Eagles Question of the Day:
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Let’s get to the Philadelphia Eagles news and links …
NFL head coach carousel, coordinator intel on all 32 teams – ESPN
It has been a tough year for NFC East coordinators. Washington, Dallas and New York fired four of them combined. That places the spotlight on Philadelphia and how it approaches its offensive coordinator position. Some around the league are wondering about the future of Kevin Patullo because of the offense’s struggles. Patullo has clout in Philadelphia because of his strong relationships with key players and a long-standing position as a Nick Sirianni confidant. The offensive line’s quality of play has certainly not been the same as last year’s, which is bad timing for Patullo. The offense ranks 24th in yards per game, which is tough considering the overall talent of the group. Additionally, defensive backs coach Christian Parker should be in the mix on the coordinator carousel. Teams are intrigued by him. And defensive line coach Clint Hurtt has coordinator experience and has helped in developing DTs Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis, which could lead to opportunities elsewhere.
Can Kevin Patullo steady the ship? Of all the defining questions that face the Eagles going into the postseason, the preeminent uncertainty revolves around the Eagles offensive structure and whether the group can elevate enough in the high-leverage moments to come. It’s fair to acknowledge this sentiment isn’t a new one for the Eagles offense. Hurts and his teammates went into last postseason with legitimate questions about the efficiency of the passing game and whether the group would have sufficient answers against teams that sold out to stop Saquon Barkley’s historic rushing pace. Unlike last year, though, this season’s group doesn’t have a core identity or a consistent schematic approach going into the postseason. It’s something that has seemingly placed more of an onus on Patullo and Eagles coach Nick Sirianni to correctly identify specific advantages each week rather than leaning on what the offensive nucleus does best regardless of the opposition, which helps explain the oscillation between game plans focused on empty formation one week to games spent primarily out of under-center looks with heavy personnel packages. “I think game-by-game, you’re just doing whatever you need to do to win the game,” Patullo said Tuesday. “So, we will do anything and everything we have to, to put our players in a position and give them a chance to execute and win the game.” Especially against playoff-caliber defensive coordinators in the coming weeks, the margin for error for Sirianni and Patullo will shrink going into the postseason. They’ve navigated this path before — and perhaps the Eagles defense is good enough to make potential offensive struggles a moot point as it did for stretches in the regular season —but there’s a good chance things will hinge on Patullo and the Eagles offense being able to shift gears, starting Sunday against a depeleted 49ers defense.
One potential fatal flaw for every team in 2025 NFL playoffs – NFL.com
3) Biggest weakness: Disappearing offense. Thank heavens for Vic Fangio’s defense; otherwise, the Eagles would be sitting at home instead of defending their Super Bowl title. Kevin Patullo’s offense is a frustrating amalgam of head-scratching play calls and botched execution. The lack of creativity given the playmakers at hand is maddening (enough with the hitch routes!). In the 16 games Jalen Hurts started, the Eagles punted after three plays on 29.2 percent of their offensive drives, the highest rate in the NFL. Going entire halves with a goose egg, as they did against Buffalo in Week 17, is unbecoming of a Super Bowl-caliber squad. Philly is averaging 311.2 yards per game (24th), 22.3 points per game (19th), 192.3 pass yards per game (23rd) and 116.9 rushing (18th). Those are not figures that portend a deep postseason against top-tier opponents. The offensive line injuries have played a massive role in the struggles, and the plan to have Lane Johnson back for the postseason will be a welcome sight. If the O-line can stay healthy, Philly has the weapons to keep its repeat hopes alive. But if Nick Sirianni’s offense goes in the tank again, it’ll be a quick exit, even with a championship-worthy defense.
NFL Injury Report: Lane Johnson returns to Eagles practice, 49ers are banged up – BGN
Lane Johnson returned to practice for the first time since suffering a Lisfranc injury in Week 11. There were initially some conflicting reports on Johnson’s status for this weekend but then Brian Baldinger tweeted that Johnson WILL be playing. Of course, that tweet has since been deleted. But NFL insider Adam Schefter also sounded pretty sure Johnson will suit up. It sure seems like Johnson will at least try to give it a go … but we’ll see if he’s able to make it through the entire game, assuming he does play.
Eagles-49ers preview: Five things to watch when the Eagles have the ball – PhillyVoice
5) The Eagles need to find something to hang their hat on offensively. So to recap all of the above, the 49ers can’t rush the passer, they’re coming off one of the worst tackling performances of the entire season (league-wide), their corners are theoretically bad matchups for the Eagles’ receivers, and the Eagles are rested while the 49ers were on the wrong end of a physical beatdown a last Saturday. On paper, there are any number of ways the Eagles’ offense can take advantage of this Niners defense. They’re bad across the board. The Eagles’ offense has been tough to watch throughout the season, with predictable, uncreative schemes, ultra-conservative approaches with the lead, and in some cases underperforming players. We’re into January, and they still don’t have an identity. They need to find something that works for them early, and make that their identity, if only for one game, and then figure it out from there.
Why the best 49ers defense is the Eagles offense – Niners Nation
Seattle’s offense is objectively better than Philadelphia’s, which is why I believe the 49ers’ defense will look much better on Sunday. The real key to this game will be the difference between the 49ers’ offense and Philadelphia’s very stingy defense. No matter how inept the Eagles’ offense can be on Sunday, they will still score points (not 30). If the offense has to scratch and claw for every positive gain like Saturday against Seattle, the 49ers will lose. Furthermore, on late downs, the Eagles rank 25th in the NFL with a success rate of 40.69%. That number is just ahead of the Las Vegas Raiders. The Eagles’ fourth-quarter success rate ranks 27th in the NFL. The Eagles have scored 30-plus points four times against the Raiders, Giants, Rams (blocked FG TD pushed them over), and Tampa Bay. If the 49ers offense catches flak for scoring 30 and 40 points against sub-par defenses, I’d say the Eagles deserve the same criticism. The 49ers’ defense can keep the offense in the game. The 49ers’ offense against the Eagles’ defense is the true matchup that will decide Sunday’s Wild Card game.
‘He’s always been the best:’ Kyle Shanahan on what makes Vic Fangio an all-timer – NBCSP
The chess match between Shanahan, one of the NFL’s top offensive minds, and Fangio, one of the best defensive coaches in the game, will be the featured attraction Sunday when the Eagles face the 49ers at the Linc in a wild-card round game. “I mean, Vic schematically, he has always been the best to me,” Shanahan said. “As good as anyone there is. Has a very sound scheme that he doesn’t need to change up very much. It just naturally changes with how he does his coverages, how he does his fronts, the personnel groupings he does. He’s very good at getting a beat on what you’re trying to do and making you adjust. “I always respected Vic’s defense a ton, whether it was at Chicago playing him or whether it was at San Francisco playing him.”
As Champagne showered behind him in the Eagles’ postgame locker room following their Super Bowl LIX victory, Jeffrey Lurie raved to reporters about Jalen Hurts’ “clutch gene.” Hurts, then 26, dazzled under the bright lights of the Superdome, earning Super Bowl MVP honors after he totaled 293 yards (221 passing, 72 rushing) and three touchdowns (two passing, one rushing). Lurie, the Eagles’ owner, noted that his quarterback seemed to amp up his play when the stakes were the highest. That so-called clutch gene, according to Hurts, is truly inherent. “Some things are in you,“ Hurts explained Wednesday.
NFL playoffs: Key matchups to watch in each NFC wild-card game – The Athletic
Key matchup: 49ers two-deep defenses vs. Eagles run game. The 49ers’ injury-riddled defense has struggled to stop the run and wide receivers. Though the Eagles run game has greatly regressed from last season, it still created explosive rushes at the 10th highest rate in the NFL. The offensive line has dealt with injuries, and the weight of grueling playoff runs has taken its toll on defending champion Philadelphia. Jalen Hurts hasn’t run as much on designed runs and scrambles, which has hurt the Eagles shotgun running game, so they’ve run the ball more from under center, where they get most of their explosive rushes. However, they don’t pass much from under center (30th in dropbacks from under center), which makes them predictable. Last season, the Eagles only had one game under 100 rushing yards, in Week 18, when they rested their starters. This season, they’ve had nine games under 100. Notably, they struggled to run the ball against some of the league’s worst run defenses, such as the Washington Commanders, Buffalo Bills and Dallas Cowboys. As mentioned, the 49ers run defense has struggled in the last few weeks, but it has a shot at stopping the Eagles run game. The Bills did so by confusing their blocking schemes with line games and run blitzes, and 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh did the same to the Seattle Seahawks in Week 18 after getting gashed on the ground early in the game. Still, anytime you have Saquon Barkley in the backfield, the threat of the big run always looms.
Without alluding to exactly what it is, Eagles coach Nick Sirianni also said that he feels as if the offense is going into the postseason with an identity. “I do,” Sirianni said. “I think we are continuing to get better through that and I think that it’s shown in some of these last games. Obviously Buffalo, we had a bad half where we didn’t do a good enough job at coaching. We didn’t do a good enough job playing. But, yeah, I think we have.”
Cam Jurgens feels well-rested after a week off | 49ers vs. Eagles Daily Updates – PE.com
How is center Cam Jurgens feeling? That seems to be the first question you would ask the Eagles’ Pro Bowl center, and it is one that Jurgens answered many times over on Wednesday after the team’s first practice at the NovaCare Complex in preparation for Sunday’s Wild Card Playoff game against San Francisco. “I feel good. I feel great,” he said. “I’m ready to go. I’m excited. I feel like it’s a new season. Everyone is 0-0 and it’s time to go.” Jurgens, along with most of the offensive line, rested in the regular season finale against Washington and the time off, he said, is a benefit. “You don’t feel the wear and tear after a game that can last for a few days, so when you don’t play, you’re a few days already ahead in your recovery,” Jurgens said. “The rest was great. I think that helps everybody.”
One or more playoff teams could be lurking for John Harbaugh – PFT
Some are suggesting that the Eagles would consider bringing Harbaugh back to Philly, where he spent 10 years before becoming Baltimore’s head coach. That would be beyond stunning, given what Nick Sirianni has accomplished in his first five seasons. There’s still a lingering sense that the Eagles are supremely talented, and that they fail far too often to get the most out of what they have. (It would still be an all-time “oh shit” move.)
Cowboys DC search could include under-the-radar candidate – Blogging The Boys
Now, Patricia is probably not a popular name floating around among coordinator openings, given how his time away from the New England Patriots will be remembered. Patricia left Belichick’s side in 2018 to become the head coach of the Detroit Lions. His tenure lasted just two and a half seasons, finishing with a record of 13-29-1. After that, Patricia ran home to the Patriots for a few years before moving on to the Philadelphia Eagles in 2023. He was hired as a defensive assistant and famously took over play-calling duties that December when Sean Dessi was relieved of play-calling duties. The Eagles continued their collapse down the stretch that season and finished with one of the worst defenses. After that, Patricia took a year off, then returned to coaching this year as defensive coordinator at Ohio State, where he regained some of his luster as a coach.
The Cowboys have been so egregiously mismanaging their salary cap that ESPN’s Bill Barnwell has had to write not one, but two “are we sure Jerry Jones knows how to manage the cap?” pieces seven full years apart. They played cap games with Dak Prescott (twice), CeeDee Lamb, and, most destructively, Micah Parsons — trading him to the Packers like they were launching a new craft beer called “Luka-Doncic-Trade-Lite” with fewer calories and the same crisp taste. Not to be outdone (by himself), Jerry Jones traded the Cowboys’ own first round pick this year (they had a losing record) for Quinnen Williams, a good player but… like, you cannot be trading your own first round pick when your season is already out the window. It has become clear to me and anyone with an ounce of media literacy that Jones has made the Cowboys the biggest thing since sliced bread precisely because he always makes decisions that get his team in the national conversation. However, absent the loose financial rules of other American sports leagues, that doesn’t actually lead to winning in the financially-draconian NFL. So it might be time for Jones’ children to stage a chill revolution against their father and take control of the team. Look, we all respect what Jones has done to make the NFL the product it is today, and he is a tremendously successful owner who we wish the best in retirement. But this is not an okay way to run your team.
Washington Commanders Coaching Tracker: Mike McDaniel fired by the Dolphins – Hogs Haven
Mike McDaniel was officially fired by the Miami Dolphins, and he immediately becomes the favorite to be the Washington Commanders new offensive coordinator due to his ties to current head coach Dan Quinn. McDaniel was famously fired by Quinn who encouraged him to seek treatment for alcohol abuse. McDaniel said he is forever indebted to Quinn with his path to sobriety.
Mike McDaniel firing could impact NY Giants’ John Harbaugh pursuit – Big Blue View
Since John Harbaugh was fired on Monday by the Baltimore Ravens, there have been reports that multiple teams who did not have head coaching vacancies would fire their current head coaches if they thought they could bring in Harbaugh. It isn’t hard to think the Miami Dolphins, who fired head coach Mike McDaniel on Thursday, fit into that category. The Palm Beach Post reported even before the McDaniel firing that Dolphins owner Stephen Ross has a history of pursuing both John and Jim Harbaugh. Jim Harbaugh is, of course, currently coaching the Los Angeles Chargers.
Dolphins ‘expect’ to make GM decision ‘by tomorrow’ – The Phinsider
According to ESPN’s Jeff Darlington, a former Dolphins beat reporter, the Dolphins “expect to make a decision on their new GM by tomorrow.” Darlington adds Dolphins interim GM Champ Kelly interviewed to stay on as the team’s permanent GM on Wednesday, while Los Angeles Chargers assistant general manager Chad Alexander, Green Bay Packers Vice President of player personnel Jon-Eric Sullivan, and San Francisco 49ers director of scouting and football operations Josh Williams all flew into Miami Wednesday night for Thursday interviews. [BLG Note: Sounds like the Dolphins will not be hiring Eagles assistant GM Alec Halaby.]
Help Support My Sister’s Family Through This Loss – GoFundMe
Hello all. I’ve been putting this off because it feels impossible to put into words, but my sister Holell has passed away unexpectedly. I am asking for donations to help her family pay for the expenses. I’m honestly at a loss for words. I feel so many things about her life and her death that I almost feel nothing. [BLG Note: Brendan is a friend, a big Eagles fan, and a part of the BGN community. He’s written some front page articles for us here and he participates in the BGN community mock draft. Consider helping him if you can.]
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