up the outside… which is exactly what he does!

On the positive side, Hunt almost produced a strip sack, and the pass rush overall looked better than I feared post-Carter. I’ll get into that more later!

Eagles Defense All22 Thread Week 1 vs. Cowboys. 1) The Eagles moved Campbell down to EDGE here and rushed 5. This leaves a 3 deep, 3 under coverage. Jalyx Hunt nearly gets home with a great rush, but Adoree Jackson gets badly beaten. There's no harm in losing a rep to Ceedee… pic.twitter.com/utqCAhUfgY

— Jonny Page (@JonnyPage9) September 6, 2025

The run defense was disappointing early, especially in short-yardage against heavy personnel. Fangio often matched with three defensive tackles, but Byron Young and Moro Ojomo both struggled at the point of attack. Ojomo was particularly disappointing against the run throughout the game. On this play Young was driven off the ball. Across the first half the Eagles just looked light and a bit soft up front. Luckily for the Eagles, Jordan Davis had a fantastic second half and made some critical plays. But I thought the Cowboys’ offensive line was simply more physical to start.

2) I was a little disappointed with the Eagles' run D at time, especially in short yardage and against heavy personnel. The Eagles often matched with 3 DT's, but I didn't think Byron Young or Moro Ojomo played well against the run. They got moved a little. Young gets moved badly… pic.twitter.com/0ao0JA2uoI

— Jonny Page (@JonnyPage9) September 6, 2025

I know Fangio asks his outside corners to play soft, and sometimes you just have to live with those short completions. But this was too much. On 2nd-and-7, Jackson gave up five yards of cushion and allowed KaVontae Turpin to break at the sticks for an easy 16 yards. You can’t give that away this easily, especially not from a veteran corner. 16 yards! It doesn’t get any easier for an offense. The Eagles have to find another solution for outside cornerback unless Jackson is going to get better, quickly.

3) It's 2nd and 7. I get the Eagles are playing single-high, and Fangio often asks his outside cornerbacks to play a little soft. I get it. But you can't give up 16 yards this easily. Adoree Jackson isn't even close. He's giving up 5 yards of coverage and Turpin is breaking at… pic.twitter.com/dNNU5Ddhwo

— Jonny Page (@JonnyPage9) September 6, 2025

I’m going to ignore the taunting penalty because it was a joke. I’ve got nothing to say about it. The important thing here was Nolan Smith continuing his progress from last year. He set the edge brilliantly and made a fantastic play against the run. He had multiple strong reps like this one and deserved to celebrate! I thought he had a good game and is in line to have a big season for this defense.

4) (I'm just going to pretend the taunting penalty didn't happen because that was a complete and utter joke). I thought Nolan Smith continued where he left off last year and had some fantastic reps against the run. He deserved to celebrate this one. It was a fantastic rep! pic.twitter.com/5TLdhAmCzj

— Jonny Page (@JonnyPage9) September 6, 2025

This was a night where coverage stood out, and I thought Cooper DeJean looked superb. He’s just an awesome player. On this rep, he flowed effortlessly, gained depth, and flew out to the flat with perfect timing to prevent any gain at all. Everything about his movement looks easy, and his understanding of leverage is outstanding. His understanding of zone depth is as good as any veteran’s. I had to include this clip too because it shows Andrew Mukuba covering Lamb downfield! Mukuba wasn’t perfect and made a few errors, but that’s to be expected from a rookie safety playing in a Fangio defense. I thought he showed enough to be excited about moving forward. You could see the coverage ability and he also made a few nice tackles in and around the box.

5) I'll get to Baun more later, but I thought him and Cooper DeJean were fantastic in coverage. Look how fluidly DeJean moves here. Everything he does is effortless. He's such a top athlete. He gets good depth and gets to the flat so quickly that it results in no gain.

I had to… pic.twitter.com/CAHuRMUMGC

— Jonny Page (@JonnyPage9) September 6, 2025

Jakorian Bennett only played seven snaps, but they were eventful! He was beaten twice and flagged for pass interference, yet he competed at the line and pressed with a lot more intent than I saw from Adoree’ Jackson. He didn’t do enough to force Fangio to start him, but he showed enough to stay in the conversation for CB2 down the line. I worry Bennett is a little too grabby and aggressive, and I’m not sure that Fangio will trust him for a while. For now, the Eagles still don’t have a clear answer opposite Quinyon Mitchell. I’m worried about the position, as I have been for a while!

6) I'm not really sure what to say about Jakorian Bennett this week. He only played 7 snaps and was beat twice and gave up a PI call. However, at least he competed. He was willing to press and get physical at the LOS. I don't think he did enough to make Fangio start him… pic.twitter.com/yM5KkMse9G

— Jonny Page (@JonnyPage9) September 6, 2025

One of the most interesting wrinkles was Fangio breaking out Tampa-2 in this one! Who saw that coming?! He barely touched it last season, yet here he ran it three times in the span of six plays. Tampa-2 can be an incredibly risky coverage because you are essentially asking your linebacker to cover the deep middle of the field. It is quite a boom/bust coverage which we don’t always associate with Vic Fangio! I am fascinated to see if this will continue over the season. I think it might! The first was this one, with Campbell carrying the seam and making a terrific pass breakup. This is just outstanding. I thought Campbell was awesome in coverage. Baun’s reaction is cool too, he knows how difficult this is. Whilst he wasn’t perfect against the run, you can’t teach this kind of coverage ability. Pairing him with Baun gives the Eagles two linebackers who can run Tampa-2, and that’s a rarity in this league. I’m so excited to see this duo this year.

7) One of the more interesting developments from this week was Fangio's willingness to run some Tampa-2! This coverage only works if you have a freak at LB. The Eagles have 2 freaks at LB. Jihaad Campbell was outstanding in coverage in this one, and his movement skills are… pic.twitter.com/Vw6NH3JlBN

— Jonny Page (@JonnyPage9) September 6, 2025

Well, this was rough. On this run snap Reed Blankenship was washed out, Campbell was late setting the edge (which shows you how hard it is for an off-ball linebacker to set the EDGE and how impressive Baun is), and Jackson had another awful rep. I’ve got nothing else to say on Jackson. But then you see Baun flying across the field to save a touchdown. His hustle was extraordinary and it summed up why he was the best defenders on the field. This saved the Eagles 7 points.

8) This was a pretty rough rep. Blankenship gets wrecked. Campbell struggles as the EDGE. I'm unsure if Campbell and Adoree Jackson are confused over who is setting the edge, but they both don't play this well.

However, what an absolutely ridiculous rep by Zack Baun. Once… pic.twitter.com/WBEoq6eGTV

— Jonny Page (@JonnyPage9) September 6, 2025

The Eagles even ran drop-eight Tampa-2. Wow! This time it was Baun’s turn to carry the seam and break up the pass. Having Campbell and Baun both capable of playing this coverage is such a luxury. Not many teams have one linebacker who can do it, let alone two. It’s unbelievable to see. Am I dreaming?!

9) The Eagles didn't just run Tampa-2 a few times this game; they even ran Drop 8 Tampa-2! Zack Baun saw what Jihaad Campbell did earlier and said, 'Anything you can do, I can do better. ' How many teams have 2 linebackers who run Tampa-2 as well as Baun and Campbell did in this… pic.twitter.com/srztXXfRXK

— Jonny Page (@JonnyPage9) September 6, 2025

Here Fangio went even funkier: drop-eight Tampa-2 out of big nickel. He was definitely trying some stuff this week. Mukuba didn’t hold up as well as the linebackers, letting the tight end get open. Blankenship made it a tough catch and was flagged, but I thought he did everything right. Sometimes defenders just can’t win against modern passing rules.

10) Drop 8 Tampa-2 from big nickel personnel? Is Fangio going to get funky this year?! Sadly, Mukuba doesn't do as well as Baun/Campbell did and he lets the TE get open. Blankenship does a good job making this a tough catch and although I understand why it's a penalty, I have no… pic.twitter.com/MHxAiBq3bf

— Jonny Page (@JonnyPage9) September 6, 2025

As the game went on, the run defense improved and it was led by Jordan Davis. In the second half he was dominant, blowing up double teams and playing nearly 80% of the snaps. Here he bulldozed the center into the backfield. I’ve never been fully sold on Jordan Davis but this was the best I have ever seen him look. I’m jumping on the ‘Jordan Davis breakout season’ train before it’s too late. This was a top performance. Nolan Smith also deserves credit. Nobody enjoys taking on pulling guards more than him!

11) I thought the Eagles' run D did show some improvement as the game went on. It was largely led by Jordan Davis. I thought he had a fantastic 2nd half. Just look at him dominate the center here. He played a lot of snaps and seemed to get better, which is a great sign. Nolan… pic.twitter.com/n1Ihrsiims

— Jonny Page (@JonnyPage9) September 6, 2025

Davis was consistently excellent. He not only clogged lanes but penetrated into the backfield, stacking run stops and even producing some pass-rush push. This was as dominant a half as I’ve seen him play.

12) Jordan Davis, oh baby. As I just said, Davis and Nolan Smith had some excellent reps against the run. Jordan Davis breakout season incoming?! pic.twitter.com/lQ9CA7MM4n

— Jonny Page (@JonnyPage9) September 6, 2025

It’s never popular to criticise Quinyon Mitchell, but he didn’t have his best game. He missed an interception that would have sealed it and was too passive on a couple of other reps. If he wants to be considered among the very best corners, he needs to start the catch the ball. He needs some splash plays on his resume. On the positive side, the pass rush was better than expected. The Eagles pressured Dak Prescott on 37% of his dropbacks even without Carter. They didn’t sack him, but Hunt, Smith, and Josh Uche each had four pressures, and Davis added three. Add Carter to that mix and the rush looks much stronger than the box score suggests.

13) It's never popular to say anything negative about Quinyon Mitchell (because he's fantastic), but I didn't think he had the best game. I know we joke about the dropped interceptions, but I really want him to start making plays like this. This would have ended the game and if… pic.twitter.com/P19ctQgncg

— Jonny Page (@JonnyPage9) September 6, 2025

Honestly, I could write a book about Zack Baun in this game. My goodness. He was absolutely phenomenal in coverage. He was flying all over the field, leaving his zones as he knew where the ball was going, and breaking on the ball like a safety. His tackling was textbook, his effort was relentless, and his zone awareness was outrageously good. I had to pinch myself watching the film at times. On this play he sprinted from a hook-curl drop to the sideline to break up a corner route. Who the hell does that?! I actually wonder if DeJean would have picked it off if Baun wasn’t there. When do you see the hook/curl defender and the flat defender breaking on a corner route at the same time?! It’s absurd. His performance was Defensive Player of the Year calibre, even if that award never goes to linebackers. I think he’s that good.

14) Just look at Baun and DeJean. It's teach tape. Baun isn't even playing the flat and he ends up covering the sideline from a hook/curl position. That is absurd! DeJean and Baun are both so intelligent in zone coverage. It's awesome to see. They understand depth so so well. pic.twitter.com/Xh6NebCec8

— Jonny Page (@JonnyPage9) September 6, 2025

The final play. Fangio gambled with man coverage, and DeJean just disrupted the timing enough for Blankenship to get over and help. This could have easily been completed though and then it would have got very tense! The real standout here, though, was Campbell. He faked a rush, dropped into coverage, and erased the shallow route with freakish quickness. Campbell’s range makes him invaluable in modern football. I absolutely loved what Nakobe Dean did last year, and hope he comes back strong because we could do with him as a run defender in certain situations, but I think this is Campbell’s role to lose. Some of his coverage reps were simply awesome.

15) Let's finish with the final play. Fangio rolls the dice and plays man coverage. DeJean does just enough to throw off the timing, and Blankenship does a good job getting across, too. It's a game of fine margins.

However, what really stood out to me about this rep is Jihaad… pic.twitter.com/eJRrkqo49a

— Jonny Page (@JonnyPage9) September 6, 2025

The run game was shaky early and CB2 remains unsettled. But there were plenty of positives: Davis was a monster in the second half, DeJean looked awesome and Baun played out of his mind. Campbell still has things to clean up against the run, but his coverage ability is rare. This wasn’t a perfect showing, but the ceiling is extremely high if Carter comes back healthy.

Thank you for reading! I’d love to hear your thoughts, so feel free to comment below and ask any questions. If you enjoyed this piece, you can find more of my work and podcast here.

Source: https://www.bleedinggreennation.com...n-davis-among-defensive-standouts-from-week-1

 

[Philadelphia Eagles]

Eagles Injury Report: Landon Dickerson limited, Dallas Goedert and Will Shipley sit out

The Philadelphia Eagles issued their first official injury report in advance of their Week 2 road game against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday afternoon.

The Eagles listed three players under DID NOT PARTICIPATE: Dallas Goedert, Will Shipley, and Tanner McKee.

Goedert is reportedly dealing with a knee sprain that might cause him to miss Sunday’s game. If he can’t suit up, Grant Calcaterra figures to start at tight end with Kylen Granson serving as TE2. The Eagles could temporarily elevate Cameron Latu or E.J. Jenkins from the practice squad to have a third tight end active on game day. Of those two, Latu might be the choice since Kevin Patullo mentioned him as a potential fullback option in the wake of the Ben VanSumeren injury.

Shipley reportedly suffered a fractured rib in Week 1. One would expect he’ll miss some time. The Eagles currently have three healthy running backs on the active roster in Saquon Barkley, A.J. Dillon, and newcomer Tank Bigsby (who is wearing No. 37). We’ll see if Bigsby is ready to be RB2 right away or if it could take some time for him to be involved in the offense. The team seems to be interested in Bigsby’s ability as a kick returner.

McKee did not throw during the media-attended portion of practice. It looks like he’ll miss another game, meaning Sam Howell will once again be the top backup quarterback behind Jalen Hurts.

The Eagles listed two players under LIMITED PARTICIPATION: Landon Dickerson and Jalyx Hunt.

Dickerson wasn’t able to finish the Eagles’ Week 1 game due to the back injury he’s been dealing with. But it seems like he’s going to try to give it a go in Week 2. If Dickerson has to miss time, look for Brett Toth to take over at left guard again.

Hunt’s injury is a new development. And it could help to somewhat explain why the Eagles currently have seven rushers on their active roster. We’ll see how the second-year defender progresses over the next two days.

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES INJURY REPORT (WEDNESDAY)​

DID NOT PARTICIPATE

TE Dallas Goedert (knee)
QB Tanner McKee (right thumb)
RB Will Shipley (ribs)

LIMITED PARTICIPATION

OG Landon Dickerson (back)
EDGE Jalyx Hunt (hip)

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KANSAS CITY CHIEFS INJURY REPORT (WEDNESDAY)​

The Chiefs are notably thin at wide receiver; Xavier Worthy and Jalen Royals did not practice while Rashee Rice is suspended through Week 6. KC is left with Hollywood Brown, JuJu “Tik-Tok boy” Smith-Schuster, and Tyquan Thornton as their top receiving trio.

Starting right guard Trey Smith and starting off-ball linebacker Drue Tranquill were both listed as limited on Wednesday. Guessing they’ll be able to play but worth monitoring how they fare in practice over the next two days.

DID NOT PARTICIPATE

WR Jalen Royals (knee)
WR Xavier Worthy (shoulder)

LIMITED PARTICIPATION

OG Trey Smith (knee/illness)
LB Drue Tranquill (knee)

FULL PARTICIPATION

LB Nick Bolton (biceps)
WR Hollywood Brown (ankle)
DB Chamarri Conner (wrist)
DL Ashton Gillotte (elbow)
DL Omarr Norman-Lott (ankle)
OT Jawaan Taylor (knee/ankle)

Source: https://www.bleedinggreennation.com...mited-dallas-goedert-and-will-shipley-sit-out

 

[Philadelphia Eagles]

Eagles Film Review: Za’Darius Smith is exactly the kind of pass rusher this team needed

The Eagles signed Za’Darius Smith to bring something different to the pass rush after Week 1. Obviously, I had to go and have a quick look at his 2024 film. This is what I found.

Za’Darius Smith​

Power rusher: Converts speed to power and can jolt tackles back immediately with his bull rush.

A quick Za'Darius Smith thread… 1) Pretty obvious he's going to be the Eagles' best power rusher immediately. He can convert speed off the edge into real power and has a great bull rush. Look at the power here to jolt the Cowboys tackle backwards immediately. This is his best… pic.twitter.com/pswN1WrHaK

— Jonny Page (@JonnyPage9) September 10, 2025

Versatility: Effective both outside and when kicked inside on third downs, where he overwhelms guards

2) The other big thing that stood out was his closing speed. He can still finish. He will turn pressures into sacks beacuse when he gets a run at the QB he is quick!

On pass rushing downs, he is kicked inside a lot, and it makes a lot of sense. Just like BG had, Smith has the… pic.twitter.com/T5ye9XwkaQ

— Jonny Page (@JonnyPage9) September 10, 2025

Hand usage: Strong at disengaging; uses his arms well to keep blockers off his frame.

3) Here is that power again with him lined up inside over the guard. He's a really top athlete. You can see how smooth and powerful he is. For a man his size it's really impressive. The hand usage and quickness to finish is on show here! He uses his hand strength to disengage… pic.twitter.com/m2YhFjIq1K

— Jonny Page (@JonnyPage9) September 10, 2025

Closing speed: Quick to finish once he wins; turns pressures into sacks. You can see the burst when he gets a run at the quarterback. It’s cool to see!

4) Look at the power and finish again. He gets really low for a big man and keeps his legs driving when engaged with an offensive tackle. I think the Eagles lack a rusher like this, so I can fully understand the signing! He's a very physical player. pic.twitter.com/3gkqj8V4hW

— Jonny Page (@JonnyPage9) September 10, 2025

High motor: Relentless pursuit, often cleaning up plays because he never quits on a rush.

5) As I mentioned earlier, I think he will grab a few clean up sacks because he's a fantastic finisher. He's one of those relentless rushers who seems determined to get after the QB. He strikes me as a high motor pass rusher who linemen will not enjoy blocking. pic.twitter.com/iHljZdi1ly

— Jonny Page (@JonnyPage9) September 10, 2025

Different style of rusher: Brings size and strength the Eagles otherwise lack since Brandon Graham, complements the lighter, bendier edges.

Weaknesses​

Run defense effort: Not nearly as relentless against the run as he is as a pass rusher. He doesn’t give the same intensity as he does when getting after the QB.

6) I think it's fair to say he's not as relentless as a run defender. He has the size and the length to be useful, but you won't see him taking on pulling guards like Nolan Smith does! I think at this stage, he's a little bit more of a pass-rushing specialist. He's fine as a run… pic.twitter.com/E6J0mzJ97X

— Jonny Page (@JonnyPage9) September 10, 2025

Missed tackles: Has posted very high missed tackle rates (27–30% the past two years).

Overaggression: Can get caught upfield, losing contain and opening lanes.

Limited bend: Doesn’t consistently win by turning the corner outside; more of a bull-in-a-china-shop type.

Early-down value: Best suited for sub-packages and third downs rather than heavy run situations. He can absolutely play on early downs but I wouldn’t give him a ton of snaps on 1st down against really good rushing attacks.

7) The issues I had in the run game were with missed tackles, and sometimes getting caught upfield by being too aggressive. The missed tackle stuff is odd because you can see the potential to tackle well here because he's just so long. I don't think he's an outright liability in… pic.twitter.com/n7DeHBJZi0

— Jonny Page (@JonnyPage9) September 10, 2025

Overall​

Za’Darius Smith is exactly the kind of specialist pass rusher the Eagles needed to add. He gives them a dimension they simply didn’t have: a true power rusher who can collapse pockets with his bull rush, win inside against guards, and finish plays with relentless energy. On film he looks chaotic in a good way. He’s not a finesse bend-the-edge type, but a battering ram who uses strength, length, and closing burst to make life tough on offensive linemen. He fits perfectly into sub-packages on third down, where you can imagine him lined up next to Jalen Carter inside or crashing off the edge opposite Nolan Smith/Jalyx Hunt. He’s not just effective when he wins clean; he stays active and often turns effort into production with clean up sacks too.

The downside is that he’s not a complete player at this point in his career. The run defense was a little concerning at times. He’s posted extremely high missed tackle rates in recent years, and you can see why: he isn’t nearly as relentless against the run as he is as a pass rusher. He can get caught upfield, lose contain, and let runners slip by, and too often, his tackling technique lets him down despite his impressive length. That said, the Eagles didn’t bring him in to be a three-down EDGE defender. They signed him to rush the passer, and in that role, he still looks highly effective. If used correctly, Smith has the potential to be one of the most impactful additions of the offseason, bringing a different style of pressure and raising the ceiling of the defensive line. I’m excited by this one!

Thank you for reading! I’d love to hear your thoughts, so feel free to comment below and ask any questions. If you enjoyed this piece, you can find more of my work and podcast here.

Source: https://www.bleedinggreennation.com...ctly-the-kind-of-pass-rusher-this-team-needed

 

[Philadelphia Eagles]

Thursday Night Football: Commanders vs. Packers

Week 2 of the 2025 NFL season will kickoff with a Thursday Night Football matchup between the Washington Commanders (1-0) on the road against the Packers (1-0).

The Packers lead the all-time series between these teams, 20-16-1, but the home team has won 10 of the past 11 meetings. They last faced off back in 2022, when Washington won at home, 23-21.

This matchup is a little more interesting with Micah Parsons now with Green Bay — he’s certainly familiar with his former NFC East opponent, and could end up helping the Eagles if the Packers manage to get the win.

Here’s everything you need to know about tonight’s game.

Washington Commanders vs. Green Bay Packers​

TV Schedule​

Game time: 8:15 PM EST

Channel: Prime Video

Date: Thursday, September 11, 2025

Location: Lambeau Field | Green Bay, WI

Announcers: Al Michaels, Kirk Herbstreit, Kaylee Hartung (field reporter)

Radio: Westwood One

Online Streaming​

FuboTV | Prime Video

Odds via FanDuel

Odds courtesy of FanDuel​

Washington Commanders: +3.5 (-150)

Green Bay Packers: -3.5 (-178)

BLG Pick:

Over/Under: 48.5

SB Nation Blogs​

Commanders: www.HogsHaven.com

Packers: www.AcmePackingCompany.com

---

Open thread: Discuss Thursday night’s game in the comments below.

Source: https://www.bleedinggreennation.com...s-vs-packers-game-information-stream-odds-nfl

 

[Philadelphia Eagles]

Eagles News: Saquon Barkley says “It’s all about winning. The numbers don’t really matter.”

Let’s get to the Philadelphia Eagles news and links …

Eagles locker room notes: How A.J. Brown searches for harmony among the ‘hungry dogs’ as Super Bowl rematch looms – PHLY
Barkley said he and Hurts had a conversation early in the week about the reason they each play the game. Here’s what Barkley had to say: “Obviously you want to get All-Pros and you want to get Super Bowls and you want to get to the Hall of Fame. A lot of that is dictated on you guys and the numbers that we put up, but in reality, you want to go out there, you want to have those statistics, you want to have those numbers, that’s the human in you, but at the end of the day, I had two seasons where I had 2,000 [total] yards and 15 [total] touchdowns. One was my rookie year and one was here, and it looked really different. And I’d take last year over my rookie year every single time. It’s all about winning. The numbers don’t really matter.”

Saquon Barkley: ‘Being patient’ against Chiefs will be key to getting Eagles’ rushing attack back on track – Inquirer
Despite last week’s results, Barkley said his confidence hasn’t wavered in the players up front that pave the way for his success. “I might be naive, but I’m just super confident in those guys up front and our play calling, and then myself that I always believe we’re one block away,” Barkley said. “So every time I touch the ball, every time we’re in the run game, I feel like we have the ability to make a big one pop. Every game is not going to be 100, 150 yards. And my goal, like I said before, is not to rush 2,000 yards. It’s to win football games. We were able to do that, and now we’ve got to go to Kansas City in a tough environment and find a way to get another one.”

Eagles mailbag: Which positions would you swap players with the Chiefs? – BGN
The obvious one people would discuss is Mahomes vs. Jalen Hurts. If you were starting a franchise from scratch, would you take Mahomes? For sure. However… Hurts has out-played Mahomes in the Super Bowl twice and for the way this specific Eagles roster is structured with its offensive line and run game, I wouldn’t want to mess with what is clearly a championship-winning formula. I’m thinking deeply here. If you were to make these types of swaps right here, right now ahead of Week 2, how would it affect the team? Hurts makes this team go from both an on-field and off-the-field perspective. I’m letting it ride with No. 1!

Eagles mailbag: Senseless acquisitions? Comp pick if Azeez Ojulari is released? What to do at CB2? – PhillyVoice
Question from @BigsWinz: Why haven’t the Eagles traded for a corner yet? They are watching the same game as us. Well, they did trade for Jakorian Bennett. Step 2 on that transaction would be to start him over Jackson. Again, we’ll see. But also, cornerback seems to be a pretty thin position at the moment, league-wide. Here’s a link to all of the NFL’s starting outside corners, by team. The are a lot of injured corners (in red), and a dearth of teams with extra corner depth. Teams around the league have no reason to trade away good cornerbacks at the moment. Honestly, it was kind of a weird circumstance that spurred the Raiders to even trade Bennett. Basically, the Raiders have a new head coach in Pete Carroll, who historically has not employed smaller corners. (Bennett is 5’11.) Maybe at the trade deadline, when a bunch of teams will have conceded that their season is in the toilet?

The Deuce – Iggles Blitz
Steve Spagnuolo has done great things with the KC defense over the years. They did not look good in LA. They gave up 394 yards, looking especially vulnerable against the pass. Justin Herbert finished with 318 yards and a passer rating of 131.7. Wow. Spags said communication wasn’t the issue, instead giving credit to the Chargers for using rub routes effectively. He also said their run-pass balance caught KC off guard. Jim Harbaugh loves to run the ball, but his RBs only had 17 carries in the game. The Chargers focused on the pass and looked great on offense. Well done by their coaching staff. One key player is missing from last year, safety Justin Reid. Last year he had 2 INTs, 9 PDs and was third on the team with 87 tackles. Reid was incredibly smart and talented and did a lot of things on the back end of the defense. Without a playmaker like him in the secondary, the defense struggled in coverage last week. Maybe the young safeties will step over time. They didn’t against the Chargers.

Sirianni hopes to bring success to the Eagles for years to come – ESPN
“[Fans] just see, ‘Wow, we got a lot of really good players. We got all the pieces. People think we’re the best team in the NFL. This is going to be easy.’ Nah. This will be the hardest thing they’ve ever done,” Auriemma said. The other concern, which was discussed during Sirianni and Auriemma’s phone call of about 45 minutes, was the psychological switch that happens when you’re king or queen of the mountain. You go from an attack to a defensive posture, having to fend off all the teams that will inevitably deliver their best performances in the name of trying to take what you have. But Auriemma has learned that there’s a way to turn that on its head. “I asked [Sirianni], I said, ‘Well, why can’t the message be: We’re not the hunted. We’re on the hunt for another one. Why should we feel like everybody’s chasing us and everybody’s giving us their best shot? Why don’t we flip the switch and we’re hunting for another one? And is that more powerful, knowing that you’ve done it and now you’re on the hunt for another one than someone who’s not done it and is trying to get one?” Auriemma said. “That has helped me the last number of years, to try and not let my team feel like everybody’s after us and sometimes play the victim: woe is me, we’re getting everybody’s best shot, blah, blah, blah. And, you know, try to think about it in a completely different way.”

Jordan Davis feeling confidence boost in new body after strong Week 1 – NBCSP
But there’s no doubt that Davis’s Week 1 performance is encouraging. And being in better shape and being able to play more snaps boosts the confidence of the 25-year-old defensive tackle. “It does,” Davis said. “Because I know the more I’m on the field, the more I’m able to contribute and that just helps me be a better player. My thing is just contribution. I don’t really care if that’s taking a double-team, getting a tackle, getting a sack, it doesn’t matter. I just want to be out there and play. I just want to have fun with the guys, enjoy it and just pull out the win.” This is Year 4 for Davis at a position where it can often take some time for players to adjust to the NFL. The Eagles already picked up his fifth-year option for the 2026 season, so it’s not like Davis is in a contract year. But this season is a big opportunity for the former No. 13 overall pick out of Georgia. Against the Cowboys in the opener, Davis tied a career-high with 6 combined tackles, to go along with a tackle for loss, a pass breakup and a couple QB pressures. It’s not like we’re ready to put Davis in the Pro Bowl, but it was a good start. And Davis only has that start because he was able to play 53 snaps comfortably.

NFL offensive line rankings ahead of Week 2 – PFF
1) Philadelphia Eagles. Left guard Landon Dickerson battled an injury during Philadelphia’s Week 1 win over the Cowboys, which resulted in his exit. Backup Brett Toth handled the Eagles’ final 11 offensive snaps in his place. Dickerson also earned the lowest PFF overall grade among the team’s offensive linemen (51.5). The unit had an uncharacteristic game compared to past seasons, allowing 12 pressures — including one sack — on 34 pass plays. That culminated in an 80.9 PFF pass-blocking efficiency rating, which ranked only 25th in the NFL in Week 1.

Eagles’ Moro Ojomo, ‘obsessed with evolving,’ on his Nigerian sports academy, chance to start – The Athletic
“You get five questions,” Ojomo concedes. It’s Wednesday. The Eagles are 1-0 with a road rematch with the Kansas City Chiefs looming. And Ojomo is hankering for a workout. This isn’t unusual for Ojomo, nor for a team that stresses habits. Its third-year defensive tackle has earned a reputation for his extra time in the weight room. There’s good reason why Eagles defensive line coach Clint Hurtt said in the summer that Ojomo’s “motor runs all day long.” After our four-minute conversation, Ojomo hustles out of the locker room. I walk three stalls over and ask his fellow lineman, Jordan Davis, about Ojomo’s journey from seventh-rounder to full-time starter. “You can feel the intensity,” Davis tells me. “He comes in here, he has a workout…” Davis peeks over at Ojomo’s empty locker. “He’s probably in the weight room working out,” Davis continues. “That’s just the type of dude that he is.”

Joshua Uche says facing his former team ‘adds a different element’ | Eagles vs. Chiefs Daily Updates – PE.com
Outside linebacker Joshua Uche is returning to a familiar place this Sunday, when he will play in Kansas City against his former team. Uche was traded from the Patriots to the Chiefs in the middle of last season, and while he’s approaching Week 2 as just the next game on the schedule, he knows there’s another layer. “Treat every game like it’s your last game, but obviously being there, knowing those guys, and things like that, adds a different element to it,” Uche said. “It’s exciting, man. Definitely excited to get back to Arrowhead in a different capacity.”

NFL Week 2 picks: Patriots over Dolphins among upset predictions; Eagles drop Chiefs to 0-2 – NFL.com
Why Brooke picked the Chiefs: Some of the issues we saw from the Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX didn’t go away in the offseason. In the season-opening loss to the Chargers, the offensive line struggled royally — both with penalties and protecting Patrick Mahomes. That won’t cut it against the Eagles, especially with Jalen Carter returning to the lineup — save for another boneheaded move. On paper, the Chiefs might have very few advantages over the Eagles — quarterback and run defense, among them — but there are several historical aspects I’m leaning into with this pick: The Chiefs have never started 0-2 in the Mahomes era. Mahomes has never lost three straight games in his NFL career (including playoffs). Mahomes is 4-0 in his career following back-to-back losses (including playoffs). Mahomes is 19-4 in the game after a loss in his career. I could be completely wrong, but I’m willing to die on the Mahomes hill for a while longer.

The Chiefs’ 3 biggest questions about the Eagles in Week 2 – Arrowhead Pride
Can the Chiefs’ pass rush bounce back? The most concerning aspect of the Chiefs’ loss to the Chargers was their inability to generate pressure with four defensive linemen, which allowed Los Angeles quarterback Justin Herbert to stand comfortably in the pocket and throw downfield strikes that stressed Kansas City’s coverage. This was against the Chargers’ offensive line, which didn’t project to be very good — especially after left tackle Rashawn Slater was injured. So this concern will be magnified on Sunday against the Eagles, when the team will face one of the league’s best offensive lines. There is some good news. The Chiefs won’t be playing in Brazil. While the field at Arena Corinthians seemed better, it still isn’t a normal NFL field or environment; playing on GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium should give the pass rush more juice. And it feels inevitable that defensive tackle Chris Jones will bounce back. He played a bad game on Friday, but he doesn’t often have bad performances in back-to-back games. If he is at his best, that will trickle down to other players.

Chiefs are home underdogs for only the second time with Patrick Mahomes – PFT
Patrick Mahomes has started 68 home games in Kansas City. He’s only been an underdog once. This week will make it twice, as the Chiefs are 1.5-point underdogs at home against the Eagles on Sunday. The Chiefs have been the best team in the NFL over the course of Mahomes’ tenure as their starting quarterback, so getting points to bet on them at home is a rare opportunity. But the only other time bettors had that opportunity, it was a losing bet: The Chiefs were 2.5-point underdogs at home against the Bills in Week Six of 2022, and the Bills beat the Chiefs 24-20 in that game.

Commanders dominated at Lambeau; now facing a new level of adversity – Hogs Haven
The Commanders took a beating at Lambeau Field last night, there’s no other way to say it. For all of the celebration and praise that Washington received following their week one win over the New York Giants, and the fashion in which they did it defensively, the Commanders immediately felt what it was like to be the New York Giants for a week. Washington’s offensive line was under siege all night, and defensively, they could have allowed much more than 27 points against the Green Bay Packers if not for their self-inflicted mistakes. It was a humbling night for Washington in several ways. For instance, one of the most feared offenses since Jayden Daniels and OC Kliff Kingsbury took over was the unit, which had just 90 total yards midway through the third quarter at one point. Or, how about defensively, where the unit gave up two 90-yard touchdown drives to Green Bay that looked relatively easy for the Packers. The failure extends to the game plan as well. Rookie RT Josh Conerly Jr. had a bad night.

Cowboys vs Giants: ‘I won’t be shocked if Dart takes over at some point on Sunday’ – Blogging The Boys
Blogging The Boys: Should Russell Wilson get the start again or are you ready for Jaxson Dart? Big Blue View: I have said consistently that the Giants, and Jaxson Dart specifically, will be best served by waiting as long as possible to turn to Dart. No quarterback has ever been hurt by having to wait his turn. Plenty have been ruined by being asked to do too much too soon, or by being thrown to the wolves in front of terrible offensive lines. The longer the Giants can wait, the better. That said, I don’t know how long they can, or will, wait. Brian Daboll is, justifiably, under pressure. His future is tied to Jaxson Dart. I can’t imagine he will let the season slip away before getting Dart on the field. I do not think it would be best for Dart, but if the Giants no-show on offense again I won’t be shocked if Dart takes over at some point on Sunday.

NFL Week 2 picks, predictions: Can the Giants finally beat the Cowboys? – Big Blue View
Valentine’s View: I thought I would be picking the Giants to win this game. I wanted to, in fact, I still want to. After the way the Giants played on Sunday against the Washington Commanders, and with 15 losses in 16 game to the Cowboys, I just can’t. The Giants were atrocious on offense and not nearly as good as they need to be on defense in Week 1. The NFL is a week-to-week league and things can change quickly, but I am going to have to see the Giants put together a much better performance before I pick them to win a game. Pick: Cowboys.

The Green Bay Packers Put on a Clinic Thursday Night—and Staked a Claim as a Super Bowl Contender – The Ringer
In 10 days, Green Bay has beaten two of last season’s best NFC teams—and did so in convincing fashion. With Micah Parsons and a reenergized defense, do Jordan Love and Co. finally have enough margin for error to make a real championship run?

The Packers really are that damn good – SB Nation
On Thursday night the Packers easily dispatched the Washington Commanders, holding one of the best offenses in the conference to three points entering the fourth quarter, before a little complacency snuck in and a garbage time touchdown late in the game made the box score look infinitely closer than the game really was. Green Bay is now 2-0 after two weeks, easily coasting past two of the other best teams in the conference. The hype isn’t just deserved, it’s been earned — and now the Packers hit a much easier stretch of their schedule which could easily see this team at 4-0 entering the bye week, or even 7-0 before Halloween. There are some core factors to why Green Bay is looking like one of the best team in the NFC right now, and a couple of pitfalls they need to watch for moving forward.

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