Welcome to The Linc, the daily Philadelphia Eagles links roundup at Bleeding Green Nation!
The Eagles aren’t being fair to Makai Lemon by putting him on the field before he’s fully ready. There should be more of a timeshare when it comes to the third wide receiver role, at least early on in the season as Lemon is still catching up to speed. They’re also not doing him any favors by how they’re utilizing him on designed touches where the defense does not look fooled at all. Now, watch Lemon go out and
have a big game against the Titans on Sunday.
Let’s get to the Philadelphia Eagles news and links …
Roob’s Random Observations: What do the Eagles need to fix immediately? – NBCSP
GET MAKAI LEMON OUTTA THERE: Not saying Makai Lemon is a bust. Way too early for that kind of talk. But he just doesn’t seem to be in a place right now where he’s confident enough in himself and comfortable enough in this offense to make plays to help the Eagles win football games. The Eagles have a pretty good slot option in Elijah Moore, who averaged 50 catches for over 500 yards per season from 2021 through 2024 and is coming off a solid training camp. Moore isn’t a superstar, but he’s a proven NFL veteran who looked good in this offense while Lemon was sitting out camp with a hamstring injury. Why Lemon played 35 offensive snaps Sunday while Moore was inactive, I don’t understand. Lemon had four targets for negative-five yards Sunday, becoming the sixth NFL WR since 1977, as far back as target totals are available on Stathead, to have at least four targets for negative five yards or less. He’s the second WR since 1977 with negative-five or fewer yards in his NFL debut, following Brandon Banks of Washington in 2010. And he’s the first 1st-round WR with negative-5 or fewer yards in a game since Jalen Reagor had minus-6 against the Chargers in 2021. He’s also the first 1st-round WR ever with minus-5 or fewer yards in his NFL debut. He just doesn’t look ready. The Eagles seem committed to getting him going and maybe he’ll start turning things around Sunday against a bad Titans team. But the guy I saw out there against Washington just didn’t look NFL ready.
Film Preview: Eagles should have success against this Titans defense – BGN
I expected a Robert Saleh defense to be relatively simple to identify. He usually has plenty of zone coverage, four-man rushes, and a front that lets its best players get after the quarterback. That is broadly what Tennessee showed against the Jets. I did not expect so much confusion behind it. The secondary repeatedly lost track of assignments after ordinary motion and shifts, the pass rush barely affected Geno Smith, and the run fits broke down in some surprisingly basic ways. This was a poor defensive performance. The Eagles just have to hope for more of the same this week…
NFC East Mixtape Vol. 190: Week 2 Preview | Someone Will Be 0-2 – NFC East Mixtape YouTube
A new week is upon us and it is a big one for the NFC East. The currently first-place New York Giants will look to prove to everyone that they are fully for real, and with a Monday Night Football stage against the Los Angeles Rams if they do so… things might really be legitimate. This should be an easy week for the Philadelphia Eagles with the Tennessee Titans on deck… right? Elsewhere the battle of the 0-1 teams is upon us as the Dallas Cowboys host the Washington Commanders. Somebody will find some optimism with a win… and somebody is going to fall to 0-2 overall AND within the division. RJ Ochoa and Brandon Gowton discuss it all on the latest NFC East Mixtape! You can see that we have a BRAND NEW NFC East Mixtape YouTube Channel so make sure to subscribe as the show will live here exclusively in video format. AND you can also listen to the show! On Blogging The Boys and/or Bleeding Green Nation podcast feeds as well as the SB Nation NFL Show feed!
Titans vs. Eagles predictions: Pain – Music City Miracles
I’d love to have a positive prediction for the Tennessee Titans in their week two matchup with the Philadelphia Eagles, but I honestly cannot come up with one. The Titans looked so bad against the New York Jets last week. The Eagles are a much better team than the Jets. There is no reason to think this week will look any different. Hats off to any of you who are going to the game on Sunday. It is going to be 100 degrees, and the stadium is going to be mostly Eagles fans. That doesn’t sound like a fun afternoon to me.
Game Preview – PHI at TEN – Iggles Blitz
Improved OL play will help the passing game as well. Geno Smith was 19 for 24 last week vs Tennessee and wasn’t sacked once. Hurts was 14 for 25 vs Washington and got sacked 3 times. Give Hurts a cleaner pocket and his numbers should go up. It will also help if the Eagles face fewer 3rd & long situations. As for the Eagles defense, they won’t be facing a dynamic QB or offense this week. Tennessee gained 195 yards and scored 10 points last week. Cam Ward is 3-15 in his 18 career starts. The Titans have scored more than 24 points three times in that stretch. Ward is an athletic QB with good mobility, but he doesn’t like to run. He moves around to buy time as a passer. That would be great if he had a better OL and his receivers got open more consistently. Ward has developed bad habits with his mechanics and that leads to some erratic throws.
Eagles’ new perspective for ’26: Don’t ‘let anyone steal our joy’ – ESPN
The Philadelphia Eagles beat the Washington Commanders 24-22 in the season opener and were consciously making an effort in the game’s aftermath to let that be enough. “Last year, I know everyone [would] try to make something of, we won by two points. We’re not getting on that this year. And that’s a beautiful thing,” running back Saquon Barkley said. “We come out with a win, we’re going to be happy, we’re going to celebrate and we’re going to flush it and move on and get ready for next week.” That was the core of coach Nick Sirianni’s postgame message to the team, players said: that, as receiver/returner Britain Covey put it, “We’re not going to let anyone steal our joy from the wins.” Philadelphia has felt like Whoville at times in recent years, with inflated expectations and over analysis swiping the gift of victory with a Grinch-like harshness. Such an environment — where there’s such angst over a four-year stretch in which the team has gone 51-18, reached two Super Bowl and won one — is only possible when outsized standards are enforced by members of the organization and its city alike. And it’s no coincidence that the mood inside the locker room and out was at its most sullen in 2023 and ’25, two seasons following Super Bowl runs when good was in the shadows of great.
Eagles vs. Titans: Predictions, odds, injury updates, and why everyone is talking about the weather in Week 2 – Inquirer
Davis, who is from North Carolina and played his college football at Georgia and all across the American South, knew he was in for a long day long before the game started. “It’s when you’re walking out, the warmup before the warmup, and you’re already sweating in like two minutes,” he said. “You didn’t even finish stretching yet, and you’re dripping. “I don’t like that feeling.” He won’t be able to avoid it Sunday. The Eagles and Titans play in Nashville at noon local time, and the city is under a heat advisory. Temperatures are expected to be in the mid-90s, and the feel on the field could reach triple digits, just like it did in Tampa, Fla., each of the last two years. Nick Sirianni studies everything his team does, down to travel times and all that goes into a trip. The Eagles had another early-season game in Tampa last year, and they took their data from 2024 and left a day earlier to try to acclimate. Sirianni doesn’t like to be entirely results-oriented, but the Eagles left Florida with a 31-25 victory. That’s in part why they left for Tennessee on Friday evening. “It benefited us,” Sirianni said of leaving early last year, “and that’s why we decided to do that again.”
Eagles-Titans prediction and burning questions: Replacing Dickerson, Hurts vs. Saleh – The Athletic
What are you watching from the Eagles’ defense vs. the Titans? Kubena: What level of health do Jalen Carter and Cooper DeJean appear to be playing at? Carter was wearing a cast on his right wrist in practice and said he may wear it in the game. DeJean is managing calf and abdomen injuries from last week’s game against the Commanders, which affected his coverage. DeJean appeared to be putting up a tough front by saying at his locker he was fine, given that he missed Wednesday’s practice and returned with limitations Thursday. One could argue that Carter’s and DeJean’s availability is most critical to how defensive coordinator Vic Fangio organizes his game plan. The Eagles’ fanbase watched Dickerson struggle in Week 1 while playing through bone bruising in his right knee. How effective will Carter and DeJean be below 100 percent health? Berman: The pass rush. The Eagles had one sack last week on a blitz, although they had a 40 percent pressure rate. “I thought our pass rush overall, when our guys that mainly rushed the passer, was inconsistent and really wasn’t good enough,” Fangio said. It’s hard to take down Jayden Daniels, and Jalyx Hunt’s seven pressures tied for the fifth most in the NFL. But sacks matter — they’re negative plays. The Jets sacked Cam Ward three times last week. All three were by edge rushers. My sense is the Eagles’ defense can dominate this game, but it will need a strong pass rush.
Wulf: Re-casting Remember The Titans with the Eagles locker room – PHLY Eagles
Wulf: Last one is the guy who’s, like, the racist fullback who quit the team. Now, we’re not calling anyone, but who’s got the look of that? Davis: I can’t even say. I can’t even say. Wulf: I’ll give you — Davis: I can’t even say. I wanna hear your answer, though, I’m curious. Wulf: Andy Dalton is who I have on the list. Davis: Wow! Andy! Where is he? Wulf: (Chuckles) Davis: Oo, Andy would be pissed to hear you say that. Wulf: I mean — Davis: Nah, I can’t say. Wulf: There are some other ones, maybe Rocco Underwood, but I think that’s good enough. Davis: I’ll say, give it an opponent team. Wulf: Oh, that’s good. Davis: Cam Skattebo.
Spadaro: Game Preview at Titans, 6 storylines to follow – PhiladelphiaEagles.com
2) With that, the offense looks for the next step. The win over Washington was significant for a lot of reasons and the big-play offense, mostly in the passing game. Washington brought a lot of pressure and the Eagles took advantage down the field. But the Eagles also talked during the week about “being behind schedule” on offense, meaning they were in too many “second-and-pass and third-and-long” situations, as quarterback Jalen Hurts said. So, the Eagles want to have a much more productive first-down scenario that leads to all kinds of options on second and third downs. The Titans played pretty well defensively against the Jets in Week 1 and there is talent on that side of the ball and Saleh always has a good scheme. This will be, as Hurts said, “a challenge” for the offense.
Danny Gray: Cut from Eagles’ practice squad injured list – CBS Sports
Now that he’s a free agent, Gray will be eligible to sign and play for a team once he’s fully healthy, though his best chance of inking a deal would be to sign with an organization’s practice squad.
Giants at Rams: Aaron Donald to play, Puka Nacua doesn’t practice – Big Blue View
The New York Giants got a mixed bag of news with respect to their opponents on Monday Night Football. Future Hall Of Fame defensive tackle Aaron Donald told reporters on Friday that he plans to play Monday night. At the same time, it was reported that receivers Puka Nacua and Jordan Whittington didn’t practice on Friday. That comes as a bit of good news for the Giants. There has been some question as to how much Donald will be able to contribute in his first game back after two years of retirement. It’s a valid question, however the Giants should prepare for Donald at his best.
Four Commanders players Washington should use more vs. Dallas Cowboys – Hogs Haven
CB Rasul Douglas — Rasul Douglas played 17 defensive snaps at cornerback against the Eagles, while Mike Saintisril and Amik Robertson played all but one combined. Douglas was the third cornerback in that instance, but there are reasons why it might be smart to move him to No. 2 against the Cowboys. First, there’s Douglas’ 6-foot-2, 192-pound frame. Then there’s his adept play in zone and his penchant for taking the ball away. That may be beneficial against Dallas, a team featuring larger receivers in CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens. Then we’ve got the Sainristil problem, after the far shorter cornerback inexplicably allowed an explosive play down the sideline and an easy touchdown for Philadelphia. Both plays have drawn heavy criticism and simply can’t happen again. Starting Douglas while using Sainristil almost exclusively in the slot might help the secondary overall. The Commanders could use a third safety in those instances if Sainristil makes another big mistake.
Cowboys vs Commanders: 3 causes for concern in Week 2 – Blogging The Boys
The Cowboys dropping to 0-2 would be so glorious.
3) 0-2 Potential playoff implications. As we mentioned at the top, falling to 0-2 is basically the kiss of death to your playoff hopes. To make matters worse, whatever team loses this game will not just have a 0-2 record overall but in the division as well. This would make it very difficult for that team to win any potential divisional tiebreaks come season’s end. Since 2015, only one team (the 2025 Chicago Bears) has lost their first two games of the season to divisional opponents and still went on to win their division that year. It’s safe to say there will be plenty of urgency on both sides to win this game. With Dallas’ brutal upcoming five-game stretch, it is absolutely paramount they find a way to win on Sunday and avoid digging themselves into an early-season hole too deep to climb out of.
The Patriots are the new masters of off-field drama – SB Nation
Hate on the Belichick/Brady era of the Patriots all you want, but it was incredibly impressive how the Patriots’ organization at the time managed to keep a drama-free house — at least when it came to public attention. Bill was the master of press conference deflection, gruffly ensuring he wouldn’t give away a single soundbite that hinted at off-field issues, while Tom was gifted at posturing himself as a naive puppy dog about everything except football. Cracks appeared over the years, especially with SpyGate and DeflateGate, but these were inherently football issues that caused football drama. This new iteration of the Pats, with Belichick and Brady in the rear view, they just can’t stop shooting themselves in the foot for no apparent reason. In the span of the last week we have two major points of off-field drama for the Patriots, courtesy of team owner Robert Kraft, and more recently running back running back TreVeyon Henderson. This all comes off the back of an off-season in which the team needed to deflect at every turn after photos emerged of head coach Mike Vrabel allegedly involved in a relationship with NFL Insider Diana Russini.
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