Let’s get to the Philadelphia Eagles news and links …
In Roob’s Random Observations: How much of this mess is Kevin Patullo’s fault? – NBCSP
1A. Both these things can be true: 1) Kevin Patullo has not done a great job as play caller and 2) Many of the Eagles’ issues on offense are not his fault. I don’t see enough creativity in the play calls and I don’t see the Eagles keeping defenses off balance. The offense can be predictable and, to use Nick Sirianni’s word when he fired Brian Johnson, “stale.” At times, Patullo has gotten the offense into a rhythm and you feel like maybe they’ve turned the corner. But not once this year has the offense had sustained success for 60 minutes. But is it all play calling? You see big plays that get called back by penalties, potential big plays where Jalen Hurts and the receiver just don’t connect, possible big plays that are wiped out by a breakdown on the offensive line. None of that is on Patullo. If he makes a successful play call and the play isn’t successful for whatever reason, that’s not on him. That’s poor execution or just a great play by the other team. The tricky part of this is trying to understand how much of the Eagles’ problems on offense are Patullo’s fault. The Eagles are averaging 262 yards per game, which is their 3rd-lowest through Week 5 since 1971. And the two worse offenses were courtesy of two awful, terrible last-place teams – 1998 and 1999 – not a team coming off a Super Bowl championship. With the talent the Eagles have on offense, it’s inexcusable to be this bad. But everyone has had a hand in it, not just Patullo. This is Sirianni’s offense and a lot of the issues we’re seeing are issues we’ve seen at times under other offensive coordinators – Sirianni himself, Johnson, Kellen Moore – and when you’re an offensive head coach and the offense isn’t functioning, you certainly deserve a share of the blame. Hurts has played very well most the year but has also had stretches where he’s been confoundingly ineffective. The o-line is clearly not the o-line of recent years. When a unit underachieves this drastically, it’s never one thing. Maybe replacing Patullo with Scot Loeffler, Jason Michael or Parks Frazier would help. Probably wouldn’t hurt. Maybe it would have the same effect as turning to Shane Steichen seven games into 2021. And if these issues continue through the bye week, I wouldn’t be shocked if Sirianni does make a change. But I don’t believe fixing the offense is as simple as changing coordinators. Yeah, Patullo could be better. So could everybody else.
14 NFL teams that can actually win the Super Bowl this season – SB Nation
Philadelphia Eagles It’s the Eagles, do we really need to say much more here? While it’s certainly true that Philly doesn’t look nearly as dominant as they did a year ago, particularly on offense — the fact is that nobody looks particularly great this season to the point where we can call them a favorite definitively. Way too much is being made of Philly losing to Denver, which was a surprise — but the Broncos are just a very solid team. There really hasn’t been a single “gimme” on this team’s schedule so far, and they’re still 4-1. The margins may be smaller in 2025 than they were a year ago, but this remains one of the premiere teams in the NFL and someone who will be a factor in the playoffs.
Looking back at the Miracle at the New Meadowlands 15 years later – BGN
This season marks 15 years since the Birds did the impossible. The Eagles were down 31-10 with a little over eight minutes remaining in the fourth quarter against the Giants up in the swamps of Jersey. It was Week 15 of the 2010 campaign. Another season would be down the drain after early promise had everyone sucked into this team. It was the story of my life. There were times when I was younger that if I was that frustrated with a game I may flat out turn it off or just go to bed at three 0’clock in the afternoon like a sick puppy. I just cared so much that, for a long time, the losses were just so, so brutal. This isn’t to say I had some grand thought that the greatest comeback in franchise history was about to happen, far from it. I’m glad I wasn’t a gigantic teenage baby that day. I doubt I need to rehash most of what transpired in the next eight minutes of the game for you, right?
Giants-Eagles pre-game ‘things I think’: Changes, potential roster moves, more – Big Blue View
Shakeup coming? If the Giants are embarrassed by the Eagles Thursday night — and maybe if they just lose while having some of their typical issues — I think changes could come during the mini-bye before the Giants face the Denver Broncos in Week 7. No, I don’t think head coach Brian Daboll is getting fired. Yet. If the Giants win three games again, I don’t know how that does not happen. I don’t, though, see it right now. Immediately after the loss to New Orleans, the emotional side of me thought Daboll could be out after the Philadelphia game. As I have calmed down a tad I realized I don’t think the organization would want to bring that kind of turmoil to Jaxson Dart’s rookie season. Daboll remains the primary caretaker of Dart’s development, and messing with that now might not be the best move. I think, though, that if the Giants don’t put forth an outstanding defensive effort Thursday night — if the penalties continue, the run defense is gashed, the bad angles, missed assignments and too-easy completions continue — defensive coordinator Shane Bowen becomes an easy fall guy.
Breaking Down the 4-1 Teams, from Bucs to Lions – FTN Fantasy
Lucky to Be Here: The Eagles have been outgained by 383 yards through five games. The only 4-plus-win teams in NFL history to be outgained by more yardage are the 1992 Broncos (486) and the 2014 Cardinals (385). Some of that is from special teams taking away offensive yards from returns, but the offense is in a real funk. The offensive line isn’t getting the same push, meaning the running game isn’t dominating as it historically has, meaning defenses can sit back in two deep zones, meaning Jalen Hurts is having trouble picking them apart … it’s all just kind of blah. They also had just a 3% PGWE against the Rams, because we swear that blocked kicks aren’t predictive. Stand-Out Strength: Perhaps it’s to be expected that the Eagles have struggled a bit – they’ve had the fourth-toughest schedule in the league so far, and the toughest of all the 4-1 teams. They’re still the best short-yardage team in the league, and passing against them remains bad news. Philly is seventh in pass defense DVOA, and that rises to second at -1.2% on passes that have an intended target – so even if you avoid the sack, you’re doing worse than average if you try to challenge this Philadelphia secondary.
Philadelphia remains a top-tier team, powered by a defense that ranks fifth in overall grade (75.2). However, offensive efficiency has regressed, leading to tighter contests often decided by slim margins or pivotal special teams plays. The Eagles rank outside the league’s top half in several key offensive categories: 25th in positive EPA play rate, 19th in success rate and 23rd in scoring drive percentage. For the Giants, betting markets have trended in the opposite direction — they’ll enter Week 6 as underdogs for the sixth consecutive game to start the season. No team has been a home underdog more frequently than New York under Brian Daboll, whose 23 such games since 2022 lead all active head coaches. They sit at 2-3 against the spread this year, with their lone outright win coming at home against the Chargers in Week 4. If the Giants are going to pull off the upset, they’ll need a big performance from their pass rush — the NFL’s seventh-highest graded unit (80.0). The Eagles may be without guard Landon Dickerson, who exited Week 5 with an ankle injury. Without him, Philadelphia’s protection faltered, surrendering six sacks and a 35.6% pressure rate to Denver’s defensive front.
Eagles vs. Giants: Three must-know storylines for Thursday’s Week 6 prime-time game – NFL.com
The Eagles tried to get the deep ball working last week, but it just wasn’t happening consistently enough. Jalen Hurts was 2 of 9 on deep passes (20-plus air yards) in Week 5 vs. Denver, per Next Gen Stats, the second-most deep pass attempts of Hurts’ career in a game. He was 5 of 13 on deep passes in the first four games, but it’s clear that he and A.J. Brown aren’t in rhythm. Brown leads the Eagles with 36 targets but has only 19 catches, with DeVonta Smith leading the team in catches and yards and Dallas Goedert catching four of Hurts’ seven TD passes. The Giants play the highest rate of man defense in the NFL this season at 47.2 percent, and the Eagles typically thrive vs. man defense. The Giants’ pass-rush trio of Brian Burns, Kayvon Thibodeaux and Abdul Carter are a real concern against a beat-up Eagles line. But the Eagles also know they’ll have chances to get Hurts and Brown going if the protection holds up.
Yes, the Eagles have the league’s 30th-ranked offense and Hurts would be the first to admit that he deserves some of the blame. But the fact that the Eagles, one year after setting a franchise record for rushing yards, are 25th in rushing yards and 29th in yards per carry should be a far greater concern. Hurts’ numbers through five games aren’t all that much different than his four previous seasons as the team’s starting QB. His 889 passing yards are the fewest he has thrown for at this point in a season, but his seven TD passes and 11 total TDs are the most. His 101.3 passer rating is the highest of his career after five games and is 12th in the league. His ESPN QBR of 64.1 is 13th in the league. His 182 rushing yards are fourth most in the league among QBs and his four rushing TDs are the most. It’s fair to say that Hurts has not taken his game to another level so far this season, but unfair to think he has slipped at all. He needs to be better and so does the Eagles’ entire offense. It was about this time last season that Hurts, Barkley and the entire offense went into a higher gear and the result was a Super Bowl title.
Spadaro: 6 storylines to follow in Eagles at Giants – PE.com
Hand in hand with that … the running game is in focus. The Eagles are averaging 100 rushing yards per game and they’re going against a New York run defense that ranks 26th in the NFL, allowing an average of 140 yards per game. So, this is a very interesting matchup. Running back Saquon Barkley’s return to MetLife Stadium in Year 2 isn’t nearly as big a story as it was in 2024 – the story now is just getting the running game and Barkley’s production to where the team wants it to be. It is going to be interesting to see how the Eagles approach the running game tonight and what kind of usage Barkley has. He’s been a weapon in the passing game, so there are other ways for him to get touches.
It was a penalty that helped the Eagles greatly during their come-from-behind victory over the Los Angeles Rams in Week 3, but some Eagles didn’t love seeing the yellow flag emerge. Puka Nacua was penalized for taunting after catching a 20-yard pass that would have set up the Rams in Eagles territory late in the third quarter, looking to build on a 26-21 lead that the Eagles were cutting into. With Eagles linebacker Jihaad Campbell still near him after he was tackled, Nacua spun the football on the ground and, without even looking at Campbell, flexed his muscles and pointed toward the end zone, miming a first-down signal. It was the third time Nacua did it that day, so maybe it was because Campbell was near his feet, but veteran Eagles cornerback Adoree’ Jackson, himself a victim of Nacua’s celebratory move earlier in the day, didn’t think Nacua deserved a penalty. “Hell no,” Jackson said last week. “You’ll know if a [expletive] is taunting you. I’ll tell you that right now. You can tell when somebody is coming at you taunting you. You can tell disrespect, you can feel disrespect, you know disrespect.
Giants have lost eight straight division games, longest current NFL streak – PFT
When the Giants host the Eagles on Thursday night, one specific streak will be on the line. And the Giants will be hoping to end it. New York has lost eight straight NFC East games. It’s currently the longest losing streak in division games for any NFL team. It’s also the Giants’ longest losing streak in the division since 1975-76, when it was a five-team group that included the Cardinals. The Giants finished 5-9 in 1975 and 3-11 in 1976.
Saquon isn’t worried about slow start – ESPN
With their primary method of attack from a year ago not functioning at its best, the 4-1 Eagles enter their NFC East matchup against the Giants still trying to figure out what kind of offense they are going to be. They’re searching for ways to unlock Barkley as he navigates extra attention from opposing defenses as well as attrition along the offensive line, and fights against a history that hasn’t always been kind to 2,000-yard backs. “Every year is not going to be like how I had it last year,” Barkley said. “It shouldn’t be like that. Football is not easy, football’s hard. It’s a tough sport. You’re going up against a lot of talented players. It’s something you’ve got to love. Just as much as you love rushing for 200 yards and scoring three touchdowns, you have to enjoy your process even when things aren’t going the way you want them to go. You go back to your process and you let those things take over and eventually, it’s going to turn.”
Saquon Barkley explains appeal of new documentary, predicts breakout star – The Athletic
With four of the five years of filming spent while Barkley played for the Giants, the crux of the documentary would appeal to Giants fans. For Eagles fans who watch the film, you could see the rivalry from the other perspective when Barkley was trying to quiet the Philadelphians who later cheered for him. You can also see the way Jada identified the Eagles as a potential suitor more than a year before Howie Roseman even negotiated a contract with Barkley. The joy Barkley felt when Roseman increased his offer (and the Giants were out) in March 2024 was apparent, and the excitement (and musical skills) of Jada moving to the home state of her grandparents was also evident. Scorsese might not have foreseen the Hollywood ending that came in 2024, and the benefit of playing with the Eagles’ high-end talent and the road to the Super Bowl also comes through.
The filming even takes you to Barkley’s Super Bowl hotel room in New Orleans, his breakfast on the morning of the championship game and his birthday celebration in the hours after winning the Lombardi Trophy. There are scenes devoted to Barkley bypassing the chance to break Eric Dickerson’s rushing record, although not as much as it would have been if the film were focused on his Eagles career. Regardless, when you see it go from the knee injury to a birthday title run, it has one of these “only at the movies” feelings to it. Even with the storybook ending, Barkley wants the authenticity to be the lasting impression. “I think it’s a well-done movie,” Barkley said, “and I hope people feel the same way.”
2025 Game Review – DEN 21, PHI 17 – Iggles Blitz
Kevin Patullo was up and down. He mixed in more RPOs than previous games. They worked okay, when penalties weren’t an issue. The Broncos were mainly a man coverage team, but they played more zone than usual and the Eagles didn’t have consistent answers for it. Jalen is better vs man. One of the key criticisms was Barkley only getting 6 carries. He actually had more, but multiple plays were wiped out by penalty. Making that worse, if he gets 3 or 4 yards on those runs, there is a good chance the next play is a run. Insted 1st & 15 is a pass. Ugh.
The Best NFL Bets for Week 6 – The Ringer
The Eagles offense is a flummoxing group, and the struggles are having an impact on the defense, too. The defense floundered in the second half of each of the past two games because it was worn down; the offense failed to keep possession for more than a couple of minutes at a time. Denver scored 18 fourth-quarter points to steal the game last week, and Tampa Bay nearly mounted a 20-point comeback the week before that with multiple explosive plays. Nevertheless, I’m taking the end-of-game chaos out of the mix with my bet in this matchup. I trust the Eagles not to turn the ball over and force the Giants to drive the field. That’s where the limitations of this Giants offense come into play: Since New York doesn’t have a true top receiving option, the Eagles will be able to take away the middle of the field and make offense very difficult for rookie Jaxson Dart. The Giants have scored on the first drive of each of their first two games with Dart, but that’ll end on Thursday night. Verdict: Bet Giants team total under 7.5 first half
Dissapointingly, Washington is currently 8th in the NFC rankings, and as we all know, only 7 teams will make the NFC playoffs. When I looked at the details to see why we rank below every other team that has a 3-2 record, I saw that the Commanders are 1-2 in NFC games (.333) while the other two teams with 3-2 records are .500 in conference play. The next two games on the Commanders’ schedule come against the Bears and Cowboys. Both are in-conference and the Dallas game is in-division. To be well-positioned for playoff contention in December and January, it is important to win games against divisional and NFC opponents now. In other words, Beating the Bears and Cowboys with a loss to the Chiefs would be preferable to getting wins in both Monday night games while losing to Dallas in between. Of course, winning them all would be ideal, but when it comes to playoff seeding, NFC opponents matter more than AFC opponents, and NFC East games matter the most of all. So let’s get the win against Chicago on Monday night, adding a win to the team’s overall record, but also an important win against an NFC opponent!
Cowboys injuries: Tyler Guyton, Tyler Smith limited Wednesday, CeeDee Lamb DNP – Blogging The Boys
This week the Dallas Cowboys travel to a game against the Carolina Panthers, a game they are expected to win. Although Dallas is still on the mend from injuries, the team has shown that, led by Dak Prescott and his supporting cast, they can win with what they have. Wednesday’s injury report is a very long one so let’s go through some of it. To open the week, the Cowboys have some of their starting offensive lineman back on the field. Tyler Smith (knee) and Tyler Guyton (concussion) were back at practice in a limited capacity. CeeDee Lamb (ankle) did not practice, but he was seen working on the side of practice with the training staff, as was Tyler Booker (knee).
Obituary retraction: Phillies 8, Dodgers 2 – The Good Phight
For all of the perceived missteps that led them to this crucial scenario, Rob Thomson’s strategy finally paid dividends as the Philadelphia Phillies defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers 8-2 on Thursday night to extend the series to a game four tomorrow and keep their hopes alive.
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