Let’s get to the Philadelphia Eagles news and links …
Game Preview – PHI at MIN – Iggles Blitz
This is the week that the Eagles struggling run game must get going. The OL is the key to that. The Eagles had padded practices this week. Maybe that will help to get the big fellas back on track. The players had an extra three days of rest so that should help them to feel better physically. What changes will the coaches make? Blocking is the big key to the run game, but the coaches can help things. They need to mix in different looks (more under center stuff) and also use Jalen Hurts in the run game. Make things less predictable and give the OL a chance to get going. Saquon Barkley is dying to have a breakout game. Get him the ball in favorable situations.
Vikings QB Named & Run Defense Crisis – Trade or Bust? – Daily Norseman
Run Defense Struggles and Trade Options: The Vikings rank 24th in rushing yards allowed (132 per game), prompting analysis of potential fixes. Blake Cashman’s return from IR is a boost, but trades for veterans like Calais Campbell, Dalvin Tomlinson, Shelby Harris, B.J. Hill, or Sebastian Joseph-Day are debated—affordable Day 3 picks, but hosts argue youth like Jalen Redmond outperforms them, dismissing stars like Quinnen Williams as unrealistic due to cap hits.
Eagles Opponent Film Room: Scouting the Minnesota Vikings’ offense – BGN
Kevin O’Connell’s offense is one of the better-designed units in football. Even with the injuries, inconsistency at quarterback, and an offensive line that’s been nothing short of a disaster, it’s clear on film that this is still a pretty good offense. He loves to use motions to manipulate leverage, switch releases to open throwing lanes, and play-action that’s designed to isolate defensive backs. However, the offense has a very obvious weakness, which we will get into.
How Can the Eagles Fix Their Broken Offense? – The Ringer
More two-deep safety shells typically means lighter boxes. For the Eagles, that means rushing lanes should be open for Barkley and Hurts—but that hasn’t happened this year. In fact, the 2025 Eagles are on track to have the least efficient rushing attack of the Sirianni era. The Eagles are having their designed rushes on early downs stuffed at a 27 percent clip, the worst mark in the league and nearly eight percentage points higher than any other year since Sirianni’s arrival in 2021. By rushing success rate, the Eagles rank 13th, and they’re just ahead of the league average of 38 percent. Considering how much money and draft capital the Eagles have invested in this offensive line—three of its five starters are top 10 in annual contract value at their positions—and in Barkley, who signed a two-year, $41 million contract extension earlier this year, being just slightly above average is unacceptable. And for an offense that often sees two-deep coverages on passes, it is unconscionable that the Eagles have been so inconsistent on the ground. Personnel usage is at the core of the failings of both the run and pass games. The Eagles are running the ball out of heavier personnel groupings this year; they have the sixth-highest rate of designed rushes with two tight ends on the field (43 percent). On passes, though, Philadelphia has two tight ends on the field only 17 percent of the time, which ranks 15th. Those kinds of personnel splits give defenses a major clue of what to expect, and that puts pressure on Patullo to have the perfect play calls against a defense that knows what’s coming. And as a first-time play caller, there’s no way he could live up to those demands.
Roob’s Observations: A shocking trend that helps explain Eagles’ offensive woes – NBCSP
1A. To understand why the Eagles have been so much better on offense in the first half than the second half, all you have to do is look at Jalen Hurts in the first half vs. the second half. Among 32 quarterbacks who’ve thrown at least 50 passes before halftime, Hurts is second (to Jared Goff) with a 75.3 percent completion percentage and sixth with a 108.1 passer rating. Among 32 QBs who’ve thrown 50 passes after halftime, Hurts ranks 26th in completion percentage and 21st in passer rating. This is where that predictability Lane Johnson talked about comes into play. It just feels like by the second half, defenses have a pretty good sense of what the Eagles’ offense is going to do and the things that worked early aren’t working anymore. The numbers sure bear that out. 1B. We’re seeing the exact same dynamic in the running game with Saquon Barkley. Exact same pattern. Among 33 running backs with 25 carries before halftime, Barkley’s 4.6 average is 11th-best. Among 39 backs with at least 25 carries after halftime, Barkley’s 2.5 average is worst.
Hurts’ passing game falling short of what the Eagles need – ESPN
Hurts’ ownership of the offense has grown over his four-plus years at the helm and certainly has not gone backwards after outdueling Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes on the biggest stage, complete with a 46-yard “dagger” to DeVonta Smith as part of his sterling three-touchdown performance. He said in December of that season that “the offense is going to look how Jalen Hurts wants it to look.” He has shown that he can put the offense on his back as a passer in critical moments. What he still needs to prove is that he can do it for sustained stretches. The Eagles started off the 2024 season planning on being a more balanced attack but shifted to a Barkley-centric approach after a 2-2 start in which Hurts committed seven turnovers. Hurts’ pass attempts per game plummeted from 33 to 22.5 on average after the team’s Week 5 bye and he threw one interception the rest of the way. The Eagles went on to dominate on the back of a top-tier defense and running game, which was fueled in part by Hurts’ 630 yards and 14 touchdowns on the ground. A slowed rushing game this season has changed the calculus for the Eagles. Defenses are finding success with zone coverage featuring two-high safety shells, particularly when it comes to limiting the big play. Seven of Hurts’ eight touchdown passes this season are against man, per ESPN Research. It’s the same story for his career, with just 28 of his 93 touchdown passes coming against zone. There are pressures built off of those coverages that have proven effective, including defensive back blitzes — nobody has faced more DB blitzes (22.5% of dropbacks) than Hurts, and it’s a factor in his sizable sack total.
Eagles locker room notebook: An offense in search of another inflection point, A.J. Brown temperature check – PHLY
After a handful of times expressing frustration about the lack of cohesion in the Eagles passing game that included sharing a cryptic message on social media after the Eagles’ win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 4 and a meeting between him, Hurts, and Saquon Barkley, Brown told PHLY Friday that the mini bye coincided with a “reset” for him as well. Amid plenty of speculation about his contentment with his usage with the Eagles and reports from The Athletic about league executives wondering if the Eagles would eventually trade him, Brown said he has made an effort to stay off social media. “I be away more than I’m online,” Brown said. “It’s really like my family. They’ll bring stuff to me. And then it’s a snowball effect where I’m listening. … It’s just a reset, staying away from social media at times and feeding myself positive stuff. I can’t worry about that, my job is to come in here and be the best I can be. It can get tough. But at the end of the day, I’m just starting not to care anymore.” Brown expressing frustration in response to a lack of production from the Eagles offense has previously resulted in a shift from the offense. Last season, he pointed to the passing game being the problem after the Eagles managed just 83 net passing yards in a win against the Carolina Panthers and caught eight passes for 110 yards and one touchdown the following week against the Pittsburgh Steelers. This year, Brown has just 25 catches for 274 yards and one touchdown. He ranks 59th in yards per route run according to Pro Football Focus, a metric he ranked third in at the end of last season.
What I’m hearing on NFL trade deadline intel, the coaching carousel and Baker Mayfield – The Athletic
The Eagles are in search of help at edge rusher and cornerback. They have received calls on A.J. Brown, and teams are being told, “We aren’t moving him now.”
NFL Week 7 anytime touchdown bets – PFF
QB Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles. It might not be flashy, but getting Jalen Hurts at plus money to score is tough to pass up. No player has more carries from inside the 1-yard line than Hurts, and he’s fifth in the NFL in rushing touchdowns since the start of last season — thanks largely to his near-automatic success in goal-to-go situations. With the “Brotherly Shove” as potent as ever and a massive NFC matchup on deck, expect the Eagles to rely on Hurts’ legs near the goal line — whether it’s a tush-push or a designed run from deeper out.
Vikings holding off on long-term QB decision with Carson Wentz to start on Sunday vs. Eagles – NFL.com
The Vikings return from their bye week with Carson Wentz as their starting quarterback for Sunday’s game against the Eagles, with the former Philadelphia first-rounder set to face his former team. Meanwhile, J.J. McCarthy, the 2024 first-round pick who began the season as the starter, will be the Vikings’ emergency third QB as he recovers from a Week 2 high ankle sprain. The question of how to handle the QB situation has been a constant one for Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell each time he has addressed the media of late. He has avoided making any declarations until McCarthy is fully healthy.
Washington Commanders Injury Update: Deebo Samuel ruled out – Hogs Haven
Deebo Samuel Sr has been dealing with a heel injury for the last three weeks, but has been able to play through it the last 2 games. He was listed as questionable for tomorrow’s away game against the Dallas Cowboys after a limited practice yesterday. The Washington Commanders have now ruled Deebo out, and he won’t travel with the team to Dallas. The Commanders are already missing Terry McLaurin who was ruled out with a quad injury that has now kept him sidelined for the last four games. Noah Brown was placed on injured reserve this week after missing four games with a groin injury. The Commanders are now down to Chris Moore, Luke McCaffrey, and Jaylin Lane available on the 53-man roster. They also have Ja’Corey Brooks, Robbie Chosen, Jacoby Jones, and Treylon Burks available on the practice squad. Burks was just signed this week, and will likely need some time to get acclimated with the new offense. Brooks was elevated last week along with Tay Martin, who was released after exhausting his three elevations. Robbie Chosen could see his first action with the Commanders tomorrow.
Cowboys fans are fed up, but what happens if they win on Sunday? – Blogging The Boys
Just how many fans will come along for a ‘playoff chase’ if Dallas wins is a good question. Right now, they have very little support among the fanbase. We asked you earlier this week if you were confident the organization was going in the right direction, and only 11% were confident. [BLG Note: Cowboys fans were acting like they were on top of the world after a win over the Jets a couple weeks ago. Now, this.]
Survey results: Confident fans want the Giants to wheel and deal – Big Blue View
There’s renewed life around the New York Giants. The emergence of Jaxson Dart and Cam Skattebo, as well as the Giants’ win over the Philadelphia Eagles on Thursday Night Football has energized everything around the franchise. Fans are excited and the media ecosystem suddenly wants to talk about the Giants. Former players, analysts, pundits, and reporters are all saying that the Giants are suddenly fun, likeable, and a team the want to watch. They might not necessarily think the Giants are good or a force yet, but they’re at least interested. That probably has something to do with the conversation around the Giants and the trade market shifting. We’re seeing fewer think pieces and listicles that involve taking the Giants roster to the chop shop and distributing their good players to other teams. Instead, there’s actual conversation about using the trade market — and rapidly approaching trade deadline — as an avenue to build the team going forward.
Browns vs. Dolphins weather reports are wild, and should make for very ugly football – SB Nation
If you were looking for the worst game of Week 7 then you probably already had Browns vs. Dolphins circled — but brace yourself, because it’s going to be so much worse than you can possibly imagine. A weather system has entered the area and the forecast for Sunday’s game is about as ugly as you can possibly imagine.
…
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