Welcome to The Linc, the daily Philadelphia Eagles links roundup at Bleeding Green Nation!
Funny enough, the Eagles have actually had the most favorable whistle in the NFL this season in terms of net penalty yards (third-most beneficiary yards, 12th-fewest against yards). So, it’s not like Nick Sirianni has been on the bad side of the refs to a point where it’s hurting the team. But I’m sure he would like to get that fine wiped away.
Let’s get to the Philadelphia Eagles news and links …
Sources: Nick
Sirianni, Mike Vrabel among coaches fined for conduct toward refs – ESPN
The NFL fined Philadelphia Eagles coach Nick Sirianni $250,000 for conduct toward game officials, a source confirmed to ESPN on Wednesday night. New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel was fined the same amount for similar conduct, a league source confirmed to ESPN’s Mike Reiss. New York Jets coach Aaron Glenn also was fined $250,000, according to Sports Illustrated, which first reported the fines. The fines are temporarily on hold and can be repealed with good behavior, the source confirmed to ESPN, as the league tries to make a point to all coaches about their treatment of officials. It wasn’t immediately known when the fines were handed down or from what specific incidents they stemmed.
Eagles Film Analysis: Can empty formations help solve the offense’s pressure problems? – BGN
Empty won’t magically fix the Eagles’ protection, but the numbers give them an obvious place to start. Spread things out, build in clear answers, and give McKee and the rest of the offense a chance to find some rhythm. The stats do not lie. The frustrating part is how straightforward this is to identify through basic self-scouting.
Mina Kimes On Jalen Hurts Saga, Whether Eagles Can Compete With Tanner McKee At QB – PHLY Eagles Podcast
ESPN’s Mina Kimes joins the PHLY Eagles podcast with Bo Wulf and Brandon Lee Gowton to discuss the latest developments as Jalen Hurts sits on injured reserve with his future in the balance thanks to blood clots in his lungs. While we wish for the best for Hurts, the Eagles hand the ball to Tanner McKee, hoping to turn around what has been the worst offense in football this season. Does Sean Mannion have what it takes to design a new offense on the fly?
Sean Mannion remains Eagles’ play-caller. Can his offense work with Tanner McKee? – The Athletic
Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said “everything is on the table” to fix the offense. That will not include a change at play-caller — Sirianni said Mannion will remain in that role — nor changes to the coaching staff. It remains to be seen what will be different. Mannion made it sound as if the approach is no different than any other week, and that the search for answers isn’t any more pronounced on a four-game losing streak. “I think you look at a lot of the things that we need to improve, and I think they’re totally fixable,” Mannion said. “It’s a double-edged sword, right? You look at that, and you can get frustrated by it. You can also look at that and put a silver lining on it and say, ‘Man, if we just handle our simple stuff, we’re going to yield a better result.’” If it happens, it must happen with McKee. But it won’t be without Hurts’ presence. Mannion said Hurts has “been around.” He expects Hurts to be a resource for McKee this season. “He’s got a ton of starts in this league, especially going against a slate of division opponents coming up,” Mannion said of Hurts. “He’s played against these guys a bunch. I know Tanner’s been around for that, too, but I think the insight that you have from being on the field is so valuable. … It’s just the game experience and the insight of playing specifically these upcoming opponents. I think Jalen will be able to give Tanner some great help there.”
Senator Lisa Blunt Rochester seeks answers from Roger Goodell regarding the Jalen Hurts situation – PFT
Someone also should ask whether the league will implement a protocol for blood clots and other potentially serious health conditions, similar to the procedures utilized for diagnosing concussions and clearing players to return to play. The league has used an unaffiliated neurotrauma consultant in such situations for 17 years, in order to counter the inherent biases of doctors hired by the various teams. The NFL Players Association has requested a full investigation. Under the Collective Bargaining Agreement, it has the absolute right to initiate one. Congress, through its oversight powers as to an industry that enjoys a federal broadcast antitrust exemption, also has the ability to investigate. Given the league’s effort to sweep this one under the rug and move on, anyone with the power to force the NFL to answer for the Hurts situation absolutely should.
Philly fans are expressing love for Jalen Hurts through various get-well cards: ‘Everybody has Jalen’s back and supports him’ – Inquirer
“Next day, got the text, ‘Jalen’s got the card and he’s very thankful,’” Petrilli said. “That’s what we do at Club Hurts. We bring people together, and we have QB1’s back.’ The card was delivered to Hurts before fans knew the extent of his injury. Now, with the quarterback likely missing the rest of the season after blood clots were found in his lungs, Petrilli hopes to continue to support the Super Bowl LIX MVP from the sideline. “We should be counting out blessings a little bit that we’ve had a guy like this in our lives for the last five, six years,” Petrilli said. “He’s been consistently winning football games for us, let alone just being the great person that he is in the community here. “Hopefully, he doesn’t really let this rub him the wrong way with the franchise, and he can keep being a part of the community here because he’s done so many great things. We want to keep helping those things that Jalen’s been pushing with his own charity aspects and just keep bringing the positivity that Jalen does in this city.”
What’s going on with Cooper DeJean’s tackling issues? – NBCSP
Throughout the first two seasons of his NFL career, Eagles defensive back Cooper DeJean was such a sure tackler. That hasn’t been the case this year. So what gives? “I don’t know,” DeJean said after the loss to the Panthers on Sunday afternoon. “I just have to find ways to get guys down. Part of it is different angles and where I’m hitting the guys. But I have no doubt that I’m going to continue to work on that and fix that. I’ve continued to work on it the last couple of weeks especially and will continue to, to be better in that area.” Missed tackles aren’t an official stat and they’re subjective. So there’s no official tally of how many missed tackles DeJean has this season. But by all accounts, he’s among the league leaders. According to ProFootballFocus, DeJean leads the NFL with 12 missed tackles this season. And among 82 defensive backs with at least 300 snaps, he’s at the very top of the list. His missed tackle rate of 24.5% is the third-worst among that group behind just Tre’Von Moehrig (30.8%) and C.J. Gardner-Johnson (25.7%).
2026 NFL offensive line rankings: Lions retain top spot, Browns ascend – PFF
18) PHILADELPHIA EAGLES. This Eagles offensive line is down three starters from the start of the season, and there were plenty of concerns coming out of Sunday’s loss to the Carolina Panthers. On the plus side, Jordan Mailata and Markel Bell didn’t allow any pressures from 52 pass-blocking snaps, and the same was true of Willie Lampkin at left guard. Center Jake Majors struggled again, though, yielding four pressures for the second straight week. On top of that, the group as a whole had trouble getting much going on the ground, with the Eagles averaging just 2.7 yards per carry.
Game Review – CAR 25, PHI 14 – Iggles Blitz
OFFENSIVE LINE — Not a good showing. This group was starting their second game in a row, but there were times you’d have thought they never met. There was way too much confusion on who to block. Some of that may go to the communication McKee mentioned, but there were too many plays with confusion. Some of that is on the scheme. Some is on coaching. Some is on the players just not being on the same page. They are not seeing things the same way and that leads to blown assignments. Willie Lampkin made his second start and was solid. There are times when he gets physically overwhelmed, but I love his effort and tenacity. He blocks to the whistle. He hustles downfield to help his teammates up. If you could put his intangibles in Tyler Steen’s body, you’d have one hell of a blocker. Jake Majors got the start at center and struggled. He showed real promise in London, but wasn’t nearly as good this time out. He got overpowered at times. He also struggled with quick moves. Markel Bell had a solid showing.
The Best Bets of NFL Week 7 – The Ringer
No matter how bad the Dallas defense is, the Eagles have the worst offense in the NFL by my power ratings right now. Maybe they’ll ditch the under-center looks and try to go more shotgun spread to salvage the offense, but I doubt it. This season is quickly spiraling for Philadelphia, and we have not hit the bottom yet. Bet: Dallas -4.5 (-110)
Jordan Mailata: There is ‘so much opportunity for our young guys’ – PhiladelphiaEagles.com
The phrase “next man up” has been the story of the season for the Eagles, particularly for Mailata’s offensive line. Guard Landon Dickerson was placed on Injured Reserve just after Week 1, future Hall of Fame right tackle Lane Johnson retired before taking part in Week 4’s matchup against the Rams, and longtime center Cam Jurgens was traded to the Ravens before Week 5. “As much adversity as we’ve handled, it also has created so much opportunity for our young guys. And so that’s what I keep focusing on,” Mailata said. “Our room might be the most perfect example of the next man up. Look at who we have right now.” Second-year interior offensive linemen Drew Kendall and Willie Lampkin entered the starting lineup in the absence of Dickerson and Jurgens. When Johnson retired, rookie third-round draft pick Markel Bell became the starter at right tackle. A fifth-round draft pick by the Eagles in 2025, Kendall started three games at center before suffering a knee injury against the Rams. This opened an opportunity for second-year center Jake Majors, who was signed from the practice squad and started against the Jaguars and Panthers. “There are things I can control – My emotions, my direction, and how I lead this team,” Mailata said. “Pouring into Tanner McKee, pouring into Willie Lampkin, pouring into Jake Majors, Markel Bell, that’s all I think about.”
Is starting J.J. McCarthy the right choice? BBV staff weighs in – Big Blue View
Valentine’s View — It feels like the move to McCarthy was inevitable since the Giants surrendered a fifth-round draft pick to acquire him. In an ideal world, Harbaugh might have waited until after the BYE week to make this move. Then again, the Giants have not been living in an ideal world since the moment Jaxson Dart was lost for the season. Fact is, the Giants have been in survival mode. They are going to be in survival mode all season, doing the best they can with backup quarterbacks they did not plan on playing. McCarthy is not Dart. He does, though, give the Giants the opportunity to be the offense they want to be rather than the offense they have to be with Winston. There is more upside there, though nobody knows if McCarthy will be better or worse than Winston has been. It is still going to be a wild ride. I get it, though.
CB Paulson Adebo designated for return; OL Josh Sills signed to active roster – New York Giants
[Former Eagles] Offensive lineman Josh Sills, who has appeared in 21 career games over three seasons, was also signed to the active roster from the Colts’ practice squad.
Cowboys trade rumor: Dallas linked to Cardinals pass rusher Josh Sweat – Blogging The Boys
The Dallas Cowboys are being connected to yet another trade rumor. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler mentioned on Wednesday that the Cowboys could be interested in Arizona Cardinals pass rusher Josh Sweat. It is worth mentioning that Dallas hosts Arizona next Sunday afternoon.
Commanders QB Jayden Daniels is back, but will it matter in 2026? – Hogs Haven
Right now, there does seem to be a disconnect when it comes to head coach, the offensive coordinator, and the quarterback. Blough has never been an OC before, and while he appears to have a pretty decent playbook, there’s the time it takes to learn what’s best for your quarterback and how to sequence plays for your entire offense. Blough certainly knows Daniels from his time as the team’s assistant quarterbacks coach in 2024 and 2025, but it’s different when you’re in charge of the whole thing. So, it could well be that the 2026 season will be more about ironing out all the schisms, and less about Daniels letting it fly as he reclaims his powers after the injuries in 2025 and 2026 that held him back. That he does have those powers back is exciting. How they’ll be utilized, however, is still a very large question mark. And at 1-4-1 with a Week 7 bye, the Commanders don’t have time to raise more questions. That extra time should (and must) be spent finding answers.
Disney’s Star Wars Super Bowl should be between these teams – SB Nation
Super Bowl LXI marks the first time that the Disney family of networks will be broadcasting the big game, and that means endless opportunities for synergy and cross-promotional branding (get hyped). We’ve seen various experiments in alternate broadcasts over the years, notably with ManningCast for Monday Night Football, and Nickelodeon versions on Paramount+, but Disney is taking it a step further with the announcement that the Super Bowl itself will be broadcast with an alternate Star Wars stream.
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