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Video: Giants-Commanders crossover preview
More Eagles practice squad shuffling
Photo by Perry Knotts/Getty Images The Philadelphia Eagles officially announced three transactions on Thursday. Here’s an overview: TE Jack Stoll and TE Kevin Foelsch were signed to the practice squad. S Caden Sterns was released from the practice squad. Let’s sort through this news on a player-by-player basis. JACK STOLL The Eagles cut Stoll on Wednesday only to re-sign him one day later. Not sure what that was all about. Stoll appears to be the fourth tight end in the pecking order with Dallas Goedert, Grant Calcaterra, and E.J. Jenkins all ahead of him. KEVIN FOESLCH The Eagles signed Foelsch to their practice squad after he spent some time with the team in training camp. Then they cut him last week only to bring him back again now. Extra TE depth. CADEN STERNS The Eagles re-signed Sterens to the practice squad on Wednesday only to cut him on Thursday. Howie Roseman is apparently enjoying churning the bottom of the practice squad to effectively have more than the 16 spots (plus one international exemption) that they’re allowed. We could see Sterns return again down the line. EAGLES PRACTICE SQUAD Each player below is eligible to be temporarily elevated to the active roster up to three times unless otherwise noted. TE Jack Stoll TE Kevin Foelsch WR Danny Gray DB A.J. Woods OL Nick Gates (two elevations remaining) TE E.J. Jenkins (two elevations remaining) OL Jack Driscoll WR Kyle Philips DB JT Woods WR Parris Campbell RB Tyrion Davis-Price QB Will Grier DT Gabe Hall WR Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint S Andre’ Sam T/G Brett Toth OT Laekin Vakalahi (international exemption)
The Linc – Devin White reacts to losing starting job
Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images Philadelphia Eagles news and links for 9/13/24. Let’s get to the Philadelphia Eagles links … ‘They know what I can do:’ Devin White surprised to lose starting spot – NBCSPDevin White said all the right things Thursday, but it was definitely a blow to the 26-year-old White. “At the end of the day, it’s not my call,” he said. “I’ll just do what’s asked of me and just stay ready. Whether I go out there the last two minutes of the game or the first play of the game, I’ve just got to be ready and just be able to give this team all I have. “Because that’s what I came here to do. Just rewrite my story for my career. However that plays out, I don’t control that. I just leave that in God’s hand and I stay ready. I don’t cry, don’t mope around. I just come to work and be a pro about everything.” White said during the summer that getting benched in Tampa was humbling. He was asked if this was also humbling but he said it’s different because he said he was selfish the way he handled things in Tampa but feels like he did everything he could at training camp this summer and through the offseason to show what kind of player he is. Eagles Film Room: Concept of the Week – Double Post Wheel – BGNIf you watch Saquon Barkley’s route, he actually runs through the B-gap rather than outside the offensive line. In some ways, it reminds me of a TE Leak route where a TE sneaks out behind the offensive line. One of the biggest trends on film this week was teams getting their playmakers vertically quickly through. Here are some other examples, courtesy of the wonderful Ollie Connolly. It’s not bad when you run the same things as Sean McVay, Kyle Shanahan, and Ben Johnson. That’s some good company! Isn’t it nice to have a modern offensive coach? Eagles film review: DeVonta Smith, Milton Williams, Moro Ojomo, and Johnny Wilson – PhillyVoiceDeVonta Smith’s fourth down conversion in the first half. During the summer it was clear that DeVonta Smith was going to play more in the slot than he typically has. He made a bunch of clutch catches, most notably on the Eagles’ final drive of the game. So to be clear, his night wasn’t “unheralded.” But he also made a big play on a 4th and 3 in the second quarter that Kellen Moore singled out during his Tuesday presser. “He’s got great spatial awareness, great feel for the game,” Kellen Moore said, when asked on Tuesday what skills he saw in Smith to play in the slot. “I think when you play inside as a receiver, there’s a lot more variables. There’s a nickel on top of you, but there’s a safety, there’s backers. You’ve got to have the awareness to kind of see — have great spatial awareness to recognize all those aspects and see how those moving pieces change the picture for you. So I think he did an excellent job finding space in the zone a couple times. He had the critical 4th-and- 3, big time play where he saw one defender outside of him and one defender inside of him, he tight turned it, hooked it up, Jalen saw him. Those are big time plays. Those aren’t easy to see that spatially in that quick instance.” NFL Week 2 Preview: Schedule, storylines and matchups to watch – PFFMatchups to Watch: Falcons HB Bijan Robinson vs. Eagles LB Nakobe Dean. The glaring disproportionate usage stats made the rounds following this game, detailing the Falcons’ tells and trends in the run game. This offense can’t function as a one-dimensional unit that tips its running downs to defenses solely based on alignment. So expect Atlanta to adjust that approach and get their talented back, Bijan Robinson, his totes on the ground in a variety of looks. That will prove to be a sizable challenge for the Eagles young linebacker, who is coming off a rough outing in Week 1 in which he earned a 29.3 PFF overall defensive grade. That won’t cut it against a talented back like Robinson. Solak’s Week 2 NFL picks: Eagles fly, Bengals’ offense struggles – ESPN+The bet: Eagles -6.5 (-115). The significant matchup of this game isn’t centered on Cousins, but rather on the Eagles’ rushing attack against this Falcons defense. The Eagles started two new offensive linemen in Week 1 against the Green Bay Packers: center Cam Jurgens, tasked with the impossible challenge of replacing Jason Kelce; and guard Mekhi Becton, kicking in from his career-long position of tackle in his first season in Philadelphia. Both impressed me, as did back Saquon Barkley, who cast aside the yoke of the New York Giants and scored three touchdowns in his liberation debut in Brazil. Watch Barkley in Week 1 push the line of scrimmage and pull Packers LB Quay Walker (7) into one gap, then leap away and follow Jurgens (51) and Becton’s (77) double-team to an explosive gain. That’s a great back making a good line look even better than it is right there. NFL QB Index, Week 1: Ranking all 32 starters entering 2024 season – NFL.comHere’s where I’m going to end up drawing the ire of Dolphins fans (again), who, honestly, have a case for their QB being in the top 10. But I feel confident in placing Hurts here for one key reason: We still don’t know what on earth happened with the 2023 Eagles. I firmly believe that, by the end of 2024, we’ll be able to reach one of two conclusions: The back half of last season can be tossed out as an anomaly, or it was the first sign of the Eagles’ downfall under Nick Sirianni. At this point, I’ll rely on prior evidence and predict they’ll get it right this season, with Hurts returning to the elite tier
Bengals at Chiefs: How to watch, streaming options, odds, and more
Photo by Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images How to watch the Bengals visit the Chiefs. The Cincinnati Bengals and Kansas City Chiefs are set to meet again. Ever since the 2021 season, it has been must watch television. Joe Burrow and the Bengals have been the only consistent team to be able to consistently compete with the Chiefs who have become a pretty big juggernaut in the NFL. Last year, the matchup was still close, but there wasn’t that same sense of importance since Burrow was out for the season. Now, we are back to the regularly scheduled programming. Even with Cincinnati’s poor start to the season with a loss to the New England Patriots at home, they always start slow yet seem to show up for bigger games. It would be very typical of these Bengals to lose to New England and look like a team capable of going all the way the next week against Kansas City. Here’s to hoping we’re treated to another classic in this series. Cincinnati Bengals (0-1) at Kansas City Chiefs (1-0) Date/Time: Sep. 15th, 2024 at 4:25 pm ET Location: Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati, OH Regular Season Series Leader: The Patriots lead the series 17-10. New England has won seven of the last 10 meetings. TV Channel: The game will air on CBS. In the Bengals’ home region, it will be carried by WKRC-TV (Ch. 12) in Cincinnati, WHIO-TV (Ch. 7) in Dayton, and WKYT-TV (Ch. 27) in Lexington. Broadcasters: Play-by-Play: Jim Nantz, Analyst: Tony Romo, and Sideline Reporter: Tracy Wolfson Online Stream in-market: Paramount+ (any device), NFL+ (mobile only). Online Stream out-of-market: NFL Sunday Ticket Radio Broadcast: The game will air on the Bengals Radio Network, led by Cincinnati flagship stations WCKY-AM (1530) and WEBN-FM (102.7). The radio stream will also be available on the Bengals-Patriots game center nationwide on desktop and in-market on mobile. Broadcasters: Dan Hoard and Dave Lapham. SB Nation Chiefs’ site: Arrowhead Pride Rosters: CIN | KC Stats to Know: CIN | KC Weather: Partly cloudy in the high-80s with under 10 percent chance of precipitation, per NFL weather. Odds: The Bengals are currently 5.5-point underdogs to the Chiefs via FanDuel Sportsbook.
Bills’ Josh Allen shows love for Dolphins’ Tua Tagovailoa after injury
Bills’ Josh Allen shows love for Dolphins’ Tua Tagovailoa after injury Nick Wojton The Buffalo Bills rolled the Miami Dolphins, but that doesn’t mean quarterback Josh Allen didn’t feel for his QB brethern. After the 31-10 final, Allen joined the Amazon Prime broadcast group following the game. Allen made sure to mention Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. Tagovailoa, who has a history with concussions, suffered another on “Thursday Night Football.” Through all the questions Allen had, he made sure to send some love Tagovailoa’s way. That can be found in the clip below:
Vikes Views: Who Ya Got? San Francisco 49ers at Minnesota Vikings
Photo by Ryan Kang/Getty Images The Minnesota Vikings host the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday Head to Head Record – 24-25-1 Vikings Home Record v 49ers – 16-9 Streak – W1 Most Points Scored – 45, 45-14 on 9/29/1963 Widest Margin of Victory – 31, 45-14 on 9/26/1963 Most Recent Matchup – Vikings 22 – 49ers 17, 10/23/23 (Cam Bynum’s 2 INTs My 2024 Prediction Record: 1-0, with an easy win to start the year. Interesting Tidbits from the Vikings Weekly Release: The Vikings are going for home win #280 on Sunday. Only the Steelers (300) and Broncos (281) have more since the 1970 NFL Merger. The Vikings are going for their 8th straight home victory against the 49ers. They haven’t lost to them in Minnesota since 1992. Justin Jefferson needs 4 receptions for 400 in his career. He will brake the franchise record for fastest to 400 with this week being his 62nd game. Randy Moss currently has that record at 78 games. Sunday’s 22 point win was the Vikings first 20+ point margin of victory since 2019. Andrew Van Ginkel’s TD was the teams first Pick-6 since Harrison Smith did it in January of 2022. How I see it playing out: I wrote in the Vikes Views yesterday my thoughts on how closely these teams are matched. The 49ers started a little slow against the Jets last week and then destroyed A A Ron and company. It was nice to see for my personal rooting interests, but proves the 49ers are once again a top contender in the NFC. The Vikings actually matchup very well against the 49ers because of the elite OT pairing in Minnesota. Jordan Addison likely being out, give me major cause for concern. However, last year the team was able to win without Justin Jefferson. So, it isn’t an impossible task at all. I don’t see the win coming, but I won’t be shocked if it does. San Francisco 23 – Vikings 16
The Honolulu Blueprint: 4 keys to a Lions victory over the Bucs
For the second week in a row, the Detroit Lions are squaring off against a team they faced—and beat—in last year’s NFL Playoffs. After beating the Los Angeles Rams in Week 1, the Lions will take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 2 of the 2024 regular season. “Really good opponent coming in here again,” coach Dan Campbell said on Wednesday. “Third time in two years, so certainly we both have familiarity with each other, personnel-wise. Have a lot of respect for Coach [Todd] Bowles and what he’s done out there, really his whole career. It’s a tough, physical team, they’re disciplined, aggressive, particularly defensively.” Campbell and Bowles have a long history together. In 2005, Bowles was the Cowboys’ secondary coach when Campbell was a tight end on the active roster. Additionally, Bowles coached Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn for two seasons (2005-06) in Dallas, as well. Then, the pair met up again in 2010, when Bowles was assistant head coach and secondary coach of the Dolphins just as Campbell got his start as a coaching intern. In 2011, Campbell was promoted to tight ends coach, while Bowles took over interim head coaching duties after Tony Sparano was fired. When Adam Gase was fired in 2015, Campbell followed in Bowles’ footsteps as the Dolphins’ interim head coach. The Lions won both their matchups with the Bucs last season, but if they want to get a third win in a row, they’ll need to follow the keys to victory laid out in this week’s Honolulu Blueprint. Bucs base schemes Offense: Another descendant of Sean McVay’s West Coast offense 2023 offensive coordinator Dave Canales accepted the head coaching job with the Carolina Panthers this offseason, and the Bucs acquired Liam Coen to fill the void. Another disciple of the Sean McVay coaching tree, Coen began his NFL coaching career with the Rams in 2018 as an assistant wide receivers coach before shifting to assistant quarterbacks coach in 2020. In 2021, Coen accepted a job as the University of Kentucky’s offensive coordinator, then returned to the Rams in 2022 to be their offensive coordinator. After the Rams went 5-12 (with Matthew Stafford missing half the season due to injury), Coen was let go and he returned to Kentucky as their OC once again. In 2024, the Bucs were looking for a coordinator to take over for Canales (another McVay disciple) who would keep a similar scheme with a few new wrinkles added in. “What they’re doing offensively is a lot of, really what we kind of saw last week (against the Rams),” Campbell noted. Mayfield actually had a brief stint with the Rams in 2022—when Coen was their OC—so there is some familiarity with terminology that has helped the transition. “It’s only been one game, but I do feel an improved offense when I watch last week’s game,” Campbell continued. “I think Coen’s doing a good job over there […] They’ve got a little bit of everything and then when you have Baker [Mayfield] who can facilitate it and run the show, it makes for a pretty efficient offense. This is going to be a good test for us. It’s going to be a really good test.” Because this is a variation of McVay’s West Coast scheme, there are a lot of similarities fans will recognize, such as 11 personnel, pre-snap motion, play-action, and tight/bunch formations for easier releases. There are some notable differences though. Canales didn’t use as much pre-snap motion as McVay—only around 40%—while Coen increased that to 61% in Week 1, much closer to the 69% McVay used against the Lions last Sunday. Coen is also more committed to the run than Canales and is not as quick to move away from it. In last year’s Honolulu Blueprints for the Lions-Bucs matchups, my No. 1 Key was to limit the Bucs’ rushing success early, as Canales would abandon the run, and in turn, make the offense one-dimensional. Coen appears willing to stick things out. Another key difference is Coen lets Mayfield have more freedom at the line, allowing him to check into better looks at his discretion. That flexibility showed up last week against the Commanders when Mayfield checked into run plays that resulted in big plays. Defense Todd Bowles’ defense features a 2-4-5 out of a 34 base: A recap of Todd Bowles’ defense from last year’s Honolulu Blueprints: “While the Bucs still lean on 34 concepts—like standup pass rushing outside linebackers—they only use a true 34 base personnel on a third of their defensive snaps, instead spending the majority of their time in subpackage looks, and adjusting to a 2-4-5 scheme. “The Bucs have always been a heavy blitzing defense under Bowles and this year (2023) is no different, as they’re currently blitzing on 39% of their defensive snaps (finished season at 40.1%), fourth most in the NFL. But a new wrinkle for the Bucs this season is their ability to successfully drop edge rushers Joe Tyron-Shoyinka or Shaquil Barrett (retired in 2024) into coverage, allowing them to blitz off-the-ball linebacker(s) […] and in turn, causing problems for offensive lines in picking up their blocking assignments. While the Bucs’ defense hasn’t changed much, the Lions are still keenly aware of the problems it causes. “Well, this defense is, it’s an issue,” Campbell said. “It’s always been an issue. I mean they give you multiple fronts, multiple pressures, they disguise well, and so that in itself is always a headache. Vita Vea in the middle, these two edge rushers here are pretty good. They’ve grown, gotten better. Lavonte David in the middle,— with their personnel — I know they’re a little banged up, but we’ll see how all that stuff works out. They’re still going to have plenty of ammo over there, defensively.” The Bucs are dealing with quite a few injuries early on in the season, which leads up to our first key to victory. Key 1: Attack an injured Bucs secondary The Bucs defense is
Test your NFL knowledge on Friday with our new daily trivia game
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Open thread: Is Ford Field the toughest place to play in the NFL?
Kimberly P. Mitchell / USA TODAY NETWORK Is Ford Field now the toughest place to win a football game for visiting teams? It’s official. I am washed. During the Detroit Lions Week 1 win over the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday Night Football, I remember pausing for a moment and asking myself a question. “My hearing is already pretty terrible. Should I be wearing some ear plugs every week?” That is how loud it has gotten inside of Ford Field over the course of the last few years. Don’t get me wrong, Ford Field has always been a pretty noisy place to play. Even during some of the rough years under prior regimes, when the team was playing well or hosted a primetime game, Detroit would show up and get loud for their team. However, things are on a completely different level these days. From the time the opposing offense enters the first huddle of their first series, to the final whistle, the Detroit crowd has quickly earned the reputation as one of the best home atmospheres in the league. That brings us to today’s Question of the Day: Is Ford Field the toughest place to play in the NFL? My Answer: To be completely honest, I think this is an honor that shifts from time to time. For a while, the Superdome down in New Orleans was a house of horrors for many teams. Saints fans are a passionate group, and for many years, you could feel the energy from that place seeping through your TV screen. Another one that comes to mind is Lumen Field, home of the Seattle Seahawks. During the Legion of Boom era when the Seattle fans initially earned their nickname, “the 12s,” it was debatably the loudest field in the entire league. With all of that said, yes, I do believe that Ford Field is currently the toughest place to play. I know Arrowhead down in Missouri gets loud, but we are talking about Detroit here. And for that reason, Detroit gets the nod. Sorry, Chiefs fans. How about you? Do you think Ford Field is the toughest place to play in the NFL? Let us know by leaving a comment with your answer at the bottom of the page.
Test your Eagles knowledge on Friday with BGN’s new daily trivia game
Think you can figure out which Eagles player we’re talking about? You’ll get five clues to figure him out in our new guessing game! Welcome back for another day of the Bleeding Green Nation in-5 daily trivia game. Just a reminder that this remains a beta that we’re testing out this week. Today’s game is down below and you can play previous day’s games as well: September 12th gameSeptember 11th gameSeptember 10th gameSeptember 9th gameSeptember 8th game What we need from you Play the game (reminder that the answer could be EITHER and active or retired player) Share your result in the comments and on social media Provide feedback (Google Form or in comments below) See SB Nation in-5 game instructions below the game. Bleeding Green Nation in-5 The goal of the game is to guess the correct Eagles player with the help of up to five clues. We’ll mix in BOTH ACTIVE AND RETIRED PLAYERS this week. It won’t be easy to figure it out in one or two guesses, but some of you might be able to nail it. The game appears in slot #3 of the BGN layout each day this week, with a new article each day for the game. Additionally, there is a more general version of this at SBNation.com, which features a variety of random players that do not necessarily have Eagles history. After you correctly guess the player, you can click “Share Results” to share how you did down in the comments and on social media. We won’t go into other details about the game as we’d like your feedback on it. How it plays, what you think of it, the difficulty level, and anything else you can think of that will help us improve this game. You can provide feedback in the comments of this article, or you can fill out this Google Form. Enjoy!
