Let’s get to the Philadelphia Eagles news and links …
After latest collapse, Eagles have no choice but to replace Kevin Patullo – NBCSP
Now, all that said, I don’t think Patullo is the entire problem. Injuries on the offensive line have been damaging. Saquon Barkley’s struggles go beyond play calling. Pre-snap penalties wiping out big gains aren’t on the play caller. And let’s not lose sight of the fact that this is Nick Sirianni’s offense and a lot of the issues we’re seeing now have popped up here and there under Sirianni himself early in 2021, under Brian Johnson in 2023 and much of the season last year under Kellen Moore. He deserves a big chunk of the blame for an offense loaded with talent struggling the way it has. But play calling is an art form, and some people are good at it and some aren’t. Patullo has had enough chances. It’s time to let somebody else give play calling a shot before it’s too late. There is no obvious candidate like there was in 2021, when Sirianni replaced himself with Shane Steichen, who was brilliant at it. Play calling is an art form and some guys master it and some don’t. You have to truly understand the strengths and weaknesses of your own players while also getting in the head of opposing coaches so you know what they’re going to do before they do it. Steichen did that innately and we’re seeing it this year with the job he’s doing with the Colts. So there’s no Shane Steichen waiting in the bullpen, but there’s quarterbacks coach Scot Loeffler. There’s passing game coordinator Parks Frazier. There’s tight ends coach Jason Michael. They’ve all called plays in the past on the college or NFL level and had success with it. I don’t even care who does it. I just know that after watching the Eagles blow a 21-point 2nd-quarter lead and go scoreless over their final eight drives against a bottom-5 defense, things can’t get a whole lot worse.
Eagles’ legend (and others) blast team’s play calling, so is it time for a change at OC? – NJ.com
There was biting commentary from Philadelphia folk hero Nick Foles even before the Eagles’ offense delivered another clunker against the Cowboys. During his “The SZN Lock In” podcast with Evan Ward, Foles said the Eagles use “simplistic” route trees that do not help their receivers get open. “Creativity is key as a play caller, and calling the plays at the right time … is just an art,” he said. “I don’t think anyone sees it. Fans that are passionate Eagles fans — because I’ve been to Philly several times — and you hear, every time I run across Philly fans, ’Man, what do you think is going to happen with the offense? What’s going on? Is this Jalen?’ I’m like, ‘Listen, it’s a team thing. Kevin Patullo is probably a great dude, a great coach, but there’s an art to play-calling that not everyone has and it’s not showing up this year. They’re in more of a trajectory of the 2023 season.’” Ouch and double ouch. That, of course, was the year of the great collapse when no coordinator’s job was safe. Rightfully and predictably, the head coach was asked if he has considered making a change in the play-calling operation ahead of Friday’s game against the Chicago Bears at Lincoln Financial Field. “No, I haven’t,” he said. “As coaches, we’re always looking for answers and we’re never into assigning blame. It’s just looking for answers. I think what sometimes can happen is it’s like, ‘It’s just this.’ Well, it’s not just that. It’s every piece of the puzzle: coaching, playing, execution, scheme, everything. We’ve got to be better in all of those aspects.
Bowen: In Eagles coach Nick Sirianni’s world, no one is to blame and nothing gets fixed – PHLY
I have two little voices on my shoulders right now, like the angel and the devil in old cartoons. The angel is saying, “This is how it goes the year after winning a Super Bowl. There’s a reason why the Chiefs were the first team in 20 years to win them back-to-back. The Rams (everyone’s new best team in the NFL this year) went 5-12 in 2022 after winning it in 2021. Bleep happens.” The devil on the other shoulder is pointing out that there is no really great team this year, not even the Rams (ask Jordan Davis’s big hand), and that chances to win a Super Bowl are so very finite. The Eagles won’t have this array of talent offensively and defensively forever. More players will leave in free agency. Hurts will age. Yes, Howie Roseman’s a miracle worker, but even so, this window will close. It does for everyone. It’s closing for the Chiefs, right now, right before our eyes. If you have the talent to win this year – and I believe the Eagles do – it’s an absolute sin to keep shuffling along, not rising to the occasion, telling critics “well, sometimes it’s this and sometimes it’s that and blah blah blah.” Roseman or Jeffrey Lurie needs to rattle some cages here. Stop obfuscating. Figure it out.
Remember in the NFC Championship Game during the 2017-2018 season when the Philadelphia Eagles hit on a few chunk plays and kicked a field goal at the end of the first half to go up three scores against the Minnesota Vikings? That was fun, right? A quick trip down memory lane: Following a Vikings punt, the Eagles got the ball at their own 20 yard line with 29 seconds left in the first half, and all three timeouts in their pocket. They ran a swing pass to Jay Ajayi for 11 yards, followed by an aggressive out and up route by Zach Ertz for 36 yards, and then a screen to Ajayi for 13 insurance yards to give Jake Elliott an easier kick. The Eagles took a 21-7 score and made it 24-7 just before the end of the half. And while they were “just” three points, they were uplifting for the Eagles heading into the locker room, and no doubt demoralizing to the Vikings. In their matchup against the Cowboys on Sunday evening, the Eagles had the ball at their own 28 yard line with 17 seconds left, with, OH HEY (!) a 21-7 lead. Unlike Doug Pederson in that NFC Championship Game, Nick Sirianni opted not to make a serious effort to score points at the end of the half, calling a Saquon Barkley run behind Grant Calcaterra and then letting the rest of the clock run out. […] The Eagles used to be aggressive hunters of points. They are not that anymore. Sirianni would rather give up on unlikely-but-realistic scoring opportunities, in fear that extremely unlikely worst case scenarios will happen instead.
Eagles Blow It! Takeaways From the Loss to the Cowboys With BLG. – The Ringer’s Philly Special
Sheil is joined by Brandon Lee Gowton of Bleeding Green Nation to discuss the Eagles loss to the division-rival Cowboys on Brandon Aubrey’s 42-yard field goal as time expired and the Cowboys beat the Eagles 24-21. What happened to the offense in the second half after they were rolling in the first? The run game is still an issue that hasn’t been resolved. How well did the defense play? Plus, a quick look-a-head to Friday’s Black Friday game against the Bears.
NFC East Mixtape Vol. 178: Cowboys Beat Eagles In Epic Thriller – BGN YouTube
he Dallas Cowboys overcame a 21-0 deficit on Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles in one of the more wild and entertaining games across the NFL this season. What do we make of it all from the perspectives of both the Cowboys and Eagles? Just how worried should Philly be? And does Dallas have a serious chance to rally and make the playoffs? RJ Ochoa and Brandon Gowton discuss it all on the latest episode of the NFC East Mixtape! Happy Thanksgiving!
This situation goes beyond Kevin Patullo. He’s the face of it and I get the criticism, but he’s not holding back some juggernaut. The OL is a mess this season. It shocks me to see how poorly they run block. Some of that is on the players, some is on Jeff Stoutland. The OL isn’t healthy and you can see that in the struggles of Landon Dickerson and Cam Jurgens. I don’t know what is wrong with Jordan Mailata. He’s healthy, but is way too sloppy this year. The lack of creativity with the passing game is absolutely on Patullo. He has not gotten the most out of his players, or anything close to it. You don’t have to be Ben Johnson or Sean McVay, but running hitch after hitch after hitch is maddening. There must be some creativity. You must be able to scheme for players to get open in specific situations. Patullo has been fantastic in the red zone so you know he can get creative. I don’t understand why some of that can’t come out before you get to the 20-yard line. Jalen Hurts is the QB and like all QBs he gets too much credit when things are good and too much blame when things are bad. Hurts has done some really good things this year, but could still be better. There is another X-factor. Some of the players just seem “off”. There are times when AJ Brown doesn’t seem locked in. Dallas Goedert used to be one of the better blocking TEs in the league. There are times this year when he’s been bad. Saquon Barkley has been sloppy. His blocking has been inconsistent. His running hasn’t been the same. The OL is killing him with poor blocking, but it does feel sometimes like Barkley is hunting for big plays instead of just getting what he can. You can’t force the big plays. You have to let them come to you.
NFL Week 12 takeaways: What We Learned from Sunday’s 12 games – NFL.com
Eagles’ offense went ice cold after blistering start. Less than 20 minutes into the game, the Eagles had 157 passing yards, more than they’d had in half their games this season. It felt like they came out intent on making a point that they could throw the ball and be a dangerous offense. They didn’t finish their point, however. Following three TDs in their first three possessions, the Eagles gained only seven first downs in their next eight possessions and ran only three plays in Dallas territory. That’s counting the end-of-half possession, with less than 20 seconds left, but the Eagles ate two timeouts before halftime. In the fourth quarter, Jake Elliott missed a field goal, and the Eagles lost two fumbles, shifting the game completely in the Cowboys’ favor. Blowing a 14-point lead against the Broncos hurt, but this one stung. They’ve had trouble protecting leads, and the past two weeks the defense bailed out the offense. The defense couldn’t do it this time — even with a late goal-line stand — as Dallas rang up 473 yards of offense. Fourteen Eagles penalties, by far their most of the season, didn’t help matters out, but for those who said the Eagles’ offense would cost them at some point, Sunday was that day.
Those conditions are the kind that, in the past, have compelled Lurie to act. It is, of course, true that the offensive line’s decline is a huge factor in the Eagles’ overall regression, maybe the biggest factor, and that reality, one could argue, should absolve Nick Sirianni, Kevin Patullo, Jalen Hurts, and anyone else for an 8-3 team that feels like it’s 3-8. But it’s naive to think, given the nature of Sunday’s loss and the arc of this season, that Lurie isn’t taking a long, hard look at the coaching staff, Sirianni included. Raising such questions might seem premature or unnecessary. It’s not. There are reasons for Sirianni to be worried here — not necessarily that he’s going to be fired after the season, but that he’s more vulnerable than he once was. Nine months after winning the Super Bowl, six months after getting a contract extension, he ought to understand that, if recent history is any indication, there’s a lot at stake for him over the next 6-12 weeks. Consider:
Week 12 lessons: Shedeur Sanders’ first start, AFC South race – ESPN
Things I think I think. The Eagles won’t win a playoff game. Philadelphia’s winning formula since the start of 2024 was simple: don’t turn the ball over, run the football, play elite defense. The formula does not work without all three components, and the Eagles can’t do the second anymore. Guard Landon Dickerson and center Cam Jurgens are playing remarkably worse football than they did last season because of lingering injuries, and right guard Tyler Steen is a few rungs below Mekhi Becton in running game impact. Now Fred Johnson is in for right tackle Lane Johnson. If the Eagles can’t run the ball, they can’t ice out second-half leads or control pace. They’re one-and-done.
NFL Week 13 Betting: Best early bets before lines move – PFF
Chicago Bears vs. Philadelphia Eagles (-7) [Total: 44.5]. Best Bet: Bears +7. The Eagles’ offense had a terrific first few series against the Cowboys‘ defense in Week 12, but the team struggled immensely after that. Worst of all, Philadelphia’s ground game was again stifled, this time by a poor Dallas run defense.
After Sunday’s 24-21 loss to the Cowboys, during which the Eagles blew a 21-0 lead, Philadelphia running back Saquon Barkley said of the opponents, “They wanted it a little more.” Meeting with reporters on Monday, Coach Nick Sirianni was asked about Barkley’s perception. “Obviously, we want to go out and put our best effort out at every point, and I felt like when I watched the tape, I saw the effort sky high on both sides of the ball [and] on special teams,” Sirianni said. “Obviously, they went and they got the win. There are always things that factor into it as far as our determination, our effort. I saw that it was high and we all have to be there. I think, like I said, we were. Obviously, Saquon felt something last night and he’s got a great pulse for everything. But as you look at the tape — which obviously after the game, we don’t have the luxury of looking at the tape before we go in and talk to you guys, but I felt like the effort was really, really high in that game.”
Malcolm Jenkins: ‘Finding my way home’ – PE.com
Philly, we’re back together again. And this time, it’s forever. When I left the Eagles in 2020, I said it felt like a breakup. I meant that. You don’t just walk away from something that shaped you, challenged you, and held you accountable without feeling like a piece of you was left behind. What I didn’t know then was that love doesn’t always require proximity. If it’s real, it will find its way back. Today, being inducted into the Eagles Hall of Fame feels like finding my way home. I’ve always believed my legacy matters more than anything. And when I say legacy, I’m not talking about money or attention. I mean what I leave behind when I’m no longer here. Legacy is like planting a tree that bears fruit long after the planter is gone. To be honored like this, in my first year of eligibility, as the first player from our Super Bowl team to join the Eagles Hall of Fame, is one of the most humbling moments of my life. The seeds I planted long ago are still bearing fruit. I look at the names of Eagles defenders already in the Hall – Brian Dawkins, Reggie White, Eric Allen – men I grew up watching, admiring, and learning from. To sit among them now, no longer as a fan, but as a peer, is a tremendous honor.
NFL Week 13 Odds: Eagles favored over Bears on Black Friday – Windy City Gridiron
The winner of Friday’s game will be well-positioned in the jumbled-up NFC playoff race for the number one seed, which the Los Angeles Rams currently hold at (8-2). The Rams play the (6-4) Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday Night Football tonight, and for anyone scoreboard watching, the Rams play the Carolina Panthers next Sunday. It really feels like the Bears are playing with house money through 11 games as they inch closer to their first winning season since 2018, and control their own playoff destiny while leading the NFC North in Ben Johnson’s first year as head coach.
Cowboys playoff picture: Dallas needs help besides wins – Blogging The Boys
We have talked about how the Cowboys might have to get to 9-7-1 (which would involve losing only two of the six games remaining), but even that might not be enough. Time will tell what record gets teams in, but any conversations of this ilk will feel all the more real if the Cowboys beat the Chiefs on Thanksgiving Day.
Three Players the Commanders Should Re-Sign Before the Offseason – Hogs Haven
Marcus Mariota, QB. Widely considered one of the top backup quarterbacks in the league, Marcus Mariota has likely seen more time this season than he imagined. He’ll probably tell you that’s all part of the gig, and though the team is fighting through a six-game losing streak, this franchise is lucky to have Mariota behind Jayden Daniels. It’s no secret the defense is the root of the problems this year for Washington, and it puts the offense in tough positions on a weekly basis. Nevertheless, Mariota has put up sustained scoring drives and more often than not has the team in a position to win if the defense can make a few stops throughout the game. Also, it’s rare to have a backup QB that infrequently turns the ball over. Mariota and Daniels have an outstanding relationship according to everyone involved, and it would be a shame for Mariota to go mentor another young quarterback when Daniels still has plenty of developing to do.
Eli Manning a Hall of Fame semifinalist, but won’t be a Hall of Famer – Big Blue View
Former New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning has advanced to the semifinal round in the voting for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2026, the second straight year he has reached that stage. Let’s be honest, though. Manning is not going to be part of the Hall of Fame Class of 2026. Nor is he likely to be part of any Hall of Fame class in the near future. That is because Pro Football Hall of Fame bylaws limit the selection to between four and eight new members each year. The competition for that limited number of gold jackets is even tougher than it was a year ago when Manning did not make it past the round of 15 semifinalists.
NFL Draft 2026: Updated draft order after Week 12 – SB Nation
Week 12 changed the NFL playoff picture in several ways. But the top of the 2026 NFL Draft order remains the same after the games on Sunday. While the New York Giants were the first team officially eliminated from playoff contention, they remain in second when it comes to next spring’s NFL Draft, behind only the Tennessee Titans. If the 2026 NFL Draft happened this week, the Titans would be on the clock, followed by the Giants and then the New Orleans Saints.
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