Let’s get to the Philadelphia Eagles news and links …
Coming back from IR, Nolan Smith ready to give Eagles a boost – NBCSP
Eagles edge rusher Nolan Smith has been a full participant since the team opened his practice window earlier this week. And he fully expects to play against the Packers in Green Bay on Monday Night Football. “Oh yeah,” Smith said. “Hell yeah.” If Smith is indeed going to make his return on Monday night, the Eagles will first need to activate him off Injured Reserve and to the 53-man roster. But this game was always the target. There’s no doubt that Smith has been thrilled to be back on the practice field after missing the last five games with a triceps injury and he’s looking forward to returning to game action. “Hungry and just happy to be out there with my guys,” Smith said. “Miss the fellas. You miss the camaraderie, you miss the practicing together, you miss all those types of things.”
Nolan Smith is back, and a new-look Eagles pass rush has ‘a bunch of hungry guys’ – Inquirer
Before the injury this season, Smith did not have a sack but registered eight pressures and six run stops during the first three games. It remains to be seen what kind of workload Smith, and even Phillips, will have right away. Vic Fangio doesn’t typically run a very deep pass rushing rotation, but the Eagles are likely to have five players available Monday: Smith, Phillips, Hunt, Uche, and Graham. That’s without mentioning the handful of snaps rookie linebacker Jihaad Campbell will take from the edge. “We don’t see it as 1s and 2s,” Smith said. “We see it as a Group Alpha and a Group Delta. We’re all going in like [Navy] Seals, and we’re all going in to do a job.”
Eagles Film Review: Analyzing Jalen Hurts’ 2025 season so far – BGN
Jalen Hurts isn’t quite in the Tier 1 “elite tier” of quarterbacks in my opinion, and it’s hard to evaluate him without considering the huge amount of weapons at his disposal. Still, I think he’s sitting comfortably at the top of the next tier. If we’re being honest, rankings can feel arbitrary, and I rarely release them for that reason, because people will ignore all the analysis in the article and just comment on that number. I said in 2023 that Hurts is good enough to lead the Eagles to a Super Bowl. I was proven correct. If the question is whether Hurts can lead this version of the Eagles to success, my answer remains the same: yes. For what this Eagles offense wants to be, I honestly believe there’s nobody better suited to run it. And for what this franchise values (accountability, work ethic, and leadership), I wouldn’t want anyone else leading the team.
As the Eagles enter a stretch of games with significant stakes both for potential playoff seeding and establishing the hierarchy amongst NFC teams, it’s a good time to take stock of Jalen Hurts’ MVP case through eight games. Especially considering the award is typically reserved for the quarterback on one of the best teams in the league, Hurts has a chance to enter the conversation in earnest over the next few weeks but will eventually need to hit some statistical benchmarks to solidify his candidacy. Hurts is currently ninth in MVP odds at +2200 according to bet365, but there’s reason to believe the 27-year-old could have some forward momentum in the coming weeks. He ranks reasonably well in conventional counting stats so far, sitting at sixth in completion percentage, eighth in yards per attempt but just 22nd in total passing yards due to the Eagles lower volume passing attack. Hurts’ most flattering metrics so far, though, are his interception rate without sacrificing an aggressive approach with downfield throws. According to TruMedia sports, Hurts ranks second in the NFL in interceptions thrown per passing attempt at .5%, but has still managed to rank fourth in average air yards per attempt, instructive of his ability to take downfield shots without putting the ball in harm’s way. Combine that with Hurts’ 2o total touchdowns so far this season and there’s a pathway for him to make up some ground.
Scheme vs Execution – Iggles Blitz
More than a few people have been critical of Eagles offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo. They say the Eagles offense is too plain. Too predictable. Why can’t Eagles coaches be more creative? There is a flip side to this. Sometimes coaches can fall too in love with X’s and O’s. They can focus too much on scheme and not enough on execution. Check out these comments from Dan Orlovsky. Is Green Bay too reliant on scheme? I will let Packers fans and the media who cover the team debate that subject. I do think it is interesting that Orlovsky even brings up the idea. While you want creativity in an offense, you don’t want to rely on it too much. At some point, you need your guy to be able to beat the guy across from him. Jimmys and Joes are more important than X’s and O’s, as the old saying goes. Patullo has shown the ability to be creative in the red zone, where the Eagles are ranked first in the NFL. GB is 11th in the league in the red zone. They went 0 for 4 in last week’s loss to Carolina. The Eagles win over the Giants was Patullo’s best game of the year. He was creative with the run and pass game, but also relied on basic plays as well. He knew the Eagles were more talented. That’s a game where you shouldn’t have to be too exotic. When he did mix things in, they worked pretty well.
Top 10 NFL MVP candidates at midseason: Drake Maye and Jonathan Taylor headline my ranking – NFL.com
3) QB Jalen Hurts. If the Eagles keep stacking wins behind the efficient play of the reigning Super Bowl MVP, Hurts could receive the regular-season honor next. The dual-threat quarterback has quietly dominated opponents with 1,884 total yards and 20 combined touchdowns (15 passing, five rushing) against just two turnovers. While the naysayers suggest his game lacks pizzazz, Hurts continues to stack wins and command respect as the leader of a squad with back-to-back title aspirations.
Why this Eagles’ player is key to team’s defensive success in the second half – NJ.com
“I think it’s similar to A.J. (Brown) on offense,” Ojomo said. “I think the offense always has to account for Jalen and if they don’t a lot of times he can ruin a game, so that just helps everyone around him and it helps the game planners — Vic being able to call the game and put him in different positions and understand what the offense is going to do because of Jalen.” Ojomo, a seventh-round pick in 2023 — the same year the Eagles took Carter ninth overall — has been one of those on-field beneficiaries the last two seasons. He leads the team with 28 pressures in eight games and he also leads the team with four sacks. A year ago, Ojomo finished fifth on the team with 39 pressures, but he did not have a sack. “I think (Carter) makes you a better player in a number of ways,” Ojomo said. “I think when you see certain things that he does you can try to learn from him and I think his football IQ and his ability to talk through things on the field can also help you. The way he gets off the ball, it’s a feel and it’s football IQ. I think his whole game is football IQ. I don’t think people see it because they don’t know that part of football.”
Spadaro: ‘Fun challenge’ vs. Micah Parsons and Packers defense awaits Eagles – PE.com
This is a marathon, mentally and physically. “I felt like I was in a car crash for multiple weeks in a row,” left tackle Jordan Mailata said. “We needed that. The mental break as well. That was much needed. It’s hard to explain, mentally, what it’s like to be a professional footballer. Especially here in Philly. It’s hard to describe. You just have to be a part of it. Only the guys in this locker room can understand. It’s a lot. So, that mental break was much needed. And that physical break came at a great time, too. We needed it. We’ve got a lot of guys back this week, so I’m super excited about that to keep building on what we created the last two weeks (prior to the Bye Week).”
The Best NFL Bets for Week 10 – The Ringer
One week after everyone crowned the Packers as the NFC’s top team following a dominant prime-time win at Pittsburgh, the general consensus has soured on Green Bay after it no-showed at home against the Panthers. The Packers struggled in the red zone and had turnover problems in the game, but it’s not like they didn’t consistently move the ball. After all, the Packers didn’t even punt. I’ve maintained all year that the Packers are an elite team and the best all-around squad in the NFC, so I’m going to bet them as a 2.5-point favorite at home on Monday. Do the Packers have some silliness in them that leads to puzzling results against inferior foes? Certainly. Will Green Bay miss Tucker Kraft, who is out for the season with a torn ACL? Definitely. But all around, the Packers have a ceiling as high as any team in the league. They’re also not the only offense in this game that has been inconsistent. The Eagles offense has the third-highest three-and-out rate in the NFL. They had their best all-around game on offense against the Giants before the bye week, but we’ve seen the Giants defense totally crater in recent weeks due to injuries and run defense problems. Through eight games played for both, Green Bay has the more reliable offense, and its defense is designed to force teams to be extremely methodical; it allows big plays at the second-lowest rate in the league. Plus, the Eagles are ranked ninth in EPA per drive, while the Packers are sitting at fourth. These two teams are close on a talent level, but for me, the Packers have a more trusted offensive scheme—and they’re at home. Verdict: Bet Packers –2.5 (–110)
Packers-Eagles Injury Report: Green Bay WRs take another blow – Acme Packing Company
The Green Bay Packers’ receiver room is an absolute mess going into their game against the Philadelphia Eagles. Beyond Jayden Reed (collarbone) being on injured reserve, first-round rookie receiver Matthew Golden (hip), who dropped out against the Carolina Panthers, went from a limited participant on Thursday’s practice to a complete non-participant in Friday’s practice with the team. On top of that, reserve receiver Malik Heath (hip) popped up on the injury report for the first time this week on Friday with an injury too. Here is the Packers’ receiver depth chart, thus far in 2025: 1) Romeo Doubs. 2) Christian Watson (limited both practices this week, on a pitch count with a knee injury). 3) Jayden Reed (injured reserve). 4) Matthew Golden (non-participant on Friday). 5) Dontayvion Wicks (missed the last few games, limited in both practice with a calf injury). 6) Malik Heath (possibly suffered an injury in Friday’s practice). 7) Savion Williams (non-participant on Thursday, limited participant on Friday with a foot injury).
’Clash of the titans’ rematch with Eagles excites Packers – Packers
Asked Thursday if that reality left a bad aftertaste in the mouths of the Packers, Nixon answered with a resounding yes before the question was even finished. “Hell yeah. The hit, too. Yes, absolutely,” Nixon said. “It’s not even just the playoff game. We lost to them in Week 1, too. We went 0-2 against them last year and don’t really want to have that feeling again.” The Packers get their shot at redemption against the Eagles this Monday night at Lambeau Field, the first time during the Nick Sirianni era Green Bay will face Philadelphia on its home turf.
YouTube TV, ESPN “remain far apart” – PFT
As another college football Saturday creeps closer, it’s looking more and more likely that a pair of corporate behemoths will continue to keep fans from watching through a service to which millions subscribe. Andrew Marchand of TheAthletic.com reports that Google and Disney “remain far apart” in their ongoing negotiations on a deal that would restore ESPN and ABC to YouTube TV. That means no college games on Saturday and, apparently, no Monday Night Football. This week, it’s a much more relevant and consequential game than Cardinals-Cowboys. In three days, NFL fans with YouTube TV will have to go elsewhere to watch Eagles-Packers.
Dallas Cowboys roster: George Pickens extension should be next up for team – Blogging The Boys
From a timeline perspective the Cowboys would (again, if things got silly) have to tag Pickens before the deadline in the spring and then make a decision on him by mid-July. It is then that teams reach a point of no return with players who are tagged as if they do not have new deals by then the situation is decided. They can only play on the tag. If Dallas tags Pickens and the two sides do not come to a deal by mid-July, then there cannot be any training camp drama or holdout because of the NFL’s rules. It will be a tag year for Pickens which would carry some drama, but it would be matter-of-fact. We know the Cowboys have salary cap space. We know that they traded Micah Parsons to establish some (this did not have to be the case, but we are going off of what they said). The top-level next course of action for them from all vantage points is now using some of it to help make their newly-defined window as open as possible. The season is still going on, but we will learn in the first 100 days of 2026 at latest whether or not they truly are serious about 2026 and 2027 with regards to George Pickens and what they decide to do.
Franchise direction. When it comes to team direction, the confidence of fans has fallen 10 points to 42%, with many questioning the roster construction, player selection and development, pointing at both the GM and the coaching staff. The season low of 27% was recorded after the loss to the Cowboys in Week 7. Of course, the fact that more than 4 in 10 survey respondents still have confidence in the midst of a bad 4-game losing streak (which would destroy the confidence numbers of most other NFL fan bases — all of whom have polled weekly by SB Nation for years now) says a great deal about the credit built up by the franchise in the short time that Josh Harris and his partners have owned it. [BLG Note: lol]
SB Nation NFL roundtable: The midseason All-Disappointment teams – SB Nation
Mookie Alexander: Washington Commanders. What a brutal regression for Washington. Yes, they won a lot of close games last year and made the NFC Championship in unexpected fashion, but the crash has been heavier than I think even skeptics expected. Jayden Daniels’ third separate injury may put an end to his second season, Terry McLaurin’s drama-filled offseason has become an injury-laden regular season, and Deebo Samuel is averaging less than 10 yards per reception. The defense was bad last year and hasn’t improved at all this year. It’s been 33 years since Washington last made the playoffs in back-to-back seasons, and that drought will continue.
Giants-Bears final injury report: New kicker for New York on Sunday – Big Blue View
Placekicker Graham Gano, who has a herniated disc in his neck, did not practice for a third straight day on Friday and has been ruled out Sunday against the Chicago Bears. That means Younghoe Koo, who is on the practice squad, will be the placekicker on Sunday for the New York Giants.
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