The Linc – Brian Robinson says the Commanders feel like they’re better than the Eagles

Let’s get to the Philadelphia Eagles links …

Commanders player gives Eagles bulletin board material – PhillyVoice

During a radio interview on 106.7 The Fan in Washington D.C., running back Brian Robinson said of the Commanders’ matchup with the Eagles this Sunday, “We feel like we are the better team.” He said other stuff, too, but that was the juiciest quote. A snippet from the interview. Robinson should think his team is better. He’d be kind of a loser if he didn’t. But thinking it and saying it are two different things, as professional athletes will take any perceived slight and use it as a competitive advantage.

Eagles-Steelers Film Review: The best game of Nolan Smith’s career – BGN

I thought this was Nolan Smith’s best game of his career. I have been critical of him, but I think he has greatly improved in the past month. I still don’t see him as a top pass-rusher in terms of technique, but his hustle on every snap is incredible. He wins a lot of the time with his relentless effort. He has improved when dropping into coverage, and his run defense has always been outstanding. He played nearly every snap in this one, and I thought he was fantastic. He’s having an excellent end to his second season, and the Eagles must be happy with how he’s developed.

Game Review – PHI 27, PIT 13 – Iggles Blitz

Nolan Smith played one of his best games of the year. He was disruptive all game long. He was good as a pass rusher, but the run defense was even more impressive. Bryce Huff could learn a lot by watching how Smith plays the run. Jalyx Hunt had some good moments. He’s become a solid run defender as well. Nakobe Dean led the team with 10 tackles. He also had a FF. I loved the way Dean closed to the ball and made strong, physical tackles. Zack Baun also tackled well. He had 5 solo tackles. Pittsburgh ran a flea flicker and got 31 yards on the play, but Dean had really good coverage. It was just a great pass.

Eagles RB Saquon Barkley is feeling good after getting banged up Sunday vs. the Steelers – Inquirer

The Eagles want Barkley and the rest of their stars at their healthiest in the playoffs. Barkley has routinely taken rest days and rest periods throughout the season, which Eagles coach Nick Sirianni has pointed to frequently when asked about Barkley’s workload. Asked about his health and ensuring he’s ready for the postseason, Barkley said he’s staying consistent and listening to his body. “Your body is going to tell you exactly what you need,” he said. “The beauty of playing in 2024 is you have so much data, so much science. Trust in that, trust in the trainers, trust in the strength guys, and just listen and be coachable.”

Ranking worst mistakes for all 32 NFL teams since 2020 – ESPN+

26. Philadelphia Eagles. Biggest mistake: Signing James Bradberry to a three-year, $38 million contract (2023). Few players might qualify as one of their organization’s best and worst moves, but Bradberry is one of the exceptions. A cap casualty by the Giants in 2022 after no team wanted to absorb his contract in a trade, he signed a one-year, $7.3 million deal with the Eagles in May and excelled, earning a second-team All-Pro nod. Although his season ended with a painful holding call that set up the game-winning field goal for the Chiefs, he was easily more valuable than what Philadelphia paid for his services. A free agent after the season, the Eagles let Bradberry hit the market and briefly flirted with trading away Darius Slay Jr. before bringing both back. Bradberry’s three-year deal didn’t go well. In Year 1, he allowed a 114.3 passer rating in coverage, up nearly 63 points from where he had been in 2022. He was one of the primary culprits as the defense collapsed during the second half of the season. After general manager Howie Roseman loaded up on cornerbacks in the 2024 draft, the Eagles flirted with moving Bradberry to safety during the summer before the veteran went down with a leg injury. He was expected to miss six to eight weeks, but there’s no timetable for his return, and he’s reportedly moved into a “player-coach role” with the team’s defensive backs. He’s a well-respected veteran and teammate, but the Eagles will end up paying $20 million for one disappointing season.

Fantasy Football WR Report: Man, zone coverage performance ahead of NFL Week 16 – PFF

The Commanders play man and zone coverages at league-average rates while allowing the third-highest first down-plus-touchdown rate (48.7%) from man and the 17th-highest rate (35.0%) from zone. A.J. Brown leads all wide receivers in fantasy points per route run versus man and DeVonta Smith ranks 22nd. Both rank inside the top 25 in that regard versus zone. Brown and Smith should be able to take advantage of this favorable matchup in Week 16.

Eagles-Commanders player matchups to watch in Week 16 – NBCSP

Saquon Barkley vs. Commanders run defense. The Eagles were able to lean on their passing game amid a bunch of criticism last week against the Steelers. That was important against a team that was selling out to stop the run. And it was a good sign that the Eagles were able to combat that by putting the ball in the air. But the Eagles still have Saquon Barkley, who is still on pace for a 2,000-yard season even after a 65-yard game against Pittsburgh. In the final three games, Barkley would need to average around 140 rushing yards per game to break Eric Dickerson’s single-season rushing record. That’s not out of the question. The last time the Eagles faced the Commanders in Week 11, Barkley had a big game. He had 26 carries for 146 yards and 2 touchdowns and also caught 2 passes for 52 yards in the 26-18 win at the Linc. This season, the Commanders have the 25th-ranked rushing defense in the NFL and are 28th in yards-per-attempt. The Commanders are one of just four teams in the NFL this season to give up over 2.0 yards before contact per attempt, per NextGen Stats.

The Best NFL Bets for Week 16: Potential for Intrigue – The Ringer

Jayden Daniels wasn’t fully healthy during that game and was in the midst of a poor stretch of play that coincided with a rib injury. He appeared much healthier last week, coming off the Commanders’ bye week. Washington remains an extremely methodical offensive team. Both of these offenses prefer ball control and long possessions. The Eagles continue to struggle offensively early in games, but this is a classic matchup where the balance should shift further in favor of Philly as the game progresses. Verdict: Bet Eagles second half -1.5 (+100).

Spadaro: Kenneth Gainwell is thriving as the Eagles’ RB2 – PE.com

We are four seasons into Kenneth Gainwell’s Eagles career, so what he’s doing now is no surprise. Gainwell’s 60 scrimmage yards in Sunday’s win over Pittsburgh gained a lot of attention for all the right reasons. He ran hard and with purpose. He was a weapon in the passing game with some clutch catch-and-runs. And he was on point with his blocking in pass protection. As Kenneth Gainwell does. And has been doing since the Eagles selected him in the fifth round of the 2021 NFL Draft after his career at Memphis. “When you get called, you go out and play football,” he said. “That’s the game. That’s our job. So, that’s the process of playing football. Soaking it all in. I’m enjoying the opportunities that I get and just going out there and ballin’ and having fun with it.”

Eagles are cashing in on Milton Williams’ improvement, but what will it cost to keep him? – NJ.com

It will be fascinating to see how the Eagles and the league value him. The best interior defensive linemen in the game command big money, but Williams is not considered a great run defender. “Yeah, I think about it, of course,” he said. “Everybody is always telling me you need to do this and that and I just worry about my play on the field. I would love to be here, but if not here then that’s what it’s going to be. I don’t worry about it too much. I try to put on good tape and be productive when I’m out there. We’re on a mission right now — trying to get that ring and we’ll see what happens after that.” Williams had a long list of people who have helped him get to the point where he is considered among the best defensive tackles in the league. “A lot of teammates,” he said. “BG (Brandon Graham), of course. Javon Hargrave, Derek Barnett, Clint Hurtt, Jeremiah Washburn, Vic Fangio. All of these guys (taught) me the game when I was young coming in and I just tried to stick to the process of what they told me and are telling me and now just the coaching I’m getting this year is definitely making a difference.”

Eagles’ LB Ahead Of Schedule After Knee Surgery – SI

Injured Eagles linebacker/fullback Ben VanSumeren is back in South Philadelphia and ahead of his rehab schedule after undergoing season-ending knee surgery from renowned orthopaedist Neal ElAttrache earlier this month. After finishing a rehab session at the NovaCare Complex, VanSumeren was wearing a large brace on his right leg and using one crutch.

Postal carrier goes viral for first-class Eagles trash talk at home of Steelers fan – 6ABC

A United States Postal Service carrier is going viral for his first-class Eagles trash talk. The clip posted by our sister station ESPN, has been seen millions of times online showing David Green III delivering his two cents with a package. It’s proof that rivalry knows no days off. “As I was driving up to the house, the first thing I see was the Steelers flag, and I was just like, ‘No,’” laughed Green. “If I walk up to the house to deliver this package, you’re going to hear my mouth.”

Bills-Lions outperforms Steelers-Eagles in late Sunday afternoon showdown – PFT

The Week 15 schedule had a cluster of significant games at 4:25 p.m. ET. At the heart of the window was a showdown between CBS and Fox. In one corner, CBS had Bills-Lions. In the other, Fox had Steelers-Eagles. And the end result was a TKO. Via SportsMediaWatch.com, 23.3 million watched Bills-Lions and 16.4 million took in Steelers-Eagles. It works out to a combined national audience of 39.6 million for the window.

The McCarthy Chronicles: Another Cowboys win shows why continuity is a must – Blogging The Boys

The Dallas Cowboys did it again, winning another game to make it three victories in four games. This win was arguably their best of the year, too, though winning in Pittsburgh – something no other team has done all year – is probably still up there. Many will discount this most recent win, but they shouldn’t. The Panthers may be 3-11 now, but they’ve been playing good football as of late. Coming into this game with the Cowboys, they had lost to both the Chiefs and Buccaneers by just a field goal – Kansas City kicked a game-winner as time expired, while Tampa Bay needed overtime – and fell to the Eagles by just six points. The Panthers have been one of the harder teams to beat, but the Cowboys just demolished them. The 30-14 score wasn’t even reflective of how wide the gap was between these two teams. The way in which Dallas won this game offered the clearest argument yet for why Mike McCarthy and this staff should be brought back for 2025.

Washington Commanders Roster Update: Jonathan Allen’s 21-day practice window opens – Hogs Haven

Allen’s return will be a welcome addition to a defensive line that has been bolstered by the team elevating Carl Davis from the practice squad, while former second round pick Phidarian Mathis has been a healthy scratch. Daron Payne, Jer’Zhan Newton, and Sheldon Day have been the top defensive linemen with Allen out. Newton was a second round pick this year, but hasn’t had the impact some people were expecting. Washington has three games left in the season, starting with a home game against the Philadelphia Eagles. Allen now has three weeks to return, and could be activated from IR for this week’s game. He will be available, if activated, for a potential playoff run if Washington wins enough games to clinch their spot.

Is this controversial coach the ‘perfect fit’ to replace Brian Daboll with the New York Giants? – Big Blue View

If the New York Giants decide to move on from head coach Brian Daboll, FOX Sports NFL reporter Ralph Vacchiano is floating a controversial name as the “perfect fit” to become his successor. Brian Flores.

13 NFL Draft prospects who can improve their stock in the College Football Playoff – SB Nation

We see it every year: the NFL Draft prospect who rises up boards with an exceptional run through the College Football Playoff. TCU’s Quentin Johnston ran 76 yards through the heart of Michigan in 2022, Ezekiel Elliott put the team on his back in Ohio State’s title run in 2014 and plenty more have boosted their draft stock with playoff performances that’ll live in record books. With the first round of the 12-team playoff beginning Friday, there are plenty of opportunities for prospects to boost their draft stock with a productive and deep playoff run. Here’s who you need to be on the lookout for in the first round of the playoff and for every team in the College Football Playoff.

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