Let’s get to the Philadelphia Eagles news and links …
Saquon Barkley on facing Giants: ‘I’m just focused on getting back on track’ – PE.com
A year ago, it was the biggest story in the NFL: Running back Saquon Barkley heading back to MetLife Stadium to play his former team, the New York Giants. This is still a big draw and discussion for the media, but not quite at the 2024 level. “I think the emotions are probably gone,” Barkley said. “I said that last year, that I really didn’t know what to expect being in that environment and seeing everyone back there. I’m a year removed from it now and it is what it is. I’m just focused on getting back on track and getting a big win in the NFC East.” Barkley acknowledged that he, quarterback Jalen Hurts, and wide receiver A.J. Brown had a long conversation earlier in the week, saying the “focus was all about the team. It was a good thing.” After a rugged game on Sunday, Barkley is set to play on Thursday night in the nationally televised game despite being on the injury report this week. He referred to his knee injury as “general soreness” and said he is good to go for the Giants.
Eagles-Giants preview: Five things to watch – PhillyVoice
Unfortunately, stopping the run requires more than just a new defensive coordinator. You need players, too, and overall the Giants don’t have good run stoppers. In 2024, the Giants gave up 4.6 yards per carry, they allowed the second-most runs of 20+ yards (19), and they tied for the most runs of 40+ yards (5). To add insult to injury, Barkley had 17 carries for 176 yards and a TD in his return to MetLife. In 2025 through five games, they’re allowing 140 rushing yard per game, and 5.3 yards per carry. What was their biggest move in free agency to stop the bleeding? They signed iDL Roy Robertson-Harris, who turned 32 in July, and the Giants gave him a two-year deal worth $10 million. He logged 20 tackles, 2 sacks in 2024. The Giants give decent money to a mid defensive lineman or two every offseason, and they never have any impact, even though they get to play next to Dexter Lawrence. That was another one of those signings. The Eagles’ rushing attack has been non-existent so far in 2025. If they can’t get anything going against this trash Giants defense, run game concerns should be at a new level.
Saquon Barkley, Jalen Hurts weigh in on conversation with A.J. Brown – NBCSP
It was either an intense open, honest, necessary conversation to try to get three superstars back on the proverbial same page … OR it was just three guys hanging out having lunch. Whatever it was, Jalen Hurts, Saquon Barkley and A.J. Brown did indeed spend some time together at the NovaCare Complex on Monday, as first reported by Jimmy Kempski of PhillyVoice, who characterized it as a “long, positive conversation” that “lasted a couple hours.” Brown wasn’t in the locker room Tuesday while it was open to the media, and Hurts and Barkley both played down the meeting, characterizing it as just a few teammates hanging out like any other day. “Yeah, we had a conversation, but I’m not going to speak too much on it,” Barkley said at his locker Tuesday. “I felt like that conversation was meant to stay between us, but the focus was all about the team, and I think it was a good thing.
Dexter Lawrence: You don’t want to be the team that lets Saquon Barkley get hot – PFT
“Could be teams scheming for him,” Lawrence said, via a transcript from the team. “It happens, but you don’t want to be the team to let him get hot. So, you’ve got to stay disciplined Thursday and go win.” None of the Eagles’ biggest offensive stars have been playing up to past levels, so there’s a lot of potential breakouts for the Giants to concern themselves with and making sure they don’t happen will be their best path to a win this week.
Will the Eagles run the ball more? And will it work if they do? – The Athletic
Barkley’s 0.98 average yards before contact is particularly alarming. It is tied for the lowest average of his career (min. 20 rushes). It ranks 23rd among the 36 NFL running backs who have started in a game this season. It belongs to a statistic that generally indicates which side is controlling the line of scrimmage. The low average calls into question not only the system and its approach, but the performance of Philadelphia’s offensive line — a consideration that, without merit, borders blasphemy against what’s long been one of the league’s best units.
The team’s shortened week appeared to limit fresh perspective on any potential problems up front. None of the starting offensive linemen were available in the locker room after Sunday’s game (the majority of players were either absent or visibly getting treatment to kick off a four-night turnaround), nor were they in the locker room during Tuesday’s 45-minute media availability. But starters like left tackle Jordan Mailata have in the past been self-critical after games, saying their level of play hasn’t met their standard.
Giants likely down another WR Thursday vs. Eagles – Big Blue View
New York Giants wide receiver Darius Slayton, who suffered a hamstring injury late in Sunday’s loss to the New Orleans Saints, is not expected to play Thursday night against the Philadelphia Eagles. That was the likely outcome after Slayton was listed as “did not practice” on both Monday and Tuesday this week. Slayton was reportedly “limping badly around the locker room” when media had access on Tuesday. Slayton had a rough game vs. the Saints with a critical fumble and a pair of missed opportunities for catches on potential difference-making chunk plays. Still, without Malik Nabers, the 28-year-old seven-year veteran is the most accomplished wide receiver on the Giants’ roster with 271 career receptions for slightly more than 4,000 yards. He has 12 catches for 166 yards this season.
Eagles-Broncos Film Review: Incredibly frustrated (and quite frankly, bored) by this offense – BGN
This game against the Denver Broncos summed up everything about the 2025 Eagles offense: moments of brilliance surrounded by long stretches of sloppiness and frustration. The first half looked functional but the second half fell apart through the same old issues. The lack of detail, a non-existent run game, and poor receiver effort let the entire unit down. For all the talent on this roster, they continue to play below their potential because of execution and design flaws.
NFL Week 6 latest buzz, questions, news and fantasy tips – ESPN
The Giants face a challenging week. They are short-handed offensively and face a talented Eagles defense that will try to force Jaxson Dart into mistakes. But what New York likes about Dart through the first two games is his confidence and his instincts. He communicates well at the line of scrimmage and doesn’t get rattled. The Giants are hoping that pays off on a short week, but they know they have to run the ball well on early downs. Third-and-long for the rookie against Vic Fangio probably won’t end well. And then, when the Eagles make adjustments, the Giants must decipher what they are doing and make their own adjustments. Veteran receiver Darius Slayton (hamstring) is expected to miss Thursday’s game, I’m told. He was hopeful to contribute, but a hamstring injury on a short week is too tough to overcome.
Are crowded zone coverages the new template against Jalen Hurts? We seem to be seeing a noted shift in how defenses are playing the Eagles this season in real time, something that may be contributing to the Jekyll and Hyde nature of the Eagles offense. Hurts and Co. have been significantly better against the blitz this season, and opposing defenses are starting to respond by choosing to deploy added numbers in zone coverage instead of sending extra rushers as a result. As Fran Duffy’s film breakdown from earlier in the week illustrated, Hurts has been notably inefficient when facing, at most, a four-man rush with defensive coordinators instead electing to flood the back end with zone defenders. On 21 such dropbacks, Hurts is 5-for-13 for 31 yards and has been sacked eight times, good for the third-worst success rate in the NFL (9.5%). We’re starting to see the evolution in real-time, especially in the last two games with both the Broncos and the Buccaneers adjusting their strategy midway through the game after Hurts gashed them against pressure looks early in the game.
NFL offensive line rankings ahead of Week 6 – PFF
4) Philadelphia Eagles (Down 1). Left guard Landon Dickerson exited the Eagles’ Week 5 contest with an ankle injury and was replaced by Brett Toth, who gave up four pressures — including a sack — and earned a 49.1 PFF pass-blocking grade. Third-year guard Tyler Steen continues to play better each week. The Alabama product earned a career-high 84.5 PFF overall grade in the Eagles’ loss to the Broncos. Best player: Jordan Mailata. Mailata gave up four pressures in a game for the first time since Week 13 of the 2023 season.
Jayden Daniels’ return to the starting lineup brought fireworks back to the Commanders’ offense. Four of Washington’s five plays of 20 yards or more came by way of Daniels’ arm, and it helped lead Washington to 27 points against the Los Angeles Chargers, who are sixth-best in the league in points allowed. The trio of Daniels, Deebo Samuel, and Jacory Croskey-Merritt accounted for essentially the entire offensive day. Daniels and Croskey-Merritt accounted for 381 of Washington’s 389 yards, with Samuel accounting for 96 receiving yards. Washington’s offensive line excelled in the run game with its execution and high-level mental processing. They won in their power run game by consistently gaining number advantages on the play-side. Center Tyler Biadasz had one of his better performances of this young season. Offensive Coordinator Kliff Kingsbury utilized the offensive line’s athleticism with misdirection calls in the run game, with several lead-pulls into playside gaps. In turn, Croskey-Merritt’s breakout game was sensational, and he made a strong case that he is capable of taking on a heavier workload.
Dallas Cowboys owner, president, and general manager Jerry Jones has been fined for the NFL. Specifically Jones has been fined $250,000 for what he described as an “unfortunate” gesture made during the team’s win on Sunday against the New York Jets.
Ravens to sign former Eagles, Texans safety – Baltimore Beatdown
The Ravens are signing former Eagles and Texans safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson to their practice squad, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The seven-year veteran has logged 64 starts in his career with experience as a free safety, dimebacker, and nickel defender. He will add depth to an injured Ravens secondary that could use help at all three spots. Gardner-Johnson began the 2025 season with the Texans but was released after three games due to tension in the locker room. He reportedly created tension in Houston’s locker room by criticizing his teammates and expressing frustration with his role, despite the unit’s strong start to the year.
Cardinals fine head coach Jonathan Gannon for punching Demercado – Revenge Of The Birds
Coaches scream, yell, and cuss at players all the time. But not to this extreme. The unwritten rule in sports is that coaches do not hit players. They just don’t. That is the line. And yes, Gannon was pretty upset. He had reason to be. It is difficult to get touchdowns in a game. It takes the OC to make the right call, then the men up front must do their jobs. On Monday, Gannon said he apologized to Demercado and the Cardinals players during a team meeting that afternoon. He told ESPN: “I just told them, I kind of let the moment of what happened get the better of me there.” According to the franchise, there won’t be any other discipline for Coach Gannon.
Bengals trading for Browns’ Joe Flacco – Cincy Jungle
It’s safe to say the Bengals have a new starting quarterback coming in, though this week vs. the Green Bay Packers may be a bit too soon. And with a short week against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 7 on Thursday Night Football, we may not see Flacco for a game or two. Either way, it appears Jake Browning’s days as the Bengals’ starting QB are numbered. Flacco was recently benched by the Browns in favor of third-round rookie Dillion Gabriel, while fifth-round rookie Shedeur Sanders is also on the team and should be the one who plays if Gabriel gets hurt or benched, not the 40-year-old Flacco, who may be in his last NFL season. In four games this season, Flacco has completed 93/160 passes (58.1%) for 815 yards (5.1 yards per attempt) and two touchdowns vs. six interceptions. [BLG Note: Former Eagles QB and South Jersey native lands in Cincy.]
Raiders’ Pete Carroll-Geno Smith reunion looks like a big bust for Las Vegas – SB Nation
What was once a great story in Seattle has become a disaster in Las Vegas. Pete Carroll’s hapless Raiders were steamrolled 40-6 by the Indianapolis Colts in Week 5, and it wasn’t even that close. The 34-point defeat is one of the heaviest Carroll’s distinguished head coaching career between college and the NFL. Struggling starting quarterback Geno Smith threw two more interceptions, increasing his league-leading total to nine. Defensively, the Raiders gave up 8/10 on third down, recorded no sacks of Daniel Jones, and allowed touchdowns on all six red zone trips. “I’m processing it poorly to tell you the truth because I did expect to win right out of the chutes,” Carroll said in his post-game press conference regarding the 1-4 start, the worst of his career. “As the quarterback of this team, I hate where we are. I hate how it looks,” Smith told reporters following the Colts game.
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