Welcome to The Linc, the daily Philadelphia Eagles links roundup at Bleeding Green Nation!
With Daron Payne getting hurt and Javon Kinlaw already ruled out, the Commanders are set to be without their top two interior defensive linemen against the Eagles in Week 8. Philadelphia is banged up at running back … but Saquon Barkley is going to give it a go with only Elijah Mitchell and Jaydon Blue backing him up. Seems like the Eagles will have opportunities to run the ball against this Washington defense.
Let’s get to the Philadelphia Eagles news and links …
Sources: Commanders’ Daron Payne likely IR-bound after practice injury – ESPN
Washington Commanders defensive tackle Daron Payne suffered a significant foot injury in practice Friday that likely will land him on injured reserve, sources told NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo. The injury occurred during a team drill on a day that is considered a light practice. He’ll undergo more tests Saturday, but initial X-rays showed significant damage, a team source told ESPN. Depending on what the additional tests reveal, it’s possible Payne, who’s in the final year of his contract, will be done for the season. It’s yet another blow for the Commanders, who are 1-4-1 in a pivotal third season for coach Dan Quinn. They also will be without their other starting defensive end, Javon Kinlaw, for Sunday’s game against the Philadelphia Eagles (2-5) because of a knee injury.
Eagles at Commanders Game Preview: 5 questions and answers with the Week 8 enemy – BGN
The Philadelphia Eagles are riding a five-game losing streak entering Sunday Night Football against the Washington Commanders, a team they beat in the season opener. Can the Birds win a game for the first time since September 20? In order to preview this Week 8 NFC East battle, I reached out to our enemies over at Hogs Haven. The amicable Andrew Y kindly kindly took the time to answer my questions about this upcoming battle. Let’s take a look at the answers.
NFC East Mixtape VOL. 202: Can Dallas build? | PHI/WAS | Giants Outlook – NFC East Mixtape
It feels like the NFC East has been whittled down to two teams, and only one of them is playing this week in the Dallas Cowboys. Is there any way that they can build on Monday night by beating the (for them) big, bad Arizona Cardinals? Meanwhile… the Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Commanders are about to play one of the least exciting Sunday Night Football games we have ever seen. Who wants it more? Who wants it least? And while the New York Giants are off this week times are very exciting for them. Big Blue View’s Ed Valentine joins RJ Ochoa and Brandon Lee Gowton for an update on how things are going with the G-Men. 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!
Washington Commanders vs Philadelphia Eagles Week 8: Five Questions with Bleeding Green Nation – Hogs Haven
On defense, the Eagles are healthier, primarily dealing with injury to LB Jihaad Campbell, who has been ruled out of week 8. Despite their health, the Eagles defense has declined precipitously in 2026 to be the 5th-worst pass defense by yards allowed and the 6th-worst rush defense by yards allowed, as well as ranking poorly in advanced stats. One theory behind the defense’s decline is that they are getting beat up from being on the field all the time due to the collapse of the offense. Through Week 7, the Eagles defense has been on the field for 67.3 plays/game, 4th-most in the NFL. Certain players have had a harder time than others, with slot CB Cooper DeJean suffering from a high missed-tackle rate and notable drop in coverage quality. I asked Brandon Lee Gowton of Bleeding Green Nation five questions to better understand the state of the Eagles and what to look for in this game.
Why the NFL didn’t flex the Eagles vs. Commanders out of ‘Sunday Night Football’ – SB Nation
For 20 years, the NFL has made Sunday Night Football on NBC the marquee prime-time game of the weekend. Flexible scheduling was one of the selling points of SNF on NBC, with the league having the ability to swap out lackluster games for higher quality matchups. For several years, SNF has had its flex scheduling window opened in Week 5 instead of the back-end of the season. And yet, the 2-5 Philadelphia Eagles and 1-4-1 Washington Commanders were not flexed out this weekend, even though there are far more compelling and flex-worthy games on the Week 8 Sunday schedule. Is this just another case of NFC East bias? Well, it’s a little more complicated than that, and it’s largely the NFL’s own doing.
Eagles-Commanders Preview: Will Saquon Barkley Tough It Out? SHOULD He? – PHLY Eagles Podcast
Saquon Barkley returned the practice field just in time to put his status in play for the Eagles’ road matchup against the Washington Commanders on Sunday night. EJ Smith is joined by Deniz Selman and Brandon Lee Gowton to discuss whether the star running back should push through the hamstring and back injury he entered the week dealing with, whether Jeremiah Trotter Jr. should take over for Jihaad Campbell, and how this year’s team compares to previous lost Eagles seasons.
In Roob’s Observations: Has the league figured out Vic Fangio? – NBCSP
COULD HOWIE DRAFT A QUARTERBACK? As it stands now the Eagles would have the sixth pick in next year’s draft, and they’ve only drafted that high twice in the last 25 years, taking Lane Johnson fourth in 2013 and Carson Wentz second in 2016. Before that you go back to Corey Simon sixth in 2000 and Donovan McNabb second in 1999. Before that? Kenny Jackson fourth in 1984. So four top-6 picks in the last 42 years. What direction would Howie Roseman go if the Eagles draft that high? We can rule out receiver, running back, tight end, linebacker, corner or safety, which leaves trenches and quarterback. Edge or o-line never surprises you with Howie, but you don’t get many opportunities to draft top-10 quarterbacks, and if the Eagles are concerned with Jalen Hurts’ long-term health, and it’s something they won’t talk about, quarterback makes a lot of sense. You probably wouldn’t get Oklahoma State’s Drew Mestemaker at 6, but C.J. Carr of Notre Dame and Darian Mensah of Miami are in play if there is concern about Hurts being healthy enough to play in 2027 and beyond. Howie has drafted three quarterbacks in the first three rounds as a GM, and all three played a key role on a Super Bowl championship. Nick Foles and Jalen Hurts were Super Bowl MVPs and Carson Wentz went 11-2 before getting hurt in 2017. There is no No. 1 seed without him. It’s hard to imagine having to move on from a Super Bowl-MVP quarterback at 28 years old, but there are so many unknowns with his condition and treatment that it’s possible. Hurts’ contract status only complicates matters because with limited guarantees beyond this year it’s hard to imagine him playing for the Eagles in 2027 without a new or re-worked contract. But are the Eagles ready to give him a new deal when he’ll miss most of this year after a middling five games? So many questions and not a lot of answers.
NFL Week 8 fantasy sleepers: QB Sam Darnold, RB Rico Dowdle, WR Ja’Kobi Lane among upside plays – NFL.com
Scary Terry McLaurin can’t frighten defenses anymore after his season-ending knee injury, so someone in Washington has to step up and assume his mantle. There’s plenty of reason to believe it’ll be Okonkwo. Since Jayden Daniels’ return from injury in Week 5, Okonkwo leads the Commanders with 61 routes, 13 targets, 11 catches and 129 yards. Two of his six double-digit fantasy games since the start of last season came in his last two outings. Philadelphia’s defense might have been nightmare fuel for the rest of the NFC East over the last few years, but that reign of terror could be coming to a close with five straight losses punctuated by a home splattering last Monday night. I didn’t see a lot of fight in that outing with a whopping 0.34 EPA per dropback allowed, the unit’s worst performance under coordinator Vic Fangio. Daniels, Okonkwo and the Washington offense should be the scary ones under the lights in Landover.
The Best Bets of NFL Week 8 – The Ringer
There’s still a lot of talent on this defense, but the edge rushers are all battling injuries. Nolan Smith didn’t play Monday, and Jalyx Hunt and Jonathan Greenard look compromised. Cooper DeJean and Jalen Carter look considerably worse than they’ve been in past seasons, and Vic Fangio hasn’t shown a willingness to bring extra pressure. There are more holes in this defense than its still great defensive market rating would suggest. The market opened Washington as a 4.5-point favorite at home. It has a massive rest advantage and should be much healthier coming off the bye. This is the fifth time that an Eagles fade has made it into this column, and we’re looking to make it a clean 5-0 (after correct calls against Tennessee, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Dallas). The Eagles haven’t hit rock bottom yet, but Monday night’s lackluster defensive effort suggests that it’s nearing. Bet: Commanders –5.5 (–110)
How many trades will Eagles make — if they can break their losing streak?: Eagles-Commanders questions – The Athletic
Berman: My guess is two or three trades. I think Moro Ojomo and Riq Woolen will be moved. I’ll put Goedert as the third. I don’t think a Barkley or Zack Baun blockbuster is the direction they go. Landon Dickerson is the player with term on his contract that I’d watch closely. Although, as you outlined, is it worth eating $27.2 million for a Day 3 pick? I’d focus more closely on the expiring contracts and think the Eagles will try to maximize those returns. That could also include small deals for less-prominent players on expiring contracts. Knowing Roseman, a young player on a cost-controlled contract could always come in as a way of building for beyond this season. (That wouldn’t make the Eagles buyers as much as builders.) But I don’t think the Eagles will make moves with 2026 in mind. Don’t count me as someone who gets caught up in the compensatory pick strategy. That’s more applicable when the team is a contender in the second half of the season. Unless the Eagles think they’re contenders, it makes more sense to get a guaranteed return than the theoretical return with a compensatory pick.
Spadaro: Game Preview at Commanders, 6 storylines to follow – PhiladelphiaEagles.com
Philadelphia’s run defense is in the spotlight. Following a tough outing on Monday night against Dallas, how does the run defense respond? The Commanders average 125.2 rushing yards per game, so they know how to get it done and they do it with Daniels and a committee in the backfield. There isn’t much more to say here. The challenge is right there in front of the defense. It’s a reasonable expectation that the Commanders will come out early and try to establish the ground game.
The Vet was almost a dome. Would public sentiment for the next Eagles stadium be different if it had been? – Inquirer
“We would have to take the time to find out what the public wants,” he said. “We would have to look into it long and hard. Conceivably, a permanent dome could bring another white elephant to Philadelphia.” Sixty years later, the city is on the precipice of another stadium debate. The Eagles are in what Jeffrey Lurie earlier this year called their “exploratory research” phase when it comes to their future home. They could renovate the 23-year-old Lincoln Financial Field, or they could build a new stadium altogether. The Eagles’ lease at the Linc does not expire until 2032, but a discussion about the future certainly will play out long before then. There will be plenty of D’Ortonas, probably as many devil’s advocates like Snider, and others like the 1966 editorial staff of The Inquirer, who wrote that “there is still something to be said for fresh air and sunshine.” One present-day reader commented on a recent Inquirer story about why the Eagles would be paying close attention to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London and said “Philadelphia should pass a law that Eagles home games must be played outside.” In response to a July article that said extreme weather during the World Cup at Lincoln Financial Field would be useful data to Lurie that, a reader emailed that “the blue collar element of Philly wants outdoor football.”
Colts willing to trade RB Jonathan Taylor, per report – Big Blue View
The Indianapolis Colts are now willing to trade star running back Jonathan Taylor, per a report from Adam Schefter of ESPN. Schefter adds in his report that the New York Giants are among the teams thought to have at least “some level of interest” in trading for Taylor. Schefter also lists the Seattle Seahawks, Denver Broncos, Minnesota Vikings, Green Bay Packers as teams believed to be interested in trading for Taylor. It’s no secret that while new Giants head coach John Harbaugh likes the trio of Cam Skattebo, Tyrone Tracy, and Devin Singletary, he has coveted a “bellcow” running back.
Cowboys vs Cardinals: 3 causes for concern in Week 8 – Blogging The Boys
3) The Cardinals problem. It’s fairly hard to believe, but the Arizona Cardinals may be Dallas’ toughest matchup over the course of the last decade plus. Since 2008, the Cowboys are a shocking 1-8 in their last nine matchups against the Cardinals, with four of those losses coming at home. Since that 2008 campaign in which they started their winning ways against Dallas, the Cardinals have a 134-164-2 regular season record as a team. Arizona has rarely been one of the better teams in the league, but they always seem to find a way to beat the Cowboys, regardless of how their season is going. Year-to-year team trends don’t mean much in the NFL, but it’s hard not to be concerned about Dallas’ struggles against the Cardinals. This game feels eerily similar to the Week 9 matchup between the two teams last season. Arizona won that game 27-17 as the Cowboys looked unprepared and undisciplined. The Cowboys have a big-time Cardinals problem that they’ll look to put to rest on Sunday.
Patriots vs. Dolphins Friday injury report: A.J. Brown among New England’s questionable for Week 8 – Pats Pulpit
The New England Patriots will wait for the weekend before making a final call on No. 1. A.J. Brown headlines the team’s questionable to face the Miami Dolphins after going from a limited participant to missing consecutive practices to end AFC East prep. The three-time All-Pro wide receiver is dealing with a knee issue that flared up while also working back from the high ankle sprain that sent him to injured reserve in September. “His status is questionable, like some other players,” head coach Mike Vrabel told reporters on Friday. “We’ll see how he comes in tomorrow and we’ll make a decision.”
…
Social Media Information:
BGN Facebook Page: Click here to like our page
BGN Twitter: Follow @BleedingGreen
BGN BlueSky: Follow @bleedgreennation.bsky.social
BGN Instagram: Follow @BleedingGreenInsta
BGN Manager: Follow Brandon Lee Gowton on Twitter | BlueSky | Threads
BGN Radio Twitter: Follow @BGN_Radio
The Feed post of the day
Each day, we highlight a BGN community post here in this space. Head over to The Feed to submit your entry and have a chance to be featured in The Linc!
ALSO: here’s a bonus post from the NFC East Mixtape feed!
