Welcome to The Linc, the daily Philadelphia Eagles links roundup at Bleeding Green Nation!
Before we go blaming the offensive struggles on injuries alone, do recall that it wasn’t very good when they were healthier. And are this year’s injuries a good excuse for the offense looking bad last year as well? How about the offense looking confused from the first snap in the Eagles’ loss to the Carolina Panthers? Coaching is clearly part of the problem.
Let’s get to the Philadelphia Eagles news and links …
Roob’s Observations as Eagles extend losing skid to four with loss to Panthers – NBCSP
This offense is such a trainwreck, and their issues go way behind missing Jalen Hurts. They scored two touchdowns Sunday against the Panthers and it seemed like a hell of a day. They’re averaging 14.6 points during the four-game losing streak. They’re averaging 219 yards per game during the losing streak. These numbers are just unfathomable. They haven’t had 300 yards in a game since Week 2. We could go on with first downs, passing yards, 3rd-down percentage, but you get the idea. They’re all just abysmal. Is it all Sean Mannion’s fault? Nah. But he certainly hasn’t distinguished himself in his first six games as Eagles offensive coordinator and play caller. Maybe things will get better when they get Landon Dickerson and Drew Kendall back and maybe Saquon will be back next week, although who really knows. This is all just such a mess right now. They got off to a decent start the first two weeks and has just spiraled downhill ever since. There’s so much to fix and I don’t even know how you go about starting. It just may be unfixable.
Let’s talk about which NFL coaches should be fired soon – SB Nation
Nick Sirianni — Philadelphia Eagles. There’s no sugarcoating what’s happened in Philly. This team is a mess. Injuries have wracked the team, seemingly finding a way to keep getting worse by the day. More and more players are hitting the injury report, entering IR, or just missing key snaps. Against the Panthers on Sunday the team did its best, but it was clear they just didn’t have enough players to really make an impact. At the center of everything is Nick Sirianni, who looks miserable trying to coach this season. Things weren’t great before the injuries, and now he’s forced to watch Tanner McKee, and a chorus of mediocre running backs try to form some semblance of an offense. The team is still decent defensively, but they’re banged up on that side too. It’s reached the point where it’s difficult to envision the Eagles winning many more games this year. That’s where the rub comes in, and what makes this so tricky. Sirianni does not to be fired based on the injuries and adversity he’s faced, especially when we look at his past history of success. The main issue is that if the Eagles end up with a very high draft pick, potentially in a spot to upgrade at quarterback — at what point is it worth trying to turn over a new leaf in the process? We have a scenario that feels somewhat similar to Doug Pederson. We had a Super Bowl-winning head coach who failed to follow up on the success, and owner Jeffrey Lurie believed that the long-term success of the franchise was more important than preserving the status quo, even if he thought Pederson was a decent coach. The team decided to part ways with their coach, Carson Wentz, draft a new QB, and install Nick Sirianni — ending a five-year tenure for all of them.
Jalen Hurts update: Eagles quarterback out for the season – BGN
It feels weird to pivot to the football ramifications of this news but it’s the reality the Eagles find themselves in as well. Tanner McKee is now the quarterback for the rest of the season. That is, unless they Eagles decide to eventually bench him for Cole Payton, Joe Milton III, or someone not currently on the roster. (We know it won’t be Andy Dalton, because he reportedly declined to re-sign with the Eagles and joined the Atlanta Falcons instead.)
Different QB, same problems: Is Sean Mannion’s system holding back the Eagles? – The Athletic
It would be a rationalization to blame injuries and exits. It happened too often with Hurts. It looked worse with McKee. And the constant is Mannion’s offense. “We have to do different things to get them going and score more points, plain and simple,” head coach Nick Sirianni said. “Everything’s on the table. To do the same thing over and over again and not get the results, that’d be foolish. Everything’s on the table of what we need to do to be able to put points on the board.” “Everything” being on the table is wide-ranging and ambiguous. It doesn’t endorse the status quo. When Sirianni was asked specifically about Mannion’s responsibility for the offense’s problems, he said no coach or player is on an island. Yet when Sirianni dismissed an offensive coordinator who had been with him for five playoff-bound years, none of which included a four-game losing streak like the Eagles’ current quagmire, he said the plan was a dramatic offensive shift that could provide a better schematic advantage. There’s been no advantage. The scheme inspires little consistent confidence beyond occasional spurts, even though team captain Jordan Mailata said he’s still confident in it.
Eagles’ persistent offensive struggles mean ‘everything’s on the table’ — and that could include Sean Mannion’s role – Inquirer
Sirianni certainly bears culpability for the losing streak. The seeds of his core beliefs, however, don’t provide shade for areas in which his previous ingenuity is now lacking. And that goes to the very root of the Sirianni conundrum. If he can’t devise an offense and/or call plays, and thus has to rely on Mannion-types for innovation, what is his greater value? To save himself, he may need to take back full ownership. It’s been that ugly on offense. Mannion and new offensive line coach Chris Kuper have had almost no solutions for defenses that blitz Eagles quarterbacks when they’re under center and drop to throw. Maybe because they almost always try to run play action in those situations.
Brandon Graham Thought Kellen Moore Could Replace Nick Sirianni After the Super Bowl Win – Crossing Broad
Is it me, or does BG basically admit that the Eagles planned on replacing Nick with Kellen Moore in 2024? That’s how it feels, doesn’t it? Where else would BG get this idea? I feel like the Kellen-Nick switch must’ve been talked about a bunch inside the organization for him to have this theory. Or maybe not. (Kinkead: BG was probably listening to too much WIP) Maybe BG cooked this up on his own. That’s possible. Maybe he — and the rest of the players — saw that Nick didn’t contribute to play-calling at all, and figured that since Kellen Moore was so good at it, he’d be an easy replacement for Nick if things went sideways. Whatever the case may be, it seems like the Eagles winning the Super Bowl in 2024 derailed that plan. Firing Nick after a Super Bowl win would’ve been nearly impossible (but it would’ve been baller as hell… bold move… scared money don’t make money, etc…), and Kellen was bound to move on to a head coaching job after his stellar season calling plays. But still, it’s a fascinating sliding doors moment.
Another Bad Day – Iggles Blitz
Some fans are now screaming for Nick Sirianni’s head. That’s not going to happen this season, nor should it. Firing him would not make this team better. It would just give angry fans something to be happy about. His future will be decided by his overall performance this season. If the offense continues to be the worst in the league, that could very well cost Sirianni his job. If the team shows some improvement and wins some games, that could change things. We need a full season to make an informed evaluation. The next three games are DAL, WAS, and the NYG. The Eagles could be atop the division if they can cobble together a winning streak. Or they could end up closer to a Top 5 pick if they keep losing. Cheer for the outcome you prefer.
2026 NFL season, Week 6: What We Learned from Sunday’s games – NFL.com
McKee struggles early in first meaningful start. The Eagles’ defense kept Philadelphia in the game early, getting off the field in the first half. The defense, however, was gassed late and put in a situation where it needed to be perfect due to the offensive injuries. Tanner McKee, making his first start outside of Week 18, was off the mark something bad early. The QB was blasted on his first snap and nearly threw a pick on the next. McKee’s ball placement wasn’t very good, particularly through the first three quarters. NFL starters can’t miss windows as badly as he did Sunday. Predictably, McKee struggled against pressure behind a shuffled offensive line, going 6 of 15 for 63 yards and a 52.9 rating under pressure, per NGS. Absent a trio of running backs, the ground game was of no help Sunday. Philly rushed for 35 total yards with a Dameon Pierce TD. McKee finished 26 of 45 for 215 yards and a TD, with three sacks. Late, the quarterback did find a groove when he essentially decided to force-feed DeVonta Smith. In the fourth quarter, Smith generated five catches for 53 yards and a TD (7/75/1 for the game). With Jalen Hurts on injured reserve, the Eagles must hope McKee builds on his late-game play. Otherwise, the spiral will continue.
Fantasy football waiver wire targets: NFL Week 7 – PFF
Tanner McKee, Philadelphia Eagles (2.6%). Jalen Hurts is on injured reserve, leaving McKee as Philadelphia’s starter. He threw 45 times in his first start of the season, completing 26 passes for 215 yards and a touchdown. He didn’t have Saquon Barkley at running back to help him, and his wide receivers dealt with injuries during the game. Ideally, Barkley will be back and the receivers will be healthier this week. That’s because the Eagles are playing their division rival, the Dallas Cowboys. The Cowboys have been an excellent matchup for fantasy quarterbacks because their offense scores a lot, forcing opposing quarterbacks to throw frequently to keep up. Their defense has also been among the league leaders in points allowed. If you’re in a deeper league with only a few quarterback options available on the waiver wire, McKee could be the best choice.
Albert Breer’s Week 6 NFL Takeaways: Why You Should Still Trust Howie Roseman and the Eagles – SI
This is where I’d stop and say the Eagles should have your trust. Few have drafted as well as GM Howie Roseman over the past decade. The team’s player development program is as detailed, involved and invested in as any in the league. That’s allowed them to harvest high picks like Johnson, Dickerson, Jurgens, Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean, just as they do diamonds in the rough like Moro Ojomo, Jordan Mailata, Willie Lampkin and Drew Kendall. The thing now is that you’re seeing the core of the title-contending team of the first iteration of the Nick Sirianni era age out, which is leading to those big-picture questions. Where does the team stand on Jalen Hurts as he gets to the end of the guarantees in the megadeal he signed in early 2023? How will the offensive line be retooled, with Johnson and Jurgens gone, and can Lampkin, Kendall and rookie Markel Bell be answers to that? What, for that matter, is the future of the defense, with Mitchell and DeJean likely looking for new deals in 2027, and DC Vic Fangio contemplating retirement? Would a team that’s been aggressive in pulling the plug sooner than later on head coaches consider Sirianni’s future?
Spadaro: What can Tanner McKee, offense learn from Sunday? – PhiladelphiaEagles.com
And that is the theme here: What can the Eagles build on for the next week and the week after that? It starts at the quarterback position with McKee, who has played well in the limited time he’s been on the field – in two Week 18 starts and in a backup role in the 2024 season win over Dallas. “First thoughts, my team needs me to be better,” McKee said after the game. “I need to be better. I am so much better and I’m looking forward to learning everything and becoming the player that I know I am, the player that I can prove that I am. A lot of things that were frustrating that fall on me and a lot of things we gotta get fixed as an offense for sure.” McKee cited areas that he needs to fix – poor communication, placement of players, settling down faster – “making adjustments on the fly.”
If Commanders lose, NFC East will be first division with zero wins in back-to-back weeks since merger – PFT
Thanks to another rough Sunday around the NFC East, the Commanders could make some history on Monday night. Josh Dubow of the Associated Press points out that a Commanders loss to the 49ers at Levi’s Stadium would make the NFC East the first division since the AFL-NFL merger to win zero games over back-to-back weeks despite having all of its teams in action.
The Optimist: An ugly win is still a win – Cat Scratch Reader
I don’t remember the last time the Carolina Panthers played a game this ugly and won. The final 25-14 score belies the fact that it was a one possession game deep in the fourth quarter. A bad snap on 1st & 10 for the Eagles and followed by the secondary losing Tommy Tremble for a 19-yard touchdown pass just seven plays later decided the game with 6:38 seconds left. In the end, the Panthers’ depleted defense barely managed to hold on against an even more depleted Philadelphia Eagles offense. Their offense played a worse game with Taylor Moton and Jalen Coker back on the field than they did against the Detroit Lions without either of them. Bryce Young was fine, but far from the cool, collected star against pressure that he has been most of the season. Ultimately, this is a team with many, well exposed flaws that is sitting at 3-2 with a division game against a reeling Tampa Bay Buccaneers squad next week that could turn their sole lead in the division into an awkward tie with the Saints or a commanding lead. It wasn’t a perfect win, but it was a win.
Falcons sign QB Andy Dalton and release Cooper Rush – The Falcoholic
The Atlanta Falcons, fresh off a loss against the Chicago Bears, are signing veteran quarterback Andy Dalton. In a corresponding move, they’ve cut ties with fellow red-headed quarterback Cooper Rush. To say this is a bit of a curious move would be an understatement, given that Dalton will open up as the third quarterback on the roster. Whether this is the Falcons covering themselves with Michael Penix Jr. getting banged up repeatedly and not wanting to chance Rush getting back into a game in case of a rash of injuries that takes down Penix and backup Tua Tagovailoa, or whether they view Dalton as a possible QB2 over Tua remains to be seen. Either way, Dalton’s a slam dunk upgrade on what the team had with Rush, at the very least.
10 things we learned from Patriots vs. Jets – Pats Pulpit
A.J. Brown has to knock off the rust. The Patriots finally got A.J. Brown back from his four-week stint on injured reserve, and he was not good. Despite being targeted 10 times, he only came down with three catches for 27 yards. It was his drops that were really concerning. There was the deep ball where he pulled his arms in too soon; there was the slant that hit him right in the arms that he dropped; there was the touchdown that Drake Maye placed perfectly on his back shoulder but still went through his hands. To cap things off, he also dropped the onside kick attempt at the end of the game, but luckily Eli Raridon jumped on the ball. Yes, it was his first game back and first game in front of the Patriots home crowd, and he probably was excited to be out there and still has to build a rapport with Maye, but his performance on Sunday was unacceptable. Hopefully, he just has to knock the rust off and will be fine moving forward. The team thinks so, at least.
Is it time to let CJGJ go? – Buffalo Rumblings
This is now 2 games where I see all the negativity pointed at the franchise because of one disrespectful player onour team. I believe its time to let this dude go as the Bills are a better franchise to allow someone that behaves like this to share the sideline with the other professionals on our team. I was willing to turn a blinde eye to some of his antics if he was giving us good production on the field but spitting on another player is downright dirty and disrespectful and I believe our team is better than that and should take these 2 weeks to trade for a replacement or find one sitting at home somewhere.
3 ‘things I think’ after a Giant flop against the Saints: Is it J.J. McCarthy time? – Big Blue View
New York Giants fans overwhelmingly believe J.J. McCarthy should be the team’s quarterback beginning this Sunday against the Houston Texans. Eighty-one percent of the 751 voters in our poll think McCarthy should replace Jameis Winston as the starter when the Giants face the Houston Texans this Sunday. Head coach John Harbaugh wasn’t ready to make that decision in his post-game press conference. “I can’t answer that now,” Harbaugh said. “The game just ended ten minutes ago. “It’s not even up for discussion or conversation right now. We’ve got to go back and go to work. I have no problem with Jameis whatsoever. I love the way he competes, I love the way he fights, all those kind of things. He was up and down today for sure, but those things will all be decided not ten minutes after a game.” It is, though, a decision Harbaugh has to make. When the Giants acquired McCarthy from the Minnesota Vikings a few weeks ago for a fifth-round pick, it seemed clear Harbaugh would face this decision at some point. I’m sure he knew that, too. I doubt, though, that anyone expected that choice to have to come now.
10 thoughts on the Cowboys loss to the Packers – Blogging The Boys
1) The no-show offense. In a game where the defense put together an admirable effort, the Cowboys’ offense decided to take the night off. They struggled to sustain drives, and when they did put anything together, they blew it by turning the ball over. Dak Prescott was picked off twice, once when he failed to locate a dropping defender, and then another time when CeeDee Lamb fell down. He was picked off later in the game, but a late-hit penalty negated that one. All the offense could muster was 13 points. It was their lowest-scoring outing of the season, beating the previous low of 16 last week. It was a puzzling disappearing act from a group that started the year doing pretty well. 2) Nothing for Dak. The Packers’ defense gave Prescott fits all night long. It was similar to last week against Tampa Bay when he was under duress a lot and everything he threw went into tight coverage. The Packers did a great job in their zone coverage and Dak just wasn’t able to effectively navigate through the traffic. The only stuff he could complete was short as he never found any success downfield. He looked frazzled in the pocket and never found any rhythm.
NFL predictions: Commanders vs 49ers in primetime – Hogs Haven
This game could lead to a lot of possible short- and long-term changes for the Washington Commanders. If they pull off the upset, hope for their season remains due to a weak NFC East. If they lose, the season becomes more bleak, but Dan Quinn likely plays out the string before an offseason of change for the franchise. If they have another embarrassing loss? Anything can happen after that.
Is Commanders coach Dan Quinn’s job in jeopardy after tie with Giants? – ESPN
Quinn has told people this week he still strongly believes in both first-year coordinators, Blough and Daronte Jones. That doesn’t mean Quinn and his staff receive a free pass. As one team source said, the losing would wear out anyone, including Harris. People who have worked for Harris say he separates emotion from his decision-making, but he’s also not immune to feeling a certain way. An ugly loss in San Francisco likely wouldn’t change anything about Quinn’s status, the source said. Still, the Commanders are 6-15-1 since the start of last season and 3-13-1 in their last 17 games. But, for now, they’re not looking at the past. “The sky is not falling right now,” Cosmi said. “We’ve got 70% of our games to go. Put your head down, keep working, learn from your mistakes and push forward. All the opportunity is there to win the division.”
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