The Linc – What we’re seeing from Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean is special and rare

Let’s get to the Philadelphia Eagles links …

Roob’s Obs: Putting Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean into context – NBCSP

1. It’s not easy to put into words just how rare it is for a team – especially a good team, a playoff contender – to start two rookie defensive backs. The Eagles have only had one rookie defensive back who was a full-time starter in the last 25 years – that was Nate Allen in 2010 and he was a functional safety but hardly a special player like Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean. Before that you go back to Wes Hopkins in 1983, Eric Allen in 1988, Bobby Taylor in 1995 and Dawk in 1996. But two? At the same time? Joe Lavender and Randy Logan were both rookie starters in 1973, and they both became very good players but that was a 5-8-1 team that ranked 25th out of 26 teams in defense. Only 12 playoff teams in NFL history have had two full-time starting rookie defensive backs – just four since 1986. Most recently, the Saints went 11-5 in 2017 with Marcus Williams and Marshon Lattimore – who’s now with Washington. The others since 1986 are the 2003 Seahawks (Ken Hamlin, Marcus Trufant), 2010 Chiefs (Eric Berry, Kendrick Lewis) and 2016 Giants (Andrew Adams, Eli Apple). But the 2003 Seahawks ranked 27th of 32 teams in pass defense, the 2010 Chiefs ranked 17th, the 2016 Giants ranked 23rd and the 2017 Saints 15th. The last playoff team with two rookie starters in the secondary with a top-10 defense? That would be the 1964 Chargers with rookie starters Kenny Graham, a safety, and Jimmy Warren, a cornerback. That team, coached by future Eagles quarterbacks coach Sid Gillman, went 8-5-1 and won the AFL West Division (the AFL’s records were all absorbed by the NFL with the merger). That team was ranked 9th out of 22 teams in pass defense. That was 60 years ago. The Eagles currently have the No. 2 pass defense in the NFL with Mitchell and DeJean both playing huge roles. What we’re seeing is special and it’s rare and it’s unique and it’s a hell of a lot of fun.

NFL win-total projections, NFC: Lions earn top seed; Eagles hold off Commanders in East – NFL.com

2) In Week 10, the Eagles supplanted the Commanders atop the NFC East for the first time since Week 1. If they want to gain a stronger hold on the division, they can start by beating Washington on Thursday at home. The Week 16 rematch (on the road) looms as another key date on Philly’s schedule, of course — but it’s far from the only one that can impact the playoff picture, in both the NFC and AFC. Games at Baltimore (in Week 13) and vs. Pittsburgh (in Week 15) can reshape the AFC North race, while a road showdown with the Rams in Week 12 stands as a potential turning point in Los Angeles’ effort to upend things in the NFC West and sneak into the postseason. One fun fact to note: In both the median and ceiling scenarios painted by my model, rookie corners Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean end up performing like the best CB duo in the league. So watch them carefully; the better Mitchell and DeJean play, the likelier it is that Philly will reach its best possible outcome.

Thursday Night Football: Commanders-Eagles betting preview (odds, lines, best bets) – PFF

The Eagles’ defense is strong at all levels, possessing a top-eight-graded player at each. Slot cornerback Cooper DeJean stands atop the position with an 85.9 PFF coverage grade. Along the front-seven, linebacker Zack Baun owns the third-highest overall grade (86.4) at the position. And second-year interior defender Jalen Carter holds the second-highest pass-rushing grade (87.7) among interior players. Interestingly, Philadelphia has yet to cover at home this year (0-3) and holds just a 3-4 record against the spread as the favorite. After a matchup with a tough Pittsburgh defense last week — one they nearly took down — Jayden Daniels and company will have an opportunity to right those wrongs and prove they can compete against playoff-level defenses on their turf.

Film review: The Eagles got a lot of positive contributions from their rookies against the Cowboys – PhillyVoice

DeJean made a couple of nice plays as a tackler on passes to the perimeter. Here he attacks Jalen Tolbert (1), who is lead blocking on a WR screen, before disengaging and making a tackle. I think this just boils down to DeJean wanting to make a play on the ballcarrier more than the receiver wanting to block.

Eagles-Commanders Injury Report: Jordan Mailata is officially back – BGN

The Philadelphia Eagles issued their third and final official injury report on Wednesday in advance of their Week 11 home game against the Washington Commanders on Thursday Night Football. The big news is that the Eagles officially activated Jordan Mailata from injured reserve. The Eagles had an open roster spot after waiving Jack Stoll on Tuesday. Mailata will start at left tackle after missing the Eagles’ last four games due to a hamstring injury. Fred Johnson did an admirable job filling in but Mailata is clearly a superior talent. The Eagles won’t have to use additional resources to help Mailata like they did at times with Johnson.

The Best NFL Bets for Week 11: Blessed by the Schedule Gods – The Ringer

The line for this game opened at 3.5, got bet down to 3, and is now back up to Philadelphia -3.5. From a situational perspective, a prime time road game in a short week is a challenging spot for Washington. The main concern is the Commanders’ injury report, especially along the offensive line. Both starting tackles—Brandon Coleman and Andrew Wylie—were limited in Monday’s practice. Newly acquired cornerback Marshon Lattimore is still recovering from a hamstring injury and didn’t practice Monday. He could be a key player in this matchup against Philly’s two elite wide receivers. The injuries make me a bit hesitant to support the Commanders here, but there’s not enough of a gap between these two teams to justify this price being over 3 in favor of Philadelphia. Verdict: Lean Commanders +3.5 (-115).

Game Review – PHI 34-6 – Iggles Blitz

Jalen Hurts was up and down. The overall performance was good. But he started slow so people tended to fixate on that angle. It felt like a bad game even though it really wasn’t. I don’t know if the gameplan wanted Hurts to focus on going deep or Hurts simply did that. It led to him holding the ball longer than he should. Hurts started getting the ball out quicker later in the half and the offense came alive. His 2 TD passes came on plays where he scrambled to buy time, but also kept his eyes downfield. Hurts also ran the ball well, going 7-56-2. When he was good, he was really good.

Game Preview: Commanders vs. Eagles – PE.com

Washington’s offense averages 29 points per contest. It isn’t just Daniels, obviously. Washington runs the ball extremely well – 153 yards per game, fourth in the NFL – and expects to have Brian Robinson, Jr. in the lineup after missing two games with a hamstring injury to team with Austin Ekeler. Terry McLaurin is a player the Eagles know and respect. He’s a game-breaking wide receiver who has 711 receiving yards (third in the league) and 6 touchdowns on 47 catches. Former Eagle Zach Ertz is in the top 10 among NFL tight ends statistically and he has 37 catches and 381 yards. The offensive line is sound. Kliff Kingsbury is an outstanding offensive coordinator. This is a huge test for an Eagles defense that has been dominant in this five-game winning streak, allowing fewer than 300 total net yards in each of the five wins. It’s the first time since the Jim Johnson defenses of 2008 that the Eagles have had such a streak defensively.

Jahan Dotson on facing Commanders: Just trying to treat it like a normal week – PFT

Dotson was a 2022 first-round pick in Washington and caught 84 passes for the team before being traded to the Eagles just before the start of the regular season. It was a quick hook for a player drafted so high, but the Commanders had new decision makers with no ties to Dotson in place and the deal was made. When asked about his emotions about the trade this week, Dotson said he “got over it very quickly” and that he’s not drawing any extra motivation from his first chance to face his former team on Thursday night. “I’m just trying to treat it like a normal week, it’s a short week,” Dotson said, via the team’s website. “The main thing is the main thing, that’s to come out on top and get the W.”

Commanders vs Eagles Wednesday Injury Report: Washington’s top 3 OTs are questionable- Hogs Haven

“In more positive news, both RB Brian Robinson(hamstring) and RT Andrew Wylie(shoulder) are trending in the right direction to play tomorrow. Robinson has missed the last two games, and has sounded positive about his return to the field all week. Quinn said today that he’s shown good signs that he’ll be ready to play this week. Wylie was active last week, but didn’t start, or play, after testing the shoulder out pre-game. He said today that he’s confident he’ll play vs the Eagles.”

Dan Campbell, Dan Quinn among NFL’s best coaches in 2024 – SB Nation

Dan Quinn, Washington Commanders. Quinn is showing sometimes it pays to hire a retread. The former Atlanta Falcons head coach is making a big difference in his first season in Washington. Quinn and Jayden Daniels may be a nice combo for the next decade in the nation’s capital.

Dolphins waive LB David Long Jr., claim former Eagles TE Jack Stoll off waivers – The Phinsider

The roster move allowed Miami to claim tight end Jack Stoll off waivers from the Philadelphia Eagles. Stoll, an undrafted free agent in 2021, played in 17 games in each of the past two seasons, totaling 16 catches on 22 targets for 161 yards. Stoll appeared in seven games this season, catching two of three targets for 10 yards, and is also a stout blocker. He’s blocked on 156 of 201 snaps without allowing a sack this season, per PFF. Stoll steps in for Tanner Conner, who was placed on injured reserve earlier this week due to a knee injury, and joins a tight end room that includes Jonnu Smith, Julian Hill, and Durham Smythe.

Eagles loss another glaring example of why Mike McCarthy has to go – Blogging The Boys

This void of optimism is directly linked to McCarthy. There’s no sense that he has a handle on things anymore, either in the X’s and O’s of running an offense, head coaching basics like clock management and challenging plays, or managing the team’s chemistry and culture. Parsons’ well-covered postgame comments may not have been intended to blast the coach’s effort, but the words still came out the way they did. And the reason they resonated is because McCarthy does seem like a guy who’s phoning it in. Or worse, a guy who’s now so bad at his job that you can’t tell the difference. We never saw the team look this bad, on the field or backstage, under Jason Garrett. We never saw Cooper Rush look this bad when Kellen Moore was offensive coordinator. People want to make such a big deal about McCarthy’s three-straight seasons with 12 wins, but let’s not pretend that Garrett wasn’t a 2015 Tony Romo injury away from a similar feat from 2014-2016. McCarthy’s highs haven’t been any higher than previous coaching regimes, and his lows are starting to look much lower.

Rich Eisen: New York Giants owners ‘love’ Brian Daboll – Big Blue View

After calling the play-by-play of the New York Giants’ overtime loss to the Carolina Panthers in Munich, Germany on Sunday, NFL Network’s Rich Eisen has some interesting things to say on the ‘Rich Eisen Show’ about head coach Brian Daboll, quarterback Daniel Jones, and rookie wide receiver.

Top Injury Guarantee Considerations for 2025 – Over The Cap

Daniel Jones, QB, Giants- $23 Million Injury Guaranteed. Jones’ struggles with the Giants have been well documented and the organization likely wants to turn the page on him next year. Jones’ 2025 salary cap figure is $41.6 million while his salary is worth $30.5 million. If he is uninjured the rest of this season they can release him with a $22.2 million salary cap charge and owe him no additional salary. A late season injury complicates things for the team. Jones has $23 million guaranteed for injury of which $12 million becomes fully guaranteed on the 3rd day of the league year. Those numbers would prevent the Giants from cutting Jones in March and while there would still be the possibility of cutting him in the summer if he is healthy by that time, the damage to the Giants salary cap and free agent prospects would be finished. This move seems likely very soon.

2025 NFL free agents: Early top-25 ranking and predictions – ESPN

9) HAASON REDDICK. Why he could get paid: At 6-foot-1 and 240 pounds, Reddick is a scheme-specific pass rusher with first-step quicks and the ability to bend on the edge. Reddick’s holdout limited him to just three games with the Jets this season, but he has posted 58.5 sacks and 17 forced fumbles in his career. And before this season, he put together three straight campaigns with a pass rush win rate over 20%. He can create impact plays. What we’re hearing: No deal is imminent between Reddick and the Jets since he reported to the team Oct. 21. Anyone who has been paying attention over the past six months knows this relationship has had its challenges. The Jets and Reddick haggled over his contract situation throughout the offseason, leading to a monthslong holdout and his agency, CAA, parting ways with the star pass rusher. He promptly signed with agent Drew Rosenhaus, who helped get him into camp on a revised one-year deal. The sense from some people in the league is that Reddick will get as many sacks as he can and get out.

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