Philadelphia Eagles news and links for 12/15/24.
Let’s get to the Philadelphia Eagles links …
Saquon Barkley opens up on chasing Eric Dickerson’s NFL rushing record – NBCSP
“I know a lot about Eric Dickerson,” Barkley said. “I know that he has the record. He’s (had it) for 40 years. Obviously, I’ve heard the talk. I know the number. I know what it’s going to take to get it. “Kind of messed around with it, with the emotions of how I feel for it, but the mindset is don’t be scared of it, embrace it. It’s there. Challenge yourself to try to go get it. But at the end of the day, the most important thing is winning football games.” With one huge game in the next three, Barkley could give himself an opportunity to break Dickerson’s mark before the season finale against the Giants, his former team, which could allow Nick Sirianni to shut him down a week early if the Eagles are locked into their playoff seed. He would need to average 161 yards against the Steelers, Commanders and Cowboys to get the record in 16 games.
Eagles Vibes Check Week – BGN
Because the Steelers do not care. Vibes are never an issue under Mike Tomlin. They have their share of bumps in the road, but this is the steadiest hand in football. Diontae Johnson has played just 17 and notoriously not 18 snaps for the Ravens with 0 catches since Tomlin shaded him in a press conference. Kenny Pickett became an Eagle four days after telling Tomlin he wasn’t happy about Russell Wilson being QB1 in OTAs. If the Eagles, at home, beat the Steelers, who are missing some key players, they’ll have walked the walk this week. But if they don’t, if we get another slow start by the offense, another miserable Jalen Hurts passing performance, another game where AJ Brown is targeted only 4 or 5 times, if we get an overdue Jalen Hurts turnover game–he has never gone five games in a row without a turnover, he’s currently gone four in a row. That’s when we’ll see what this team is made of.
Eagles chants break out as Bill Belichick is introduced at North Carolina basketball game – PhillyVoice
Bill Belichick is no longer in the NFL and on his way to the college game as the new coach of the North Carolina Tar Heels, but Super Bowl LII will follow him everywhere. Belichick, the six-time Super Bowl-winning head coach, made an appearance at the North Carolina game at the Dean Smith Center on Saturday. The Tar Heels are hosting Philadelphia’s own La Salle Explorers. Though La Salle fans weren’t large in number down in Chapel Hill for the game, when Belichick made an appearance on the court, naturally, ‘E-A-G-L-E-S’ chants broke out from the fiery few who made the trek down from Philly. La Salle hoops podcast The Gola Standard was on hand and had video of it.
NFL Week 15 picks, schedule, odds, injuries, fantasy tips – ESPN
Bold prediction: A.J. Brown will receive at least four first-quarter targets. In an effort to squash the potential strife over Philadelphia’s passing game, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Eagles try to force the ball to Brown early. — Walder
NFL Week 15 Betting Notebook – PFF
So, a lot of how you bet on this game depends on if you think 1) the Eagles can play from ahead or 2) the Eagles’ offensive line can keep Hurts clean against one of the NFL’s most talented pass-rush units. If Hurts does have clean pockets to work from, Brown and Smith will have opportunities against a Steelers defense that lives in single-high. I expect Joey Porter Jr. to primarily see Brown, which could limit his production. When Porter loses, he tends to grab, which is yards for the offense but not for the wide receiver he’s covering. Brown has been elite for years against man coverage, though, so it’s certainly a matchup that he can win. I prefer DeVonta Smith because he will likely see less of Porter.
Eagles mourn the passing of NFL Champion Riley Gunnels – PE.com
The Eagles are saddened to learn of the passing of NFL Champion Riley Gunnels, who bled green well after his playing days and passed down his love for the Eagles to his family. He was 87 years old when he died on Monday. Gunnels was originally drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers to be a defensive tackle in 1959 after starting for three years as an offensive tackle for the University of Georgia. He learned the tricks of the trade, but was released by the Steelers at the end of Training Camp. The Eagles brought him on board in 1960 and he combined the skills he honed in Pittsburgh with his mammoth 6-foot-3, 253-pound frame to serve a key reserve on the championship defense.
Steelers vs. Eagles: BTSC staff predictions for Week 15 – Behind The Steel Curtain
The prospects for this game feel quite grim at first glance. 6.5-point underdogs, on the road against a team Steelers haven’t won a road game against since 1965. They’re without their top wide receiver. They’re without one of their top defenders in the secondary with George Pickens and top run defender in De’Shon Elliott and another anchor on the defensive line (and locker room) with Larry Ogunjobi. Yet still, it doesn’t feel like a moment that’s too big for this team that has shown grit and resiliance despite the many, many doubts around the league. Philadelphia, on a nine-game win streak, with one of the league’s best rushing attacks — further emphasizing just how much the loss of Elliott could mean in this game. This has all the makings of a classic low-scoring, physical battle in which the last team standing emerges victorious. Pittsburgh’s ability to contain rushing QBs this season (of couse, not without contributions from Elliott) and the number of playmakers able to generate turnovers should make it a close one, at the very least. Steelers 13, Eagles 14 in the great battle for PA. — Kate Magdziuk
Washington Commanders Roster Moves: Kicker insurance and Jamison Crowder returns from IR – Hogs Haven
The Washington Commanders announced four roster moves before Sunday’s away game against the New Orleans Saints. WR Noah Brown suffered a serious kidney injury during the Week 13 game against the Tennessee Titans. Head coach Dan Quinn said that it would likely keep him out for the rest of the season, and the team moved to claim WR K.J. Osborn off of waivers from the New England Patriots. Brown was officially placed on injured reserve today. Washington gets another wide receiver back from injured reserve. Jamison Crowder was placed on IR with a calf injury on October 2nd, and his 21-day practice window was opened on Monday as the team was coming back from their bye. He was a full participant in practice all week, and had a questionable designation due to still being on IR. Crowder will be available to play WR and help on returns if needed, unlike Osborn who will likely need another week to get integrated into Kliff Kingsbury’s offense.
Report: Cowboys CB Trevon Diggs will have season-ending surgery – Blogging The Boys
The Dallas Cowboys injury bug continues to be a thing. Cornerback Trevon Diggs, who was listed as questionable for the Cowboys Week 15 game against the Carolina Panthers, has been downgraded to out with a knee injury per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. He’s not only out for Sunday, but it is being reported that he will have season-ending surgery.
Stephen Jones ‘can’t imagine’ seeing Micah Parsons play elsewhere as Cowboys enter crucial 2025 offseason – NFL.com
The Cowboys stand at 5-8 heading into today’s game against the Panthers, and in the words of executive Stephen Jones, they’re just “trying to win a game.” It has been that kind of season for Dallas, one destined to end in disappointment no matter how the final four games of the regular season go. Which is why the team’s brass will spend the offseason examining how they got there and what led them down this frustrating path. Of note: Jerry Jones, Stephen Jones, vice president of player personnel Will McClay and other members of the team’s brass will explore the effects that signing big-money, high-profile, top-of-position players has on their rest of their roster. “To me, it would be irresponsible if every year you don’t look at the full body of work and the big picture and how those guys fit into that big picture,” Stephen Jones told NFL.com at the conclusion of NFL’s December League Meeting in Las Colinas, Texas, on Wednesday, “and how we want to think about our team in terms of the big picture going forward.” With a potential blockbuster contract extension for star defender Micah Parsons looming, this study could get extremely interesting.
Week 15 rooting guide for New York Giants fans: Scenarios for the first overall pick – Big Blue View
The Athletic currently gives the Giants a 41% chance to finish with the first pick in the draft, while the Pro Football Network gives the Giants a 38.9% chance to be on the clock as soon as the season ends. However, as PFN explains, no team currently “controls their destiny” with regards to the first pick in the draft. That’s because there are far too many pieces involved in tiebreakers over which teams have no control. The only thing the Giants — or the Raiders, for that matter — can do is lose. In addition to the pair of two-win teams, there are currently six more teams with three wins, and a lone win by the Giants could potentially drop them from a Top-2 pick all the way down to 8th overall.
18 things Jake Haener looks like, because he sure doesn’t look like an NFL QB – SB Nation
The Saints are being forced to make a switch at QB after Derek Carr sustained an injury to his non-throwing hand, and Jake Haener is getting the nod. It comes with the realization that nobody in the history of sports has looked less like an athlete than Jake Haener.
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