Let’s get to the Philadelphia Eagles news and links …
Barkley said he and Hurts had a conversation early in the week about the reason they each play the game. Here’s what Barkley had to say: “Obviously you want to get All-Pros and you want to get Super Bowls and you want to get to the Hall of Fame. A lot of that is dictated on you guys and the numbers that we put up, but in reality, you want to go out there, you want to have those statistics, you want to have those numbers, that’s the human in you, but at the end of the day, I had two seasons where I had 2,000 [total] yards and 15 [total] touchdowns. One was my rookie year and one was here, and it looked really different. And I’d take last year over my rookie year every single time. It’s all about winning. The numbers don’t really matter.”
Despite last week’s results, Barkley said his confidence hasn’t wavered in the players up front that pave the way for his success. “I might be naive, but I’m just super confident in those guys up front and our play calling, and then myself that I always believe we’re one block away,” Barkley said. “So every time I touch the ball, every time we’re in the run game, I feel like we have the ability to make a big one pop. Every game is not going to be 100, 150 yards. And my goal, like I said before, is not to rush 2,000 yards. It’s to win football games. We were able to do that, and now we’ve got to go to Kansas City in a tough environment and find a way to get another one.”
Eagles mailbag: Which positions would you swap players with the Chiefs? – BGN
The obvious one people would discuss is Mahomes vs. Jalen Hurts. If you were starting a franchise from scratch, would you take Mahomes? For sure. However… Hurts has out-played Mahomes in the Super Bowl twice and for the way this specific Eagles roster is structured with its offensive line and run game, I wouldn’t want to mess with what is clearly a championship-winning formula. I’m thinking deeply here. If you were to make these types of swaps right here, right now ahead of Week 2, how would it affect the team? Hurts makes this team go from both an on-field and off-the-field perspective. I’m letting it ride with No. 1!
Question from @BigsWinz: Why haven’t the Eagles traded for a corner yet? They are watching the same game as us. Well, they did trade for Jakorian Bennett. Step 2 on that transaction would be to start him over Jackson. Again, we’ll see. But also, cornerback seems to be a pretty thin position at the moment, league-wide. Here’s a link to all of the NFL’s starting outside corners, by team. The are a lot of injured corners (in red), and a dearth of teams with extra corner depth. Teams around the league have no reason to trade away good cornerbacks at the moment. Honestly, it was kind of a weird circumstance that spurred the Raiders to even trade Bennett. Basically, the Raiders have a new head coach in Pete Carroll, who historically has not employed smaller corners. (Bennett is 5’11.) Maybe at the trade deadline, when a bunch of teams will have conceded that their season is in the toilet?
Steve Spagnuolo has done great things with the KC defense over the years. They did not look good in LA. They gave up 394 yards, looking especially vulnerable against the pass. Justin Herbert finished with 318 yards and a passer rating of 131.7. Wow. Spags said communication wasn’t the issue, instead giving credit to the Chargers for using rub routes effectively. He also said their run-pass balance caught KC off guard. Jim Harbaugh loves to run the ball, but his RBs only had 17 carries in the game. The Chargers focused on the pass and looked great on offense. Well done by their coaching staff. One key player is missing from last year, safety Justin Reid. Last year he had 2 INTs, 9 PDs and was third on the team with 87 tackles. Reid was incredibly smart and talented and did a lot of things on the back end of the defense. Without a playmaker like him in the secondary, the defense struggled in coverage last week. Maybe the young safeties will step over time. They didn’t against the Chargers.
Sirianni hopes to bring success to the Eagles for years to come – ESPN
“[Fans] just see, ‘Wow, we got a lot of really good players. We got all the pieces. People think we’re the best team in the NFL. This is going to be easy.’ Nah. This will be the hardest thing they’ve ever done,” Auriemma said. The other concern, which was discussed during Sirianni and Auriemma’s phone call of about 45 minutes, was the psychological switch that happens when you’re king or queen of the mountain. You go from an attack to a defensive posture, having to fend off all the teams that will inevitably deliver their best performances in the name of trying to take what you have. But Auriemma has learned that there’s a way to turn that on its head. “I asked [Sirianni], I said, ‘Well, why can’t the message be: We’re not the hunted. We’re on the hunt for another one. Why should we feel like everybody’s chasing us and everybody’s giving us their best shot? Why don’t we flip the switch and we’re hunting for another one? And is that more powerful, knowing that you’ve done it and now you’re on the hunt for another one than someone who’s not done it and is trying to get one?” Auriemma said. “That has helped me the last number of years, to try and not let my team feel like everybody’s after us and sometimes play the victim: woe is me, we’re getting everybody’s best shot, blah, blah, blah. And, you know, try to think about it in a completely different way.”
Jordan Davis feeling confidence boost in new body after strong Week 1 – NBCSP
But there’s no doubt that Davis’s Week 1 performance is encouraging. And being in better shape and being able to play more snaps boosts the confidence of the 25-year-old defensive tackle. “It does,” Davis said. “Because I know the more I’m on the field, the more I’m able to contribute and that just helps me be a better player. My thing is just contribution. I don’t really care if that’s taking a double-team, getting a tackle, getting a sack, it doesn’t matter. I just want to be out there and play. I just want to have fun with the guys, enjoy it and just pull out the win.” This is Year 4 for Davis at a position where it can often take some time for players to adjust to the NFL. The Eagles already picked up his fifth-year option for the 2026 season, so it’s not like Davis is in a contract year. But this season is a big opportunity for the former No. 13 overall pick out of Georgia. Against the Cowboys in the opener, Davis tied a career-high with 6 combined tackles, to go along with a tackle for loss, a pass breakup and a couple QB pressures. It’s not like we’re ready to put Davis in the Pro Bowl, but it was a good start. And Davis only has that start because he was able to play 53 snaps comfortably.
NFL offensive line rankings ahead of Week 2 – PFF
1) Philadelphia Eagles. Left guard Landon Dickerson battled an injury during Philadelphia’s Week 1 win over the Cowboys, which resulted in his exit. Backup Brett Toth handled the Eagles’ final 11 offensive snaps in his place. Dickerson also earned the lowest PFF overall grade among the team’s offensive linemen (51.5). The unit had an uncharacteristic game compared to past seasons, allowing 12 pressures — including one sack — on 34 pass plays. That culminated in an 80.9 PFF pass-blocking efficiency rating, which ranked only 25th in the NFL in Week 1.
“You get five questions,” Ojomo concedes. It’s Wednesday. The Eagles are 1-0 with a road rematch with the Kansas City Chiefs looming. And Ojomo is hankering for a workout. This isn’t unusual for Ojomo, nor for a team that stresses habits. Its third-year defensive tackle has earned a reputation for his extra time in the weight room. There’s good reason why Eagles defensive line coach Clint Hurtt said in the summer that Ojomo’s “motor runs all day long.” After our four-minute conversation, Ojomo hustles out of the locker room. I walk three stalls over and ask his fellow lineman, Jordan Davis, about Ojomo’s journey from seventh-rounder to full-time starter. “You can feel the intensity,” Davis tells me. “He comes in here, he has a workout…” Davis peeks over at Ojomo’s empty locker. “He’s probably in the weight room working out,” Davis continues. “That’s just the type of dude that he is.”
Outside linebacker Joshua Uche is returning to a familiar place this Sunday, when he will play in Kansas City against his former team. Uche was traded from the Patriots to the Chiefs in the middle of last season, and while he’s approaching Week 2 as just the next game on the schedule, he knows there’s another layer. “Treat every game like it’s your last game, but obviously being there, knowing those guys, and things like that, adds a different element to it,” Uche said. “It’s exciting, man. Definitely excited to get back to Arrowhead in a different capacity.”
Why Brooke picked the Chiefs: Some of the issues we saw from the Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX didn’t go away in the offseason. In the season-opening loss to the Chargers, the offensive line struggled royally — both with penalties and protecting Patrick Mahomes. That won’t cut it against the Eagles, especially with Jalen Carter returning to the lineup — save for another boneheaded move. On paper, the Chiefs might have very few advantages over the Eagles — quarterback and run defense, among them — but there are several historical aspects I’m leaning into with this pick: The Chiefs have never started 0-2 in the Mahomes era. Mahomes has never lost three straight games in his NFL career (including playoffs). Mahomes is 4-0 in his career following back-to-back losses (including playoffs). Mahomes is 19-4 in the game after a loss in his career. I could be completely wrong, but I’m willing to die on the Mahomes hill for a while longer.
The Chiefs’ 3 biggest questions about the Eagles in Week 2 – Arrowhead Pride
Can the Chiefs’ pass rush bounce back? The most concerning aspect of the Chiefs’ loss to the Chargers was their inability to generate pressure with four defensive linemen, which allowed Los Angeles quarterback Justin Herbert to stand comfortably in the pocket and throw downfield strikes that stressed Kansas City’s coverage. This was against the Chargers’ offensive line, which didn’t project to be very good — especially after left tackle Rashawn Slater was injured. So this concern will be magnified on Sunday against the Eagles, when the team will face one of the league’s best offensive lines. There is some good news. The Chiefs won’t be playing in Brazil. While the field at Arena Corinthians seemed better, it still isn’t a normal NFL field or environment; playing on GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium should give the pass rush more juice. And it feels inevitable that defensive tackle Chris Jones will bounce back. He played a bad game on Friday, but he doesn’t often have bad performances in back-to-back games. If he is at his best, that will trickle down to other players.
Chiefs are home underdogs for only the second time with Patrick Mahomes – PFT
Patrick Mahomes has started 68 home games in Kansas City. He’s only been an underdog once. This week will make it twice, as the Chiefs are 1.5-point underdogs at home against the Eagles on Sunday. The Chiefs have been the best team in the NFL over the course of Mahomes’ tenure as their starting quarterback, so getting points to bet on them at home is a rare opportunity. But the only other time bettors had that opportunity, it was a losing bet: The Chiefs were 2.5-point underdogs at home against the Bills in Week Six of 2022, and the Bills beat the Chiefs 24-20 in that game.
Commanders dominated at Lambeau; now facing a new level of adversity – Hogs Haven
The Commanders took a beating at Lambeau Field last night, there’s no other way to say it. For all of the celebration and praise that Washington received following their week one win over the New York Giants, and the fashion in which they did it defensively, the Commanders immediately felt what it was like to be the New York Giants for a week. Washington’s offensive line was under siege all night, and defensively, they could have allowed much more than 27 points against the Green Bay Packers if not for their self-inflicted mistakes. It was a humbling night for Washington in several ways. For instance, one of the most feared offenses since Jayden Daniels and OC Kliff Kingsbury took over was the unit, which had just 90 total yards midway through the third quarter at one point. Or, how about defensively, where the unit gave up two 90-yard touchdown drives to Green Bay that looked relatively easy for the Packers. The failure extends to the game plan as well. Rookie RT Josh Conerly Jr. had a bad night.
Blogging The Boys: Should Russell Wilson get the start again or are you ready for Jaxson Dart? Big Blue View: I have said consistently that the Giants, and Jaxson Dart specifically, will be best served by waiting as long as possible to turn to Dart. No quarterback has ever been hurt by having to wait his turn. Plenty have been ruined by being asked to do too much too soon, or by being thrown to the wolves in front of terrible offensive lines. The longer the Giants can wait, the better. That said, I don’t know how long they can, or will, wait. Brian Daboll is, justifiably, under pressure. His future is tied to Jaxson Dart. I can’t imagine he will let the season slip away before getting Dart on the field. I do not think it would be best for Dart, but if the Giants no-show on offense again I won’t be shocked if Dart takes over at some point on Sunday.
NFL Week 2 picks, predictions: Can the Giants finally beat the Cowboys? – Big Blue View
Valentine’s View: I thought I would be picking the Giants to win this game. I wanted to, in fact, I still want to. After the way the Giants played on Sunday against the Washington Commanders, and with 15 losses in 16 game to the Cowboys, I just can’t. The Giants were atrocious on offense and not nearly as good as they need to be on defense in Week 1. The NFL is a week-to-week league and things can change quickly, but I am going to have to see the Giants put together a much better performance before I pick them to win a game. Pick: Cowboys.
In 10 days, Green Bay has beaten two of last season’s best NFC teams—and did so in convincing fashion. With Micah Parsons and a reenergized defense, do Jordan Love and Co. finally have enough margin for error to make a real championship run?
The Packers really are that damn good – SB Nation
On Thursday night the Packers easily dispatched the Washington Commanders, holding one of the best offenses in the conference to three points entering the fourth quarter, before a little complacency snuck in and a garbage time touchdown late in the game made the box score look infinitely closer than the game really was. Green Bay is now 2-0 after two weeks, easily coasting past two of the other best teams in the conference. The hype isn’t just deserved, it’s been earned — and now the Packers hit a much easier stretch of their schedule which could easily see this team at 4-0 entering the bye week, or even 7-0 before Halloween. There are some core factors to why Green Bay is looking like one of the best team in the NFC right now, and a couple of pitfalls they need to watch for moving forward.
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