Welcome to The Linc, the daily Philadelphia Eagles links roundup at Bleeding Green Nation!
The Eagles have an offensive coordinator who really wants to focus on the run game? That’s music to the ears of Birds fans. While I’m feeling unsure about Philadelphia’s offense as a whole, I do have hope for their rushing attack. There were positive signs in the ground game during Eagles training camp.
Let’s get to the Philadelphia Eagles news and links …
Eagles notebook: Everything we know about Sean Mannion’s
run game going into Week 1 – PHLY
The first time Sean Mannion stood in front of the Eagles offensive players, the new coordinator delivered a clear message about where the group needed to begin. “He got up there and said, ‘Our foundation is outside zone,” Eagles right tackle Jordan Mailata said Friday. “Everything is going to start from that.’” After an offseason full of intrigue about what the Eagles’ revamped offense will look like under Sean Mannion, things are starting to come into better focus in the closing days before the season opener against the Washington Commanders. Much of the discourse and scrutiny from afar has come around the pass game. Jalen Hurts’ interception tally became a topic of conversation during training camp as Mannion installed the new system, and the questions about how the former Green Bay Packers quarterbacks coach could get the best out of Hurts has been central over the last few months, as well. But Mannion’s eyes are fixed on what he refers to as, “the engine.” For as much change as this scheme will bring — and there will be plenty as Hurts shifts to being under center more with a focus on outside zone rather than “tight” zone — what won’t change, it seems, is the philosophy from past iterations of this Eagles offense built around the run game first and foremost. “Since he’s been here, he’s put an emphasis on it,” Eagles right guard Tyler Steen said. “Coming from a former quarterback, that’s been pretty cool to see. I think he realizes a lot of the stuff that we do is going to come off the run game, so he wants to put a lot of emphasis on it.”
Jalen Hurts talks about his relationship with Philadelphia – BGN
As we get closer to the Eagles season opener, Jalen Hurts has been making the rounds and giving interviews, but his recent sit-down with Jason Dumas for 6abc Philadelphia showed that the QB will open up if asked the right questions. Fans want to hear Hurts appreciate the city, and he revealed that he would have a hard time finding the words to explain just how special it is.
Eagles-Commanders Final Preview: Jalen Hurts’ Quest For Another Super Bowl Begins NOW | PHLY Eagles YouTube
Jalen Hurts is primed to once again be the focus of Philadelphia and the entire football world. As he embarks on a prove-it season without A.J. Brown, with Sean Mannion in charge of the offense and a new cast of wide receivers surrounding DeVonta Smith, it’s time to learn what the league’s most handsome quarterback can do again. Deniz Selman is on hand to help preview what to expect from Washington, Brandon Lee Gowton tells us what he’s watching for on Sunday, EJ Smith checks in from the Eagles facility and Bo Wulf keeps things moving along.
A casual fan’s catch-up guide to the Eagles’ offseason – PhillyVoice
Makai Lemon is the only player above who is likely to get any real playing time, barring injuries to other veterans on the team. You might ask, “How does he look?” Well, your guess is as good as mine, since we barely saw him, as he was rehabbing a hamstring injury all summer. (In the rare times we did get to see him though… 😬.) Among the guys taken really late in the draft, the most newsworthy selection was native Nigerian Uar Bernard, who had never played a down of football in his life. Fun story, but for the purposes of getting you caught up on this season, he won’t be a factor anytime soon.
More Game Talk – WAS at PHI – Iggles Blitz
Commanders fans and media members have a surprising amount of confidence in the team. Most outsiders see Washington as one of the worst teams in the league. What gives? The thinking seems to be that Jayden Daniels is healthy and driven to show that he can be the dynamic QB we saw in 2024. They feel the roster is better than 2024, when the team went 12-5 and reached the NFC title game. No one thinks they will win 12 games, but there is a belief the team could finish with a winning record. Washington has two new coordinators and both are doing this for the first time at the NFL level. There are new schemes on offense and defense. The team has already dealt with some injuries, most notably LT Laremy Tunsil. The team didn’t have great depth to begin with and that will start to be really tested as the season goes along. The defense was dead last in yards allowed last year and didn’t make significant upgrades. They added some talented pieces, but I don’t know that they did enough to become a Top 20 defense. Does the offense have enough firepower to win a bunch of shootouts? Basically all this optimism is about Daniels. He sure looked like a special talent as a rookie. He is healthy once again, but that doesn’t guarantee that he’ll have the same level of success. We’ve seen plenty of QBs have a big year and then not match that level in the future. This season will tell us a lot about Daniels.
Roob’s Random Observations: Can Eagles earn #1 defense ranking after 45 years? – NBCSP
NO. 1 RANKING WITHIN REACH?:” It’s been 45 years since the Eagles had the No. 1 defense in the NFL in terms of points allowed. You have to go back to 1981, when defensive coordinator Marion Campbell’s group allowed just 200 points in 16 games, just 12.5 per game. The Eagles are officially listed allowing 221 points and 13.8 per game, but those numbers include three return touchdowns the Eagles allowed that year. Why the NFL includes return touchdowns in their defensive rankings I’ll never understand. But they do. But that was almost half a century ago, and there have been only three other years the Eagles had the No. 1 scoring defense in the league: 1949 (10.6 points per game), 1950 (10.6 points per game) and 1980 (13.0 per game). They’ve been No. 2 seven times, most recently 2001, 2002 and 2004 under Jim Johnson and 2024 under Vic Fangio. All of which leads us to this year. Can the Eagles earn that No. 1 ranking for the first time since 1981? I don’t see why not. They have the deepest defensive line in the NFL, an all-pro at linebacker, two all-pros at cornerback and a Hall of Fame-caliber coach running the show. The only possible areas of concern are second linebacker, where Jihaad Campbell has a world of potential but is largely unproven, and safety, manned by veteran Marcus Epps and 2nd-year pro Drew Mukuba. But nobody has an all-pro at all 11 spots, and the Eagles are deep and more talented than just about anybody. The defense has six starters who’ve made a Pro Bowl and that doesn’t include guys like Jordan Davis, Moro Ojomo, Jalyx Hunt and Nolan Smith, who are all capable of playing at that level. They can rush the passer, they can stuff the run, they can cover, they can tackle. And most of them have been together for three years and know how to play well together. A big part of earning the No. 1 ranking is having an offense that’s not going 3-and-out all the time and forcing the defense to play too many series and too many snaps. Complimentary football makes things easier on both sides of the ball. So that’s something to keep an eye on because this offense has a lot to prove. We’ll see how that piece of it goes. There are some outstanding defenses in the NFL, starting with DeMeco Ryans’ Texans group, the Broncos, Spags’ Chiefs and the Seahawks, who were No. 1 last year. The Eagles are right up there with all of them. With the talent they brought back plus key offseason additions – mainly Riq Woolen and Jonathan Greenard but also A.J. Epenesa and Arnold Ebikitie – the potential is certainly there for the Eagles to reclaim that No. 1 ranking after 45 years.
Will the Eagles beat the Commanders? 6 burning questions for Week 1 – The Athletic
What’s your Eagles-Commanders prediction? Kubena: Much will be made of the Eagles debuting a new offense — and it will be warranted. But the Commanders are doing the same thing. The Commanders also have one of the NFL’s weaker defensive lineups, especially in the secondary. First-year Commanders DC Daronte Jones was the Minnesota Vikings’ pass game coordinator last year, against whom Hurts authored the best regular-season performance of his career in becoming the 82nd quarterback in NFL history to finish a game with a perfect passer rating. The calculus and strategy of the 2026 Eagles’ passing game is vastly different, but can it find similar weaknesses to exploit? Eagles 30, Commanders 17. Berman: I don’t anticipate as many points as you do. The element of surprise with coordinator changes could work for both teams, but I can see a sluggish start — especially for the passing game — and I don’t see the firepower from the Commanders. The Eagles will control the ball on the ground; Smith will be heavily targeted (and productive) to move the chains, but it won’t produce a big scoring output. On defense, the Eagles’ secondary will limit Washington in the passing game. The Eagles should win up front, too. Daniels is the wild card. They need to keep him from explosive plays with his legs. The Eagles are 5.5-point favorites. I see an Eagles win to advance to 6-0 in season openers in the Sirianni Era, but not a blowout. Eagles 24, Commanders 19.
NFL Week 1 predictions: Upsets, fantasy sleepers, stat lines – ESPN
Bowen predicts three players to score touchdowns — DeVonta Smith, WR, Philadelphia Eagles. After A.J. Brown was traded to the Patriots, Smith elevated to the No. 1 role in Philly. So, the volume will be there for him versus the Commanders’ defense. Plus, we should expect more West Coast passing concepts under new offensive coordinator Sean Mannion. Watch for Smith, who has 12 touchdown receptions over his past two seasons, to score on a catch-and-run target.
NFL Week 1 picks: Upset and score predictions, matchup breakdowns for every game – NFL.com
Why Gennaro picked the Eagles: This matchup would have garnered a whole lot more attention in Week 1 of last season, when it could’ve served as an instant rematch of the previous campaign’s NFC title game. But these two division rivals have gone in different directions since they met on Championship Sunday back in late January of 2025. Philadelphia, of course, went on to win its second Super Bowl that February, and although the Eagles dealt with their fair share of drama this past season, they still became the NFC East’s first repeat winners in 21 years. Washington, meanwhile, completely came apart in 2025. Injuries spoiled Jayden Daniels’ sophomore effort, while Dan Quinn’s defense gave up the most yards in the league. GM Adam Peters aggressively rebuilt the Commanders’ D in free agency and the draft, but I’m not convinced that’ll be a quick fix. More concerningly, I have serious doubts about Daniels’ supporting cast, especially the Laremy Tunsil-less offensive line. That’s a recipe for disaster against Vic Fangio’s defense. Sure, the Eagles’ edge group has question marks, but the front is spearheaded by the devastating DT duo of Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis. Even if Jayden can avoid those 650 pounds of PAIN, Philly has two athletic linebackers (Zack Baun and Jihaad Campbell) to track the fleet-footed quarterback and a pair of first-team All-Pro cover men (Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean) to close his passing lanes. Nick Sirianni improves to 6-0 in Week 1.
Spadaro: 6 things to watch in Sunday’s season opener vs. Commanders – PhiladelphiaEagles.com
Eagles fans need to bring it! It’s the opening game of the season. It’s Washington, an NFC East foe, and a team that generally plays very well against the Eagles. The home crowd needs to make a difference and, as we know, Eagles fans are the best. Don’t believe this perspective? How about the facts, ma’am … According to Commercial Acoustics, which ranks league stadiums by loudness each year, Lincoln Financial Field is the sixth loudest in the league (fourth of the non-domed stadiums) with a “loudness index” of 91 out of a possible 100. Also consider this: In the 2025 season, Sharp Football Analytics listed the Eagles as the team with the third-best home-field advantage, with Lincoln Financial Field ranking third in generating pre-snap or holding penalties. So, yeah, everything matters here. The fans, please bring your A game!
Patriots place A.J. Brown on injured reserve, per report – Pats Pulpit
Brown underwent additional testing on Thursday, confirming the initial diagnosis of a high-ankle sprain and putting his projected recovery timeline somewhere between four and six weeks. “He’s going to fight hard to get back and whatever it is, I know he’s going to want to get back out there quick,” said quarterback Drake Maye after the game in Seattle. “I think he’s a competitor and he’s going to help this football team for a lot of this year.” Now on injured reserve, Brown will at least miss New England’s games against the Steelers, Jaguars, Bills and Raiders. In a follow-up move, the team signed defensive tackle DaQuan Jones to fill his spot on the 53-man roster.
Cowboys injuries: Dallas running back ruled out after Friday injury – Blogging The Boys
Ahead of their game against the New York Giants, the Dallas Cowboys were handed some inopportune injury news. Dallas just recently placed Tyler Smith on injured reserve but otherwise had been mostly healthy in the week leading up to their opener against the New York Giants. Things took a turn today during Friday’s practice and leaves the Cowboys with an immediate hole to fill two days before the game. Malik Davis left practice today with a hip injury and he has been ruled out. Davis had a great summer and fought off Jaydon Blue and Phil Mafah to secure the backup running back job. With Davis out this week, that leaves heavier workload for Javonte Williams and new Cowboys running back Emari Demercado.
Terry McLaurin among five Commanders key to Week 1 clash vs. Eagles – Hogs Haven
C Nick Allegretti. Including the veteran center here is a statement of the obvious. Nick Allegretti missed most of training camp and the preseason with a calf strain that wouldn’t get right. He revved things up over the past week-plus and is now physically ready to go. His lack of reps with Jayden Daniels can’t be allowed to negatively impact Washington in this one, so his help with protection calls and checks must be spot on. Then there’s the unenviable task of handling Philadelphia’s defensive front, featuring Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis. Allegretti and the Commanders interior must win consistently at the point of attack – surely with some schematic help – and be impactful on the inside. Major gaffes could lead to game-changing plays. Allegretti must avoid those at all costs.
Malik Nabers questionable for NY Giants vs. Cowboys on Sunday – Big Blue View
Malik Nabers is listed as questionable by the New York Giants for Sunday night’s season-opening game against the Dallas Cowboys. Nabers, working his way back from a Week 4 torn ACL last season, was a full practice participant all three days this week. No other Giant carries an injury designation heading into the game. For the Cowboys, running back Malik Davis (hip) is out. Nabers had said Thursday that the Giants were leaving the decision up to him.
NFL preview 2026: Power rankings, picks, award predictions, and more – SB Nation
Every generation has a deeply held belief that their era was the “best.” Whether it be through social movements, music, art, or sports — there’s always the pervasive notion that one generation was better than all others. When it comes to the NFL this simply isn’t the case. We are living in the golden age of NFL football, and it’s high time we appreciated it more. There has never been a time when over 20 teams in the league had legitimate quarterbacks. No time where the margins in pro football were narrower. Parity has come to dominate the NFL, and while there will always been the elite, building, and struggling — the lines have been blurred between these stratifications to the point where anyone can win, not just on a week-to-week basis, but across entire seasons. The NFL is a place where preconceived notions are ripped apart at a moment’s notice. It seemed unthinkable that the Seahawks would hoist the Lombardi Trophy 365 days ago, or that the Patriots would be the team across the field from them. Everything we think we know about football right now is going to change over the next 17 weeks.
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