Eagles Question of the Day:
Do you think the Eagles should keep Kevin Patullo as the play-caller for 2026? Why or why not? Is there anything he could do to change your mind? Head over to The Feed and weigh in with your answer and explanation!
Let’s get to the Philadelphia Eagles news and links …
Roob’s 10 Random Obs: Why it’s wrong to assume Kevin Patullo won’t be back – NBCSP
These last few regular-season games and however many games the Eagles play in the postseason are a final test for Kevin Patullo because I don’t think it’s a slam dunk Nick Sirianni changes play callers. If the Eagles finish strong – and the last two games have been encouraging as far as Patullo’s play calling goes – what Sirianni is going to have to weigh is whether it’s worth starting from scratch with a seventh play caller in seven years for Jalen Hurts following Doug Pederson in 2020, Sirianni at the start of 2021 and then Shane Steichen the rest of 2021 and 2022, then Brian Johnson in 2023, Kellen Moore in 2024 and Patullo this year. Hurts has been so vocal about how challenging it is starting over every year with a new play caller every year and how much he would like some consistency in that role. He even talked about how lucky the offensive linemen have been to have Jeff Stoutland every year they’ve been here and how much he would love to have a similar luxury. The body of work is not good for Patullo, but if Sirianni was thinking about making a switch in 2026 there’s a good chance he already would have done it. There’s something to be said for giving Hurts that continuity he craves. The one time he had a coordinator for a second year he was an MVP candidate and went to the Super Bowl. Patullo isn’t Steichen, but if he shows enough growth in the role late in the season and most importantly in the playoffs he could find his way back here.
Eagles at Commanders Final Injury Report: Some good news for Philly, bad news for Washington – BGN
The Commanders ruled four players OUT: starting quarterback Jayden Daniels, starting left tackle Laremy Tunsil, rotational defensive tackle Eddie Goldman, and third tight end Colson Yankoff. Washington is shutting Daniels down for the season with three games left to play. Marcus Mariota will start at quarterback. Tunsil tried to give it a go on Wednesday but left practice early and did not participate on Thursday. His absence means Washington will start Brandon Coleman at left tackle. Coleman started 12 games as a rookie in 2024 but he was relegated to backup duty this season. The Eagles’ pass rush should be able to get after both Coleman and rookie Josh Conerly Jr. at right tackle. Goldman is normally the third defensive tackle behind starters Daron Payne and Javon Kinlaw. His absence could hurt a Commanders run defense that is already bad when he does play.
On defense, the Eagles are in their second year with Vic Fangio at DC. Fangio typically runs a 3-4 front and 2 deep safeties to limit explosive plays. He also typically runs a light box, relying on stout defensive lineman to stop the run while dropping most of his players back in coverage. This worked well last year, but ran into issues this year after the departure of DT Milton Williams and EDGE Josh Sweat in free agency and the retirement of Brandon Graham. The Eagles have managed to fortify their DL midseason by trading a 3rd-round pick to the Dolphins for talented EDGE Jaelan Phillips and convincing Brandon Graham to come out of retirement midway through the season, though the defense has remained vulnerable to the run. Overall, the Eagles defense has remained one of the NFL’s better defenses, ranked 9th in passing yards allowed, 22nd in rushing yards allowed, and 5th in total points allowed. I asked Brandon Lee Gowton of Bleeding Green Nation five questions to better understand the state of the Eagles and what to look for in this game.
Saquon Barkley’s eight-year career in the NFC East has acquainted him with the revolving door of division champions. Since Barkley entered the NFL in 2018 with the New York Giants, the Eagles and Cowboys have won the division three times and the Commanders once. There has not been a back-to-back champ, while the seven other divisions have all had franchises achieve that feat within the past two years. Barkley waited until 2024 to get his first NFC East title after leaving the Giants for the Eagles. Philly would end a two-decade run without a back-to-back division champion if they beat the Commanders on Saturday. It last happened with the Eagles in 2004. “I’m not surprised by it. It’s a hard division,” Barkley said Thursday. “Throughout the history of the game, I think we’re the only one where everyone has a Super Bowl. Being in the division for the last eight years, you know how tough it is. So to do something that hasn’t been done in 20 years is pretty cool.” Barkley was quick to add that they must achieve the feat first. That was the same qualifier Jalen Hurts offered, who admitted that breaking the streak has been on his mind. But when you win a Lombardi Trophy within the same calendar year, the city does not shut down at the thought of winning the NFC East. There will be hats and T-shirts if the Eagles beat the Commanders to clinch the division crown for the third time in four years, but it would be considered a benchmark more than a destination.
NFL Week 16 picks: Upset and score predictions, matchup analysis for every game – NFL.com
Why Tom picked the Eagles: I’m going to start with something a little weird, maybe provocative and even a bit upsetting, depending on your point of view, but: This one sort of reminds me of a Browns game. It’s not that either team reminds me of the Browns themselves, who might as well exist in a different universe from Washington or Philly; it’s just that there is exactly one unit I believe in to play at a high level, no matter what else is going on, and it’s the Eagles’ stingy defense (sixth in points allowed, 10th in yards allowed per play, fifth in EPA per play). Like Myles Garrett and Co., Vic Fangio’s gang is basically guaranteed to be a problem for whoever is lining up on the other side. I don’t feel the same way about Jalen Hurts’ offense or, well, anyone in a Commanders jersey at this moment. The Eagles have topped 370 yards and 30 points in the same game just twice all season, against the Giants (in Week 8) and Raiders (last Sunday). And going back to Week 10, Philly actually ranks worse (21st) than the Commanders in EPA per play (17th) on offense. It’s true that the last time I centered a blurb around my belief in the Eagles’ defense, I was burned, back on Black Friday — but Philly’s offense had to completely disappear for the Bears to scratch out that one. Washington figures to be a more forgiving opponent, ranking on the other end of the takeaway spectrum (31st in the NFL) from Chicago (first). I wouldn’t put it past the Commanders to show some spirit, just not enough to dislodge the most reliable difference-makers on the field.
Week 16 betting: Back Maye to throw Pats to a W, Achane to pile up yards – ESPN
Eagles D/ST to score anytime touchdown (+500). For all the bad vibes in Philadelphia, the defense is still playing great. The team ranks fifth in EPA per play this season and third since Week 11. When we get that unit against a backup quarterback — even a good backup such as Marcus Mariota — the chances of a pick-six or a strip sack leading to a scoop-and-score are increased, particularly with the Eagles being 7-point favorites. I make this +444, so it’s only a small value but a fun bet.
Spadaro: 6 storylines to follow at Commanders – PE.com
Can Eagles offense carry over Sunday’s success? Everything worked on Sunday – 27 first downs, 10 of 13 third downs converted, 387 total net yards, zero giveaways, a balanced attack, and 31 points scored against the Las Vegas Raiders. It was a terrific performance, one the Eagles hope carries some momentum into this one at Washington. The Commanders are a different team, a new defense, and a much more competitive team – it IS a division rivalry on Saturday – so the challenge will be greater. Still, the Eagles came right out and went down the field on Las Vegas with a balanced offense that carried through the entire afternoon, and that is a key in this one. Early success is important. Establishing the running game is big. Giving quarterback Jalen Hurts a secure pocket is paramount. Washington will bring pressure and try to put the Eagles in third-and-long situations. Staying in front of the sticks is really front of mind for the Eagles in this game.
Game Review – PHI 31, LVR 0 – Iggles Blitz
I have mixed feelings coming off this game. Part of me is excited that the Eagles played well and were in complete control of the game. That’s encouraging as we head into the final weeks of the season. There is another part of me that is worried the Eagles only looked good because they played such a bad opponent. Keep in mind that the Raiders are poorly coached, lack talent, had a backup QB and this was also a dome team playing a cold weather game. That’s a game the Eagles needed to win and win big. They did, but it is hard to know what to make of the result.
Eagles All-Pro opponent on playing in Philly: ‘That’s what you dream of’ – NJ.com
The four-time Pro Bowler, who played in Philly for the first time on Sunday, praised Eagles fans and the city’s football culture earlier this week on his podcast, “The Rush.” “Cities that really have substance to them and true fan bases and love for their city and the game, going to Philly, you could feel that energy,” Maxx Crosby said. “There were people everywhere downtown. We stayed right downtown in the thick of it. You know how Philly is. They’re rowdy. They’re crazy. They’re flipping off the buses. They didn’t give a damn about anything. “And then when we’re driving up to the stadium, and I never do this, but this was my first time playing in Philly so that’s why I took some pictures. There’s trees, it’s all white, and there’s fans everywhere in the tailgate and you could just see the stadium behind them. “… If you love football, that’s what you dream of as a kid, playing football in Philadelphia in December in a grimy (expletive) environment. That’s exactly what you dream of. I loved it.”
Eagles’ Backup Staying Patient, Takes First-Team Practice Reps – SI
“I ain’t gonna lie, it’s hard,” he said. “I wanna play. Sitting out there not doing anything and just waiting, I hate it (waiting for) somebody getting hurt; I hate that situation, just sitting out there when you go from playing a whole year. It’s the situation I’m in right now, and it is what it is.” Pryor started 15 games at guard for the Chicago Bears last year. He played 1,006 snaps. This year, after signing as a free agent with the Eagles, he’s played 13 games, but just 31 snaps. When he signed, he was told he could compete to play guard. “Then I got moved back to tackle,” he said, “but that’s how it rolls.” Tyler Steen’s emergence was a big reason for the move outside. “Steen is a phenomenal player, so I’m not surprised he’s starting,” said Pryor. “He’s doing a great job out there. And look who we have on the line, a bunch of Pro Bowlers, so as far as that, a little surprised, but at the same time, look at our O-line, they’re dominant players. So surprised, but not surprised, I guess.”
Andrew Bowe was so irritated by the idea that the NFL might ban the Tush Push that he decided to do something about it. Bowe, a native of Plymouth Meeting, didn’t have the power that Jason Kelce had, to walk into the room with the NFL owners and make its case, but after a friend of his mentioned that he wished someone would track the Tush Push data, the software engineer had a new project. Enter, tushpush.fyi. “There’s plenty of teams out there that are running it that voted against it,” Bowe said. “I wanted to create a repository of these teams that are kind of hypocritical, in that they’re kind of trying to ban the play, but at the same time they’re running it and actually being almost more successful than the Eagles are this season.”
The Chiefs’ Era of Inevitability Is Over. What Comes Next? – The Ringer
Yet another piece of uncharted territory for the Chiefs is learning how to win once you know you can lose—when you’re not inevitable. In the ESPN docuseries The Kingdom, about the 2024 Chiefs, there’s sideline footage of Jones speaking to defensive end George Karlaftis during the Super Bowl loss to the Eagles. “We’ve been so spoiled over the last three years. All we know is winning,” Jones said. “These are valuable lessons. When you lose, you learn. You learn a lot.” The Chiefs’ next chapter will be about how much they learned.
Week 16 rooting guide for Cowboys fans – Blogging The Boys
With only three weeks to go, there’s only so much range for Dallas to rise or fall in the order. They can’t get any worse than 6-10-1, which means 3-11 teams like the Jets and Cardinals can’t be passed. The highest that the Cowboys can reach now in the order is the seventh pick, currently held by the 4-10 Washington Commanders. But that would require Dallas losing out and a lot of bad teams winning out, so it’s probably not happening. The pick from Green Bay can’t be projected until we see if the Packers make the playoffs and where they finish. Where a team finishes in the playoffs is what decides their eventual pick, no matter how they entered the tournament. So obviously, we’re rooting for Green Bay to fall out of the postseason. And while we’re certainly not happy about Micah Parsons’ injury, that may help end up helping us. Realistically, Dallas’ original pick should fall somewhere in the 11-16 range. If Green Bay does miss the tournament, they’ll still probably land in that 16-18 range. As we get into the Week 16 schedule, we’ll look at all of the games that could potentially help the Cowboys on either front.
NY Giants head-coaching search: How desirable is the job? – Big Blue View
One thing Barnwell has wrong, though. Schoen is NOT picking the next coach. He is doing the early leg work to find out who may and may not be interested, and probably handling whatever early vetting goes on before candidates are brought in for interviews once the season ends. Ownership more or less stepped aside and let Schoen hire his coach — Daboll — in 2022. That is not how Giants ownership has usually done things, and I would venture a guess that Daboll might not have been the choice if John Mara had not allowed his new GM to drive the bus on that decision. Schoen is not getting that sort of say this time around. Ownership will make this decision. Schoen will have to make it work, if he is still employed. Schoen will have influence, if he still has a key card. So, too, will Tim McDonnell, Mara’s nephew and the team’s Director of Player Personnel, and Chris Mara, John’s brother. Steve Tisch will have his say. Schoen hired “his” coach once. I can’t imagine the Giants stepping aside and letting him do it again. I do believe in the principle that the head coach and general manager should ideally be on the same timeline. And, yes, I can see a scenario where someone like Mike Tomlin or John Harbaugh, if they were available, would demand to bring a hand-picked general manager. Bottom line is, though, that I don’t see any reason why the Giants’ vacancy would not be thought of as desirable.
Seahawks vs. Rams gave us an instant classic on Thursday Night Football – SB Nation
Thursday Night Football is typically not known for its high entertainment value. More often than not, the short preparation time for both teams leads to sloppy play, with the results either lopsided or bereft of scoring opportunities. Truly competitive games, meanwhile, are rare. Back-and-forth thrillers with major playoff implications that go into overtime and end on gutsy coaching decisions are even rarer. And yet, that was precisely what the Seattle Seahawks’ win over the Los Angeles Rams provided: it was two of the best teams in the NFL going blow-for-blow before capping the affair off with an epic finish. In short, it was an early Christmas present for football fans and anything but your run-of-the-mill Thursday night game. The 75 total points scored in Seattle’s 38-37 victory are the third-highest ever for a Thursday night game. It also is one of only 11 TNF games since its advent in 2006 to go into overtime, and the only one among those with both of the teams crossing the 35-points barrier. On top of it all, they also combined for almost 1,000 yards of offense.
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