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[Philadelphia Eagles]

Eagles-Vikings Final Injury Report: Landon Dickerson and Jalen Carter questionable

The Philadelphia Eagles issued their third and final official injury report in advance of their Week 7 road game against the Minnesota Vikings.

The Eagles ruled one player OUT: Grant Calcaterra.

Calcaterra hasn’t practiced since suffering an oblique injury in Week 5. His absence means the Eagles will have Kylen Granson and Cameron Latu as rotational contributors behind starting tight end Dallas Goedert.

The Eagles ruled two players QUESTIONABLE: Landon Dickerson and Jalen Carter.

Dickerson was limited on Wednesday and Thursday before being upgraded to full go on Friday. Seems like he’s going to try to start at left guard. If Dickerson can’t make it through the game, Brett Toth figures to fill in for him.

Carter fully participated in practice on Wednesday and told reporters he’s going to play. But then he was limited on Thursday and Friday … and now he’s questionable. If the Eagles temporarily elevate Gabe Hall (or sign him to the roster since they have an open spot) from the practice squad prior to 4:00 PM Eastern on Saturday (which is the deadline to do so), that could be a bad sign for Carter’s chances of suiting up. We’ll find out if Carter is officially playing or not when Eagles-Vikings inactives are announced at 11:30 AM on Sunday morning.

Quinyon Mitchell, Zack Baun, and Jordan Davis are all listed without game statuses.

This means they’re ready to play despite appearing on the injury report this week.

Very good news that Mitchell will be able to play since starting both Adoree’ Jackson and Kelee Ringo against the Vikings’ wide receivers would’ve been really bad. Speaking of, Jackson figures to be CB2 with Ringo headed back to the bench.

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES INJURY REPORT (FRIDAY)​

OUT

TE Grant Calcaterra (oblique)

QUESTIONABLE

DT Jalen Carter (heel)
OG Landon Dickerson (ankle)

…

RESERVE/RETIRED

EDGE Za’Darius Smith

Smith unexpectedly retired from football earlier this week.

RESERVE/INJURED

CB Jakorian Bennett
WR Darius Cooper
OT Myles Hinton
LS Charley Hughlett
G/C Willie Lampkin
EDGE Ogbo Okoronkwo
EDGE Nolan Smith
FB Ben VanSumeren
OT Cameron Williams
WR Johnny Wilson

Hinton, Lampkin, and Williams are currently eligible to return from IR. Smith, Bennett, and Cooper are eligible to return from IR after Week 7 but we’ll see if the Eagles wait until after the Week 9 bye to activate them. Hughlett is eligible to return from IR after Week 8 but he might need longer to heal up. BVS, Wilson, and Okoronkwo suffered season-ending injuries.

---

MINNESOTA VIKINGS INJURY REPORT (FRIDAY)​

The big news is that Carson Wentz will start against the Eagles; head coach Kevin O’Connell announced as much on Friday afternoon. Week 1 starter J.J. McCarthy was ruled questionable and is expected to serve as the emergency third quarterback behind Wentz and undrafted rookie Max Brosmer.

In addition to McCarthy, the Vikings ruled five other players questionable: starting right tackle Brian O’Neill, fill-in starting center Michael Jurgens (who’s had to play with Ryan Kelly on injured reserve), starting inside linebacker Blake Cashman, rotational defensive lineman Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins, and depth outside linebacker Tyler Batty.

O’Neill was limited in practice this week so he might be a game-time decision. Ditto for Ingram-Dawkins.

Jurgens was full go in practice this week so he’ll probably play. Ditto for Cashman and Batty.

The Vikings ruled out starting outside linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel, who hasn’t played since Week 3 due to a neck injury.

Vikings starting outside linebacker Jonathan Greenard was listed without a game status despite unexpectedly popping up on Thursday’s report with a hamstring injury.

OUT

OLB Andrew Van Ginkel (neck)

QUESTIONABLE

OLB Tyler Batty (knee)
LB Blake Cashman (hamstring)
DL Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins (hip)
C Michael Jurgens (hamstring)
QB J.J. McCarthy (ankle)
OT Brian O’Neill (knee)

…

RESERVE/PHYSICALLY UNABLE TO PERFORM

TE Gavin Bartholomew

RESERVE/INJURED

OLB Tyler Batty (practice window open)
LB Blake Cashman (practice window open)
RB Ty Chandler
C Zeke Correll
RB Aaron Jones Sr.
C Ryan Kelly
WR Rondale Moore
OL Matt Nelson

The Vikings have until 4:00 PM Eastern on Saturday to activate Batty and/or Cashman to their roster in order for them to be eligible to play on Sunday.

Source: https://www.bleedinggreennation.com...andon-dickerson-and-jalen-carter-questionable

 

[Philadelphia Eagles]

Carson Wentz officially starting for Vikings against Eagles

What was suspected to be the case is now officially official: Carson Wentz is the starting quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings this weekend against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Vikes head coach Kevin O’Connell stated as much during his Friday press conference.

Wentz began the 2025 season as J.J. McCarthy’s backup but the second-year signal caller got hurt in Week 2. There was thought that McCarthy might return for Week 7 but he was limited in practice while Wentz was a full participant despite a recent shoulder injury. McCarthy is expected to serve as the emergency third quarterback while undrafted rookie Max Brosmer backs up Wentz.

Wentz is 2-1 in three starts for the Vikings so far this season. He’s completing 69% of his passes, which is nice, for 253 yards per game, five passing touchdowns, and two interceptions. He’s taken 12 sacks and has fumbled once.

On that note, we all know too well that Wentz is prone to losing control of the football. He’s fumbled 74 times in 102 career games played. The Eagles’ pass rush has struggled to notch sacks this season but maybe they can finally get going against Wentz playing behind a banged up offensive line?

The Eagles sacked Wentz nine times the last time (and first time) Philly’s former franchise quarterback started against his original NFL team. That was back in September 2022, when Wentz was playing for the Washington Commanders.

With the Birds entering Sunday as 2.5-point road favorites, they’re expected to win. But if Wentz can lead his Vikings to an upset, the Eagles will suffer their third straight loss to drop to 4-3. Losing would be bad enough. Losing to Wentz would only be salt in the wound.

Source: https://www.bleedinggreennation.com...fficially-starting-for-vikings-against-eagles

 

[Philadelphia Eagles]

Eagles Opponent Film Room: Scouting the Minnesota Vikings’ offense

I’ve watched the most recent games of the opponents, focusing on specific areas: touchdowns, deep passes, turnovers, sacks, and explosive runs. Think of it less as a prediction piece and more as a scouting report. Each week, I’ll publish two articles on the opponent’s offense and defense to give a picture of what the Eagles will be up against.

Defense​

Kevin O’Connell’s offense is one of the better-designed units in football. Even with the injuries, inconsistency at quarterback, and an offensive line that’s been nothing short of a disaster, it’s clear on film that this is still a pretty good offense. He loves to use motions to manipulate leverage, switch releases to open throwing lanes, and play-action that’s designed to isolate defensive backs. However, the offense has a very obvious weakness, which we will get into.

Touchdowns​

When the Vikings do finish drives, it’s often because of Kevin O’Connell’s play design. Their red-zone efficiency (10th in the league) is one of the few metrics that still looks healthy. They use condensed splits, motion, and play-action to create misdirection and space near the goal line. And they have this guy called Justin Jefferson, who’s pretty good…

Vikings' Offense All22 Thread. 1) This is a very well-designed offense, for the most part. I'm a big fan of Kevin O'Connell and how he uses scheme to maximise Justin Jefferson and create openings down the field. Look at the motion here to create a switch release and open up a… pic.twitter.com/nQaUvWeUw8

— Jonny Page (@JonnyPage9) October 16, 2025

The Vikings’ run game isn’t explosive, but it’s physical in the red zone. It’s built on staying ahead of the sticks, being vertical, using double-teams, and is designed to punish soft fronts. Losing Aaron Jones hurt, but Jordan Mason has stepped in as a physical downhill runner who finishes runs and fights through contact. The Eagles struggled with a physical run game last week, so they will get a chance to bounce back this week against another physical back.

2) They aren't an explosive running game, and losing Aaron Jones has cost them a weapon out of the backfield, but Jordan Mason is a physical downhill back, and he will punish a lack of physicality. Last week, the Eagles struggled against a physical back, so we get to see if they… pic.twitter.com/RSQxmZcO2a

— Jonny Page (@JonnyPage9) October 16, 2025

3) It might not be explosive, but they want to stay ahead of the sticks and pick up important yards on 1st and 2nd down. It's a very vertical run game with a lot of double teams at the point of attack. It's not a great offensive line, but you need to be prepared for the double… pic.twitter.com/K5cy5jXZat

— Jonny Page (@JonnyPage9) October 16, 2025

Once they fall behind the sticks, the playbook shrinks due to a massive issue at the offensive line, which we will get to! It’s tough to predict who will start at quarterback; both of them have shown the ability to create outside of structure, partly due to a weak offensive line. We will get into the quarterbacks more, below.

4) I've got to be honest, it's been cool seeing Carson Wentz back. He's still got the same positives and negatives. Despite a bad offensive line, he is less likely to run due to his age, but he can create plays out of structure, too. He's done a good job of creating since… pic.twitter.com/yNgxqeViTe

— Jonny Page (@JonnyPage9) October 16, 2025

Explosive Passes​

You can see why O’Connell is so highly regarded. The film is full of small details that open up space. The way he uses switch releases and late motion to help Justin Jefferson shake brackets, or how he schemes Jefferson onto safeties through deep crossers and posts. It’s clear on film that when they get time, the passing game is excellent. They love to hit Jefferson on deep overs, isolate him outside against single coverage, and use Jordan Addison as a secondary vertical threat. The issue isn’t design, it’s the ability to protect.

5) If this pass game has time, you don't have a chance at stopping Jefferson, no matter who the QB is. If you can't win up front and give this much time for routes to develop, someone will get open. O'Connell loves running deep crossers and posts and getting Jefferson matched up… pic.twitter.com/sK4GMZ3QV8

— Jonny Page (@JonnyPage9) October 16, 2025

Both Carson Wentz and J.J. McCarthy can make every throw, but their rhythm is different. Wentz still has flashes of his old gunslinger self, firing deep balls into tight windows, while McCarthy is a little more unpredictable.

6) Wentz still has that gunslinger in him. Love it. He will throw balls into coverage, giving the defense a chance at interceptions. There is no doubt. Despite how good this throw is, this is a tough catch into a tight window. However, you can get away with it when targeting… pic.twitter.com/ZvDtKxVhZY

— Jonny Page (@JonnyPage9) October 16, 2025

If you give either QB time, the deep passing game will be dangerous because of Jefferson and the scheme. Personally, from watching both of them, I think I would rather face McCarthy than Wentz. Neither option is terrifying from an Eagles perspective, but Wentz is playing better than McCarthy on film this season.

Sacks​

This is the single biggest problem with the Vikings’ offense. They’ve given up 21 sacks already and have the worst sack rate in the league (12.6%). It’s not just the offensive tackles (though Justin Skule in particular has been a major weak link), it’s the whole unit that has struggled.

7) Despite all the positives, this offense has a huge Achilles heel. They are bad at pass protection. The left tackle (Justin Skule) is getting beaten frequently, and the Vikings can't protect long enough to enable their concepts to develop. The Eagles desperately need to get… pic.twitter.com/Ym63kDbARO

— Jonny Page (@JonnyPage9) October 16, 2025

Communication is poor. You can see them repeatedly blow stunt pickups, and late blitzers catch them by surprise constantly. The left tackle has struggled with speed rushers, and the interior lacks cohesion after rotating through different linemen due to injuries.

9) The offensive line has struggled picking up stunts up front, which is something the Eagles have had a lot of success with this season. I expect to see a lot of stunts on obvious passing situations because communication on the Vikings' OL doesn't look great. pic.twitter.com/2toPJjybc7

— Jonny Page (@JonnyPage9) October 16, 2025

As we all know, sacks are also a quarterback statistic. Neither quarterback helps out the offensive line. McCarthy holds the ball for too long as he takes too long to process things. Wentz is a little different. He gets the ball out quicker, but he still doesn’t diagnose pressure well. He’s still fearless, and his “hang tough” mentality gets him hit over and over again. Sack-fumbles have been a recurring issue.

8) Late rushers can still catch out Wentz. He doesn't diagnose pressure well and prefers to hang tough in the pocket, letting things develop down the field. Sack fumbles remain a good way of slowing down this offense. pic.twitter.com/gYFXsbApYr

— Jonny Page (@JonnyPage9) October 16, 2025

The Eagles have to take advantage here. This game is tailor-made for stunts, simulated pressures, and delayed blitzes from the second level. The Vikings’ communication can’t handle complexity. I expect the Eagles to get after the quarterback this week. If the Eagles’ front doesn’t dominate this matchup, that’s going to be a huge issue. This could be a massive Jalen Carter game. I’m hopeful!

Turnovers​

This offense lives on the edge. Wentz is still Wentz. He’s capable of a highlight-reel touchdown followed immediately by a disastrous throw. His confidence in Jefferson’s ability to win one-on-ones leads to high-risk throws. While that aggression creates big plays, it also gives defenses chances to make momentum-swinging plays.

McCarthy, on the other hand, looks overwhelmed at times. He’s a rookie who holds the ball too long, floats passes, and struggles to throw with anticipation. He has higher long-term upside but would give the Eagles far more turnover chances.

10) If McCarthy does play, he will give you chances when he is late to throw. I think I would rather face McCarthy from what I've seen, and although he has more upside, he has a lot more turnover-worthy plays and could lose the Vikings the game if he plays poorly. He often holds… pic.twitter.com/7DyCOVuY4o

— Jonny Page (@JonnyPage9) October 16, 2025

As I said earlier, I’d rather face McCarthy. He’s late too often and doesn’t handle pressure well. If the Vikings choose to throw him in too early against a Fangio defense full of disguised coverages, it could get ugly. I assumed this overthrow was classic Wentz, but it was McCarthy!

11) You can see that McCarthy is still pretty raw as a thrower. There are some bad misses and overthrows on film, such as this one. My guess is that Wentz plays, partly due to injury and partly to give McCarthy more time to sit and learn, but both quarterbacks will give you a… pic.twitter.com/K43fd37DIx

— Jonny Page (@JonnyPage9) October 16, 2025

Expect at least one turnover-worthy play from whichever QB starts.

Explosive Runs​

The Vikings’ run game isn’t explosive. Minnesota’s line isn’t dominant, but it’s cohesive enough to double and climb. If the Eagles lose physicality at the point of attack, Mason can churn out four and five yard gains that keep the offense alive. I would be disappointed if Mason had long runs, though, and it would be a real concern.

Without Aaron Jones, they lack a home-run threat, and the offensive line’s injuries make it hard to get movement consistently. This is more grind-it-out than game-breaking.

Final Thoughts​

This is a really well-schemed offense, but its offensive line traps it. If the Vikings can protect, they’ll move the ball. O’Connell will scheme Jefferson open against a banged-up Eagles’ secondary, and he could have a huge game. For the Eagles, this game is all about dominance up front. Win with the front four, create third and longs, and force O’Connell out of his rhythm. If the Eagles apply consistent pressure, they should create turnovers, especially if McCarthy starts.

This is one of those games where, schematically, I think most things work in the Eagles’ favour, but they have Justin Jefferson. Great players can turn games. I hope this isn’t one of those games.

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. If you would like to support me further, please check out my Patreon here!

Source: https://www.bleedinggreennation.com...m-room-scouting-the-minnesota-vikings-offense

 

[Philadelphia Eagles]

Eagles vs. Vikings: The good, the bad, and the ugly

For the brief time that they were together, Jalen Hurts was relegated to the nerds table in the NovaCare Complex, often ignored while Eagles’ starter Carson Wentz and his pals, backup quarterback Nate Sudfeld and quarterback’s coach Press Taylor, would yuk it up at the cool kid’s table.

Hurts never said anything. He never caused a problem. He kept to himself, and he kept to his grind, put his head down, and focused on what he had to do to be a better quarterback and earn the starting job.

A year later, Wentz, Sudfeld and Taylor were gone—and Hurts was on his way to eventually winning Super Bowl MVPs and Super Bowls. Wentz, meanwhile, was on his way to six different teams in the last six years, the latest being the Eagles’ opponent on Sunday, the Minnesota Vikings.

A glaring reason why was on full display at U.S. Bank Stadium on Sunday.

The Eagles beat the Vikings, 28-24, led by Hurts completing 19 of 23 passes, with almost as many touchdowns (3) as incompletions (4), throwing for 326 yards. It marked the first time Hurts threw for over 300 yards since he completed 29 of 38 for 311 yards in the Eagles’ 15-12 at New Orleans on September 22, 2024.

Hurts posted a 158.3 passer rating (the third perfect passer rating in team history), while Wentz completed 26 of 42 for 313 yards and two interceptions, compounded by going 1 for 6 in the red zone. He was rattled easily, made dubious decisions, held the ball too long, and was, well, “typical Wentz.”

It was the first time this season that Minnesota gave up over 200 yards passing, and Hurts did it with Brett Toth playing center for the most of the game for the injured Cam Jurgens and did a decent job.

There were still some troubling numbers: In every game this season, the Eagles have been outgained. This time, it was the Vikings who outgained the Eagles, 387/361, and if not for Wentz making some nervous red zone mistakes, the outcome could have been far different.

It looks as if Howie Roseman and the Eagles made the right choice.

A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith combined for 13 receptions for 304 of the Eagles’ 361 total yards of offense.

This was the kind of rebound victory that the Eagles needed after coming off their horrid 34-17 beatdown by the New York Giants, who the Eagles have next Sunday at 1 p.m. at Lincoln Financial Field.

The Eagles are now 5-2, and the only team in the NFC East over .500, two games ahead in the victory column over Washington (3-3) and three over Dallas (2-3-1) and the New York Giants (2-4).

There was a mountain of good, some bad, and a pinch of ugly in the Eagles’ reviving 28-24 victory over the Minnesota Vikings.

The Good​

Hurts carried the Eagles. Hecompleted 19 of 23 for 326 yards. What was more crucial was how well he played on big downs, scrambling free to hit Brown with a 13-yard pass on a third-and-13 with 8:40 to play.The play extended the Eagles’ drive, which resulted in Brown’s second touchdown catch and a 28-19 Eagles’ lead. In the last two minutes, Hurts later hit Brown for a 45-yard completion on third-and-nine to seal the win. He played patient. He played smart. He threw accurately.

A.J. Brown’s 45-yard reception with 1:36 left was the play of the game. It came on a crucial third-and-nine at the Eagles’ 44, and sealed the victory. It wrapped up Brown’s four-catch, 121-yard reception performance, highlighted by two touchdowns. His 37-yard touchdown reception came on the opening drive and ended with a 26-yard score in the fourth quarter. On the first score, Hurts hadall the time in the world, it seemed, even pointing down field noticing the mismatched Joshua Metellus trying to keep up with Brown down the sideline. The protection was perfect, and despite the Vikings dropping eight, Hurts found a crease and exploited it. Brown was put in motion, and Metellus simply could not keep up with him. On the second score, Brown beat Vikings’ cornerback Byron Murphy Jr. on an inside route in the middle of the field. On the 45-yard reception, Brown beat former Eagle teammate Isaiah Rodgers for the clincher.

DeVonta Smith’s career game, with a game-high nine catches for a career-best 183 yards—the most by an NFL receiver this season—which included a 79-yard, third-quarter touchdown strike, the longest play of his career. The Eagles ran the play with Hurts under center, on a play-action fake to Saquon Barkley. Rodgers, who is having a nice season for Minnesota, bit and looked up. That created the opening for Smith, who blew right by Rodgers. Hurts hit Smith in stride for a 21-6 lead with 8:07 left in the third quarter. Smith’s previous career long was 63 yards in 2023 against the Vikings. Smith later made an incredible 28-yard catch with less than a minute left in the third quarter. Unfortunately, Jake Elliott missed a 42-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter on the drive.

Edge rusher Joshua Uche’s eight-yard sack on a first-and-goal at the Eagles’ 18. Uchebeat Minnesota right tackleBrian O’Neill, taking Wentz down from behind. The Uche play forced the Vikings into their fifth field goal, preserving a 28-22 lead, and going one-for-six in the red zone.

Moro Ojomo’s seven-yard sack on a third-and-five at the Eagles’ 17 with 10:44 to play. It was typical Wentz. He had problems reading man coverage, and doing what he does, held the ball too long,when Ojomo took him down and forced another Minnesota field goal. It was the fifth time Minnesota was in the red zone and the fourth time the Eagles held the Vikings to a field goal.

Linebacker Nakobe Dean knifing through to take down Zavier Scott for a four-yard loss at midfield on the Vikings’ second drive of the second half. Dean played very well coming off the debilitating torn patellar tendon in his left knee he inured during the Eagles’ 22-10 Wild Card playoff victory over the Green Bay Packers on January 12, 2025. Until the injury, Dean was having his best—and healthiest—season as a pro, making 128 tackles in the regular season, with three sacks, and six quarterback hits. He underwent surgery in January. Against the Vikings, Dean had six tackles, three solo, including the Scott tackle for a loss.

Rookie safety Andrew Mukuba’s interception on the Vikings’ third drive. Wentz, a gift who gives on giving, made a poor decision and rather than checking down, he instead decided the throw one up to for an easy pick for Mukuba, who had his issues against the New York Giants’ Wan’Dale Robinson that led to a TD. It was Wentz’s second interception on successive drives. Later on, Mukuba returned to his missed-tackling ways.

Edge rusher Jalyx Hunt’s 42-yard touchdown interception return. It was a great play by Hunt, and a great call by Eagles’ defensive coordinator Vic Fangio. Hunt showed at the line of the scrimmage on the Vikings’ right, cheating toward Justin Jefferson in the slot. As the play unfolded, Hunt then peeled back into coverage. Wentz was completely fooled, looking at Jefferson and never seeing Hunt sitting there in the middle of the field. Hunt scored his first touchdown—on his first NFL interception. Fangio showed six up front, confusing Wentz as to who was rushing and who was backing into coverage. Jalen Carter had a lot do with that play, pressuring Wentz up the middle and forcing the shellshocked former Eagles’ first-round draft into making a “Wentz” play.

The Eagles’ first offensive drive against Brian Flores’ vaunted Vikings’ defense. The Eagles chewed through Minnesota for 8 minutes, 1 second in going 74 yards over 12 plays. The Eagles converted two fourth downs, ran the ball eight times, passed three times, and Hurts was sacked once. Hurts received great protection early, Barkley had open running lanes, and that translated into the Eagles rushing for 36 yards on the drive. Then the Eagles forgot Barkley.

Coach Nick Sirianni running Hurts under center, and going for it on fourth-and-four at the Vikings’ 37 on their first drive. Sirianni’s call looked brilliant, considering the Eagles scored on the play, although Sirianni, knowing Philadelphia, would have been buried if the play flopped and the Eagles got nothing. Sirianni and offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo had Hurts under center, ran motion, ran play action and aimed for explosive plays.

The Eagles’ first play of the game, Barkley’s eight-yard run to the left behind left tackle Jordan Mailata and healthy left guard Landon Dickerson. It helped establish what the Eagles like to do, and what they need to do to be successful offensively. Everyone on the offensive line kicked their man out, giving Barkley an eight-yard running lane and starting the Eagles toward a 7-0 lead.

The Bad​

What was a real dubious call on Jordan Mason’s reach out from a yard to score with 3:38 left in the third quarter. It appeared Zack Baun and Andrew Mukuba had stopped Mason short, but the replay somehow showed Mason breaking the plain of the goal, reversing the call on the field, which allowed the Vikings to draw within 21-16.

Hunt called for pass interference on a trick play on the Vikings’ second drive of the second half. The flag got the Vikings going toward their first touchdown of the game.

Kicker Jake Elliott kicking the ball outside the landing zone, giving the Vikings possession at the Minnesota 40 after Smith’s 79-yard, third-quarter touchdown.

Brown’s false start on the Eagles’ second drive, taking them from a third-and-one to a third-and-six at the Eagles’ 43. It was a slight flinch,but it was still called.

Cornerback Adoree’ Jackson getting burned inside by Adam Thielen on a third-and-six on the Vikings’ first drive for a 10-yard gain to the Minnesota 34.

The Ugly​

Jake Eilliott missing his first field goal of the season, wide right on a 42-yard attempt when the Vikings were late getting personnel on the field with 14:15 left to play. Prior to that, Elliott was six-for-six on field goal attempts and 19-for-19 on extra points.

Myles Price’s 38-yard kickoff return to open the second half for Minnesota. It placed the ball at the Vikings’ 48. Eight plays later, Minnesota reached the Eagles’ nine. But fortunately, the Eagles’ X factor, Wentz, made another auspicious appearance. On second-and-eight at the nine, Wentz inexplicably proceeded to throw the ball to no one, when he had C.J. Ham wide open in the left flat and did not see him—and this coming from a 10-year NFL veteran. It may explain why the Vikings are the sixth different team he has been with in the last six years. Wentz was flagged for intentional grounding on what was many questionable plays by a quarterback the Eagles found out years ago is not a viable, winning NFL quarterback. That was the third time that the Vikings were in the red zone, and had to settle for field goals each time. Prior to that, the Vikings had failed to score a touchdown only five times in 15 trips in the red zone.

The Eagles’ first half offense. Take away the first drive, and the Eagles finished with 42 yards of offense and two first downs the rest of the half. They ran 12 plays on their first drive and then could only muster a total of 13 plays the remainder of the half, going three-straight drives of three-and-out, and going four plays on their fifth drive. Barkley only had 10 yards rushing since the opening drive touchdown.

Mukuba, apparently, can’t tackle—kind of an important part of football. The rookie safety has a great nose for the football, but when it comes to open-field tackling, he is poorly lacking. As mentioned earlier, he blew the tackle against Robinson that led to a touchdown. On the Vikings’ fourth drive, he missed Justin Jefferson, resulting in a 40-yard play and another Vikings’ field goal.

Vikings’ defensive end Jalen Redmond blowing up Brett Toth, replacing Cam Jurgens at center, and then blowing up Barkley for a six-yard loss, and ruining great field position after the Mukuba interception on the Eagles’ third possession. Cornerback Quinyon Mitchell making a rare mistake, not picking up Jordan Addison in zone coverage, allowing a 34-yard reception on a first-and-10 at the Eagles’ 32. The Vikings botched the chance with a snap over Wentz’s head, settling instead for a 59-yard field goal.

Source: https://www.bleedinggreennation.com...gles-vs-vikings-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly

 

[Philadelphia Eagles]

Eagles open as touchdown favorites in rematch against Giants

The Philadelphia Eagles snapped a two-game losing streak by beating the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday. Can the Birds get another winning streak going?

To do so, the Eagles will need to beat the New York Giants team that bullied them on Thursday Night Football just 10 days ago.

Despite that 17-point loss, the Eagles are currently seven-point home favorites in Week 8. This much according to FanDuel’s NFL odds.

It looked like the Giants were going to enter next Sunday’s 1:00 PM start with a 3-4 record after winning two straight and three of Jaxson Dart’s four starts. But New York allowed 33 (!) fourth quarter points to ultimately blow a 19-point lead to the Denver Broncos. (Ha, losers! The Eagles only blew a 17-point lead in a loss to the same team.)

And so now the Giants are 2-5 instead.

The Eagles previously faced the Giants coming off a loss to the Saints. New York blew a 14 to 3 lead in that game. There was thought that the Giants losing some momentum would work in the Eagles’ favor … but that clearly wasn’t the case.

The Birds must put forth a better effort from the jump this time around after not looking ready to play at MetLife Stadium. You would think they won’t stand for being emasculated by the Giants once again.

Jalen Hurts also needs to be sharper this time around. He had his worst game of the 2025 season against Shane Bowen’s defense before turning in his best game of the 2025 season against the well-regarded Brian Flores in Minnesota. Go figure.

It’s hard to predict the current version of the Eagles winning comfortably when they just haven’t done that all season long. Heck, they haven’t even managed to merely outgain a single opponent in seven tries thus far.

But a statement win over the Giants heading into the Week 9 bye would sure do well to put the struggles of the first half of the season in the rear-view mirror.

Can the Eagles get it done? What say you?

Source: https://www.bleedinggreennation.com...touchdown-favorites-in-rematch-against-giants

 

[Philadelphia Eagles]

Brandon Graham reportedly coming out of retirement to play for the Eagles

Brandon Graham is back.

The Philadelphia Eagles are finalizing a deal with their two-time Super Bowl-winning defensive end, according to a report from NFL insider Adam Schefter.

News of Graham possibly coming out of retirement was first reported on Sunday morning. That was even before Azeez Ojulari, who started at edge rusher for the Eagles in Week 7, left the game with a hamstring injury.

The Eagles are obviously really thin at edge rusher. Nolan Smith is on injured reserve (he might return after the Week 9 bye) and Ogbo Okoronkwo is out for the season. Za’Darius Smith unexpectedly retired early last week.

Bringing Graham back should help the Eagles at a position of need. That is, assuming he’s in game shape. Graham was playing at a high level prior to suffering a triceps injury that he re-tore when playing in Super Bowl LIX.

While it’s fun to see BG back on the field for the Eagles, there are some mixed feelings here. As we previously wrote:

BG is my favorite Eagle. He is THE all-time Eagle in my mind.

That being said, I don’t want him to unretire. Not because I don’t think he can’t help this team. I’m actually confident that he can. He was playing really well prior to getting hurt last year. He didn’t retire because he was washed.

BG retired because it was an opportunity to go out on top as a two-time Super Bowl champion. He retired to spend more time with his family, among many other endeavors.

The Eagles are looking really, really thin at edge rusher. So I get wanting to bring him in. And I get BG wanting to help his teammates.

I just really liked how he was able to walk away after the Eagles won Super Bowl LIX. That felt so right. BG even said Howie Roseman told him the story was too great when BG had expressed some interest in not retiring.

Assuming he comes out of retirement, there will be a part of me that enjoys seeing him suit up for the Eagles again. But I don’t know if it’s the right decision.

The Eagles don’t need to open a roster spot to sign Graham because they didn’t fill the opening left by Za’Darius Smith retiring last week.

Source: https://www.bleedinggreennation.com...ming-out-of-retirement-to-play-for-the-eagles

 

[Philadelphia Eagles]

Vic Fangio reacts to Brandon Graham returning to the Eagles

The Eagles are preparing for their last game before the bye week, and defensive coordinator Vic Fangio spoke to reporters about Brandon Graham coming out of retirement to help the defense, how Jihaad Campbell on the edge with Nakobe Dean on the field, and gave some insight into Jalyx Hunt’s pick-6.

Here’s what the DC had to say:

---

On Brandon Graham coming back​

Fangio doesn’t know how impactful BG will be right away, acknowledging that they’ll have to see what kind of shape he’s in and how ready he is to take the field.

“We’ll see. We’ll see what kind of shape he’s in, what kind of retention he has from last year. Shape comes in two forms, one, just your conditioning, but in football shape, too. Contact shape. So, hopefully the sooner the better.”

The DC also talked about how he always wanted Graham to return.

“All the way from the start, I was teasing him not to retire all the way back to last February or March.

So, yeah, I’ve run into him, and we’ve talked when he’s come by. I always tease him about it, trying to light the fire.“

Fangio also admitted that his experience with BG last season is what gives him confidence that him re-joining the defense will be good.

He also agreed to the obvious, that once Graham gets back on the field, it’ll carve into some of the snaps of the other edge rushers. As for how many snaps he thinks the veteran will be up for, the DC doesn’t know just yet.

“[BG]‘s coming out of retirement, and he’s older, but when I was coming out of Chicago, we traded for Khalil Mack who had missed the entire training camp, and the fatigue police said he can only play about 20-22 snaps in this game because we got him the week of the first game. And I said, ‘Okay,’ and he played about 45. So…”

On Jihaad Campbell on the edge​

“I think he performed basically like I thought he would. It’s new out there, particularly the packages he was going up there earlier were different than this week, this past game, so there’s a lot to learn, there’s a lot to get comfortable with. The more he’s up there, the better he’ll get at it.”

Fangio later said that they moved Campbell over because he wanted to get Nakobe Dean on the field in spot duty — the plan was base for Dean, and nickel for Campbell. They never know exactly how many plays that will mean come game day, but the DC was happy with the breakdown and how they came about. He also noted that was their plan all week and wasn’t changed after Azeez Ojulari got injured — Fangio also doesn’t expect Ojulari to play in Week 8.

On the CB position​

Jakorian Bennett is able to return this week, but how much he’ll be able to contribute and when will all depend on practice. Players aren’t able to practice while on IR, but once they open up his window and get him on the practice field, they’ll take a look at where he’s at. Fangio noted that Bennett will be in the mix to compete for that CB2 job as he works his way back.

On Sunday against the Vikings, Fangio said that Adoree’ Jackson was playing fine before getting sidelined, and then Kelee Ringo did fine when he stepped into the CB2 spot. The DC gave Ringo a bit of an out on some of the catches he’s allowed, saying some were on tough routes. Ultimately, he thinks Ringo can still be better than he’s been, and expects the CB to continue to get opportunities.

On Jalyx Hunt’s pick-6​

“The whole key to the play was Jalen Carter. He beat the center quickly, got into the quarterback’s face, hit him just like we teach him to hit him, and he caused the interception, and Jalyx [Hunt] made a great catch.”

Other notables​

• When asked about their red-zone success, Fangio pointed to making some plays and a little bit of luck.
• The DC agreed that Andrew Mukuba has made some good plays, but has also given up some really big plays, and said that the ability is there for the rookie, but he has to be more consistent.
• Fangio had a lot of compliments for Giants’ QB Jaxson Dart, calling the rookie very athletic, elite scrambler, and the coaches have done a great job developing the offense around him.

Source: https://www.bleedinggreennation.com...cts-to-brandon-graham-returning-to-the-eagles

 

[Philadelphia Eagles]

Eagles News: Jalen Hurts contract extension coming this offseason?

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

NFL Week 8 latest buzz, questions, news and fantasy tips – ESPN
What is the most interesting looming offseason quarterback contract situation? Graziano: Speaking of below-market deals, I’ll throw it back again to the QB extension class of 2023 and bring up Jalen Hurts. He went first that offseason, before Jackson, Joe Burrow and Justin Herbert got their deals. As a result, all of those guys make more than Hurts. Since signing that deal, Hurts has gone 32-12 and won a Super Bowl MVP. Hurts is signed through 2028, with $51.5 million fully guaranteed for 2026, so there might not be a need to discuss an extension this coming offseason. But he’s also the 11th-highest paid quarterback in the league by average annual salary, behind a lot of guys who’ve accomplished a lot less than he has. I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Eagles address this situation next spring or summer. I would be surprised if Hurts wanted to go first this time, rather than wait to see what happens with Jackson and others. Fowler: How Hurts plays over the next 10 games plus the playoffs could determine the path forward there. If he catalyzes another deep playoff run, the Eagles would be smart to approach him. His passing from the pocket has been erratic, to be sure. But all he does is win, and he’s a plus in the toughness and intangibles categories.

Eagles-Vikings Film Review: One of the best games of Jalen Hurts’ career – BGN
This was one of the best games of Jalen Hurts’ career. Against the Minnesota Vikings, Hurts finished with a perfect passer rating (158.3), completing 19 of 23 passes for 326 yards and three touchdowns. The ball placement, timing, command, and confidence were all elite. This Philadelphia Eagles performance was a weird one to break down. Parts of the game showed the same structural problems that have plagued this offense all season. It still feels like too often the plays rely on the quarterback and receivers being superhuman rather than well-coached, but there were things I liked about the design this week, too. Let’s do this.

NFC Hierarchy/Obituary: Week 8 edition – PhillyVoice
6) Eagles (5-2): Jalen Hurts’ 4 incompletions against the Vikings: 1) On target 20-yard back shoulder throw to DeVonta Smith, who mistimed his jump. It looked like Hurts purposely threw high with DeVonta working on a shorter CB in Isaiah Rodgers, but the ball had a little more loft on it than DeVonta was expecting, so he jumped a little too early, thinking that the throw had more heat on it. But it was a good ball. 2) He hit A.J. Brown in the chest on a 10-yard dig. Brown was hit by Harrison Smith as the ball arrived. Ball on target. 3) He escaped pressure, and threw to the sideline where only DeVonta had a shot at it. Quasi throwaway. 4) He threw behind Brown on a slant. That was his only off-target incompletion of the day. He otherwise completed 19 passes for 326 yards and 3 TDs. Stellar performance.

Three Reasons the Eagles Will Not Be Trading A.J. Brown – SI
The Nov. 4 trade deadline is two weeks away, and that has left the fans of contenders fantasizing about acquiring Eagles star A.J. Brown, whose disposition routinely leaves people wondering about his feelings toward his employer. To those fans: Dream on. There are a few reasons why the Eagles wouldn’t deal Brown. For better or worse, big contracts for Brown, Jalen Hurts, Saquon Barkley, DeVonta Smith, Jordan Mailata, Lane Johnson, Cam Jurgens, Landon Dickerson and Zack Baun—and those already budgeted for young stars—have leveraged the Eagles into playing for today. This year is, without question, the team’s window, and so separating from a star, without having levers to pull to replace him midseason, doesn’t make sense. Then, there’s the contract. At this point, Brown’s dead money total is around $43.5 million. If he’s traded, all that money would accelerate on to the team’s 2026 cap, which would be around 15% of next year’s projected cap. It’s also important to consider that this is what the Eagles signed up for. They knew there was risk when they traded for Brown, the same way there was risk trading up to get Jalen Carter in the 2023 draft, or there was risk in acquiring C.J. Gardner-Johnson in ’22 and again in ’24, or there was risk in bringing aboard Mekhi Becton last year.

Top 5 Jalen Hurts games, DeVonta Smith shines, Brandon Graham’s role: Eight Eagles Thoughts – The Athletic
Three weeks ago, I wrote about the need to pay attention to DeVonta Smith after he had the fewest targets in his career against Tampa Bay. He didn’t cause a stir with a social media post, but his temperature was nonetheless important to monitor. Since then, Smith has been one of the most productive receivers in the NFL. He ranks No. 3 in receiving yards and No. 4 in receptions during the past three weeks. The record-setting performance on Sunday helped (nine catches, 183 yards), but it should also be an indication of the type of season Smith will have. He had a down year in 2024; he’s poised to bounce back in a big way this season. Smith is on pace to set a career-high in yardage. “He’s had a lot of opportunities and he has made the most of them,” Patullo said. “He’s a dynamic player, right? He’s a Heisman Trophy winner. He is one of the best players in the league still, obviously. We’re going to use him in any capacity we can, and his energy is just infectious at all times. What he brings to the table is [the] same thing: high football IQ, he gets the game, he gets moved around a lot, he understands what his job is in moments. He makes those plays and he’s been a clutch player for us, and it’s really been fun to watch him.”

NFL Week 8 reality check: Cowboys are now appointment viewing, and 5 other simple truths – NFL.com
DeVonta Smith has been the brightest spot in the Eagles’ passing game of late. He’s produced two 100-yard efforts in the last three weeks, and his 183 yards in Sunday’s win over Minnesota marked a career high. There’s been a lot of chatter about the lack of punch in Philadelphia’s offense, and how long that issue could go before fellow wide receiver A.J. Brown posts again. But Smith has quietly been doing such good work lately that he leads the team in receptions and yards. The more this offense finds itself through the air, the more Smith could be looking at a career year.

Saquon Barkley says blame him for the Eagles’ lackluster running attack – NBCSP
Barkley is averaging 5.1 yards per carry this year in the first quarter on 25-for-127. That’s 4th-best in the entire league among running backs with 10 or more 1st-quarter carries, behind only De’Von Achane (7.0), Breece Hall (5.6) and Bijan Robinson (5.5). Look what happens to those numbers later in games: Second quarter: 3.8 yards per carry, 32nd-highest of 44 running backs with 10 or more 2nd-quarter carries. Third quarter: 3.4 yards per carry, 25th-highest of 34 backs with 10 or more 3rd-quarter carries. Fourth quarter: 1.4 yards per carry, 48th of 51 backs with 10 or more 4th-quarter carries. So 5.1 yards per carry in the first quarter and 2.8 the rest of the game. Overall, Barkley’s 3.3 average is lowest ever by an Eagles back through seven games with a minimum of 100 carries. Swede Hanson also averaged 3.3 through seven games in 1933 – the Eagles’ first season – but he was at 3.31 and Barkley is a bit lower at 3.27. Injuries on the offensive line and the loss of Mekhi Becton are certainly affecting Barkley’s performance. The massive holes Barkley ran through last year just haven’t materialized this year. And play caller Kevin Patullo has had an up-and-down first two months on the job, which hasn’t helped.

Three ways Brandon Graham will help the Eagles defense – PHLY
The most obvious area Graham’s presence should improve is the Eagles’ ability to stop the run on early downs. The 6-foot-2, 265-pound lineman was stout against the run last season, logging 20 total tackles including six for losses as a consistent edge-setter for the Eagles defensive front. It’s an area the Eagles defense has struggled with at times this season. According to TruMedia, the Eagles rank 27th in defensive success rate against the run and 25th in explosive runs allowed. Against the Vikings, the team used rookie linebacker Jihaad Campbell on the edge for a handful of snaps on early downs to compensate for the lack of depth along the edge, with linebacker Nakobe Dean coming into the base defense at the off-ball linebacker spot Campbell typically occupies. The defense fared reasonably well against Minnesota’s run game, holding running back Jordan Mason to 57 yards and one touchdown on 15 carries.

Eagles coach delivers stern warning to rookie after shaky performance – NJ.com
If Mukuba does not eliminate the negative plays, Philadelphia’s secondary will be inconsistent for the whole year. “It’s uneven,” Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio said on Tuesday about Mukuba’s performance this season. “The ability is there. He has to be more consistent.”

Fantasy Football WR Report: Man, zone coverage performance ahead of NFL Week 8 – PFF
The Giants are showing man coverage at a top-three rate this season. They are average to above average in most man-coverage metrics. A.J. Brown ranks in the top five in fantasy points per route run against man coverage, thanks to an elite target rate against man. He is an ideal fantasy target once again this week.

Football remains a constant amidst year of change for Cooper DeJean – PE.com
When the Eagles hosted puppy yoga at the NovaCare Complex in late September for those affected by cancer, all the attention was on the 10-plus dogs in attendance. Then, Cooper DeJean walked in. Within minutes, there was a line of fans waiting to get a picture, autograph, anything, from the Eagles’ second-year defensive back. It took DeJean about 15 minutes to even say hello to one of the dogs. This is the new reality for DeJean, who has quickly turned into one of the most popular Eagles around. Before the start of the 2024 season, Eagles Entertainment interviewed the rookies and asked how many Instagram followers they each have. DeJean had 180,000 before the season. He now has more than 1.1 million. His infamous pick-six off Patrick Mahomes in the Super Bowl is an iconic Philadelphia sports moment. Since then, DeJean’s fame has skyrocketed. Quickly.

Tired of complaining about the Eagles winning? Here come the Sixers! – Liberty Ballers
The 2025-26 NBA season is upon us, with your Philadelphia 76ers taking on the Boston Celtics Wednesday night. Joel Embiid is not listed on the injury report, so we’re already off to a better start than 2024-25. And No. 3 overall pick VJ Edgecombe will make his NBA debut at TD Garden. We wanted to invite our friends over at Bleeding Green Nation to join us, so this will be crossposted on their site as well. The Philly market is so wonderfully weird and unique, so let’s all hang! Get ready for the Sixers season with all of LB’s content, and get pumped for the Eagles’ rematch against the Giants Sunday over at BGN.

Bears-Eagles Black Friday game will stream worldwide without a Prime subscription – PFT
Black Friday is coming. For the third straight year, that means NFL football in the afternoon. For the first year, the NFL football game will stream on Prime Video — without a Prime subscription. Amazon has announced that the Week 13 Black Friday Bears-Eagles will stream globally at no charge, putting it on par with the Week 1 Chiefs-Chargers game from Brazil, which was streamed for free on YouTube. There’s an important caveat to the term “globally.” A note at the bottom of the press release states that the game will not be available “in Canada and certain other countries.” Which would tend to undercut, to some extent, the notion that it will be available “globally.”

Cowboys news: NFL insider throws cold water on Maxx Crosby trade rumors – Blogging The Boys
As quickly as Maxx Crosby was floated as a possible trade target for the Dallas Cowboys, cold water was thrown on top of it—for now.

Make your voice heard: Is it time to bench some defensive starters? – Hogs Haven
There has been a lot of criticism of Washington’s defensive play — especially at the 2nd & 3rd levels of the defense. Future Hall of Famer Bobby Wagner, it has been said by some, has lost too many steps. He is a liability in coverage and simply can’t keep up with speedy running backs on the edges. While his instincts keep him performing well in the middle of the field, and his tackle stats are impressive, too many tackles on completed passes or edge runs are made too far downfield to be counted as positive plays for the defense. On the other hand, he wears the green dot and both head coach Dan Quinn and defensive coordinator Joe Whitt regularly praise him for his role as a ‘coach on the field’. That said, the defense is clearly not functioning as intended. At cornerback, aside from the rookie, Trey Amos, no one in the group has covered himself in much glory this season. Mike Sainristil, Marshon Lattimore and Noah Igbinoghene have all struggled to prevent completions and the group has drawn too many key penalty flags.

New York Giants roster moves: PK Jude McAtamney waived, CB Korie Black re-signed – Big Blue View
The New York Giants have waived placekicker Jude McAtamney, who missed three extra points in the last two weeks, and re-signed cornerback Korie Black. Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post was first to report the McAtamney news. Dan Duggan of The Athletic broke the re-signing of Black. McAtamney kicked for four games in place of Graham Gano, who is on Injured Reserve with a groin injury. McAtamney went 9 of 12 on extra-point tries, with all of the misses in the last two games. His two misses on Sunday against the Denver Broncos were a crucial part of the Giants’ 33-32 loss. He made both of his field-goal attempts, but the longest was only 31 yards — shorter than an extra point. The kicker against the Eagles this Sunday is likely to be either Gano, should he be ready to come off IR, or former Atlanta Falcons placekicker Younghoe Koo, who is on the Giants’ practice squad.

NFL’s 5 teams that should be sellers at trade deadline – SB Nation
The New York Jets are 0-7, and their owner is throwing the starting quarterback under the bus. Yes, the Jets are going to be sellers here in a few days. As for players that the Jets could look to move, running back Breece Hall tops the list. The RB is on pace for over 1,000 yards during a contract year, and while he wants to stay in New York — and backup Braelon Allen is injured right now — moving him ahead of a big contract might be a wise move for the Jets. This way, they can get something in return, rather than see him walk through the door in free agency. Another name that has popped up in trade discussions is pass rusher Jermaine Johnson, who has a fifth-year option left on his current contract for next season. He has dealt with injuries the past two seasons, including missing 15 games in 2024 with an Achilles injury, but good pass rushers are hard to find.

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Source: https://www.bleedinggreennation.com...urts-contract-extension-coming-this-offseason

 

[Philadelphia Eagles]

Eagles Injury Report: A.J. Brown misses practice due to hamstring

The Philadelphia Eagles issued their first official injury report in advance of their Week 8 home game against the New York Giants.

The Eagles listed five players under DID NOT PARTICIPATE: A.J. Brown, Cam Jurgens, Adoree’ Jackson, Azeez Ojulari, and Jeremiah Trotter Jr.

Brown unexpectedly missed practice due to a hamstring injury. That’s certainly not ideal. We’ll see how serious it is.

Jurgens seems bound to miss this week after suffering a knee injury in Week 7. It remains to be seen who the Eagles will start at center. Brett Toth filled in for Jurgens on Sunday but the Eagles could opt to move Landon Dickerson to the pivot and have Toth or someone else play left guard.

Jackson is going through the concussion protocol. Seems like he won’t be cleared in time to play. Kelee Ringo could get another start at cornerback.

Ojulari could miss this week due to a hamstring injury. The Eagles are light at edge rusher.

Trot Jr. potentially being out hurts the Eagles’ linebacker depth and their special teams coverage units.

The Eagles listed five players under LIMITED PARTICIPATION: Landon Dickerson, Dallas Goedert, Moro Ojomo, Jakorian Bennett, and Grant Calcaterra.

These players have a chance to play this week but we’ll see how they progress over the next two days.

The Eagles listed one player under FULL PARTICIPATION: Brandon Graham.

Speaking on his Unblocked podcast, Graham didn’t rule out being able to play against the Giants. But it did sound like returning after the Eagles’ Week 9 bye could be more likely. We’ll see. Graham currently doesn’t count against the Eagles’ roster limit; the team has a two-week exemption for him. The Eagles will need to activate Graham to the roster before 4:00 PM Eastern on Saturday, October 25 if they want him to suit up against the G-Men.

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES INJURY REPORT (WEDNESDAY)​

DID NOT PARTICIPATE

CB Adoree’ Jackson (concussion)
C Cam Jurgens (knee)
EDGE Azeez Ojulari (hamstring)

LIMITED PARTICIPATION

TE Grant Calcaterra (oblique)
EDGE Brandon Graham (

FULL PARTICIPATION

---

NEW YORK GIANTS INJURY REPORT (WEDNESDAY)​

Four Giants players did not practice: starting edge rusher Brian Burns, starting cornerback Paulson Adebo, starting safety Jevon Holland, and rotational defensive lineman Chauncey Gholston. Missing starters would not be a very good development for a struggling Giants defense. Will be interesting to see how they fare in practice over the next two days. For what it’s worth, Burns told reporters he plans on playing against the Eagles.

Starting wide receiver Darius Slayton, starting center John Michael Schmitz, and starting right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor were among seven limited players on Wednesday. They might be able to suit up this week but we’ll see.

Veteran kicker Graham Gano appears to be ready to return from injured reserve. The Giants cut fill-in option Jude McAtamney, who struggled.

DID NOT PARTICIPATE

CB Paulson Adebo (knee)
OLB Brian Burns (hip)
DL Chauncey Gholston (neck)
S Jevon Holland (knee)

LIMITED PARTICIPATION

TE Daniel Bellinger (neck)
ILB Swayze Bozeman (ankle
DL D.J. Davidson (ankle)
OT Jermaine Eluemunor (knee)
LB Demetrius Flanning-Fowles (hamstring)
C John Michael Schmitz (concussion)
WR Darius Slayton (hamstring)

FULL PARTICIPATION

QB Jaxson Dart (ankle)
K Graham Gano (groin)

Source: https://www.bleedinggreennation.com...rt-a-j-brown-misses-practice-due-to-hamstring

 

[Philadelphia Eagles]

NFL Power Rankings: Week 8 Edition

Now that Week 7 of the 2025 NFL season is in the books, it’s time for an incredibly meaningful and serious exercise: NFL Power Rankings! What differentiates these rankings from all the others is that they’re THE only truly accurate ones in the entire universe. Hard to believe, I know. Let’s take a look at how all 32 teams stack up.

BLG’S WEEK 8 POWER RANKINGS​

1 – Detroit Lions (Last Week: 2) – Despite missing their entire starting secondary, the Lions held the Bucs to just nine points. Really impressive performance to earn back the top spot.

2 – Tampa Bay Buccaneers (LW: 1) – The Bucs ran into arguably the NFL’s best team … on the road … while being really banged up. They should be fine if injuries don’t continue to cripple them.

3 – Los Angeles Rams (LW: 3) – The Rams rank fourth in point differential and fourth in DVOA. Their two losses have come to the 5-2 Eagles (last second blocked field goal) and 5-2 49ers (field goal loss in overtime). Hard to poke holes in this team.

4 – Indianapolis Colts (LW: 4) – I keep saying there’s no reason to doubt the Colts until they give us reason to do so. The 2024 Eagles model seems to be working well for them with Jonathan Taylor being their Saquon Barkley.

5 – Seattle Seahawks (LW: 5) – The Seahawks are still the No. 1 team in DVOA. They have the No. 7 offense, the No. 2 defense, and the No. 1 special teams unit. When they return from their Week 8 bye, they can further establish themselves with a win over the other Washington football team on Sunday Night Football.

6 – Kansas City Chiefs (LW: 6) – Unfortunately, the Chiefs are so back.

7 – Philadelphia Eagles (LW: 7) – The Eagles managed to not lose three games in a row, which is big. Jalen Hurts put the team on his back to stop the bleeding. The bad news is that the Birds have been outgained in every game this season. That doesn’t portend well. They need to play better.

8 – Buffalo Bills (LW: 8) – The Bills return from their bye to play a frisky Panthers team that could be missing Bryce Young. Should be a good opportunity to avoid losing three straight after a 4-0 start.

9 – Green Bay Packers (LW: 9) – The Packers are 2-4 against the spread this season. They haven’t really passed the eye test since Week 2 but they keep finding ways to win. Micah Parsons came up huge in a win over the Cardinals.

10 – San Francisco 49ers (LW: 10) – 29-year-old Christian McCaffrey leads the NFL in touches by far with 185 in seven games played. The difference between him and second is about the same difference between second and ninth. It’s working for now but we’ll see if he’s able to hold up.

11 – Denver Broncos (LW: 12) – Not good to go down 19-0 to the Giants while at home … but a 33-point fourth quarter is really impressive. We’ve said it before and we’ve said it again: this team is resilient. They’ve got character.

12 – New England Patriots (LW: 16) – Since the Pats’ Week 1 loss, Drake Maye has thrown 11 touchdowns and one interception for a 126.4 passer rating. With New England having the easiest remaining schedule in the NFL, they’re absolutely going to the playoffs. Not impossible they could be the No. 1 seed.

13 – Dallas Cowboys (LW: 17) – The Cowboys sit at .500 but there’s reason for optimism about upward mobility. The defense could be getting healthier and it’s possible they make some moves ahead of the NFL trade deadline. The way their schedule shapes up, they need to bank some wins in the near future before things get more difficult after their bye week.

14 – Pittsburgh Steelers (LW: 11) – The Stillers squandered a golden opportunity to really take control of the AFC North. Now they have some challenging games coming up: vs. Packers, vs. Colts, at Chargers.

15 – Chicago Bears (LW: 20) – Da Bears have won four straight after an 0-2 start. It helps that they’ve played some of the NFL’s worst teams during that stretch. Will be very interesting to see what they look like if Lamar Jackson can suit up this week.

16 – Washington Commanders (LW: 13) – Well, well, well. Turns out that relying on the oldest roster in the NFL might not have been a good strategy? The Commanders are 3-4 with the Chiefs, Seahawks, and Lions up next. They could very well be 3-7, especially while Jayden Daniels is dealing with a hamstring injury.

17 – Los Angeles Chargers (LW: 14) – After a 3-0 start, the Bolts are 1-3 in their last four. Justin Herbert has a 87.3 passer rating during that stretch. Same old mediocre Chargers.

18 – Atlanta Falcons (LW: 15) – The Falcons have to be the NFL’s highest variance team. Impossible to know what to expect from them from week to week.

19 – Jacksonville Jaguars (LW: 18) – Sitting at 4-1, it didn’t feel like the Jags were actually any good. They’ve since lost two straight. The Jags rank 21st in point differential. If they can’t beat the Raiders this weekend, might as well just call it a season.

20 – Minnesota Vikings (LW: 19) – The Vikings have a strong coaching staff and roster … but that only goes so far when you do not have a quarterback. Minnesota has fallen to last place in the competitive NFC North.

21 – Carolina Panthers (LW: 21) – If the Panthers can beat the Bills, it’ll be time to take them more seriously. Especially if Carolina can win with Andy Dalton starting.

22 – Houston Texans (LW: 22) – The Texans are 2-4 with wins over teams that are a combined 2-11 this season.

23 – Baltimore Ravens (LW: 23) – Lamar Jackson might be back this weekend? He’s only been limited in practice … but the Ravens are 6.5-point home favorites against the Bears. Baltimore being 1-0 in division games leaves the door open for them to win the AFC North still. Especially if they can win this week.

24 – New York Giants (LW: 24) – How the Giants respond to their Week 7 loss will be very interesting. Are they mad about blowing a big lead to the Broncos? Or could that have been the start of a collapse? We’ll see how they look in Philly.

25 – Cincinnati Bengals (LW: 30) – Shame on me for saying that the Joe Flacco trade was a waste of time. The Bengals might actually be able to salvage their season, depending on when Joe Burrow is able to get back.

26 – Cleveland Browns (LW: 28) – Dillon Gabriel in on the board with his first career win. The Browns have been relatively competitive since he’s taken over. The rookie has managed to take care of the football; zero interceptions and zero fumbles thus far.

27 – Arizona Cardinals (LW: 25) – Jonathan Gannon is 14-27 since taking over as the Cardinals’ head coach. If he doesn’t get fired in season, he’ll be gone after this year.

28 – New Orleans Saints (LW: 26) – The Saints should obviously be sellers ahead of the NFL trade deadline.

29 – Las Vegas Raiders (LW: 27) – Chip Kelly is the Raiders’ offensive coordinator.

Today's Raiders offensive performance was tied for the worst by any team in the last 25 years based on offensive success rate.

— Sheil Kapadia (@SheilKapadia) October 19, 2025

The Raiders had 3 first downs today!

Tied for the fewest by any team in a game in the last 25 years.

— Sheil Kapadia (@SheilKapadia) October 20, 2025

30 – Tennessee Titans (LW: 29) – The Titans did not benefit from the typical head coach getting fired bump. They’re too bad for even that to help them.

31 – Miami Dolphins (LW: 31) – Mike McDaniel is still here. Won’t be for much longer.

32 – New York Jets (LW: 32) – Justin Fields undeniably stinks.

Source: https://www.bleedinggreennation.com/nfl-power-rankings/161836/nfl-power-rankings-week-8-edition

 

[Philadelphia Eagles]

Eagles Opponent Film Review: Jaxson Dart

The Eagles just played the Giants, so there’s little point in going over the same schematic matchups twice in a month. So, instead of my usual offensive and defensive preview, I wanted to focus on something different. Giants rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart. The rookie quarterback has only a handful of starts, but his film has been fascinating. He’s raw, competitive, and already showing flashes of genuine high-level quarterback play. Seeing as the Eagles will be facing Dart for a while, I thought I would take a look at how he’s played so far. I watched his three most recent games for this one. If you want to read the previous preview, here’s the offense and defense.

Jaxson Dart​

Poise and Pocket Awareness​

Dart isn’t a one-read-and-run quarterback. He wants to throw. He’ll move, extend, and dance around the pocket, but his eyes rarely drop. Even when pressured, he’s scanning, trying to find someone late in the play. He’s already shown a mature understanding of space and pocket awareness. He knows how to subtly slide, drift, or step up to create new launch angles without panicking.

His time to throw (2.99 seconds) ranks among the highest in the league because he’s very patient and always wants to make something happen. He buys time to let intermediate concepts develop, trusting his eyes rather than checking down immediately.

When he does decide to run, it’s decisive. He’s rushed for 50+ yards in multiple games. His mobility turns broken plays into productive plays, and he’s smart about sliding or getting down.

Few Jaxson Dart plays from a film session I just did… 1) Scrambling ability is one of his best traits, obviously. He isn't a 1-read and run guy, though. He wants to stay in the pocket and throw, or find someone down the field, and rushing is often a last resort, which he uses… pic.twitter.com/BWO00F3D4x

— Jonny Page (@JonnyPage9) October 23, 2025

He’s chaotic, but I didn’t see him as reckless. Most of the time, anyway!

Processing ​

This is where Dart’s tape really impressed me. He’s operating a condensed, RPO-heavy, quick-game offense, yet he’s consistently getting through his progressions. One of my favorite plays from the Chargers game came early, when he read the trips side, didn’t like it, and calmly worked back to the middle to find a crossing route. That’s big-time processing for a rookie. Against Denver, he had something similar on a double-slant concept where he saw No. 92 drop from the line, instantly got his head back around, and fired to his third read. That’s advanced stuff for a rookie.

6) I was incredibly impressed with his processing, especially in the quick game. Look at him read the double slant here, recognise the EDGE defender dropping into coverage, and get to his 3rd read quickly. I was impressed by his composure in the pocket. He's very poised. pic.twitter.com/eRqMVE75qk

— Jonny Page (@JonnyPage9) October 23, 2025

Brian Daboll has clearly structured the offense to build Dart’s confidence. There are many RPOs, quick outs, and double-slant/flat concepts designed to simplify reads. Still, I think he has a pretty good understanding of the concepts they run, and I saw him use hard counts to bait defenses into rotations before adjusting protections at the line of scrimmage. Pretty cool for a rookie. Here, he reads the single-high safety and knows he has the wheel coming open if he can buy enough time.

8) Again, all his strengths on show here: pocket presence, poise, intermediate touch accuracy. It's impressive for a rookie. I expected more chaos as he runs around a lot and moves well, but I came away more impressed with him as a passer than I expected. pic.twitter.com/4IZjX6q0BA

— Jonny Page (@JonnyPage9) October 23, 2025

That ability to process quickly makes him look far more experienced than his starts suggest. I see a lot of rookie quarterbacks really struggle with this part of the game, so I was pretty impressed. However, he did get caught up by the Broncos dropping a linebacker, as I’m sure you have seen!

10) The Broncos caught him out with a dropping LB who looked like he was blitzing, which I'm sure Fangio noticed! I actually think he steps up in the pocket well and makes a decent decision, but his accuracy under pressure is off and he doesn't give enough touch. pic.twitter.com/mKbJIqV46t

— Jonny Page (@JonnyPage9) October 23, 2025

Arm Talent ​

Dart is what you’d call an “all-arm thrower”, generating velocity from his upper body instead of driving through with his lower half. I’m not a QB mechanics guy, but it’s pretty obvious to see he doesn’t step into throws. The result is inconsistency on deep balls. Too many of them die mid-air because he doesn’t fully step into the throw. The underthrown flea flicker vs. the Saints is the perfect example of this, but it’s a repeat issue on tape.

3) One of the most significant issues I saw was downfield arm strength. He doesn't step into his throws well enough, and although he has a good arm, way too many of his deep throws die in the air. pic.twitter.com/ssyE41Bt7Y

— Jonny Page (@JonnyPage9) October 23, 2025

Yikes…

11) One of his other issues is downfield accuracy. He had some overthrows and some bad underthrows. He releases this from the 50 and it doesn't even reach the end zone, and he's lucky not to get picked off. The drive before he completely overthrew a post route, too. Deep accuracy… pic.twitter.com/LtFIxmmEUl

— Jonny Page (@JonnyPage9) October 23, 2025

Yet, when he connects his base to his throw, the difference is obvious. You can see the velocity and ball placement on an 18-yard comeback against the Chargers or the deep corner strike vs. Denver. His intermediate accuracy is impressive. He’s been particularly sharp on outbreaking routes, hitting them with touch and pace.

2) He's more than willing to throw into tight windows and has good arm strength when he needs it. This is a lovely, tight window throw. pic.twitter.com/IsWqj18yGk

— Jonny Page (@JonnyPage9) October 23, 2025

7) I was impressed with his touch throws and accuracy in the intermediate game. He had some beautiful throws on these intermediate out routes. pic.twitter.com/f2ROD0GIAI

— Jonny Page (@JonnyPage9) October 23, 2025

The Gunslinger​

Dart’s mentality is both his greatest strength and his biggest weakness. Like many young aggressive quarterbacks, he has that “never say die” attitude where he’ll fight every down like it’s his last. When the Giants are chasing games, you can almost feel him trying to will them back into it. He’ll take a hit to make a throw, he’ll force tight-window shots, and he’ll never give up on a play.

5) His playmaking ability is pretty extraordinary, but also dangerous. This is an awesome play, but one that carries a lot of risk! As I said earlier, although he is a very effective scrambler, he moves around to buy time and wants to throw the ball before rushing. pic.twitter.com/aeQlhej6iJ

— Jonny Page (@JonnyPage9) October 23, 2025

Sometimes that works beautifully, but it also leads to costly moments, like the Saints’ interception on 2nd & 18, when he tried to fit the ball between two defenders with no window, or the pick against Denver on a simulated pressure look that swung the game, that we saw earlier!

4) He has that 'never say die' mentality, and it means that he forces the ball into tight windows, especially if the Giants are losing and he's chasing the game. He will give you chances if you get him into difficult passing situations when the Giants are behind. pic.twitter.com/B4MCN6mGhI

— Jonny Page (@JonnyPage9) October 23, 2025

He’s thrown three interceptions and fumbled three times, but most of them come from trying to make something happen rather than bad reads. He’s too confident and plays 1st down like it’s 4th down at times.

9) The biggest issue he has is just doing too much. He doesn't want to throw it away or live to fight another down. This was on 1st down, and it's a really poor decision. He can make rash decisions when he's under pressure or trying to create. pic.twitter.com/PaDz8xJ50F

— Jonny Page (@JonnyPage9) October 23, 2025

As he progresses, you expect him to improve this part of the game, but it’s pretty raw right now. He plays with arrogance, but the good kind, for the most part!

Final Thoughts​

There’s a lot to like, but Dart still has predictable growing pains. His downfield mechanics are raw, and there are too many deep balls that die in the air. His situational awareness is an issue because he takes too many sacks instead of throwing the ball away. Lastly, his decision-making under pressure is a little shaky. You see flashes of Carson Wentz syndrome, trying to make the miracle play instead of taking the checkdown.

However, I think Dart’s rookie film looks remarkably advanced for where he is. He’s processing well, throwing with anticipation, and creating outside structure. The supporting cast isn’t helping as the Giants’ receivers struggle to separate, and their offensive line has been shaky, but Dart’s play gives them a foundation to build around. Overall, Jaxson Dart’s tape is impressive. If I were a Giants fan, I would feel pretty good about his long-term future.

However, long-term projections are always tricky. Look at how quickly defensive coordinators have adjusted to players like C.J. Stroud or Jayden Daniels. Once the league has film on you, every weakness gets magnified, and that’s why the real mark of an NFL quarterback isn’t the flashes early on. It’s whether you can sustain that level once teams know exactly how to attack you. Dart looks good right now, but he still has a long way to go!

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. If you would like to support me further, please check out my Patreon here!

Source: https://www.bleedinggreennation.com...61840/eagles-opponent-film-review-jaxson-dart

 

[Philadelphia Eagles]

Eagles-Giants Final Injury Report: A.J. Brown and Brandon Graham among 6 players ruled OUT

The Philadelphia Eagles issued their third and final official injury report in advance of their Week 8 home game against the New York Giants.

The Eagles ruled six players OUT: A.J. Brown, Brandon Graham, Cam Jurgens, Adoree’ Jackson, Jakorian Bennett, and Azeez Ojulari.

Brown’s absence, which certainly isn’t ideal, means the Eagles currently have four healthy wide receivers on the roster: DeVonta Smith, Jahan Dotson, John Metchie, and Xavier Gipson. Jalen Hurts will likely look to feed DeVonta in this game. But someone else needs to step up and do more than nothing. We’ll see if Dotson can handle that much. Note that the Eagles could also look to activate undrafted rookie standout Darius Cooper from injured reserve.

WR A.J. Brown’s hamstring remained tight from scar tissue as the week progressed, an NFL source said. That’s why he didn’t practice all three days and has been declared out for Sunday’s game vs. the Giants.

— Jeff McLane (@Jeff_McLane) October 24, 2025

The absence of both Graham and Ojulari means the Eagles have three healthy edge rushers on the roster: Jalyx Hunt, Joshua Uche, and Patrick Johnson. Vic Fangio has utilized three-man rotations in the past (including last year) … but it’s a thin group. The Eagles also do have rookie Antwuan Powell-Ryland on the practice squad. It would’ve been nice to have Graham available this week but he previously indicated the Green Bay Packers game in Week 10 was the more likely target for him.

Jurgens’ absence means Brett Toth will likely start at center. He’s taken first-time reps at the pivot in practice this week with Landon Dickerson operating at left guard. Toth going up against Dexter Lawrence isn’t really a comforting proposition but Jeff Stoutland is trusting the veteran to get the job done.

Jackson’s absence means Kelee Ringo, who has really struggled, will start at CB2. The Eagles won’t be able to go with Jakorian Bennett, who was also ruled out despite his practice window being opened earlier this week.

The Eagles ruled one player QUESTIONABLE: Darius Cooper.

Cooper was a full participant in practice on Thursday and Friday. The Eagles have until 4:00 PM Eastern on Saturday, October 25 to activate him from injured reserve to make him available to play on Sunday. Guessing they’ll do that to have more wide receiver depth.

Dallas Goedert, Landon Dickerson, Moro Ojomo, Jeremiah Trotter Jr., and Grant Calcaterra are all listed without game statuses.

This means they’re ready to play despite appearing on the injury report this week.

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES INJURY REPORT (FRIDAY)​

OUT

CB Jakorian Bennett (pectoral)
WR A.J. Brown (hamstring)
EDGE Brandon Graham (not injury related)
CB Adoree’ Jackson (concussion)
C Cam Jurgens (knee)
EDGE Azeez Ojulari (hamstring)

QUESTIONABLE

WR Darius Cooper (shoulder)

…

RESERVE/RETIRED

EDGE Za’Darius Smith

Smith unexpectedly retired from football on October 13.

RESERVE/INJURED

CB Jakorian Bennett (practice window open)
WR Darius Cooper (practice window open)
OT Myles Hinton
LS Charley Hughlett
G/C Willie Lampkin
EDGE Ogbo Okoronkwo
EDGE Nolan Smith
FB Ben VanSumeren
OT Cameron Williams
WR Johnny Wilson

The Eagles opened Bennett’s 21-day practice window to return from IR on October 22. The Eagles opened Cooper’s 21-day practice window to return from IR on October 23. Smith, Hinton, Lampkin, and Williams are currently eligible to return from IR. Hughlett is eligible to return from IR after Week 8 but he might need longer to heal up. BVS, Wilson, and Okoronkwo suffered season-ending injuries.

---

NEW YORK GIANTS INJURY REPORT (FRIDAY)​

The Giants ruled two players OUT: starting cornerback Paulson Adebo and rotational defensive lineman Gholston. Deonte Banks, who has been a sieve, will have to play at corner.

The Giants ruled one player DOUBTFUL: starting safety Jevon Holland. He did not practice all week. Adebo and Holland likely out means New York will be without half of their starting secondary.

The Giants ruled three players QUESTIONABLE: starting edge rusher Brian Burns, kicker Graham Gano, and rotational defensive lineman D.J. Davidson. Burns said he’s going to play despite missing two practices and being limited on Friday. Gano could be activated from injured reserve in order to kick for the Giants. Otherwise, the Giants could opt to temporarily elevate Younghoe Koo from the practice squad. Davidson was limited on Wednesday and Friday while not practicing on Thursday between those days.

OUT

CB Paulson Adebo (knee)
DL Chauncey Gholston (neck)

DOUBTFUL

S Jevon Holland (knee)

QUESTIONABLE

OLB Brian Burns (hip)
DL D.J. Davidson (ankle)
K Graham Gano (hamstring)

…

RESERVE/PHYSICALLY UNABLE TO PERFORM

RB Eric Gray

RESERVE/INJURED

LB Chris Board
OL Joshua Ezeudu
WR Da’Quan Felton
WR Bryce Ford-Wheaton
K Graham Gano (practice window open)
S Anthony Johnson Jr.
ILB Micah McFadden
CB TJ Moore
WR Malik Nabers
CB Rico Payton

Source: https://www.bleedinggreennation.com...-and-brandon-graham-among-6-players-ruled-out

 

[Philadelphia Eagles]

Eagles News: Jeffrey Lurie responds to questions about A.J. Brown

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

What I’m hearing from Jerry Jones and Jeffrey Lurie, plus the latest trade deadline buzz – The Athletic
I asked Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie what he would do if Brown knocked on his door and asked for a trade. His answer was firm, team-first and championship-minded. “We do what’s best for the team,” he said. “We don’t even consider it seriously unless it’s best for the Eagles. We will always do what gives us the best chance of winning big. Everything else is secondary.” Bottom line: Brown can be frustrated all he wants, but this team plays for the ring first. However, GM Howie Roseman will always listen, and if the Eagles get an exorbitant offer? Nobody is untradable in Philadelphia. So why do the Eagles, a team that, on paper, might have one of the top rosters in football, always seem to have internal conflict? “It’s not conflict. It’s intensity,” Lurie said. “The players respect it. I like intensity. The players are intense. Howie’s intense, I’m intense, the coach is intense. Every week, every situation, we approach it with intensity.” Lurie, Roseman and Nick Sirianni are among the architects of a locker room that may appear combustible to the outside, but is constructed this way for a reason. “We encourage it. We want different personalities,” Lurie said. “Sometimes, in trades or in free agency, we’ll bring people in that complement those that we have. They’re different on purpose. We don’t want sameness.”

Eagles’ Jeffrey Lurie on ‘managing noise,’ plus other tidbits from owners at the Fall League Meeting – NFL.com
Even with a 5-2 record and sitting atop the NFC East, the Eagles have had a noisy season. There have been questions about how well A.J. Brown and Jalen Hurts are getting along, parking lot pow-wows for hours to get the offense on the same page, and concerns about whether they are going to run the ball enough — it has been loud. And yet last week, following a brutal loss to the Giants, the Philadelphia offense turned in its best performance, with Hurts delivering a perfect passer rating in a win over the Vikings. Following this week’s Fall League Meeting in New York, owner Jeffrey Lurie was asked to explain how. “Being able, in today’s world, to manage the noise in a way where it relegates it to a bare minimum — that’s a key to winning,” Lurie told NFL.com. “You hope to have a culture that’s able to do that. It’s not guaranteed. But we purposely are very intentional about it.” Hurts, in particular, thrives amid the noise. “It’s one of the reasons we build the roster the way we do with some of the people we do, like Jalen,” Lurie said. “You have to have that resilience and understanding, especially in the world today. If you can’t block out most of the noise, you’re not going to maximally perform. And Jalen is one of those where, the more noise there is, the better he performs.”

Eagles-Giants Final Injury Report: A.J. Brown and Brandon Graham among 6 players ruled OUT – BGN
The Eagles ruled six players OUT: A.J. Brown, Brandon Graham, Cam Jurgens, Adoree’ Jackson, Jakorian Bennett, and Azeez Ojulari. Brown’s absence, which certainly isn’t ideal, means the Eagles currently have four healthy wide receivers on the roster: DeVonta Smith, Jahan Dotson, John Metchie, and Xavier Gipson. Jalen Hurts will likely look to feed DeVonta in this game. But someone else needs to step up and do more than nothing. We’ll see if Dotson can handle that much. Note that the Eagles could also look to activate undrafted rookie standout Darius Cooper from injured reserve.

Giants-Eagles matchup: New York offense aims to keep rolling – Big Blue View
The additions received by Philadelphia, coupled with the change in scenery, make this another tall task for a rookie quarterback who has played well through four starts. A big question and concern about this Giants’ team, in general, is how they respond after such a brutal loss in Denver. Can the Giants repeat with a win against the Eagles or will the season continue to slip through their fingers?

Roob’s Random Observations: Do the Eagles even need an offensive identity? – NBCSP
5A. It’s crazy that over the last three seasons, the Eagles rank 17th in the NFL in interceptions and 21st in sacks, yet they’ve allowed the 5th-fewest points and 3rd-fewest yards during that span. That’s because they’ve been so good in the red zone and because when they do make big plays they’re coming in critical spots. But can you imagine how good this defense would be if it could find a way to make some of those big plays? One of the reasons the Eagles were unbeatable in the postseason last year was that the big plays finally came. The Eagles had 13 INTs during the regular season but six in the playoffs. And they had 41 sacks during the regular season but 16 in the playoffs. So they averaged 0.8 interceptions and 2.4 sacks per game during the regular year but 1.5 INTs and 4.0 sacks during the playoffs. With the personnel they have on defense, those big plays should come. I don’t understand how neither Cooper DeJean or Quinyon Mitchell have never had a regular-season interception, and I don’t understand how Jalyx Hunt, Josh Uche and Azeez Ojulari have played 688 snaps this year and don’t have a sack and I don’t understand how a defense loaded with this much talent has forced just two fumbles in seven games. I feel like the guys up front have pressured well most of the time and the secondary has covered well most of the time. The splash plays just haven’t happened. Getting Nakobe Dean back will help. Getting Jalen Carter healthy will help. Getting B.G. back soon will help. And just guys getting more experience will help. This is the youngest defense in the NFL and that’s shown at times. Ten games left. I still believe this will be a top-10 defense by the time all is said and done.

Spadaro: 6 storylines to follow in Giants vs. Eagles – PE.com
Message from Jordan Mailata is to “be physical”. Left tackle Jordan Mailata understands what the essence of football is: You win in the trenches, and you win in the trenches by being the more physical and fundamental team. New York brings it. Rookie running back Cam Skattebo leads all NFL rookies in yards from scrimmage (587) and touchdowns (6). He ran for 98 yards and scored three times two weeks ago. He was extremely physical. But he isn’t the only one. The Giants have picked up the cue from their young players, and they are attacking on both sides of the football. This is a 2-5 team that is playing like a playoff contender. They have confidence. They have swagger. And they are physical. The Eagles must be ready here.

Eagles look to extend home winning streak over Giants to 13 games – PFT
Via NBC Sports research, the Eagles have won 12 straight home games against the Giants, including playoffs. The streak, which dates back to 2014, is the longest home winning streak against any opponent in team history. A win by the Giants would complete a sweep of the Eagles. The Giants haven’t accomplished that since 2007. The Eagles did it in 2024, 2022 (including a third win in the playoffs), 2019, 2018, 2017, 2015, and 2014.

Giants-Eagles rivalry and the NFL punt that lives in infamy – ESPN
To his credit, Dodge faced up to all the hard questions after the game, blaming nobody but himself. The New York media was merciless, but with Christmas only a week away, Dodge had family and friends in town to see the game, meaning that he didn’t go back to an empty apartment once he finished at the stadium. Dodge: I was in a bad place, you know? Just kind of pissed at the world. But I remember they jumped in the car with me. And so that night was actually one of the best nights ever. We opened gifts. I was in a weird head space ’cause part of me wanted to go turn emo real quick in my room, you know? But the other half was like, I got people that have traveled here that are excited. They haven’t even talked about the game. They’re like, “Man, pizza’s here, let’s get some pizza.” So, it was a weird kind of dichotomy, I guess you could say. Dodge spent that evening with his guests, not on his phone, which was very much a good thing. Death threats, insults and all kinds of vitriol were directed at him on Twitter and other social platforms, though not all the hate actually reached its intended target.

Mostly sunny, crisp fall weather in the Philadelphia region Saturday, perfect for Eagles game – CBS News
The forecast for the Eagles game Sunday at 1 p.m. looks ideal for late October, with just a mix of sun and clouds through the game. Temperatures Sunday morning will warm through the 40s and then climb into the 50s for tailgating before holding right around 60 degrees through most of the game.

Commanders vs Chiefs Friday Injury Report: WRs on track for Monday Night Football return – Hogs Haven
The Washington Commanders held their second full practice of the week today. They are preparing for an away game against the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday Night Football. Starting QB Jayden Daniels has already been ruled out for the game due to the hamstring injury he suffered vs the Cowboys. Dan Quinn said he’ll focus on recovery this week, but the injury is “not significant or long-term” Marcus Mariota will get his 3rd start of the season. Washington got some positive injury news with WR Terry McLaurin returning to the practice for the first time since suffering a quad injury in Week 3. He has missed the last four weeks, but looks like he is on track for a primetime return. Deebo Samuel had been the Commanders top receiver with McLaurin and Noah Brown out, but he was also dealing with a heel injury for the last three weeks. He played through it for two games, but the nagging injury kept him sidelined vs the Cowboys. He’s back on the field for his second full practice in 3 weeks, and should be reunited with McLaurin on the field against the Chiefs on Monday night.

Cowboys injuries: Trevon Diggs, Donovan Wilson out, Cooper Beebe questionable – Blogging The Boys
DeMarvion Overshown (knee) was also limited but has been working hard in practice to return to full speed. He has been ruled out along with Shavon Revel. Donovan Wilson (elbow/knee) and Trevon Diggs (concussion) have not practiced this week. They have both been ruled out.

Giants, Brian Daboll, and Cam Skattebo fined after NFL-NFLPA investigation – SB Nation
The NFL and the NFLPA further found that while the actions of Skattebo and Daboll had “no actual impact on the exam or the care that Mr. Dart received, their conduct was inconsistent with and demonstrated a disregard for the concussion protocol’s requirements and therefore constituted a violation. As a result of the findings, the team was fined $200,000 for violating the concussion protocol. In addition, Daboll was fined $100,000, and Skattebo was fined, both fines being handed down for conduct detrimental to the league.

…

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Source: https://www.bleedinggreennation.com...y-lurie-responds-to-questions-about-a-j-brown

 

[Philadelphia Eagles]

Ranking the biggest Eagles villains of the 21st century

More than usual, I really want the Eagles to smash the Giants on Sunday. Losing to New York on Thursday Night Football in the Meadowlands two weeks ago, coupled with the Phillies getting eliminated from the postseason in humiliating fashion the same evening, made for one of the worst sports nights of my life. The Giants are just 2-5, but rookies Jaxson Dart and Cam Skattebo played like seasoned vets and embarrassed the Birds.

As I was watching that, still licking my wounds from the Phillies’ meltdown in Los Angeles, I thought, “Wow, it’s going to suck playing these guys for the next half-decade or more.” Not only are they good, they’re annoying stylistically with their all-out play style and raucous personalities. I already loathe them. It was one single game and the duo are already poised to fly up the leaderboard of my most hated New York athletes of all time. This is how villains are born.

That got me thinking. Who are the biggest Eagles villains? Sure, the Dallas triplets in the ‘90s are certainly at the top, but for the players I saw with my own two eyes, who made me scream expletives and frustrated me to no end, there are legitimate candidates. Now, Eagles fans are a special breed and I could include some of the team’s own players on this list, certainly, like Jason Babin or Nnamdi Asomugha, but I’m more so leaning toward the players we were dying for the Birds to beat on Sundays.

Five players immediately jumped to mind. Here’s how I’d rank these Eagles villains…

5. Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints​

Brees, a Super Bowl champion and future Hall of Famer, was 3-0 in his career in the postseason alone against the Eagles. The infuriating thing is that he beat the Eagles across three separate eras. Brees’ Saints took down the Eagles in the 2006 Divisional Round, the 2013 Wild Card Round and the 2018 Divisional Round against three different coaching regimes.

That’s such a wide spectrum of closing out the Eagles’ season. In that first matchup, I was in seventh grade watching with my friends at my house. In the second one, I was in college and attended the game with my dad. In the third one, I was an adult living with my now-wife, still watching Brees beat the Birds when it mattered most. We couldn’t get this guy out of the NFL fast enough!

Brees now finds himself on television criticizing the Eagles for not being as good as their record indicates this season. I’m sick of him. Be gone!

4. Jeremy Shockey, New York Giants​

Shockey was the first, but certainly not the last, player in my childhood where I realized that I hate in my heart for a pro. He was cocky, brash and, on top of it all, quite good. He was a stud and a First-Team All-Pro tight end as a rookie. Shockey “Mossed” Eagles icon Brian Dawkins for a game-tying fourth quarter touchdown in the 2002 regular season finale and it was sickening to watch some guy from The U trash talk my favorite athlete ever after scoring. New York would go on to win that game in overtime.

Reeling from that loss, I experienced my first case of sports schadenfreude in the Wild Card Round when Shockey’s Giants fell on the road to San Francisco. New York would collapse following a 38-14 second half lead to lose 39-38. Glorious stuff.

3. Jason Witten, Dallas Cowboys​

Holy hell. It took forever for Witten to hang up his cleats. Witten played 31 games against the Eagles in his career, roughly two seasons’ worth. That’s tied for the second most ever by an opposing non-specialist player against the Birds, just below Darrell Green with 38, per StatMuse.

It felt like he was an automatic first down for so long when he lined up against the Birds. When Witten scored a game-winning overtime touchdown for Dallas as they beat the Eagles in 2016, I remember watching the game and looking up Witten’s age. He was 34. How was he still doing this? Why was he still doing this? Go home, dude.

Making matters worse is that the Eagles selected tight end L.J. Smith eight picks ahead of Witten in the 2003 NFL Draft. What a sliding doors moment that would’ve been for an Eagles team that was always starved for pass-catching talent in the Donovan McNabb era, going from an afterthought in Smith to an 11-time Pro Bowler in Witten.

2. Ezekiel Elliott, Dallas Cowboys​

This guy, man.

Elliott had over 1,100 rushing yards in career against the Eagles alone. He averaged 4.7 yards per carry against the Birds, higher than his career figure. If you told me it was 10 yards per carry, I might’ve believed you. Elliott’s peak coincided with some tough Eagles-Cowboys matchups during the Dak Prescott vs. Carson Wentz heyday. The Eagles’ defense looked improbably soft whenever they had to take down Elliott. It drove me mad in my 20s. He’s my least favorite player from my least favorite sports team of all time.

Oh, yeah. His go-to celebration where he was eating cereal or whatever made me skin crawl.

1. Ronde Barber, Tampa Bay Buccaneers​

I mean, who else was it going to be?

I don’t feel like writing about him anymore!

Please beat Dart and Skattebo on Sunday.

Source: https://www.bleedinggreennation.com...e-biggest-eagles-villains-of-the-21st-century

 

[Philadelphia Eagles]

NFL Week 8 Late Games

Now that the Week 8 early games are over, it’s time to take a look at your late-afternoon viewing options. You can [CLICK HERE] for a full Week 8 Eagles fan rooting guide.

Here’s who the BGN writers are predicting to win.

You can check out 506sports to see which games are being broadcast in your area, but the Philadelphia area will get the Dallas Cowboys on the road against the Denver Broncos [RED on the map] on CBS.

View Link

Check below for more information on how to watch these NFL Week 8 late games.

Online Streaming​

FuboTV | Paramount+ | FOX One

Sunday, October 26​

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (5-2) at NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (1-6)

Start time: 4:05 PM ET
Channel: FOX
Announcers: Kenny Albert, Jonatha Vilma, Megan Olivi (field reporter)

TENNESSEE TITANS (1-6) at INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (6-1)

Start time: 4:25 PM ET
Channel: CBS
Announcers: Andrew Catalon, Charles Davis, Jason McCourty, AJ Ross (field reporter)

DALLAS COWBOYS (3-3-1) at DENVER BRONCOS (5-2)

Start time: 4:25 PM ET
Channel: CBS
Announcers: Jim Nantz, Tony Romo, Tracy Wolfson (field reporter)

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Note: This is an open thread. Discuss all of the NFL Week 8 late games here in the comment section. Stay tuned for the Sunday Night Football thread to be posted later today.

Source: https://www.bleedinggreennation.com...ation-channel-stream-cowboys-broncos-nfc-east

 

[Philadelphia Eagles]

Eagles vs. Giants: 19 winners, 2 losers, and 2 IDKs

In the lead up to Week 8, I felt like the Philadelphia Eagles needed to make a statement against the New York Giants.

The Birds needed to get back at the team that embarrassed them on a national stage in Week 6.

My stance on the Eagles needing to score style points softened once we learned they would be without A.J. Brown, Cam Jurgens, and multiple defensive starters.

At that point, I felt like they merely needed to avoid getting swept by the G-Men. Losing twice to them in three weeks would’ve been a really bad look.

Instead, the Eagles turned in their first real feel-good win of the season. They were up 38 to 13 before pulling their starters and allowing a garbage time touchdown with 2:44 left in the game. And they actually outgained an opponent for the first time this season! By 183 yards, prior to Tanner McKee’s kneel downs to run out the clock.

The Eagles are 6-2 and things feel like they’re trending in a positive direction as the team enters their Week 9 bye.

Time to hand out winners, losers, and I don’t knows from this encouraging performance.

For even more analysis, check out my appearance on The Ringer’s Philly Special postgame podcast with Sheil Kapadia (and Ace Producer Cliff Augustin).

WINNERS​

SAQUON BARKLEY​

If it wasn’t already apparent that Barkley wasn’t the main problem with the Eagles’ running game struggles, it should be by now. He clearly still has juice.

Entering Week 8, Barkley’s longest run of the season went for just 18 yards. He topped that mark with his first carry of the game in this one with a 65-yard house call that hearkened back to his stellar 2024 season.

All told, Barkley logged 14 carries for 150 rushing yards and one touchdown … plus four catches for 24 yards and one touchdown. According to math, that’s 18 total touches for 174 yards from scrimmage and two scores.

And he accomplished this much through just the first three quarters of the game. He didn’t play in the fourth quarter as a precaution due to the groin injury he suffered on the final play of the third quarter. Speaking in the locker room after the game, Barkley indicated he could’ve re-entered the game if necessary. He seems to intend on playing when the Eagles return from their bye.

It remains to be seen if the 2025 Eagles truly have their running game back on track or if this was just about taking advantage of a Giants defense that was allowing the third-most rushing yards per attempt.

Regardless, it was refreshing to see Barkley get going.

TANK BIGSBY​

So very bizarre that the Eagles really talked up Bigsby’s kick returning ability after they traded for him. He stunk at that.

The Eagles took Bigsby off kick returns in Week 7 and finally gave him a limited role on offense. As RB2, he took a carry for 11 yards on four offensive snaps played.

Bigsby was once again RB2 in Week 8. Rotating in for Barkley, his first carry of the game came on the Eagles’ second drive and went for 18 yards. He had another result in no gain.

Bigsby then didn’t touch the ball again until after Barkley tweaked his groin on the final play of the third quarter. It was a 2nd-and-26 where Bigsby broke through tackles to gain 29 yards and a first down. Pretty unexpected!

The Eagles continued to lean on Bigsby to help close the game out and he ultimately had nine carries go for 104 rushing yards (a very efficient 11.6 yards per carry). This was Bigsby’s second-highest rushing performance of his career, only behind his 118 for the Jacksonville Jaguars against the New England Patriots last season.

Bigsby’s role is obviously going to be limited with Barkley ahead of him but the Eagles should find ways to get their second running back involved. He’s looking like the most dynamic RB2 option* they’ve had during the Nick Sirianni era. Perhaps mix in some 22 personnel?

*(Bigsby had a run of 29 yards in this game. The longest run of Kenny Gainwell’s Eagles career was 35 yards.)

THE EAGLES’ OFFENSIVE LINE​

As a team, the Eagles logged 33 rushing attempts for 276 yards and one touchdown. No other team has rushed for more yards in a game this season.

And if you take out Tanner McKee’s three end of game kneel downs for negative two yards, it’s really 30 carries for 278 yards. That’s a whopping 9.3 average.

After struggling for most of the season, the Eagles’ offensive line finally got going in the run blocking department. They asserted their will like we’re used to seeing.

BRETT TOTH​

While we’re on the topic of the Eagles’ offensive line, I want to single out Brett Toth.

There was question about how well he’d play in the absence of injured Eagles starting center Cam Jurgens. Toth had some struggles filling in for him last weekend.

In fairness, Toth did not prep to play at center in Week 7. He did in Week 8 and that seemed to make a difference. He passed the eye test with some nice blocks out in space:

Watch Brett Toth (#64) annihilate a Giants DB on a screen pass to Saquon pic.twitter.com/rkYs1M6tli

— Eagles Eric (@EaglesXsandOs) October 26, 2025

For what it’s worth, Pro Football Focus graded Toth as the second-best offensive player from this game (only behind Bigsby).

Toth also drew praise from his teammates:

#Eagles LG Landon Dickerson on Brett Toth:

"I think Brett did a tremendous job. They're a good defense — I know, if you look at records and stuff — but it's a talented, well-coached defense and especially, they got a really good d-tackle in Dexter Lawrence.

"I think Brett did…

— Andrew DiCecco (@AndrewDiCecco) October 26, 2025

As recently as this summer, Toth mightily struggled shotgun snapping the ball to Jalen Hurts. It was so bad that he was replaced by rookie Drew Kendall in that role.

Kudos to Toth for rewarding Jeff Stoutland’s faith in him. It’s been a long road for Toth, who originally signed with the Eagles in August 2019, to make a key impact as a starter. His perseverance is commendable.

JALEN HURTS​

Hurts has been extremely efficient over the past two weeks.

Jalen Hurts had his worst game of the season in Week 6.

Two games combined since then:

34/43 (79.1%), 505 yards (11.7 avg), 7 TD, 0 INT, 155.2 passer rating #Eagles

— Brandon Lee Gowton (@BrandonGowton) October 26, 2025

He’s accounted for 20 touchdowns and just two turnovers this season.

There are currently nine NFL players with shorter MVP odds than Hurts (+2200). Not the worst bet to make if you feel like he’s going to keep this up.

DEVONTA SMITH​

DeVonta as WR1 with A.J. Brown not playing: 9 targets, 6 receptions, 84 yards.

Facing a bad and injured Giants secondary certainly didn’t hurt his outlook. But the Giants couldn’t stop him even though they knew Hurts was going to target him over and over.

DeVonta made some nice grabs to turn some off-target Hurts throws into completions.

DeVonta has a 123.3 passer rating when targeted this season. That’s the highest single-season mark of his career.

DALLAS GOEDERT​

Three targets for three receptions and 28 yards isn’t the flashiest stat line.

But two of those grabs were touchdowns, putting Goedert up to seven scores in eight games this season. His previous high in a season was the five he had in 15 games played during 2019.

Jordan Mailata on Dallas Goedert: "Dude, he's fucking unreal. How many touchdowns does he have now? … And we almost didn't bring him back. Can you believe that shit? How funny is that." #Eagles

— EJ Smith (@EJSmith94) October 26, 2025

Wouldn’t have been so funny if the Eagles didn’t bring him back!

JAHAN DOTSON​

There was a point in the fourth quarter where I realized Dotson only had one target for zero receptions. Simply need better production than that from a WR2 that cost a third-round pick in a trade. In fairness, Hurts has to throw him the ball.

And he finally did late in the game. And it wasn’t even a great throw! Dotson was able to Moss his defender to make the grab and land in the end zone for a touchdown that gave the Eagles a 25-point lead with 5:59 to play.

That grab should served as a reminder that Dotson should be involved more than never. He had only been targeted five times in the previous four games combined.

NICK SIRIANNI​

Though it hasn’t been the smoothest road to this point, the Eagles are ultimately 6-2 entering their Week 9 bye. That’s the record I had predicted for them in my win-loss exercise following the schedule release.

Sirianni didn’t allow the team to spiral after two straight losses. They’ve responded to that stumble with two straight wins.

In the bigger picture, Sirianni is serving as head coach for one of the very best eras of Eagles football.

The Eagles are 6-2 or better through 8 games for the 4th consecutive season, which is tied for the longest stretch in franchise history (previously: 1947-1950).

— Brandon Lee Gowton (@BrandonGowton) October 26, 2025

KEVIN PATULLO​

Only fair to credit the Eagles offensive coordinator for when the offense plays well if he’s going to get criticized for when it struggles.

This was a really impressive performance:

The #Eagles’ offensive performance today was their best by EPA/Drive since Super Bowl LII against the Patriots (2.95).

Eagles Best Games by EPA/Drive (2018-2025)
1) 2.84, ’25 w7 vs NYG
2) 2.74, ’24 CG vs WAS
3) 2.65, ’21 w4 vs KC
4) 2.61, ’22 w14 @ NYG
5) 2.48, ’24 w12 @ LAR

— Deniz Selman (@denizselman33) October 27, 2025

The Eagles' offensive performance today was the 2nd-best by any team in a game this season based on EPA per drive.

8 possessions: 5 TDs, 1 FG, 1 missed FG, 1 punt, no turnovers.

— Sheil Kapadia (@SheilKapadia) October 26, 2025

The Giants were allowing 376 yards per game and 25.8 offensive points per game. The Eagles put up 427 yards and 38 points.

It wasn’t just the bottom line results that were encouraging. It’s also how the Eagles got there.

The Eagles weren’t as predictable. They continued to incorporate under-center play action (what a novel concept!). They also continued to utilize six offensive linemen packages:

"The Eagles utilized jumbo personnel (6+ offensive linemen) on 17.5% of plays (10 of 57) against the Giants, the 2nd-highest rate in a game under head coach Nick Sirianni behind their Week 7 win over the Vikings."

via NFL Pro

— Brandon Lee Gowton (@BrandonGowton) October 26, 2025

And they had success with them (shocker, adding an extra offensive lineman instead of relying on backup tight ends who can’t block is a helpful approach):

Fred Johnson was on the field for 12 of the Eagles' 33 rushes. They rushed for 129 yards on those plays.

— Zach Berman (@ZBerm) October 26, 2025

Maybe Patullo is starting to figure some things out eight games into his first season as an NFL play-caller?

Q: Can you address the job that offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo has done so far and how well, or maybe not well, he’s ignored the noise because every time we talk to those guys in there, they’re saying, ‘It’s us, not him.’ And now it seems to be–

NICK SIRIANNI: I think that in football, it’s always us, all of us. I know they love Kevin, but it’s always all of us. I think Kevin’s really mentally tough. I think you have to be in this game regardless of anything. You have to be mentally tough in this game. It’s a long season. There’s ups and downs, there’s weekly stories, all those different things. I think what Kevin’s done a really good job of is being able to block out anything that can be a distraction to him and working like crazy to put himself in the best position to call the best game that he can each week regardless of what’s going on. I’ve got a lot of respect for Kevin in that aspect.

THE EAGLES’ DEFENSIVE LINE​

The Eagles logged five sacks on Dart. That’s the most sacks by the Eagles in a game since they had six in Super Bowl LIX.

The Eagles rushed Dart in a controlled way where they did not allow the rookie quarterback to gain yards with his legs. Dart finished the game with just six runs for 17 yards and one touchdown … and two of those attempts for three yards and the TD came against the Eagles’ backups in garbage time. So, he was really kept to 14 yards on four runs. He previously had 13 carries for 58 yards and a touchdown in Week 6.

The Eagles’ defensive line by the numbers:

• Jalyx Hunt: 1 sack, 1 TFL
• Moro Ojomo: 1 sack, 1 TFL
• Jordan Davis: 1 sack, 1 TFL
• Jalen Carter: 1 sack, 1 TFL

More on Hunt in his own section below.

Ojomo is up to a team-high four sacks in eight games this season after entering this year with one career sack in 29 games played.

Davis set a new career-high in regular season sacks with three total.

Carter logged his first sack of the 2025 season.

Also worth mentioning that Joshua Uche nearly got to Dart for a strip-sack.

In addition to rushing the passer, the Eagles’ defensive line played their part in limiting the Giants’ rushing attack to 68 yards on 21 carries (3.2 average). That’s after allowing the Giants to rush for 172 yards on 39 carries in Week 6.

JALYX HUNT​

From NFL Next Gen Stats:

Jalyx Hunt recorded one sack and generated nine pressures on 22 pass rushes (40.9% pressure rate), exceeding his previous career high of five pressures in a game. Hunt created pressures against four different Giants offensive linemen, including six pressures against right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor on 17 matchups. Hunt also added three run tackles on 14 run snaps, with the Giants averaging just 3.8 yards per carry when running in his direction.

Between this performance and his pick-six last week, Hunt seems to be building positive momentum after a quiet start to the season. Good to see the second-year edge defender rounding into form.

QUINYON MITCHELL​

Some have said that Mitchell was fortunate to receive the offensive pass interference call that wiped out a huge Darius Slayton touchdown. Watching the play from the press box, it looked like OPI to me in real time even before I saw the flag was thrown.

The Giants’ wide receivers obviously aren’t good but Mitchell deserves credit for locking down his competition. Per NFL Next Gen Stats:

Mitchell had never allowed fewer than two targets in a game and no receptions in his career prior to this matchup, and is now one of 10 cornerbacks to allow one or fewer targets for no receptions in a game this season.

ZACK BAUN​

Quietly very good with a team-high six tackles, team-high two TFLs, team-high two passes defensed, and one sack. He’s graduated to the point where it’s easy to take for granted just how good he is.

VIC FANGIO​

The Eagles’ defensive coordinator clearly learned from mistakes that were made back in the Eagles’ loss to the Giants in Week 6. One such change in approach was highlighted by NFL Next Gen Stats.

The Eagles defense shifted their coverage in their rematch against the Giants, deploying zone coverage on 67.1% of dropbacks compared to just 38.2% in Week 6. When doing so, the Eagles limited Jaxson Dart to only 9 scramble yards on two attempts, a significant reduction for a quarterback who had accumulated 125 scramble rushing yards and had a 10.3% scramble run rate (5th-highest among quarterbacks) entering the game.

Getting Dart to hold onto the ball allowed the Eagles’ defensive line to get home.

Dart averaged a 3.68-second time to throw, the third-longest by any quarterback in a game this season (min. 20 pass attempts) and the longest of his career by three-quarters of a second, despite facing pressure on over half of his dropbacks (54.8%).

WILL SHIPLEY​

The Eagles originally hoped Shipley would be RB2 behind Barkley. They wanted him to be Kenny Gainwell’s replacement.

Then they traded for Bigsby, who has clearly overtaken Shipley as RB2. But his demotion doesn’t mean he’s not a useful player on the roster.

Shipley averaged 33 yards on three kick returns, including a 41-yarder that set up the Eagles’ second touchdown drive three yards short of midfield. Shipley also logged two tackles on special teams coverage units.

And though his three carries produced just two yards, he had three yards on a 2nd-and-2 run to give the Eagles a first down on the touchdown drive that resulted in Philly taking an 18-point lead.

An unsung hero of this win.

BRADEN MANN​

Prior to Week 8, Mann was averaging 4.7 punts per game. Only three teams averaged more punts.

Against the Giants, Mann only had to punt once! It’s the first time the Eagles punted just once in a game since their Week 15 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers last season. Mann’s sole punt went 57 yards.

REINFORCEMENTS​

There’s reason to believe the Eagles will be better after their Week 9 bye.

Nolan Smith and Jakorian Bennett could return from injured reserve. Smith could be the Eagles’ top pass rusher when healthy. Bennett could factor in at CB2, if necessary.

A.J. Brown, Cam Jurgens, Adoree’ Jackson, and Azeez Ojulari might be back after missing Week 8.

Brandon Graham should be ready to play in Week 10.

Howie Roseman could make an addition or two ahead of the trade deadline.

Help is on the way.

KELLY GREEN​

The Eagles remain undefeated while wearing their best jersey color since the team brought them back as alternates in 2023.

5-0.

As a reminder, the Eagles have two remaining Kelly Green games this season:

Week 12 at Dallas Cowboys
Week 18 vs. Washington Commanders

They’ll likely be favored in those games. 7-0 is on the table.

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LOSERS​

THE GIANTS AT THE LINC​

The last time the Giants won at Lincoln Financial Field was October 27, 2013.

Exactly 12 years ago from this publish date.

THE REFS​

The officiating in this game was bad.

And some of the mistakes undoubtedly helped the Eagles, such as the refs blowing the whistle early on Jalen Hurts’ forward progress on the tush push to negate a Giants fumble recovery.

The Eagles were hurt by some missed calls as well. It looked like Nakobe Dean was blatantly held on Dart’s touchdown throw to Cam Skattebo, for example.

It just wasn’t a banner day for this crew. This moment really summed up the incompetence:

The ref just said "The previous penalty was declined by the Jets" in a game he's reffing between the Eagles and Giants.

— Brandon Lee Gowton (@BrandonGowton) October 26, 2025

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I DON’T KNOWS​

JAKE ELLIOTT​

58-yard field goal attempts traditionally aren’t automatic but long kicks have seemingly been more make-able than ever this season with the new K-ball rules, so, I’m holding Elliott to a higher standard here.

This was the second week in a row he’s missed a field goal after sending a 42-yarder wide last week.

Not really losing confidence in the Eagles’ kicker but the misses do need to stop.

Are the misses at all attributable to new long snapper Cal Adomitis? I don’t know. Could be good to get Charley Hughlett back whenever he’s ready to return from IR. Elliott didn’t miss any kicks with him snapping.

A.J. BROWN​

The Eagles had their best offensive game of the season without A.J. Brown playing. So, he’s clearly the problem! Trade him!

Not really. The Eagles had their biggest passing performance of the season last week with Brown heavily involved.

And it makes no sense that Brown being out was the difference in the Eagles’ run game really taking off against the Giants.

Trading Brown would be very dumb. You don’t trade players who are arguably the best player at their position in the NFL. Especially when you’re actively competing for a Super Bowl.

That being said, it’s been weird how there are constant reports about how the Eagles are not going to trade him.

If your best friend keeps telling you that they’re not going to stop being friends with you, aren’t you going to be suspicious that they actually do want to stop being friends with you? Doth protest too much at some point.

Not to mention that Jeffrey Lurie was asked about Brown on the record and he didn’t exactly shut down the idea that the Eagles would trade him.

Again, I think the Eagles would be dumb to trade Brown. I think he’s going to be on the roster past the November 4 trade deadline.

But I don’t know if that means the weird energy surrounding this situation is going to stop.

Source: https://www.bleedinggreennation.com...gles-vs-giants-18-winners-2-losers-and-2-idks

 

[Philadelphia Eagles]

Eagles-Giants snap counts: Tank Bigsby shines as RB2

The official snap counts from the Philadelphia Eagles’ Week 8 win over the New York Giants are in! Let’s take a look and run through some analysis.

OFFENSE​

• Jordan Mailata is the only Eagles player to play 100% of the team’s offensive snaps this season.
• Jalen Hurts entered Week 8 with 100% of the Eagles’ snaps played but he was pulled for Tanner McKee to close out the game. McKee made his season debut to hand off the ball once and kneel down three times.
• Brett Toth did a real nice job of filling in for Cam Jurgens at center. And this despite going up against Dexter Lawrence. Kudos to him.
• DeVonta Smith was obviously WR1 with A.J. Brown out. He accounted for nine of the team’s 20 targets (45%), six of their 15 receptions (40%), and 84 of their 179 receiving yards (47%).
• Jahan Dotson was WR2 in this game. Prior to his eye-popping 40-yard touchdown catch with 5:59 left in the game, he had zero receptions on just one target. Good to see they ultimately got him involved … but it took a little longer than it should have.
• Dallas Goedert and Grant Calcaterra saw near identical playing time. The former was obviously more productive with three targets resulting in three catches for 28 yards and two touchdowns. Calcaterra did not see a target. This was actually the second-highest snap count percentage of Calcaterra’s season.
• Saquon Barkley had his most productive game of the season despite playing his lowest snap count of the season after suffering a groin injury on the final play of the third quarter. Barkley indicated he would’ve been able to return if the team needed him to play.
• Darius Cooper was WR3 in his first game back from injured reserve. He didn’t officially log a target in the box score but he did draw a defensive pass interference penalty to turn 3rd-and-11 into a first down when Hurts threw his way. Cooper also seemed to create some separation on other plays. Could be good to see the Eagles quarterback give him more chances.

I know Darius Cooper has never been targeted in an NFL game at this point, but if the defense is going to give you this look 1 on 1 I think you have to take the shot and give him a chance. It has a better chance for payoff than the checkdown to Saquon with 2 LBs right behind him… pic.twitter.com/iDNOrKI7Zf

— Shane Haff (@ShaneHaffNFL) October 27, 2025

• Time to stop listing Tank Bigsby as RB/KR. He sure isn’t a natural at returning kicks … but he’s a really nice contributor to have at running back. Bigsby’s nine carries resulted in 104 yards. And that wasn’t just about one big run or the offensive line always blocking things up perfectly for him. Bigsby created yardage by running hard and breaking through tackles. With a performance like that, Bigsby is making the case to get weekly touches as RB2 behind Saquon Barkley.
• The Eagles utilized Fred Johnson as a sixth offensive lineman (or, really, a blocking tight end) at a relatively high rate.
• TE3 Kylen Granson and TE4/FB Cameron Latu saw equal playing time on offense.
• John Metchie played nine snaps on offense after logging just seven offensive snaps in the Eagles’ last three games combined. He hasn’t logged a target since Week 4.
• Will Shipley didn’t provide much on offense as RB3 but he did play well on special teams.
• Interesting to see the Eagles gave Xavier Gipson a dedicated touch on a pop pass. He also took over for Dotson as punt returner in addition to lining up on kickoff return.
• Matt Pryor and Drew Kendall logged some garbage time snaps at the end of the game. These were Kendall’s first NFL regular season snaps on offense.

DEFENSE​

• The Eagles’ top defenders (in terms of playing time) only having to play 45 snaps must’ve felt pretty good after they were averaging 66.7 snaps played over their first seven games. Between this low usage and the bye week, the Eagles’ defense should be well-rested when they return to the field in Week 10.
• Jalen Carter led all Eagles defensive linemen in playing time once again. He’s on the board with his first sack of the season.
• Kelee Ringo didn’t struggle as CB2 the way he did when he last played against the Giants in Week 6.
• Jalyx Hunt led the Eagles’ three-man edge rusher rotation and generated a team-high nine pressures, per NFL Next Gen Stats. He also logged his first sack of the season. Feels like Hunt is heating up after a quiet start.
• Nakobe Dean officially started against the Giants and he outsnapped first-round rookie Jihaad Campbell. Dean is a good player, so, it’s hard to complain about him being on the field. But it’s not ideal to see Campbell losing snaps.
• Joshua Uche had a forced fumbled that was overturned. He’s only logged on sack this season but he’s been more disruptive than the traditional box score indicates.
• Jordan Davis in 55 career games before this season: 5.5 sacks, 8 TFLs. Jordan Davis in eight games this season: 3 sacks, 4 TFLs.
• Moro Ojomo is up to a team-high four sacks this season.
• Patrick Johnson didn’t log a box score stat but he contributed to some of the Eagles’ pass rush success. He also did unfortunately trip to leave Cam Skattebo wide open for a touchdown catch.
• Parry Nickerson was on the field for Hunt’s first sack with Vic Fangio breaking out the Eagles’ dime package in the red zone.
• Reserve defenders Sydney Brown, Jeremiah Trotter Jr. (who made a really good tackle on a scrambling Dart), Smael Mondon, Marcus Epps, Ty Robinson, and Mac McWilliams saw some garbage time action on the Giants’ final drive.

SPECIAL TEAMS​

• Jake Elliott played a season-high 14 snaps with Eagles kicking off seven times, attempting two field goals (one that he missed from 58 yards), and tacking on five extra points.
• Cal Adomitis continues to fill in for the injured Charley Hughlett.
• Braden Mann only punted once for the first time this season. Between this and the bye week, his leg is getting some rest.

DID NOT PLAY​

INACTIVE: A.J. Brown, Cam Jurgens, Azeez Ojulari, Adoree’ Jackson, Sam Howell

ACTIVE: A.J. Dillon

• Note that Brandon Graham is not listed here because he’s not yet officially on the active roster. The Eagles have a two-week exemption that started when the team signed him last week. One would figure he’ll be ready to go when the Eagles return from their bye to play the Green Bay Packers in Week 10.
• Brown, Jurgens, Ojulari, and Jackson might be able to return after the bye. We won’t get our first official Eagles injury report ahead of the Packers game until Thursday, November 6 since it’s a Monday night game.
• With Bigbsy emerging as RB2 and Shipley providing special teams value as RB3, there’s really no need to keep Dillon around. The Eagles will probably cut him when they need to open up a roster spot. It’s possible they could bring him back on the practice squad but we’ll see if he’s interested in that role or not.

Source: https://www.bleedinggreennation.com...-giants-snap-counts-tank-bigsby-shines-as-rb2

 

[Philadelphia Eagles]

Monday Night Football: Commanders vs. Chiefs

The final game of Week 8 will be a Monday Night Football matchup featuring the Washington Commanders (3-4) on the road against the Kansas City Chiefs (4-3).

BLG explains why we should be rooting for the Chiefs on Monday night, in our Week 8 rooting guide:

WASHINGTON COMMANDERS at KANSAS CITY CHIEFS: The Commanders are third in the NFC East at 3-4. A loss drops Washington to 3-5. Then they have to play the Seahawks and the Lions. Root for the Chiefs.

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

Washington Commanders vs. Kansas City Chiefs​

TV Schedule​

Game time: 8:15 PM EST

Channel: ESPN

Date: Monday, October 27, 2025

Location: Arrowhead Stadium | Kansas City, MO

Online Streaming​

ESPN+ | FuboTV

Odds via FanDuel

Odds courtesy of FanDuel​

Washington Commanders: +10.5 (+500)

Kansas City Chiefs: -10.5 (-700)

Over/under: 47.5 points

SB Nation Blogs​

Commanders: www.HogsHaven.com

Chiefs: www.ArrowheadPride.com

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

Source: https://www.bleedinggreennation.com...iefs-game-information-channel-odds-week-8-nfl

 

[Philadelphia Eagles]

Eagles Film Review: First time all year the offense felt balanced and sequenced well

The Philadelphia Eagles’ Week 8 win over the New York Giants was the most complete offensive performance of the season by a distance. I called the offense boring a few weeks ago (a statement I stand by), but this week was anything but boring. We saw a lot of new stuff in this one, which we will get into. It was the best blend of sequencing and intent to establish the run that we’ve seen, and when you add in the top individual performances from multiple players, you get a blowout!.

Offense​

Where else to start but the Saquon Barkley touchdown? The Eagles have six offensive linemen out there (Fred Johnson was always the 6th) and run duo from under center. We haven’t seen the Eagles run duo very much over the past few years, but they committed to it this week. All it took was one decisive cut from Saquon and Landon Dickerson impacting three defenders on the same play, and Barkley was off. Dickerson looked healthy for the first time all season. Tyler Nubin’s angle was poor (if you read the Giants’ preview from a couple of weeks ago, I specifically mentioned him struggling to prevent explosive plays), but it’s Barkley’s speed that forces the mistake. The ground game finally came alive with 276 rushing yards at 9.3 YPC, and for the first time since 2013, the Eagles had two 100-yard backs in the same game! Most importantly, the run game was varied and unpredictable, which made the line look like itself again! I have been blaming the scheme rather than individual performances this season, and I believe this week showed that the Eagles are still talented up front.

Eagles Offense All22 Thread vs. Giants. 1) Where else to start, but here? 6 OL Duo concept from under center (!), Barkley makes a decisive cut, and Landon Dickerson basically takes 3 guys out of the play. All it takes then is a terrible angle by Nubin (27) and Barkley is off to… pic.twitter.com/z8khZVFM6h

— Jonny Page (@JonnyPage9) October 27, 2025

On the next drive, it’s once again six OL under-center duo, but from a different formation, and it hits a different gap. The Giants have struggled with contain all year, and Tank Bigsby punished it by bouncing outside. We will get into Bigsby’s performance later, because he was awesome. There were some new runs in this game, but it wasn’t radically different in many ways. The main ideas were dressed up differently and sequenced better, so the Giants couldn’t sit on tells like they could do a couple of weeks ago. This week was mainly duo and pin/pull runs.

2) Once again, 6 OL under center Duo run, but from a different formation. The Giants have had a huge problem all year with outside runs, and Tank Bigsby does a great job bouncing this outside. The Eagles OL had some outstanding reps, and I thought Goedert blocked extremely well,… pic.twitter.com/DWlrDqxUOf

— Jonny Page (@JonnyPage9) October 27, 2025

Then came the start of the pin-pull wave. The Eagles have prioritized athletes up front for a reason, and this is where it pays off. Pin/pull runs obviously come with a risk, as a quick defensive lineman or linebacker can blow the play up in the backfield, but they give you better angles in the run game. It made life easier for the offensive linemen and guess what, they looked good again!

Bret Toth was legitimately fantastic. I felt bad for Cam Jurgens as he must have wondered where this game plan was with him in the starting lineup! Jurgens is an incredible athlete, so it wasn’t like they changed the game plan. The Giants played some light boxes, and the Eagles punished them. The shotgun run game wasn’t a brand-new scheme; it was a better presentation of familiar concepts and a commitment to hitting the same runs from different formations, which created better angles. We have seen the Eagles run pin/pull concepts for years; they just made it a major part of the game plan this week.

3) As well as the under center Duo stuff, we saw a ton of pin/pull in this game. The Eagles have always prioritised athletic offensive linemen, which is why they've had success the past few years with linemen pulling. The angles in the run game looked so much better this week.… pic.twitter.com/py8LM2Ucbg

— Jonny Page (@JonnyPage9) October 27, 2025

What is this?! A successful screen?! I can count on one hand the number of successful screens I’ve seen by this offense the past couple of years. This offense has been poor against two-high zone from 2×2 formations, but they do run them a lot, so the Giants would not have expected a screen. The screen caught the Giants staring at routes, and let the OL (Toth again!) get out and block for Barkley in space. There’s no reason the screen game should be a weakness with this athletic line. I love it as a change-up because the Eagles see a ton of two-high zone coverage to stop their vertical passing game. Zone coverage obviously has natural “soft spots” that a screen can exploit. If a defense is sitting back in zone to protect against deep throws, the screen can get the ball quickly to a back or receiver in space, with fewer defenders nearby. Hopefully, we see more of this from the Eagles. Imagine not wanting to get Barkley the ball in space?

4) A successful screen?! The Eagles have struggled to defeat two-high zone coverage, so a screen is a fantastic call. You catch the Giants' defenders looking at receivers, and the deep safeties are too far away to have an impact. I love going 2×2 and running a RB screen as a… pic.twitter.com/zErupCRvWG

— Jonny Page (@JonnyPage9) October 27, 2025

Under-center play-action finally looked like proper play-action because they had established the run! Earlier in the game, the Eagles had run the same under-center look with Cameron Latu twice as a lead blocker, so this time they sold it and came back with a post/cross combo. The linebackers bit harder and Hurts, who supposedly can’t throw between the hashes, dropped another strike. The run game set up the pass game, which I think should be the case with this offense, far more than it has this year.

5) Look at the impact under center play-action has on the Giants' linebackers! This stuff isn't hard. The run game helped the passing game. They ran with Latu as a lead blocker twice before this fake, so the sequencing is great.

For someone who has historically never thrown to… pic.twitter.com/qqLhSuA5K1

— Jonny Page (@JonnyPage9) October 27, 2025

Even inside the shotgun pin/pull run game, there was variety to what the Eagles were doing. We saw different linemen pull (sometimes one or two), and the Eagles ran it from a standard shotgun look (the back running to the opposite side) and also from the same side. Same side shotgun runs are a great change-up because they stop the run game from becoming predictable from the shotgun. The Giants never got a read on where the run game was attacking. It wasn’t 12 different runs; it was the same 3–4 runs from different looks, which resulted in the line looking cleaner because they weren’t being asked to block defenders who knew what was coming.

6) We've seen under center Duo, then pin/pull with the center pulling, then we got same side pin/pull with the center & tackle pulling! The Giants could not handle the Eagles' run game early on.

I didn't actually think the Eagles ran a 'ton' of different concepts, but they ran… pic.twitter.com/mnrrYSZBOf

— Jonny Page (@JonnyPage9) October 27, 2025

As always, empty remained a cheat code. I wish we ran it more. The Eagles had a lot of success with double slants and free access throws as Hurts plays in such good rhythm in empty. For the majority of the game, Hurts was very good once again. Dallas Goedert had a great game, too. He only caught three balls, but his all-around game was excellent.

7) Empty formations remain a cheat code for this offense. Hurts is so decisive, and they have so many weapons; it's tough for a defense to double everyone. The Eagles loved running double slants in this game, and Hurts threw some excellent quick slants on time and with good… pic.twitter.com/nC4bResfcY

— Jonny Page (@JonnyPage9) October 27, 2025

Hey, another throw to the middle of the field! This time, it’s a double-post variant with a deep crosser that stretched the Giants’ defense out, and resulted in DeVonta Smith winning in the middle of the field. The pass pro picked up five, and Hurts stood in and ripped it. I’m also very intrigued by the funky Grant Calcaterra release through the A-gap. The Rams do this kind of thing a lot, which suggests the Eagles are trying something new. It’s a little odd to see him release through the A-gap, but it’s a clever way to hold the LBs underneath and it can create a natural mesh with Barkley’s route if you get man coverage.

8) Another middle of the field strike! This almost looks like Double Cross or Double Post Cross. Anyway, I love this concept and haven't seen the Eagles run it very often. It stretches the Giants horizontally and vertically and Smith ends up wide open in the middle of the field.… pic.twitter.com/FjpZQJ0EAk

— Jonny Page (@JonnyPage9) October 27, 2025

Hurts throwing to DeVonta Smith was awesome to watch in this game. Smith’s footwork was insane. He’s an elite route runner. The ability to mix up his tempo, cut on a dime, left the Giants’ cornerbacks grabbing air at times. Hurts threw this one with anticipation and still put it on the money, despite facing pressure. DeVonta played like a No.1 in A.J. Brown’s absence and the route running was flat-out beautiful.

By the way, I figured there would be some chat about this in the comments, so I’ll get my thoughts out of the way now. The Eagles could have done all of this with A.J. Brown healthy. Nothing about the game plan required his absence. However, I can’t help but feel that maybe the coaches were forced to design better, more balanced plays because they couldn’t lean on Brown’s elite talent to bail them out. Hopefully, this continues with Brown back after the bye.

9) Hurts and DeVonta Smith were in sync this week. Smith's routes were a thing of beauty all game. Hurts had some outstanding sideline shots, such as this one, where he threw with great anticipation as he was about to get hit. When Hurts is comfortable with a player and a… pic.twitter.com/g9ez3YLMKk

— Jonny Page (@JonnyPage9) October 27, 2025

This is an excellent design, despite it not working. The Eagles overload one side with a three-level stretch, and Barkley runs the intermediate route out of the backfield. This is the kind of spacing concept that’s been missing from the Eagles’ offense. However, there is a trade-off when you flood a zone with multiple receivers. You can get heated up by pressure if you leave no one into block, but I’ll take the occasional negative for the explosives this kind of concept can generate.

10) This is a fascinating play to break down. I love the call. I've wanted more stuff like this, and the Eagles break the Giants' zone coverage wide open with Barkley running the intermediate route as part of a 3-level stretch. This is the kind of concept I want to see more of,… pic.twitter.com/r2YO4nvKAO

— Jonny Page (@JonnyPage9) October 27, 2025

Here we have under-center pin-pull, now from 12 personnel, with both tight ends fitting their blocks (a sentence we have not been able to write often this year). The Giants brought pressure to the left, and the Eagles had the perfect play called. It’s amazing how easy everything looks when your runs aren’t telegraphed.

11) This time it's under center pin/pull, rather than Duo, which was run a earlier! This is from 12 personnel and the two tight ends block well (which is something we have not seen this year!). The Giants blitz the left side, and the Eagles catch them out by runni the opposite… pic.twitter.com/680LHhhTas

— Jonny Page (@JonnyPage9) October 27, 2025

I enjoyed the Eagles’ use of jumbo personnel, but, with six OL and two TEs, your play-action menu narrows. On the sack where Hurts looked bad, there just weren’t any viable outlets. You’re playing with one receiver on a longer-developing concept. I love the jumbo stuff for identity and tone, and it was a big part of why the run game rolled, but you’ve got to be selective about when you pair it with PA shots. Personally, I want two wideouts on the field to create true horizontal/vertical stretch. I prefer the 6 OL packages with 2 WRs on the field, over 2 TEs. That feels almost too heavy!

11) This time it's under center pin/pull, rather than Duo, which was run a earlier! This is from 12 personnel and the two tight ends block well (which is something we have not seen this year!). The Giants blitz the left side, and the Eagles catch them out by runni the opposite… pic.twitter.com/680LHhhTas

— Jonny Page (@JonnyPage9) October 27, 2025

Bigsby closed the game like a finisher, stringing together runs where defenders bounced off him. He’s the best RB2 the Eagles have had in years. He was physical, decisive, and with enough pop to turn glancing contact into extra yards. The Eagles were bullied by the Giants a couple of weeks ago. Bigsby dished up some well-deserved revenge at the end of the game!

13) When the Eagles played the Giants 2 weeks ago, they got bullied. This time, they bullied the Giants. Bigsby is the most talented RB2 the Eagles have had in a long time, and he was awesome at the end of the game. It felt like he sucked the soul out of the Giants' defense at… pic.twitter.com/2KneAOvTeT

— Jonny Page (@JonnyPage9) October 27, 2025

All the hits made an appearance in this one, including the unstoppable split-zone RPO slide to Goedert. This is so well designed. They add in a jet motion (after running a reverse early on in the game) and use DeVonta’s route as a legal rub to nudge the LB’s path. This is what I’ve begged for all year: sweat the small stuff. Landmarks, motion, and window-dressing that actually change how defenders fit. It showed up all over the film this week. The headline numbers tell the story. Hurts went 15/20 for 179 yards, 4 TDs, 0 INTs. Over the last two weeks, he’s accounted for seven touchdowns with no turnovers, and he is playing great football. Long may it continue.

14) The Eagles brought out all the hits in this one, including the unstoppable split-zone RPO slide to Dallas Goedert. I love running it with the jet motion and Smith's route getting in the way of the linebacker, too.

I've criticised the Eagles' coaching staff for not focusing… pic.twitter.com/UnPc41FcpH

— Jonny Page (@JonnyPage9) October 27, 2025

Just watch DeVonta Smith here. Oh my goodness. Ironically, I thought Dotson’s overall route discipline wasn’t great in this game, but this catch was outrageous.

14) The Eagles brought out all the hits in this one, including the unstoppable split-zone RPO slide to Dallas Goedert. I love running it with the jet motion and Smith's route getting in the way of the linebacker, too.

I've criticised the Eagles' coaching staff for not focusing… pic.twitter.com/UnPc41FcpH

— Jonny Page (@JonnyPage9) October 27, 2025

By the end, the Giants clearly started selling out for pin-pull, with linebackers flying downhill, and Bigsby didn’t care. This is how you close.

16) I think the Giants started to pick up on the Eagles' pin/pull run game by the end, and the linebackers were getting downhill early (partly due to the score and situation), but Tank Bigsby decided it didn't matter. Look at that stiff arm!

The Eagles have found their RB2. pic.twitter.com/NhM7e00sty

— Jonny Page (@JonnyPage9) October 27, 2025

Final thoughts​

This was the type of game we have all been waiting for from the run game. The Eagles had 10 snaps of true jumbo (six OL) personnel, which produced 114 rushing yards and a TD. Dickerson looked the healthiest he has all year. Jordan Mailata talked about needing to bring back the physical tone after the first Giants game. It was back in this one!

Most importantly, the approach changed. This was the first time all year the offense felt balanced and sequenced well. The same core ideas were dressed differently, the sequencing made sense, and you could feel the defense guessing. Two weeks ago, the Giants bullied the Eagles. Yesterday, the Eagles bullied the Giants. The Giants might suck, but dominance is still dominance. What a lovely performance.

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. If you would like to support me further, please check out my Patreon here!

Source: https://www.bleedinggreennation.com...-the-offense-felt-balanced-and-sequenced-well

 

[Philadelphia Eagles]

Eagles News: A.J. Brown talks about his mindset

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

What does A.J. Brown want? Eagles’ star WR chases greatness — on his terms – The Athletic
Away from pinging phones, away from all the red-alert headlines, A.J. Brown is at his locker. There’s no need here to decode his social media posts or deduce what reports are true. He’s talking about what actually matters to him. He’s talking about why catching the football is existential for him. He’s talking about why a cathartic expression flashed beneath his trademark visor during a fourth-quarter sequence in which he broke three tackles on a go-ahead drive against the Los Angeles Rams. “I know everybody’s counting on me — that’s my thrill,” Brown tells The Athletic. “And then I come through. That makes me proud of myself. And I’m doing it over and over again. And then I got another opportunity a couple of plays later. Third down. Everybody knows the ball’s coming to me. I love that feeling. Like, it’s a rush. I don’t do drugs, but that has to be what drugs feels like. And I’m getting that dopamine. And I’m coming through for my team again. And that’s where the excitement comes from. And that’s why it’s frustrating at times. And maybe people really misunderstand me as a player, but those feelings — that’s what I want. You may see a little frustration. It’s because I really want to contribute. I really want to help this team win. But if I’m not getting the ball, obviously, it’s not as fun. Obviously, I want to win. That’s the main goal. But I want to help. I want to do my thing as well. And so it’s a little toll here and there sometimes. But I think that’s where the misunderstanding comes from, from everyone out there. But to be honest, I could really care less. This got me here. You know? And me playing this way, me having that drive, me having that mindset — it’s going to keep me here.”

Eagles Film Review: First time all year the offense felt balanced and sequenced well – BGN
This was the type of game we have all been waiting for from the run game. The Eagles had 10 snaps of true jumbo (six OL) personnel, which produced 114 rushing yards and a TD. Dickerson looked the healthiest he has all year. Jordan Mailata talked about needing to bring back the physical tone after the first Giants game. It was back in this one! Most importantly, the approach changed. This was the first time all year the offense felt balanced and sequenced well. The same core ideas were dressed differently, the sequencing made sense, and you could feel the defense guessing. Two weeks ago, the Giants bullied the Eagles. Yesterday, the Eagles bullied the Giants. The Giants might suck, but dominance is still dominance. What a lovely performance.

NFC East Mixtape Vol. 174: Eagles Tush Push Chaos, Cowboys Embarrassed – BGN YouTube
Week 8 of the 2025 NFL season is officially in the books and the NFC East continues to see all sorts of crazy action from its four teams. This week brought the latest twist of chaos to the Tush Push and it seems everyone but Eagles fans have had enough of it. Philadelphia took down the Giants ultimately, and unfortunately rookie Cam Skattebo was injured in the agme. Elsewhere the Dallas Cowboys absolutely embarrassed themselves and invited all sorts of scrutiny about their overall operation once more. Round and round we go. RJ Ochoa and Brandon Lee Gowton discuss it all on the latest edition of the NFC East Mixtape!

Eagles Bye Week Check-In With BLG – Go Birds Podcast
Brandon Lee Gowton joins James Seltzer and Eliot Shorr-Parks to help assess the Eagles at the Bye Week. Topics of discussion include Nick Sirianni’s performance, AJ Brown’s dissatisfaction and Jalen Hurts’ recent hot streak.

View Link

Eagles OL Brett Toth crushed his first NFL start at center – PhillyVoice
The Eagles have gotten standout performances from two different backup offensive linemen this season. Fred Johnson helped stabilize the line when he filled in for an ineffective Matt Pryor against the Rams Week 3, and Toth had a great game against a daunting Giants front Week 8. Cam Jurgens will return to his starting spot at center soon, and Toth will go back to the bench. But what Toth’s and Johnson’s performances have perhaps done is give the Eagles’ coaching staff and the players on the field confidence that they have backups on the interior and on the edge who can get the job done, if need be.

After two months of inconsistency, Kevin Patullo starting to find his groove – NBCSP
There’s no question that Patullo’s play calling over the past two weeks has looked better than earlier in the season. More varied, less predictable. Multiple. Surprising. Even fun. The offense averaged 21.3 points and 275 yards the first six games and 29.5 and 394 yards the last two weeks as the Eagles have rebounded from their first two losses of the season to reach 6-2 going into the bye. But forget the stats. The eye test says this offense is really starting to live up to expectations. Hurts believes all it really took for Patullo to look good as a play caller was for the players to make him look good by executing. “I think he’s gained confidence and gained assurance in what he sees and what he believes as time has gone on,” he said. “And so I look at, ‘How are we helping him? Are we playing penalty free? Are we mastering the things that take no talent? Are we getting in and out of the huddle?’ The little things that can help all of us and help the play caller find a rhythm in what he does. And so we’re very critical of that. I’m very critical of that. That’s always something that I’m talking about, but we just want to continue to build. And he’s been rolling.” If the criticism bothered Patullo, he never let on. He’s been the same every week, and that’s one of the things Sirianni likes about him.

2025 NFL trade deadline: Players to watch, team needs, buzz – ESPN
Key position of need: Cornerback. Across from Quinyon Mitchell, the duo of Adoree’ Jackson and Kelee Ringo has been getting toasted. The Eagles are sixth in DVOA versus WR1s but 19th versus WR2s, and even that undersells the severity of the issue. […] Who could be on the move? Running back AJ Dillon. No, not Brown — he’s not expected to be going anywhere despite heavy speculation and occasional cryptic social media posts. The other AJ makes some sense, though. Tank Bigsby’s emergence in recent weeks (he rushed for over 100 yards against the Giants after Philly traded for him in September) has pushed Dillon down to fourth on the depth chart behind Saquon Barkley, Bigsby and Will Shipley. Dillon has been solid for Philadelphia this season, but there’s not much of a role for him currently.

Spadaro: No Bye Week for Brandon Graham, who eyes his debut in Green Bay – PE.com
This is his Training Camp. That’s the way Brandon Graham is looking at the three weeks from the time he signed a contract to return to the Eagles for his 16th season to when he could make his on-field debut in Green Bay on Monday, November 10. Three weeks. Last week, Graham signed and got on the practice field and worked out some of the kinks from his seven-month retirement. This week, a Bye Week for the team, but a work week for Graham, who continues conditioning and training at the NovaCare Complex. Next week, when the team is back on the practice field preparing for the Packers and the prime-time game at Lambeau Field. “It’s going well and I feel great. I’m excited for this. It’s been fun being back in the mix, working with the fellas,” Graham said. “Being out there on Sunday, Giants, Kelly Green, it was great. I had such much fun working with everybody and seeing how our defense played.”

Meet Allison Stoutland, a children’s book author and ‘Mama Bear’ to the Eagles – Inquirer
It’s not often that Jeff Stoutland gets to see his wife teach. But when he does, he marvels at the sight. Allison Stoutland — “Miss Allison” — can command a room of 20 or 200. And the students, some as young as 4 or 5, aren’t just attentive. They’re entranced. She’ll read from one of her published children’s books, and talk about the insights tucked inside. They are simple but enduring; little lessons like, ‘Monkeys taught me to hang in there,’ and ‘Apples taught me there is a star within each of us.’ She’ll share her journey to becoming an author, and how it all started with her husband getting a job in a city far from home. How she felt alone in that moment, and wondered if her life would take a turn for the worse, only for it to turn better. “People are crying everywhere,” Jeff said. “Kids are crying, teachers are crying. I said to her, ‘I wish I had the ability to motivate the way you do.’” This is high praise from Stoutland, 63, who is widely considered one of the best position coaches in the NFL. For 13 seasons, he has led the Eagles’ offensive line to sustained excellence, guiding seven players to 26 combined Pro Bowl appearances, and five to 15 All-Pro teams.

Eagles coach reacts to viral moment: ‘I haven’t seen that in a long time’ – NJ.com
So of course, Eagles special teams coordinator Michael Clay was asked about Brown’s interesting tackle attempt on Tuesday. Clay, a former linebacker at Oregon, said he had only ever seen someone try to do what Brown did in the 2012 Rose Bowl. “With Sydney, he demands a lot of attention on kickoff coverage because of how active he is,” Clay said with a smile. “It was one of those situations where he tried something new to see what would happen. … And there is some fluidity on what these guys do in terms on block destruction. When I saw that happen, I hadn’t seen that in a long time. But I think the next conversation I have with Sydney, for his own player health and safety, is to keep two feet on the ground.”

Philadelphia Eagles’ Jihaad Campbell visits kids and families at Ronald McDonald House of Southern New Jersey – CBS Philly
Inside the Ronald McDonald House of Southern New Jersey, some very special Philadelphia Eagles fans welcomed a very special visitor Tuesday night. Birds’ rookie linebacker Jihaad Campbell and Swoop brought some cheer to children facing long-term medical care and their families. Guests were treated to a breakfast for dinner buffet, along with photos, autographs and even a friendly game of bingo. “I was born right across the street, so it’s always amazing. I just always like seeing the kids and knowing I can leave a forever lasting impact on somebody,” Campbell said. For Campbell, a South Jersey native, seeing the smiles makes a night like this especially rewarding.

Report: Chicago Bears to sign Chauncey Gardner-Johnson – Windy City Gridiron
With several injuries to the secondary this season, the Chicago Bears are signing veteran Chauncey “C.J.” Gardner-Johnson, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The 27-year-old defensive back has a history with Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen, who had him in New Orleans from 2019 to 2021, and a history with head coach Ben Johnson, who was on staff in Detroit when C.J. played there in 2023. He entered the league as a fourth-round pick of the Saints in 2019, and the Bears will be the sixth franchise he’s played for.

Cowboys trade rumors: No extension talks between team and George Pickens – Blogging The Boys
There is nothing stopping the Cowboys from getting an extension done with Pickens now (speaking matter of factly). It makes sense that Pickens would want to wait at this point, given the success he has had so far this season, and use a potential open market to his advantage. This is another situation (like Prescott, Lamb and Parsons) where the Cowboys allowed leverage to slip away from them into the hands of their players. None of this is an advocating for trading Pickens. (I want the opposite personally). But what most of us want, ultimately, is for the Cowboys to have some sort of plan. Their lack of a true North Star has burned them many times in the last few years. In the same offseason that they traded for Pickens in a win-now sort of move, they traded away Parsons, putting the future more in focus. These things do not serve the same end goal. That is what matters most here. A plan has to be in place. If it is and they follow it, even if it is a plan we disagree with, then at the very least they are focusing all of their efforts and energy on one singular idea.

NFL trade deadline rumors for Cowboys, Jaguars, and Giants – SB Nation
Jerry Jones and Dallas ‘open for business.‘ The Dallas Cowboys have a playoff-caliber offense. Their defense, however, is a massive question mark. The Cowboys have allowed 3,237 yards (second-most in the NFL), 31.3 points per game (second-most in the NFL), and have allowed opposition offenses to convert third downs at a 52.4% rate, the worst out of any defense in the league. They need some help on the defensive side of the ball. Owner Jerry Jones said earlier this month that the Cowboys were “open for business,” and Sunday’s blowout loss to the Denver Broncos did not change his position. “A loss is discouraging but as far as my temperament, if I saw a proposition for us to help this team, no matter what this score was today, I would look at it on the merits of this team. If you’re talking about trading for a player or trading a player, I’d completely look at it on the merits of this team, both for next week or the weeks after or for the longer term,” Jones told reporters on Sunday in Denver. “No, today would not affect decisions on trading for a player.” This is where you can let those Micah Parsons jokes fly, friends.

Commanders Vs. Chiefs – Studs and Duds – Hogs Haven
Duds: Deebo Samuel: I know he’s playing through a heel issue, but his hands should be fine. The bobbled pass that got picked early-on was a backbreaker for Washington. Samuel had just three receptions for 11 yards and was responsible for the turnover.

Giants-49ers, Week 9 thoughts: How should Joe Schoen approach NFL trade deadline? – Big Blue View
I am not ready to predict a Giants’ victory on Sunday. You will have to wait and see all of the Big Blue View game picks in Thursday’s Week 9 picks and predictions post. I will say this. Whether quarterback Brock Purdy plays or not, this is a game I have believed is winnable for the Giants ever since the schedule came out several months ago. The 49ers have not scored more than 26 points in a game this season, despite head coach Kyle Shanahan’s reputation as an offensive genius. They have lost defensive end Joey Bosa and linebacker Fred Warner for the season due to injuries. Quarterback Brock Purdy may or may not return from a toe injury this weekend. The Giants have won their last two games at MetLife Stadium, beating the Los Angeles Chargers and Philadelphia Eagles. If the Giants’ defense can remember that the job description involves stopping the guy with the football the Giants have a shot to win this one.

…

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