/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73740850/2172672011.0.jpg?w=1200&resize=1200,800&ssl=1 "The Linc – Jason Kelce hosting new ESPN late night show")
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73740850/2172672011.0.jpg "The Linc – Jason Kelce hosting new ESPN late night show")
Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images
Let’s get to the Philadelphia Eagles links …
Jason Kelce to host new ESPN late-night show filmed in Philly – Inquirer
Heeerrreee’s Kelce! Jason Kelce, the retired Eagles center turned multimedia star, is taking his talents to late-night television as the host of They Call It Late Night, a new weekly ESPN show filmed in Philadelphia. Emphasis on late. The show will debut at 1 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 4, so make sure you set your DVR.
Jason Kelce Showed a Lot of Restraint in Not Clobbering this Autograph Seeker – Crossing Broad
It’s gotta be terrible to reach a level of celebrity where you’ve got people all over you, calling your brother homophobic slurs and yelling expletives at you while demanding your autograph at the same time. Autograph seekers are the worst in general, entitled little rats, but this guy obviously has something wrong with him, like bipolar disorder or schizophrenia. Maybe it’s not politically correct to assume that someone is mentally ill, but how else can you explain the 180 this guy pulled, calling Kelce a “pussy” and “sorry ass” before going on some rambling diatribe about peace and love?
Eagles Injury Report: DeVonta Smith misses practice again – BGN
The Eagles listed two players under DID NOT PARTICIPATE: DeVonta Smith and Bryce Huff. Smith sat out again on Thursday. Two missed practices typically don’t bode well for a player’s chances of playing. If DeVonta can’t suit up, the Eagles will roll with the following wide receivers: A.J. Brown, Jahan Dotson, Britain Covey (assuming he’s activated from injured reserve), Johnny Wilson, and Ainias Smith.
Rams struggles versus mobile QB’s & what they mean against Jalen Hurts – Turf Show Times
Strictly as a passer, Hurts is nothing to write home about. He’s average to below average in most measures, including Pro Football Focus (PFF) passing grades which would rank him 23rd of 27 signal callers with more than 227 dropbacks. But on the ground, Hurts has the third-best rushing grade of this QB crop at 88.8. This trails only Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills and Drake Maye of the New England Patriots, who the Rams saw this past weekend. Hurts averages nearly two-full yards after contact on his rushing attempts and has forced 13 missed tackles, both according to PFF.
Eagles-Rams preview: Five things to watch – PhillyVoice
The strength of the Rams defense is their defensive line, notably their young edge rushers. Second-year pro Byron Young leads the team with 6 sacks, after posting 8 sacks as a rookie in 2023. Jared Verse has 4.5 sacks, which is certainly good for a rookie, but also isn’t indicative of how good he has been so far this season. Verse is currently the favorite to win NFC Defensive Rookie of the Year honors (Quinyon Mitchell is second). He is primarily a power rusher who has counters off of his power. Fortunately for the Eagles, Jordan Mailata is a brick wall vs. power, so this is a matchup that is not in the Rams’ favor the same way it would be against other left tackles. If the Eagles were starting Andre Dillard, for example, this matchup would be a HUGE concern.
Analyzing the matchups that could define the NFL in Week 12 – PFF
Eagles’ defense vs. Rams‘ out routes. Sunday Night Football offers us a second straight enticing battle from SoFi Stadium, especially factoring in the strength of the Eagles’ defense against the Rams’ high-powered offense. Particularly interesting is how well Philadelphia will handle Los Angeles’ most regular pass concept: the out route. Matthew Stafford has targeted out routes 56 times, the second most in football. On top of that, his 77.6 PFF passing grade on out routes ranks 11th. It shouldn’t be a surprise to learn that Cooper Kupp’s 17 out-route targets are the seventh most in football and that his 76.0 PFF receiving grade is a top-30 mark among all pass-catchers on the concept. Meanwhile, Philadelphia’s revitalized defense has clamped down against out routes. The Eagles rank 10th in team coverage grade against outs, led by the standout play of rookie Cooper DeJean. DeJean has been one of the NFL’s best defenders against out routes, regardless of position. His 87.6 PFF coverage grade against the concept ranks fourth, having permitted only two catches for nine yards on six out-route targets. How much will DeJean shadow Kupp and Puka Nacua, and can he close space outside the numbers? Or will Stafford get in rhythm along the boundary before dialing up deeper shots? If the Rams want to pull off the upset and earn a crucial conference win, they’ll need their quarterback and receivers to excel in the precise areas where they dominate.
QB13) Jalen Hurts. The Eagles’ balanced offense has been their saving grace during this winning streak. With Philadelphia struggling to put drives together and find a rhythm in Week 11, Hurts still managed to have some success on underneath throws. He continued to avoid holding onto the ball for too long and occasionally took off for positive gains. Things didn’t really get going until the second half, when Hurts found A.J. Brown for a gain of 17 yards. His pass to Dallas Goedert on their next drive stood as his longest completion of the night (32 yards), opening the door for Saquon Barkley to bury the Commanders with two touchdown runs of 23-plus yards. Hurts didn’t need to be the hero, but he still managed to play a clean game, throw for more than 200 yards and tally yet another rushing score from a yard out.
NFL best bets for Week 12: Picks, props and more for the weekend – ESPN+
On the other side of the ball, the Eagles’ offense seems like an unstoppable machine, but there are still weak points in the Death Star. Jalen Hurts has really struggled when pressured; his success rate drops from 55% to 32.4%, as he is prone to holding onto the football and scrambling to create a play. His completion percentage when pressured (46.3%) is well below what it is when unpressured (77.0%). When the Rams’ defense wins, they win with pressure, which they get on 41.7% of opposing dropbacks (the highest rate in the league). Even if the Eagles are finding success on offense, they quickly become a sit-on-the-ball team when holding a second-half lead, so we could see scoring slow in the second half according to game script.
Nolan Smith explains why he’ll always give maximum effort – NBCSP
If you ever wonder why Nolan Smith plays so hard, it’s not really all that difficult to figure out. He wants to capitalize on a rare opportunity. “That’s one person I’m gonna be,” Smith said on Thursday afternoon. “I’m gonna play hard and I’m gonna play tough. Just because this opportunity is never given and I’m just blessed to have it. I know people can take that for granted and that’s bulltalk. But I tell them, ‘I’m supposed to be in Savannah, Georgia, right now latching down boats on a port.’ I should have just been on strike. I should just be getting off strike. A lot of my family members do that so that’s why I just say my life could have been different.”
Spadaro: Big Play Slay is doing it all for the Eagles – PE.com
Slay is right in the middle of it all – as a mentor. As a leader. And as one of the very best cornerbacks in all of the National Football League. “I’m playing damn good. Real good. I think I’m playing at a real high, high level right now, man,” Slay said. “When I watch myself, yeah, I’m pretty pleased. I can only think of a game and a half – and I call it a game and a half because I gave up a touchdown on the last play of the game – but other than that I think I’ve been going crazy, really. I’m chillin’, though. Lot of football left.”
Washington Commanders vs Dallas Cowboys Thursday Injury Report – Hogs Haven
Did not practice: CB Marshon Lattimore – Still dealing with hamstring injury.
Cowboys injuries: Lamb, Martin, Smith, Ferguson DNP – Blogging The Boys
There’s interesting news with CeeDee Lamb however. Lamb (back/foot) was downgraded to DNP Thursday, while Brandin Cooks (knee) and rookie Marshawn Kneeland (knee) maintained their limited status. Kneeland and Cooks hope to return off injured reserve against the Washington Commanders. Jourdan Lewis (neck) was also limited. Eric Kendricks (shoulder) was upgraded to a full participant. Offensive linemen Zack Martin (ankle/shoulder) and Tyler Smith (ankle/knee) were not practicing. Both sat out yesterday, so their absence again today should raise some concern. Jake Ferguson also didn’t practice Thursday as he manages concussion symptoms.
Is Tommy DeVito actually a good quarterback? – Big Blue View
One thing is for sure — DeVito significantly developed during his rookie season. He struggled so severely in the Jets’ game that his final pass in regulation time was with 9:08 left in the third quarter. He didn’t throw another pass until overtime when the Giants failed to pick up a first down. Tyrod Taylor left the game midway through the second quarter. DeVito finished with 11 dropbacks, two completions for negative one yard with two sacks surrendered. He then won three games for the Giants and made an abysmal season somewhat exciting while growing as a pocket manipulator and improving overall as a quarterback. He is still limited and has much to prove to earn a future roster spot on the Giants. It was time for the Giants to turn the page on Jones, but DeVito isn’t necessarily an upgrade, although he’ll have his opportunity to seize the day, at least for one week. Will Giants’ fans go full GTL, as Italian delis across the tri-state area receive an uptick in chicken cutlet orders, or will the season continue to spiral into lost oblivion, resulting in the incineration of multiple seats? Time will tell. [BLG Note: The guy got benched going up against Matt Patricia last year. He stinks.]
Will the 2024 NFL season reset the running back market? – SB Nation
Can Derrick Henry and Saquon Barkley make a lasting impression on the running back market? For one or two players to truly reshape the NFL’s comprehension of the importance of their position, a perfect storm does need to happen that goes beyond what those players have done for their teams. There needs to be a clear pipeline of top-tier talent that may have been misused or miscast with other NFL teams – enough to spark the notion of untapped potential. It also helps if the draft class at that position isn’t as strong as the 2025 running back class is. And the position in question needs to be one in which the perception is clear that if you don’t have one of Those Guys, you’re going to fall short of your franchise goals. So, will Derrick Henry and Saquon Barkley have some NFL teams hoping for their own versions, and spending accordingly? Most likely, the running back market won’t explode as a result. Instead, you’ll have the one or two odd contracts that have us all shaking our heads, and far more instances in which backs are either paid less than what they may be “worth.” Also, because you don’t need one special back to get your run game going in today’s NFL, a lot of teams will be far more interested in stitching together the best rotations and tiers at the position. It may not be what running backs and their agents want to hear. But it’s been this way for a decent number of years now, the cautionary tales are still on everybody’s minds, and there are as many (or more) of those as there are positive outliers.
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