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  • NFL Rumors: The Eagles offered a lot of draft capital for Micah Parsons

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    Micah Parsons will make his Packers debut later Sunday when Green Bay opens up against the Detroit Lions at home.

    The star edge rusher was suddenly traded by the Dallas Cowboys to the Packers just more than a week ago, and the shockwave of the blockbuster is still rippling, to the point where word has been getting out about which other teams were in the running. 

    The Eagles were revealed to be one of the teams in the mix, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter earlier in the week, and a serious one. The Cowboys just had no interest in trading their best defensive player to an NFC East rival. 

    During Sunday’s FOX NFL pregame show, fellow league insider Jay Glazer shared just how serious the Eagles were, along with when exactly Dallas made up its mind to trade Parsons.

    Eagles general manager Howie Roseman was apparently willing to part with some major draft capital.

    Said Glazer:

    “Micah Parsons asked for a trade about a week or so into camp, but what nobody knows is that Dallas actually made the decision to trade him a week or so before that. [The Cowboys] started putting feelers out, but what they were hoping to do was trade him to an AFC team. I think they were shocked. They could not get any traction anywhere from an AFC team.

    “The team that actually threw in the biggest offer was the Philadelphia Eagles for two 1s, a 3, a 5, amongst other things. [Dallas] obviously didn’t want to trade him in the division, but the Green Bay Packers, they chimed in early, they kept with it, and Kenny Clark is what made the difference for Dallas.” [FOX Sports]

    The Eagles have 12 picks in next April’s 2026 NFL Draft, and their first-round picks across each of 2026 and 2027, which presumably would’ve been what were put up in a Parsons package. 

    It’s a lot, obviously, but for the chance to put one of the league’s best edge rushers on the same defensive line as one of the league’s fiercest (and rapidly rising) tackles in Jalen Carter, it would’ve been easy for the Eagles to justify – especially so with a Super Bowl window open. 

    But the Eagles swinging that kind of deal with one of their biggest rivals was always going to be a tough sale, no matter what they would’ve reasonably put on the table. 

    The Eagles do seem to still be looking for more depth off the edge, though, as they signed veteran Za’Darius Smith following their Week 1 win over Dallas on Thursday night.

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  • Week 1 non-Eagles rooting guide

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    Whenever your favorite team has already won their game during an NFL week, it is especially fun to watch the rest of the action around the NFL, stress free. Here we’ll lay out a rooting guide for non-Eagles games on the NFL schedule for those of you on the fence while watching the other action around the league. And yes, I’m aware that most of the below is obvious. Ideal winners bolded.

    NFC East

    • Giants at Commanders: The Commanders had an objectively strange offseason, loading up on an absurd number of old players, but they are still the Eagles’ biggest threats in the NFC East, mainly because they have a good young quarterback who has a chance to be elite. A Week 1 loss to the Giants would signal that they are in for a significant dropoff in win total in 2025.

    The Giants’ roster got better this season, particularly on defense, but they’re still a very long way away from contention. A Giants win is ideal.

    NFC vs. NFC

    • Lions at Packers: Now that they have traded for Micah Parsons, the Packers are suddenly a popular pick to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl. Parsons will make Green Bay better, but in my opinion the gap between the Lions and Packers was greater than just one defensive player, even if he’s an elite one. Though certainly, that gap has narrowed.

    In my opinion, a Lions loss — especially if they look unorganized as a result of losing both coordinators this offseason — is more ideal. 

    • Buccaneers at Falcons: Todd Bowles and the Bucs seem to have a knack for frustrating Jalen Hurts and the Eagles offense, so it’s more ideal if some other team wins the NFC South and keeps the Bucs out of the tourney.

    • 49ers at Seahawks: Getting to play Sam Darnold in the playoffs would be a gift. Also, while I don’t believe the 49ers will be good this season, there are scenarios in which Christian McCaffrey looks like the 2023 version of himself, and the Niners are rejuvenated. (I don’t see that, but they’ll be more dangerous than teams like Seattle or Arizona if that scenario plays out.) 

    On a side note here, the Eagles traded Bryce Huff to the Niners for a fifth-round pick that can become a fourth-round pick if certain conditions are met. Those conditions are not yet known, but if Huff plays a lot of snaps and gets some sacks, that’s probably good for the Eagles.

    • Cardinals at Saints: It’s better if the Saints land the No. 1 overall pick than, saaayyy, the Cowboys, Giants, or Rams (with their pick from the Falcons).

    • Vikings at Bears: The Vikings are being slept on a bit to begin this season. They were 14-3 last season, and have their share of great players. They can be a threat for playoff seeding, like they were a year ago. It’s better if the Bears win.

    NFC vs. AFC

    • Texans at Rams: The Rams can contend in the NFC if Matthew Stafford’s injury concerns never materialize. Obviously, a Texans win is more ideal.

    • Panthers at Jaguars: Again, it’s ideal if any team other than the Bucs wins the NFC South, even if I don’t love the Panthers’ chances. 

    For future reference

    The following bolded teams play the Eagles this season, so they’re just worth keeping an eye on:

    1. Raiders at Patri*ts
    2. Titans at Broncos
    3. Ravens at Bills

    Irrelevant to the Eagles

    1. Bengals at Browns
    2. Dolphins at Colts
    3. Steelers at Jets

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  • The Biggest Team Rivalries in the NFL – Philadelphia Sports Nation

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    This blog contains links from which we may earn a commission.Credit: creativeart/Freepik

    Football creates hatreds that last for decades.

    Parents teach their kids which teams to love and which ones to despise.

    A man who can’t stand the Cowboys will make sure his son feels the same way, even if that boy has never watched a single game.

    These rivalries become family traditions and turn ordinary games into personal wars.

    Bears and Packers: The Original Hate

    Chicago and Green Bay have fought each other since 1921 in the longest-running feud in professional football. They’ve met 208 times with Green Bay ahead by just a few games, but the narrow margin doesn’t capture how much these fan bases truly loathe each other. Bears supporters would rather beat the Packers twice and finish 2-15 than win ten games without defeating their northern neighbors.

    PHOTO: creativeart/Freepik

    George Which spent forty years coaching Chicago and built the franchise around one core belief: destroy Green Bay whenever possible. Vince Lombardi took over a tiny Wisconsin town and turned it into a football factory that dominated the 1960s. Both coaches knew that division victories mattered more than regular wins because they decided who owned the region for an entire year.

    Aaron Rodgers tortured Bears fans for over a decade with performances that seemed almost personal. The quarterback would tear apart Chicago’s defense and then spend his postgame interviews talking about how much he enjoyed playing at Soldier Field. He started calling himself the Bears’ “owner” after particularly brutal games, a taunt that stung because it contained enough truth to hurt.

    Smart bettors love this rivalry because both fan bases bet with pure emotion instead of logic. When offshore betting sites (online sportsbooks operating from countries with looser gambling regulations) post lines for Bears-Packers games, money floods in from supporters who care more about family pride than actual football analysis. Professional gamblers make fortunes by betting against the emotional public action from fans who can’t think straight about their most hated opponents.

    Cowboys vs Eagles: Rich Against Poor

    Dallas and Philadelphia represent two completely different versions of America. The Cowboys represent corporate success, expensive uniforms, and carefully managed public relations. Philadelphia takes pride in its working-class roots and doesn’t try to hide its rough edges. Their games become proxy wars between different economic classes and social philosophies.

    Jimmy Johnson and Buddy Ryan turned their personal hatred into organizational warfare during the late 1980s. Both coaches openly accused each other of encouraging dirty play and trying to injure opposing players. The infamous “Bounty Bowls” of 1989 featured actual allegations of illegal payments for big hits, accusations that both sides denied but nobody really believed.

    Philadelphia fans have built their reputation on behavior that would embarrass other cities. They booed Santa Claus, cheered when Michael Irvin got hurt, and pelted opposing players with batteries. Dallas supporters responded by mocking everything about Philadelphia, from its history to its food to the way people talk. The mutual contempt goes far beyond football into genuine dislike for what each city represents.

    Giants vs Eagles: Neighborhood Enemies

    New York and Philadelphia sit close enough that their fans work in the same office buildings and attend the same social events. This proximity makes their football rivalry particularly brutal because there’s no escape from opposing supporters after losses. Giants fans must face Eagles supporters at work every Monday morning, turning defeats into week-long torture sessions.

    The 1978 “Miracle at the Meadowlands” created this rivalry’s most famous moment. New York led by five points with seconds left and just had to kneel down to win. Instead, they botched the snap, Herman Edwards picked up the loose ball, and ran twenty-six yards for a touchdown that crushed Giants fans. The play became legendary because New York had thrown away a sure victory.

    DeSean Jackson topped that moment thirty-two years later when Philadelphia trailed by twenty-one points in the fourth quarter but somehow tied the game with minutes remaining. Jackson then returned a punt sixty-five yards for the winning score as time expired, completing one of the most impossible comebacks in NFL history while Giants fans who had started leaving early watched their season die from the parking lot.

    Ravens vs Steelers: Legal Brutality

    Baltimore and Pittsburgh treat football like war. Both teams build their rosters around tough defenses and powerful running attacks. When they meet, the hits are harder and the play gets more physical than most NFL games.

    Ray Lewis and Troy Polamalu made this rivalry personal during their careers. Both players approached Ravens-Steelers games with unusual intensity. They hit harder, talked more trash, and seemed to save their best shots for these specific matchups.

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  • Five college prospects who could interest the Eagles in the 2026 NFL Draft

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    During the college football season each year, as long as you’re watching the games, we point out five players each week to keep an eye on who make logical sense for the Philadelphia Eagles in the following year’s NFL Draft. 

    Chandler Rivers (0), CB, Duke (5’10, 180): (11) Illinois at Duke, 12:00 p.m.

    Rivers is an undersized-but-feisty corner with ball skills (3 INTs, 9 PBUs, 2 FFs in 2024), inside-outside versatility, and he is a good tackler in run support. Fun player: 

    The Eagles need more help at corner beyond Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean.

    Gennings Dunker (67), OT/OG, Iowa (6’5, 315): Iowa at (16) Iowa State, 12:00 p.m.

    Dunker has experience at RG and RT, but has mostly played at RT at Iowa. He has an insane diet:

    That can’t be true, can it? Anyway, this guy is a dirt dog.

    I think he’s a guard in the NFL. Late Day 2, or Day 3.

    It’s kind of weird to think that the Eagles might have to replace Tyler Steen soon when he has just finally won the starting RG job, but the final year of his rookie deal is in 2026. The Eagles do have to consider the possibility of losing him, or Landon Dickerson’s body running out of room for incisions.

    Matayo Uiagalelei (10), EDGE, Oregon (6’5, 272): Oklahoma State at (6) Oregon, 3:30 p.m.

    Uiagalelei had a breakout year in 2024, collecting 38 tackles, 10.5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, and an INT. Here are 7 of those 10 sacks: 

    He also had 2 sacks in Oregon’s first game this year against Montana State. The Eagles have a pair of smaller speed guys on the edge in Nolan Smith and Jalyx Hunt. Uiagalelei wins with power, and can also move inside on obvious passing downs. He would give the the Eagles a little more variety in their pass rush.

    Jordyn Tyson (0), WR, Arizona State (6’2, 200): (12) Arizona State at Mississippi State, 7:30 p.m.

    Tyson had a breakout season in 2024 when he had 754 catches for 1101 yards and 10 TDs. He’s a very good route runner — look at how much separation he consistently gets in the highlight reel below.

    He also has some run after catch ability, and inside-outside versatility. Potential first-round pick.

    Jahan Dotson is in the final year of his contract, and A.J. Brown will be 29 next year.

    Eli Stowers (9), TE, Vanderbilt (6’4, 235): Vanderbilt at Virginia Tech, 7:30 p.m.

    Stowers was a high school quarterback who moved to tight end in college. He originally enrolled at Texas A&M, transferred to New Mexico, and then to Vanderbilt. In 2024, he had 49 catches for 638 yards (13.0 YPC) and 5 TDs. He had a big game in Vanderbilt’s upset of Alabama last season, catching all 6 of his targets for 113 yards.

    Vanderbilt lines up Stowers all over the place, trying to create mismatches against slower linebackers and smaller defensive backs. Once he has the ball in his hands, Stowers has exhibited some YAC ability:

    Stowers is probably more of a big receiver at this point. He will have to put on some muscle and become a better blocker to become a more well-rounded tight end in the NFL, but his athletic traits and receiving ability make him a likely Day 2 guy, at worst.

    The Eagles could use bigger targets, with Dallas Goedert and Grant Calcaterra both in contract years, and Johnny Wilson’s future uncertain as he recovers from a season-ending injury.

    Previously profiled players

    • August 23

    1. Dylan Edwards, RB/SWR/KR/PR, Kansas State
    2. Daniel Hishaw, RB, Kansas
    3. Dontay Corleone, iDL, Cincinnati
    4. D.J. McKinney, CB, Colorado
    5. Keldric Faulk, DL, Auburn

    • August 30

    1. Malik Muhammad, CB, Texas
    2. Ethan Onianwa, OT, Ohio State
    3. Darrell Jackson, DT, Florida State
    4. Nic Anderson, WR, LSU
    5. T.J. Parker, EDGE, Clemson

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    Jimmy Kempski

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  • Report: Eagles FB Ben VanSumeren done for the season

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    Philadelphia Eagles fullback Ben VanSumeren’s season is over after tearing his patellar tendon Thursday night against the Dallas Cowboys, according to a report from ESPN. 

    VanSumeren was an undrafted rookie free agent in 2023 who did not make the initial 53-man roster, and who was thought of as more of an athlete than a football player in some scouting reports. His athleticism was indeed very appealing, as he ran a 4.45 40 and vertical jumped 42.5″ at 231 pounds. 

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    Credit: Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) on Twitter/X

    VanSumeren eventually worked his way onto the 53-man roster during the 2023 season and found a role as a regular on special teams, where his athleticism was often praised by special teams coordinator Michael Clay. 

    During 2024 training camp, he also proved to be more than just an athlete, as he was one of the most physical defenders in camp, and also one of the most improved players. On the final day of 2024 camp, Eagles coaches had some players square off in 1-on-1’s against each other in front of the whole team to close practice. VanSumeren lined up at receiver against rookie S Andre’ Sam, and he ran an absolutely filthy corner route, complete with head fakes at the route stem, and absolutely dusted Sam, causing both offensive and defensive players to go nuts. But… No. 2 quarterback Kenny Pickett overthrew him.

    During the 2024 season, VanSumeren would get the opportunity to flip to the offensive side of the ball, at fullback. This offseason, we cut up all of VanSumeren’s run blocking snaps, and there was a lot to like.

    Late in the 2024 season, VanSumeren suffered a still-unknown knee injury. During the Super Bowl media night, he would only disclose that (a) it wasn’t an ACL tear, and (b) he’d be ready for the start of 2025 camp. He practiced during the spring, and was a full go for training camp.

    VanSumeren was poised for a bigger role in 2025, and even said on Tuesday that he was going to get carries. His season ended on the first play of 2025.

    The Eagles have plays for a fullback built into their playbook, and on Thursday night against the Cowboys, TE Kylen Granson filled that role.

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  • Week One Eagles Recap, The Start Of A New Chapter. – Philadelphia Sports Nation

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    Thursday night, before a long and stressful game that had a little bit of everything. The Eagles got to hang their second Super Bowl banner in front of fans at Lincoln Financial Field.

    What ensued were questionable flags, a costly turnover, weather delays, an early ejection and even…spitting contests?

    Chaos At Kickoff

    The Eagles unveiled the banner, with a little help from recently retired Brandon Graham.

    And just minutes later, on the opening kickoff return. Ben VanSumeren’s season might’ve came to an abrupt end. We’ll wait for an official announcement on the severity of the injury, but the Eagles FullBack idea might be over. 

    To makes matters worse, VanSumeren wouldn’t be the only player to miss the rest of tonight’s game. With a self inflicted wound, Jalen Carter was ejected while trainers dealt with the injured player. It doesn’t matter if Han or Dak shot first. But Carter’s presence was missed for 4 Quarters as the Cowboys totalled 119 rushing yards and 2 rushing touchdowns. 

    While the Eagles pass rush struggled to get home, they managed 2TFLs late in the game. Almost like they were missing one of their best defensive players?

    Next Man Up

    With Carter ejected it was time for another Georgia Bulldog to take his place. 

    While some of his pressures should have turned into sacks tonight. Jordan Davis played a huge role along with Moro Ojomo who both played 89% of the Eagles defensive snaps.

    Among others who made plays Thursday night include Jahan Dotson, Zack Baun and Jihaad Campbell. Who forced a fumble on Miles Sanders on the Eagles 10 yard line, might have been the game deciding turnover.

    And Then There Was A Weather Delay. Again.

    As if a 45 minute delay for the first Super Bowl banner wasn’t enough… It happened again

    With 4:45 remaining in the third quarter of a 24-20 game. Lightning in the surrounding area led to over an hour long delay in the game. Not returning until 11:30 local time, there was still almost 20 minutes of clock left to play.

    The delay killed momentum for both teams, as the game saw 5 straight punts before the end of the 4th, after 8 straight scoring possessions opened the season. 

    The Eagles played sloppy throughout the game. As a team should look missing key pieces, already beginning to deal with injuries (Landon Dickerson & A.J. Brown), with new players in the defense like Campbell, Mukuba & Jackson. With yet another new offensive system now under Kevin Patullo.

    With a week 1 divisional victory under their belts, do the Eagles look like they’re ready to run it back for Super Bowl 60?

    Go Birds. 

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  • Handing out 10 awards from the Eagles-Cowboys game

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    The Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys played a weird, wild opening night football game on Thursday (and into Friday). The Eagles were fortunate to have more points than the Cowboys when there was no time left on the clock. As always, win, lose, or tie, we hand out 10 awards.

    1) The ‘Spitgate’ Award 😗💦: Jalen Carter and Dak Prescott

    After the opening kickoff, there was an extended delay while trainers attended to an injured Ben VanSumeren. Dak Prescott and Jalen Carter had an exchange of words, and Carter spit on Prescott. 

    Carter was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct and ejected from the game before he ever played a snap.

    The Eagles’ defense was clearly impacted by the loss of Carter. The Cowboys’ offensive line no longer had to worry about doubling an elite player all game, and the rest of the Eagles’ linemen didn’t get the favorable one-on-ones all day like they’re accustomed to. 

    So why did Carter spit on Prescott? He reportedly perceived that Prescott spit at the Eagles’ defense. Video showed that Prescott did indeed spit in the direction of the Eagles’ defense, and then he smiled at Carter thereafter.

    But obviously, you just can’t spit on another player. The NFL hasn’t traditionally suspended players for spitting incidents in the past. We’ll see if they break precedent here. At a minimum, Carter is certain to get a hefty fine, and deservedly so.

    2) The ‘Efficiency’ Award: Jalen Hurts

    Hurts was 19 of 23 for 152 yards, 0 TDs, and 0 INTs. He didn’t make mistakes and he made a bunch of plays with his legs, rushing 14 times for 62 yards and 2 TDs. I’m sure there will be some who find fault with Hurts’ performance because he didn’t put up gaudy yardage numbers, but if Hurts plays all season like he did Thursday night, the Eagles are going to win a lot of football games.

    3) The ‘Strong Start, Slow Finish’ Award ⚡: The Eagles’ offense

    In 2024, the Eagles’ offense didn’t score a point in the first quarter until Week 9. Before they finally put point on the board in the first quarter, they had 13 possessions, 59 plays, 175 yards (2.97 yards per play), 5 three-and-outs, 3 turnovers, and, of course, 0 points.

    In 2025, the offense scored touchdowns on each of their first three drives, and looked as though they were going to score at will all night on the Cowboys’ defense. But once they got their sea legs, the Cowboys’ defense did a better job against the Eagles’ run game, they started generating pressure on Hurts, and both Nick Sirianni and Hurts credited their secondary with doing a good job of pattern matching. The Eagles punted on four consecutive possessions in the second half.

    4) The ‘Slow Start, Strong Finish’ Award 🌩️: The Eagles’ defense

    The Cowboys’ first four possessions:

    1. TD
    2. TD
    3. FG
    4. FG

    Their last four possessions:

    1. Fumble
    2. Punt
    3. Punt
    4. Turnover on downs

    With 4:44 left in the third quarter, play was suspended because there were lightning strikes in the area. The Eagles and Cowboys scored a combined 44 points before the suspended play, 0 points after.

    5) The ‘Thanks, Old Friend’ Award 🙏: Miles Sanders

    On the Cowboys’ first drive of the second half, Sanders broke into the open field and had a clear path to the end zone, but he was tracked down by Zack Baun, just inside the 10. 

    Later in the drive, Sanders fumbled and Quinyon Mitchell recovered, earning the first defensive stop of the game, by either team.

    Byron Young and Jihaad Campbell were both in on that forced fumble.

    Baun and Campbell both made impressive plays on Thursday night. We’ll probably show that a little more in depth in a day or two.

    6) The ‘Invisible Until It Really Mattered’ Award 🫥: A.J. Brown

    During the first 58 minutes of the game, Brown didn’t get a single target. But on a 2nd and 11 from the Dallas 45 with under two minutes to play, Brown caught an 8-yard pass from Hurts, putting the Eagles in a manageable 3rd and 3, which they converted to seal the game.

    Hurts called Brown’s 8-yard catch the play of the day. I wouldn’t go that far, but it certainly was a clutch play that helped the Eagles win.

    It’s worth noting that Brown missed most of training camp with a hamstring injury.

    7) The ‘Trustworthy’ Award : Jahan Dotson

    With Brown out for most of camp, Dotson got a lot of work in with Hurts, and they seemed to build rapport throughout the summer. We saw that translate to a real game on Thursday night, when Dotson caught all three of his targets for 59 yards, including a 51-yard bomb.

    If Dotson can be a consistent weapon for Hurts, that will be huge for the Eagles’ offense.

    8) The ‘Kicking Ass’ Award 🥾🍑: Jake Elliott and Braden Mann

    After a season in which he went 1/7 on kicks of 50+ yards, Elliott drilled a 58 yarder with plenty of distance to spare.

    Mann also punted extraordinarily well, not allowing star return specialist KaVontae Turpin any real opportunity to make an impact. 

    9) The ‘Ruh Roh’ Award 😬: Adoree’ Jackson

    Jackson had a rough debut as the Eagles’ starting CB2. He gave up a lot of catches, and in run support, well, just look at the long Miles Sanders run we posted above.

    The Eagles need a better player at that spot, and quickly.

    10) The ‘Rematch’ Award 🏹: The Chiefs

    The Eagles will travel to Kansas City Week 2 for a rematch of Super Bowl LIX against the Chiefs. They’ll hope that Jalen Carter makes the trip and plays in that game.

    But for now, the Eagles can rest up and enjoy their 5-0 record in Week 1 games under Sirianni.

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  • WATCH: Eagles unveil 2024 World Champions banner prior to Week 1 opener vs. Cowboys

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    The World Champions banner, the second-ever in Eagles franchise history, is up in the rafters at Lincoln Financial Field. 

    On Thursday night, just ahead of the Eagles’ 2025 season opener against the rival Dallas Cowboys, team owner Jeffrey Lurie and longtime, now retired, defensive end Brandon Graham walked onto the field holding both of the franchise’s Vince Lombardi Trophies. 

    They led the Eagles’ fight song with fans, both on the field and in the seats, before the curtain was pulled back on the last piece to immortalize the 2024 Super Bowl title run.

    Then this year’s Eagles, waiting in the tunnel with a mentality that they’re all back to zero, ran out to start anew. 

    “I think from the outside, I think the city and everybody’s been talking about it, but this building has been locked in,” said receiver A.J. Brown of last season’s Super Bowl run and how to turn the page from it. “We put that to bed long ago. We’re just ready to go. That’s over with.”

    But etched into the history of Philadelphia forever.

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  • Jimmy Kempski’s Week 1 NFL picks, locks, survivor pool selection

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    For the gambling degenerates, here are my Week 1 NFL picks. The team logos indicate who I think will win the game, not cover the spread. At the end of the picks, I’ll note a few teams that I like based on the spread.

    051020EaglesLogo2020

    Cowboys at Eagles (-8.5): The Eagles have advantages in the run game and the passing game on both sides of the ball, which we outlined in our game preview.

    • Eagles run game vs. Cowboys run defense: This one is easy. The Cowboys’ run defense was abysmal in 2024, and they didn’t do much to fix it this offseason. The Eagles have an elite rushing offense.

    • Eagles passing attack vs. Cowboys pass defense: The Cowboys traded their best pass rusher (and best overall player) in Micah Parsons, and although their cornerback position might not be bad when fully healthy, they’re banged up there to start the season. The Eagles have one of the best WR duos in the NFL in A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith; and a very good tight end in Dallas Goedert.

    • Cowboys run game vs. Eagles run defense: The Cowboys rushed for 100.3 yards per game last season, 27th in the NFL. This year they’re rolling with Javonte Williams, Miles Sanders, and rookie Jaydon Blue in their backfield. The Eagles finished 10th in run defense in 2024, but only gave up 6 runs of 20+ yards (3rd best in the NFL), 0 runs of 40+ yards (tied for best), and 9 rushing TDs (second best).

    • Cowboys passing attack vs. Eagles pass defense: The Cowboys boast a talented trio of receivers in CeeDee Lamb, George Pickens, and Kavontae Turpin, who will test an Eagles secondary consisting of two budding stars in Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean, but also a potential weak spot in whoever starts at CB2 (likely Adoree’ Jackson). However, whatever weak spot the Eagles have at CB2 is offset — and then some — by the Cowboys’ offensive tackle duo of Tyler Guyton and Terrence Steele, arguably the worst tackle tandem in the NFC.

    The Eagles tend to start the season slowly, even if they have a 4-0 record Week 1 under Nick Sirianni. But they are just a far better team, and I can’t imagine morale is super high at the moment in that Dallas locker room.

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    Chiefs (-3) at Chargers: I imagine that when the Chargers were getting their first look at the 2025 schedule, they were thinking, “No Week 1 against the Chiefs🤞 , no Week 1 against the Chiefs 🤞. Crap.”

    The Chiefs would be the last team I’d want to face after they were humiliated in the Super Bowl, and super eager to have a good feeling on the football field again.

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    Giants at Commanders (-6.5): In Week 2 last season, the Giants lost their kicker on the opening kickoff against the Commanders, forcing them to go for two after all three of their touchdowns. They failed on all three attempts, because, you know, they’re the Giants. The Giants were also forced to go for it on 4th and 4 at the Commanders’ 22 yard line with two minutes to go and the score tied 18-18, a very clear field goal situation. They didn’t get it, again, because they’re the Giants. The Commanders then kicked a game winning field goal, winning 21-18, on seven field goals. That was one of many lucky Commanders wins last year.

    062025LuckyCommanders062025LuckyCommanders

    In Week 9, it wasn’t quite as close a game, but the Giants kept the final score to within 5 points. In recent years, the Commanders have been the only team the Giants could consistently beat, and even last year they played them tough. I’m not dumb enough to pick the Giants to win a Week 1 road game, but I do think it’ll be a competitive game. Commanders to win, but against the spread give me the Giants and the points.

    Steelerslogo2020Steelerslogo2020

    Steelers (-2.5) at Jets: I’ve finally come around to the conclusion that Justin Fields is just a bad quarterback, and always will be. And yet, if I were given the choice between him or Aaron Rodgers for one season at this stage of their respective careers, I’m not so sure I’d take Rodgers.

    This will be a defensive struggle between two teams with bad starting quarterbacks, and I like the Steelers’ defensive big play potential more than the Jets’.

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    Dolphins at Colts (-1.5): I don’t like this Dolphins team even a little bit, and generally think Mike McDaniel is a fraud, but it’s hard to get past that the Colts are starting Daniel Jones.

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    Panthers at Jaguars (-3.5): It’s only Week 1 and I already couldn’t care less about either of these teams.

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    Bengals (-5.5) at Browns: The Bengals have been habitually slow starters, so head coach Zac Taylor had Joe Burrow start two preseason games, and let him attempt 24 passes. Maybe that will help. I dunno. The Bengals are better, obviously, and I’m picking them to win, but I was actually kind of impressed by the Browns during joint practices with the Eagles this summer and will take the 5.5 points.

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    Raiders at Patriots (-2.5): From The Ringer: 

    090325GenoPlentyToLearn090325GenoPlentyToLearn

    Geno Smith, 35 years old, 95 games played, 84 starts, career losing record, no playoff wins, “still has plenty to learn.” 9th best quarterback in the NFL, lol.

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    Cardinals (-6.5) at Saints: The Saints are probably the worst team in the NFL, hence their 6.5-point home underdog status against the mediocre Cardinals.

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    Buccaneers (-1.5) at Falcons: Despite the Bucs winning their fourth consecutive NFC South title in 2024, the Falcons actually swept them last year. Still, this Bucs roster is very clearly the class of the NFC South, and in my opinion the second-best team in the NFC. They’re just a lot better than the perennially overrated Falcons, so I’ll gladly lay the 1.5 points.

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    Titans at Broncos (-8): I’m curious to see Bo Nix in Year 2, and Cam Ward in Year 1. This is a “feeling out” game for me.

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    49ers (-2.5) at Seahawks: The Seahawks have no chance of contending for a Super Bowl with Sam Darnold at quarterback, though I suppose Darnold did win his share of regular season games last season with the Vikings. The 49ers had a nightmare season in 2024, but enter 2025 with an over/under win total of 10.5. I just don’t see that, even with an extraordinarily soft schedule. Give me the Seahawks, with no conviction whatsoever.

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    Lions at Packers (-2.5): This line jumped a full point after the Packers’ acquisition of Micah Parsons, who will probably play a limited number of snaps after missing all of training camp. The Lions are still the better team, in my opinion, so give me them to win outright, and sure, I’ll take the 2.5 points on top of that.

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    Texans at Rams (-3.5): This opinion goes against the norm a bit, but I just don’t think the Rams are going to be a strong contender in the NFC this season. I have them at 9 wins. The Texans will be a fascinating team to watch. They’re hoping for a bounce-back season from C.J. Stroud in front of a very suspect offensive line, but what they do have is two outstanding edge rushers in Will Anderson and Danielle Hunter, coupled with one of the best secondaries in the NFL, led by Derek Stingley. I like the Texans’ defense’s chances of stealing this game on the road.

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    Ravens at Bills (-1.5): I do think the Bills will ultimately earn the 1 seed in the AFC because they play in such an awful division, but the Ravens always seem to start the season strongly. The Ravens earn a statement win to begin their 2025 campaign in a battle of the last two NFL MVPs.

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    Vikings (-1.5) at Bears: The Vikings are one of my sleepers this season, which feels like a weird thing to say about a team that went 14-3 last season. The Bears feel like a Falcons-like team that gets overhyped for no good reason.

    Survivor pick ☠️

    1. Week 1: Eagles 🦅

    • Picks against the spread: Giants (+6.5), Steelers (-2.5), Browns (+5.5), Buccaneers (-1.5), Lions (+2.5), Texans (+3.5), Ravens (+1.5).

    • 2025 season, straight up: 0-0
    • 2025 season, ATS: 0-0
    • 2024 season, straight up: 205-80 (0.719)
    • 2024 season, ATS: 62-44-3 (0.583)
    • 2023 season, straight up: 178-109 (0.620)

    • 2023 season, ATS: 50-48-6 (0.510) 
    • 2022 season, straight up: 176-107-2 (0.621)
    • 2022 season, ATS: 50-50 (0.500) 
    • 2021 season, straight up: 179-105-1 (0.630)
    • 2021 season, ATS: 46-40-1 (0.534)
    • 2020 season, straight up: 169-81-1 (0.675)

    • 2020 season, ATS: 45-37-3 (0.547)

    • 2019 season, straight up: 160-107-1 (0.601)

    • 2019 season, ATS: 42-35-3 (0.544)

    • 2018 season, straight up: 173-94-2 (0.647)

    • 2018 season, ATS: 41-36-2 (0.532)

    • 2017 season, straight up: 181-86 (0.678)

    • 2017 season, ATS: 36-32-2 (0.529)

    • 2016 season, straight up: 171-94-2 (0.644)

    • 2016 season, ATS:  41-34 (0.547)

    • 2015 season, straight up: 163-93 (0.637)

    • 2015 season, ATS: 46-30-2 (0.605)

    • Last 11 seasons, ATS: 452-380-22 (0.542)

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  • Birds opener breaking records with ‘hottest ticket this NFL season’

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    PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) — The Eagles Thursday night season opener against Dallas is already breaking records, as ticket demand surges ahead of the game.

    “This is the hottest ticket this NFL season,” said Kyle Zorn, of TickPick.com. “It’s the most expensive Eagles game on record for a regular season game.”

    RELATED: Eagles fans already begin tailgating outside Linc: ‘This is like Candyland’

    Zorn says the get in price for standing room tickets is around $280. The average fan is spending about $774. When it comes to who’s buying the tickets, about 8% of sales are in Texas, the rest are in the tri-state area.

    Some fans outside the Linc on Wednesday said the price was a steal.

    “I would pay a thousand dollars just to see a Cowboys fan cry. Let alone get in the stadium,” said Mike Nappi, who was making videos in the parking of the Linc.

    RELATED: Heading to the Eagles game? What to know about SEPTA Sports Express train times tonight

    “I’m expecting to cry because I’m so happy to be here,” said Julie Bellone, of Syracuse.

    ALSO SEE: Show us your Philadelphia Eagles pride!

    Copyright © 2025 WPVI-TV. All Rights Reserved.

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    6abc Digital Staff

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  • SEPTA express trains to Eagles’ home opener restored through FanDuel sponsorship

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    Eagles fans relying on SEPTA to get them to and from Lincoln Financial Field on Thursday for the Birds’ season opener against the Dallas Cowboys will get a reprieve from public transportation stressors. 

    The sports betting platform FanDuel has agreed to cover the cost to restore the Broad Street Line’s express trains, which had been eliminated as part of SEPTA service reductions last month, and also to sponsor free rides home from the game. 

    MORE: Eagles odds and ends: Nick Sirianni says team ‘won’t be out’ for Super Bowl banner unveiling

    SEPTA will run regularly scheduled subway trains and sports express trains every 10 minutes. After the game, 10 express and six local trains will depart NRG Station over the course of 70 minutes. Free rides begin at halftime and last until service ends. The game begins at 8:20 p.m. 

    The cost to restore the express trains and cover free rides is about $80,000, NBC10 reported. About half of that goes toward base operations. The other half covers fares.

    “We appreciate FanDuel and SEPTA for collaborating to help provide Eagles fans with convenient transportation to and from our home opener,” Eagles President Don Smolenski said in a statement. “Their generous support will assist fans in getting to Lincoln Financial Field so that we can all enjoy the championship moment together as we take on the division rival Dallas Cowboys.” 

    On Wednesday, the Eagles and Lincoln Financial Field had issued an advisory urging Eagles fans not to tailgate outside the Linc unless they had a ticket to the game, citing the uncertainties associated with SEPTA’s service. 

    After SEPTA began cutting service last month, SEPTA General Manager Scott Sauer said there only would be three local trains available for riders to take after Eagles games. Typically, Sauer said, the Broad Street Line used 12-14 trains to transport 14,000 to 17,000 fans.

    Faced with a $213 million budget deficit, SEPTA began a series of service reductions Aug. 24 by eliminating 32 bus routes and reduced service on transit routes by 20%. Additional cuts have been temporarily halted by a court order. 

    “SEPTA is grateful to FanDuel for stepping up with this sponsorship to restore Sports Express service for the Eagles home opener,” Sauer said in a statement. “This is a challenging time for SEPTA and our customers, but this partnership will ensure that Eagles fans have safe, clean and reliable service to and from the game — and with the added bonus of free rides home.”

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  • Eagles-Cowboys Week 1 injury report, with analysis

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    The Philadelphia Eagles are mostly healthy heading into their Week 1 matchup with the Dallas Cowboys. The Cowboys have several notable injuries on the defensive side of the ball, and of course, they traded their best player in Micah Parsons.

    Here’s the Eagles-Cowboys injury report, with analysis.

    051020EaglesLogo2020
    Player  Injury  Mon  Tues Wed  Status 
    LG Landon Dickerson Back DNP  Full  Full  –
    QB Tanner McKee  Right thumb  DNP  DNP  DNP  Out 
    S Andrew Mukuba  Hamstring  Limited  Full  Full  – 
    EDGE Josh Uche  Groin  Limited  Full  Full  – 
    iDL Jalen Carter  Shoulder  Full  Full  Full  – 

    Monday notes:

    • Dickerson recently underwent surgery for a meniscus injury, but he’s listed with seemingly a new back injury. He wasn’t out on the field at all on Monday, even as a spectator. We only get to watch a small portion of practices in-season, but Brett Toth got first-team reps at Dickerson’s LG spot during individual drills.

    • McKee didn’t practice at all either. No surprise there.

    • Mukuba’s injury — and the time he missed during training camp — will likely cost him a starting spot Week 1, with those responsibilities likely going to Sydney Brown instead, but Mukuba could eventually supplant Brown.

    • Uche’s injury was previously unknown. He’s the third edge rusher, so that’s worth monitoring.

    • Carter was a full participant, so there’s no real concern that he won’t play.

    Tuesday notes: 

    • The only player who did not practice was McKee. Sam Howell will likely be the QB2 on Thursday night

    • Dickerson practiced, so his new back injury likely isn’t all that alarming. Also, though his knee almost certainly isn’t 100 percent in the aftermath of his meniscus surgery, it would not have prevented him from practicing this week. 

    • Mukuba was a full participant, which is at least interesting. But Vic Fangio made a point of noting that he missed two weeks of camp and is further behind of where he would otherwise be.

    Wednesday notes: 

    • The Eagles didn’t practice on Wednesday. This is just an estimation if they had.

    • McKee is the only player out. everyone else is good to go.

    Notable players on IR, PUP, suspension, etc.

    • LB Nakobe Dean (PUP, knee): Dean tore his patellar tendon in the Eagles’ Wild Card win over the Green Bay Packers last season. As our Evan Macy detailed back in January, patellar tendon tears are more serious than ACL or Achilles tears. Dean began training camp on the PUP list and will remain there to begin the regular season. He will miss the first four games, at a minimum. Rookie Jihaad Campbell will likely start opposite Zack Baun, and Jeremiah Trotter Jr. could have a role as well. 

    • WR Johnny Wilson (IR, knee, ankle): Wilson is a massive receiver at 6’6, 228 who carved out a dirty work role as a physical blocker his rookie season in 2024, though sometimes he was a little too aggressive, as he committed four penalties (3 holding, 1 OPI). He wasn’t much of a threat as a receiver, catching only 5 passes for 38 yards and a TD. He played a little over 400 snaps, and actually started four games.

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    Player  Injury  Mon  Tues  Wed  Status 
    DT Perrion Winfrey Back  DNP  DNP DNP  Out
    CB Trevon Diggs  Knee  Full  Full  Full  – 
    LT Tyler Guyton  Knee  Full  Full  Full  – 
    TE Brevyn Spann-Ford  Ankle  Full  Full  Full  – 

    Monday notes:

    • Diggs was a full participant, but he is only recently returning from a serious knee injury. He told Cowboys reporters that he’ll play by Week 4.

    That quote sounds like he’s not playing Week 1. We’ll see. The Cowboys are already razor thin at corner. 

    Dallas’ starting CBs are Diggs, Daron Bland, and Kaiir Elam. Diggs may or may not play. The Cowboys’ three primary backups — Caelen Carson, Josh Butler, Shavon Revel — are all on IR/PUP/NFI, as noted below. Their three reserves thereafter are two waiver claims (Trikweke Bridges, Reddy Stewart), & a career STs guy (CJ Goodwin).

    If Diggs can’t play, a bottom-of-the-roster guy will have to start.

    • Guyton started as a rookie in 2024, and finished second in the NFL with 18 penalties. PFF had him down (very generously) for 6 sacks in 2024. He got benched multiple times during the season. 

    If there were a player that the Cowboys really needed to have a good training camp this summer, it was Guyton, but he broke a bone in his knee and missed the bulk of camp. Guyton has since returned to practice, and will probably play Week 1, but he hasn’t gotten an ideal amount of work this summer. 

    Tuesday notes:

    • No changes on the Cowboys’ front.

    Wednesday notes: 

    • The Cowboys didn’t practice on Wednesday. This is just an estimation if they had.

    • In a bit of a surprise, Diggs will play.

    Notable players on IR, PUP, suspension, etc.

    • LB DeMarvion Overshown (PUP): In Week 14 last season, Overshown shredded his right knee, tearing his ACL, PCL, and MCL. The optimistic return timeline for him is November. Overshown was having a fantastic season when he went down, as he had 90 tackles, 5 sacks, an INT, a forced fumble, and 4 pass breakups in 13 games.

    • OG Rob Jones (IR): Jones suffered a fracture in his neck, and his season is over. He signed with the Cowboys this offseason on a one-year deal worth $3.75 million. He was poised to be an important backup, active on gamedays.

    • WR Jonathan Mingo (IR): For some insane reason, the Cowboys gave up a fourth-round pick for Mingo at the trade deadline last year. Mingo has 60 career receptions in three NFL seasons. He was in contention to be the Cowboys’ WR3 this season, but will miss at least the first four games with a knee injury.

    • CB Caelen Carson (IR): Carson is a second-year player who started five games for the Cowboys as a rookie last season.

    • CB Shavon Revel Jr. (NFI): Revel was the Cowboys’ third-round pick. He tore an ACL in September of last year, ending his season. Otherwise, he’d have been picked much higher. He will miss at least the first four games of the season.

    • CB Josh Butler (IR): Butler is a depth corner who started three games for the Cowboys last season.

    • RB Phil Mafah (IR): Seventh-round rookie, got some positive training camp buzz.

    • DE Payton Turner (IR): Turner busted as a Saints first-round pick, but he was expected to play a supporting role on the Cowboys’ D-line this season. He’ll miss the first four games with broken ribs.

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  • Eagles odds and ends: Nick Sirianni says team ‘won’t be out’ for Super Bowl banner unveiling

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    The Eagles will be unveiling a championship banner on Thursday night, but the team itself won’t be out there for that. 

    It’s on to the new season for them, on to the Cowboys. 

    “Yeah, I didn’t know it was banner night,” head coach Nick Sirianni told the local media at the NovaCare Complex on Tuesday. “We won’t be out for that.”

    Up to you how much you want to buy into Sirianni’s awareness (or unawareness) of Thursday night’s pregame festivities at Lincoln Financial Field, but it does run consistent with the thought process that the players and the coaches have been trying to adhere to all summer. 

    For them, last year was last year. It’s a clean slate, everyone’s starting at zero again, and from Jalen Hurts to Jordan Mailata and all throughout the roster, “title defense” and “reigning champs” are terms they’ve gone out of their way to avoid using. 

    “I think from the outside, I think the city and everybody’s been talking about it, but this building has been locked in,” receiver A.J. Brown said of last season’s Super Bowl run. “We put that to bed long ago. We’re just ready to go. That’s over with.”

    It’s back to zero, but with a new reminder up in the rafters now of where the Eagles want to get back to, and how recently they’ve been there. 

    It can be hard to keep your eyes forward after such an incredible run, such a massive celebration, and such a short offseason. 

    The 2018 Eagles arguably fell into that trap coming off the 2017 underdog run. 

    The 2025 Eagles, though, are trying not to make the same mistake.

    But full disclosure, the 2018 team wasn’t on the field for the banner unveiling either seven years ago. They emerged from the tunnel right after. They just had a groggy first half against the Falcons, with boos from the home crowd snapping them back to reality. 

    Again, the 2025 Eagles want to avoid that.

    A few other odds and ends on the Birds ahead of a much-anticipated Week 1…

    All that glitters is gold

    When the Eagles do finally take the field on Thursday night, Saquon Barkley’s Midnight Green uniform will look a touch different from the rest. 

    The NFL shield on the collar of the star running back’s jersey will shine in gold rather than the usual silver as part of a new initiative from the league to better recognize its individual award winners, per ESPN’s Alaina Getzenberg.

    The 2024 league MVP (Buffalo’s Josh Allen), Offensive Player of the Year (Barkley), Defensive Player of the Year (Denver’s Patrick Sutrain II), Offensive Rookie of the Year (Washington’s Jayden Daniels), and Defensive Rookie of the Year (the L.A. Rams’ Jared Verse) will each have the gold shields on their jerseys for the duration of the upcoming season, which should make for a unique visual that highlights star players, albeit from up close – and maybe sells a few more jerseys, too. 

    The NFL began putting special “PREM1ERE” patches on the jerseys of rookies playing in their first game a couple of years ago, and has also had active Walter Payton Man of the Year award winners wear patches forming the silhouette of the legendary running back on their chests prior to that. 

    The gold shields will be another means of spotlighting the faces of the league, and for the Eagles, the near-generational star that produced highlight after highlight on the way to a 2,000-yard season, and above all, a title. 

    A look away from the field

    Staying with Barkley, Amazon announced on Wednesday that it will premiere a feature-length documentary about the Eagles star running back on Oct. 9 through Prime Video, simply titled “Saquon.”

    Here’s the teaser trailer:

    Using footage that goes back through the past five years, and with Martin Scorsese credited as an executive producer, the documentary is set to give fans a closer look into Barkley’s rehab back from an ACL tear suffered in 2020, the growing rift that sent him on his way out of New York and eventually to Philadelphia, and then, the unbelievable season with the Eagles that quickly followed, all while getting a glimpse into who Barkley is away from football. 

    Prime Video is also home to “Kelce,” the documentary that focused on the Eagles’ beloved former center that was released in 2023 and became a must-watch for Eagles fans. 

    “Saquon” should easily fit into that category, too, and right alongside the Eagles’ divisional matchup against the Giants that night, which also happens to be on Prime.

    Brace yourself

    If you’re heading to the game Thursday night, you’re likely aware of the SEPTA situation already, but just in case: Give yourself a plan and plenty of time.

    SEPTA is currently a mess, with no express lines going to and from the Sports Complex in the cards right now as the state tries to figure out the transit budget. 

    It’s gotten to a point where on Tuesday, Lincoln Financial Field’s social media accounts issued a travel advisory stating that parking lots will open earlier and asking to keep tailgates contained so that as many parking spots as possible can be available. 

    The transit situation is fluid, but frustration getting to the game and leaving it on Thursday night seems inevitable right now. 

    It’s not a good look considering the MLB All-Star Game and the FIFA World Cup are both on their way here next summer.

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  • FanDuel helps restore SEPTA’s express train service for Eagles season opener

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    The sports gambling company FanDuel provided $80,000 to restore express train service for the Philadelphia Eagles season opener on Thursday, SEPTA confirmed with NBC10.

    On Tuesday, Sept. 2, the Eagles issued a travel advisory for fans, informing them they would not be running their special sports express trains for Thursday’s matchup against the Dallas Cowboys at Lincoln Financial Field due to SEPTA’s ongoing service cuts.

    The Eagles advised fans to only travel to the South Philadelphia Sports Complex if they had a ticket to the game and for those who were attending to arrive early and plan for extra travel time.

    On Wednesday, Sept. 3, however, FanDuel announced they were providing resources to fully restore express train service on SEPTA’s Broad Street Line for the season opener.

    “SEPTA will run regularly scheduled subway trains, plus Sports Express trips, before and after the game. Pre-game, Sports Express trips will run every 10 minutes to supplement Local service. Post-game, SEPTA will have 10 Express and six Local trains ready to get fans home from NRG Station. Post-game trips will operate over a period of approximately 70 minutes, and SEPTA urges fans to go to NRG station right after the game to ensure they can catch a train home,” a spokesperson wrote. “The FanDuel sponsorship covers free rides home for fans. The free rides from NRG Station begin at halftime and continue through the end of service.”

    A SEPTA spokesperson confirmed with NBC10 that FanDuel paid $80,000 to restore the service for Thursday’s game only with $40,000 covering base operations and another $40,000 covering free rides home for Eagles fans.

    The initial reduction of the sports express trains was part of SEPTA’s first round of cuts that were implemented on Sunday, Aug. 24, after lawmakers in Harrisburg failed to secure funding to address the transit agency’s $213 million budget deficit. The cuts also included the elimination or reduction of dozens of bus routes.

    On Thursday, Aug. 28, the city of Philadelphia announced they were using a portion of its $135 million transit subsidy to restore some SEPTA bus routes for students impacted by the service cuts.

    Then on Friday, Aug. 29, a judge ordered a temporary injunction to halt the next phase of service cuts that included a fare hike scheduled for Sept. 1 and Regional Rail reductions on Sept. 2. SEPTA complied with the ruling.

    However, besides some bus routes being restored for students, SEPTA has maintained their first round of service cuts that were implemented on Aug. 24, which includes the reduction of express trains to sporting events.

    In response to this, George Bochetto, the attorney who filed the initial lawsuit which led to the judge’s order, wrote a letter to SEPTA’s attorney, arguing that the express train service cuts should also be halted. Bochetto planned to address the express train service cuts during a follow-up hearing on the lawsuit on Thursday, Sept. 4.

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    David Chang

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  • Don’t have tickets to the Eagles’ game? Turn Thursday into a bar crawl instead

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    After a long, football-less summer, the defending Super Bowl champs are finally returning to our weekly routines with the Eagles hosting the Dallas Cowboys in the NFL season opener on Thursday night. 

    If you’re still riding the high from this winter’s Broad Street celebrations, bars and restaurants all over the Philly area will be spreading the love for the Birds with watch parties and deals. 

    MORE: Saquon Barkley teams up with Wawa to design new hoagie

    Couldn’t snag a ticket to the Linc? Here’s how to turn Thursday into a daylong bar crawl — with food and drink specials, live music and plenty of chanting guaranteed.

    Pre-pregame party

    Philadelphia Zoo, 3400 W. Girard Ave., West Philadelphia

    Is there a better place to practice your “Go Birds!” chants hours before kickoff than at the the zoo? The attraction will host a pep rally from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., with lawn games and live music. Fans will certainly be flying high after bird meet-and-greets. 

    Pregame party

    DraftKings Ultimate Kickoff, Brooklyn Bowl, 1009 Canal St., Fishtown

    Travel time from the zoo: 20 minute ride-hailing trip

    There will be some down time after the trip to the zoo, which probably isn’t the worst thing ahead of a long night. DraftKings, along with fellow sponsors Xfinity and Smirnoff, will be taking over Brooklyn Bowl for a free watch party hosted by Hall of Fame wide receiver Terrell Owens. Eagles legends Fletcher Cox and Nick Foles are also scheduled to make guest appearances throughout the night. There will be free bowling, specialty cocktails and a TD toss competition. 

    Doors open at 6 p.m. Tickets are free but limited, and guests must be at least 21 years old to reserve their spot, which can be done online. 

    While leaving this event before the game begins would mean you’d miss some of the festivities and a postgame performance from Grammy Award-winning DJ and Temple University alum Diplo, getting there fashionably early (is that a thing?) would mean you might beat the crowds and get a lane to bowl a few games. 

    First quarter

    Frankford Hall, 1210 Frankford Ave., Fishtown

    Travel time from Brooklyn Bowl: 7-minute walk 

    Leave the Ultimate Kickoff by around 7:30 p.m. to claim a seat at Frankford Hall. Forecasts show some windy conditions and a chance of thunderstorms, but if weather allows, the bar’s open-air beer garden, lawn games and outdoor seating make for a perfect place to check out the start of the game. 

    Second quarter

    Evil Genius Brewing Co., 1727 N. Front St., Kensington 

    Travel time from Frankford Hall: 11-minute walk 

    At the end of the first quarter, hustle over to Evil Genius to grab gameday specials of $26 craft pitchers, $6 citywide specials, $11 wings and $9 Statesides (in honor of Saquon Barkley, Devonta Smith, A.J. Brown and Nick Foles’ numbers, respectively).

    Third quarter

    Yards Brewing Co., 500 Spring Garden Ave., North Philadelphia

    Travel time from Evil Genius Brewing Co.: 10-minute ride-hailing trip or 32-minute walk

    Bail on the halftime show to hitch a ride to the second brewery on this crawl. Yards is bringing back its Trash Talk IPA (6.5% ABV) — a hoppy beer full of tropical fruity flavors that’s inspired by the unruly passion of Philly sports fans — that will be $7 during games. The brewery also offers $12 wings and $5 Philly Standard beers. Plus, there’s live DJ sets during commercial breaks. 

    Fourth quarter

    Paddy’s Pub Old City, 228 Race St., Old City

    Travel time from Yards Brewing Co.: 15-minute walk 

    If the predictions from our sports staff are accurate, the Eagles should be in a good spot by this point in the game so you won’t miss much during the walk to the no-frills neighborhood spot where smoking is still permitted indoors and its curated cocktail list consists of a shot of Jameson for its customers who take too long to order. There truly may be no better place to experience the grit of Philly than Paddy’s.

    Postgame party

    Founding Fathers, 1612 South St., Graduate Hospital 

    Travel time from Paddy’s: 12-minute ride-hailing trip

    At the end of a game, take a ride to Founding Fathers to grab a celebratory drink with your fellow Birds fans. Its extensive drink menu can accommodate any post-win craving. 

    Plus, you’ll be only a few blocks from the parade route so you can end the night with a stroll down Broad Street to reminisce about the Super Bowl and commemorate the Week 1 trouncing of the Cowboys.

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    Molly McVety

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  • A Look Ahead to Top Betting Lines for Eagles This Season – Philadelphia Sports Nation

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    This blog contains links from which we may earn a commission.Credit: Casey Murphy/Unsplash

    After a strong season last year, the Philadelphia Eagles remain among the top contenders in 2025.

    As the new season is before us, sportsbooks are already showing the first odds that would let fans place their bets.

    While you’re analyzing and placing bets, fans can also have more fun playing casino games with a sports theme. You can even find NFL-themed games among the best-paying pokies that are available at https://onlinepokiesmates.com/best-paying-pokies/, which are a popular way of spinning the reels if you’re a football fan.

    Some of these games feature the Super Bowl theme because it’s the biggest sports event in the US.

    If you’re considering betting on the Philadelphia Eagles, here are the odds that are currently available.

    Keep in mind that the odds are subject to change, the same way past Super Bowl point spreads changed over time, especially when the competition progresses and teams’ performances become obvious.

    First Games in September

    PHOTO: Casey Murphy/Unsplash

    The first week of the league is placing the Eagles as favorites in both of their matches. The first one is against the Dallas Cowboys, and the second one is against the Kansas City Chiefs. The spread odds are -120 and -122, respectively. For the moneyline, the Eagles are stronger favorites with odds being -310 and -110 for the first and the second game.

    Overs and unders are a bit different. The odds against the Dallas Cowboys for under 46.5 are -115, whereas the game with the Kansas City Chiefs offers -105 for over 46.5.

    This is the first sign that the whole team is still perceived as being strong and ready to go far in the competition. This is somewhat normal due to the success of the team last time.

    Super Bowl Odds

    This year, the Eagles are considered the favorites. Here’s how the odds compare to the past Super Bowl scores and spreads. 

    Eagles currently share +750 odds to win the Super Bowl, placing them among the top 4 contenders alongside the Chiefs and 49ers. There are a couple of other teams with the same odds, but the majority of the others have lower odds of winning.

    Playoffs Odds

    When it comes to the playoffs, the odds are again saying that the Philadelphia Eagles will reach them. Odds of them making it to the playoffs are -350. On the contrary, the odds of them not reaching the playoffs are +265. That’s not so surprising, given how well the team played last season.

    Win Totals Odds

    Win Toals is the type of bet that you place on how many games the team will win over the regular season. Players can bet on to win 6, 8, or 10. If you want to bet on six, that’s impossible because there are no odds for this number of games. However, to win 8, the odds are -800, and to win 10, the odds are -250.

    These odds imply that the team will most likely achieve more than 10 wins in the regular season.

    Futures Specials

    In the futures section, there’s just one unique bet that includes the Eagles, but it’s not exclusive to them. The bet means that the Eagles, Ravens, and Chiefs need to make it to the playoffs.

    Eagles, Chiefs, and Ravens each have a chance to make it to the playoffs. As these teams are likely to achieve that, the odds are -110.

    Division Winners

    Placing a bet on the NFC East Winners and the NFC Championship winner this early relies on a lot of luck. Still, that is reflected in somewhat appealing odds. The Eagles are considered favorites to win the NFC East with odds of -130.  They are also the favorites to win the NFC Championship, with the odds being +370.

    PHOTO: Caleb Woods/Unsplash

    Awards

    These are not the best for the whole team, but for the individuals on the team. The highlights include Saquon Barkley, who you can bet on as the AP NFL Offensive Player of the Year with the odds of +600. He is the favorite with these odds that place him at the top.

    Lane Johnson is considered among the best protectors in the league, which is reflected in the odds of +650, which are putting him as a favorite NFL protector of the year 2025/2026.

    Even though not a favorite, Vic Fangio is the fourth candidate to be the AP NFL Assistant Coach of the Year, with the odds of +1000. So, plenty of nominations from the Eagles team.

    Team Specials

    This is where things get fun, as there are team specials odds that also show the strength of the Philadelphia Eagles. Here’s a list featuring the top specials:

    • Eagles to score at least one touchdown in every regular season game, with the odds of -160.
    • Eagles to beat the Dallas Cowboys at home and away in the regular season, with the odds of -125.
    • Eagles to beat the Washington Commanders at home and away in the regular season, with the odds of +110.
    • Saquon Barkley is expected to get 500+ regular-season receiving yards, with the odds of +160.
    • Saquon Barkley & Jalen Hurts to combine 2500+ rushing yards in the regular season,  with the odds of +250.
    • Jalen Carter is expected to achieve 10+ sacks in the regular season, with the odds of +300.

    First Odds Are Promising

    According to the first and betting lines that have appeared, the Philadelphia Eagles are still considered a team that could repeat the success they had last year.

    While being different from the past Super Bowl spreads, they still show who is considered to be the favorite.

    Of course, we’ll see whether that’s true once the season starts in September.

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  • NFC Hierarchy/Obituary: Week 1 edition

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    11) 49ers (6-11 in 2024): The Niners’ 2025 opponents had a combined record of 120-169 (0.415) and a combined point differential of -845 in 2024. They very well could land back in the playoffs after a miserable 2024 season.

    If they do sneak into the tourney because of their impossibly easy schedule, they’re going to be an ideal first-round opponent and a quick out.

    10) Falcons (8-9 in 2024): The Falcons haven’t had a player notch 10 sacks in a season since 2016, when Vic Beasley had 15.5. They also haven’t had anyone with at least 7 sacks in the last five seasons. Their sack leaders, by season:

    No wonder they made an asinine trade for an edge rusher during the 2025 draft. As a reminder, the Falcons traded their second-round pick (46th overall), their first-round pick in 2026, and a seventh-round pick in 2025 to the Rams for the 26th overall pick, and a third-round comp pick (101st overall).

    If the Falcons are awful in 2025 and that 2026 first-round pick ends up in the top 10, then the Rams may have gotten more valuable draft capital from the Falcons for James Pearce than the Cowboys got for Micah Parsons.

    9) Seahawks (10-7 in 2024): Sam Darnold folded faster than Superman on laundry day when faced with pressure in the playoffs last season. Now he’ll play behind one of the worst offensive lines in the NFL. 

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    8) Cardinals (8-9 in 2024): Ohhhhh, OK, I see why Gannon has the third-best odds of winning NFL Coach of the Year. Nine of the Cardinals’ first 11 opponents had losing records in 2024, and a combined record of 75-112 (0.401), with a combined point differential of -643.

    Week  Opponent  2024 record  2024 Point differential 
    1   At Saints 5-12  -60 
    2   Panthers 5-12  -193 
    3   At 49ers 6-11  -47 
    4   Seahawks 10-7  +7 
    5   Titans 3-14  -149 
    6   At Colts 8-9  -50 
    7   Packers 11-6  +122 
    8   BYE    
    9   At Cowboys 7-10  -118 
    10   At Seahawks 10-7  +7 
    11   49ers 6-11  -47 
    12   Jaguars 4-13  -115 

    It does get a little harder after that, but man if this team isn’t at least 6-5 at that point in the season just fire him in-season.

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    7) Commanders (11-6 in 2024): On the evening of NFL 53-man cutdowns, we published our yearly age rankings, and the Commanders were the oldest team in the NFL, by far. In fact, they were the oldest team since we started calculating age at 53-man cutdowns in 2012, again, by far.

    Commanders fans’ collective reaction to these facts was something like this:

    082925tantrum-temper082925tantrum-temper

    I’ll give their most common rebuttals, and react to each of them.

    • Rebuttal No. 1: Their QB3 (Josh Johnson, 39), punter (Tress Way, 35), and long snapper (Tyler Ott, 33) heavily skew their average age.

    #JimmySays: They skew the average age, but not that heavily.

    To begin, 21 of the NFL’s 32 teams have long snappers who are 30 years of age or older. From a comparative perspective, taking Ott out doesn’t skew much if you take out every long snapper, league wide.

    If you take out Johnson and Way, it drops their average age from 28.09 to 27.75, which still makes them the oldest team we’ve ever calculated by a comfortable margin.

    If you take out Johnson, Way, Ott, and another three backups in Eddie Goldman (31), Nick Bellore (36), and George Fant (33) — and don’t do age gymnastics for any other team — they’re still the second-oldest team in the NFL, barely behind the Steelers.

    There’s no getting around it. It’s a crazy old roster.

    • Rebuttal No. 2: The Commanders drafted poorly during the Ron Rivera era, so the Commanders had no choice but to load up with old players to fill out the roster.

    #JimmySays: You know what’s a good way to further deplete the young player pipeline? Trading a slew of picks for three older vets on the downsides of their careers, in Laremy Tunsil, Deebo Samuel, and Marshon Lattimore.

    Lattimore looked cooked last season, Deebo hasn’t been good in like four years, and Tunsil led the league in penalties in 2024.

    And they didn’t have to almost exclusively load up on old players. They had a lot of cap space, and could have absolutely been more selective about adding players in the 25-28 range who could’ve potentially grown with the team.

    Rebuttal No. 3: The Commanders’ window to win is right now, while Jayden Daniels is on his rookie contract.

    #JimmySays: I do agree that the team’s brass may very well be thinking this way, which is a failure to understand that they lucked into an NFC Championship Game appearance last season, when the shellacking they took in Philly should’ve revealed a more realistic outlook on where they are as a franchise.

    But also, the last time a team won a Super Bowl with a quarterback on his rookie contract was in 2013, when the Seahawks did it with Russell Wilson. Is it an advantage to have a good quarterback on a rookie contract? Sure! Should you build your roster on the premise that it’s an unclearable hurdle if you don’t? Of course not!

    Daniels is likely going to be a great player for the next decade-plus. The more good young players they can surround him with long-term, the better chance they’ll have for sustained success. Instead, they brought in double-digit mercenaries in their 30’s, the majority of whom will be gone in a year. And then what? They do it again because Daniels will still have one year left before he is eligible for a second contract?

    Rebuttal No. 4: Yeah, they’re old. So what?

    #JimmySays: Seriously? As players age into their 30’s, they often decline. And it’s not just a handful of guys. They have 25 (!) players who are 29 years of age or older. The next closest team has 17. How many of those guys are going to worse players than they were a year ago? Spoiler: It’s not going to be like 2 or 3.

    But then also, obviously, as players age they become more prone to injury.

    Strategically, the Commanders had an odd offseason.

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    6) Vikings (14-3 in 2024): The Vikings have a good offensive line; passing game targets that include Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, Adam Thielen, and T.J. Hockenson; a smart veteran running back in Aaron Jones; and a defense that finished second in takeaways in 2024. J.J. McCarthy is in a pretty great situation for his first year as a starting quarterback.

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    5) Rams (10-7 in 2024): Per ESPN’s Dan Graziano, Matthew Stafford’s back injury is going to have to be managed all season.

    The Rams believe starting QB Matthew Stafford is on track to be healthy and start Week 1 after struggling throughout camp with a back injury that stubbornly refused to follow his or the team’s recovery timetable. But Stafford is 37 years old and has dealt with back issues in the past. (To his credit, he has found ways to play through them.) My understanding is that this isn’t something the Rams expect to sideline Stafford for a long period of time or affect his play early in the season, but that it is something that will need to be monitored and managed throughout the season.

    As noted above, as players age, they accumulate injuries over time, and it affects their play. Stafford is now 37. Back issues at that age are tough, as I’m sure many of my readers can corroborate.

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    4) Packers (11-6 in 2024): The Packers now have four really good defenders in Micah Parsons, Rashan Gary, Edgerrin Cooper, and Xavier McKinney. My NFC top foursome of defenders power rankings:

    1. Eagles: Jalen Carter, Zack Baun, Quinyon Mitchell, Cooper DeJean
    2. Packers: Parsons, Gary, Cooper, McKinney
    3. Lions: Aidan Hutchinson, Brian Branch, Kerby Joseph, Alim McNeil

    Unfortunately for the Packers, they led the charge to ban a play they don’t want to have to stop, and the football gods will never allow them to immediately then win a Super Bowl.

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    2) Lions (15-2 in 2024): The Lions lost both their offensive and defensive coordinators to head coaching jobs this offseason. That doesn’t happen very often. Recent occurrences:

    • In 2023, the Eagles lost Shane Steichen and Jonathan Gannon. Brian Johnson replaced Steichen. Sean Desai replaced Gannon, and was then replaced himself in-season by Matt Patricia. They all got fired after a brutal collapse to close the season.

    • In 2014, the Bengals lost Jay Gruden and Mike Zimmer. They were replaced by Hue Jackson and Paul Guenther. The 2013 Bengals went 10-6, the 2014 Bengals went 10-5-1. Both teams got knocked out in the first round of the playoffs.

    • In 2007, the Chargers lost Cam Cameron and Wade Phillips. They were replaced by Clarence Shelmon and Ted Cottrell. The 2006 Chargers went 14-2, the 2007 Chargers went 11-5. The 2006 Chargers got knocked out in the first round of the playoffs. The 2007 Chargers actually made it to the AFCCG, but lost to the Patriots.

    • In 2005, the Patriots lost Charlie Weis and Romeo Crennel. They didn’t hire an offensive coordinator to replace Weis. They promoted Eric Mangini to DC. The 2004 Patriots went 14-2 and won the Super Bowl. The 2005 Pats went 10-6 and got knocked out in the divisional round.

    • In 1995, the 49ers lost Mike Shanahan and Ray Rhodes. They were replaced by Marc Trestman and Pete Carroll. The 1994 49ers went 13-3 and won the Super Bowl. The 1995 49ers went 10-6 and got knocked out in the first playoff game (in the divisional round).

    Anyway, the moral of the story here is that when you lose your offensive and defensive coordinators in the same offseason, it’s more likely — but not a lock — that the next season won’t go as well.

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    1) Eagles (Super Bowl champions in 2024): The Eagles lost six starters (five to free agency and one to injury), they hardly spent any money in free agency, and yet they still pretty clearly in my opinion have the best roster in the NFL.

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  • Eagles RB Saquon Barkley named NFL’s No. 1 overall player

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    Last year, Eagles running back Saquon Barkley set the NFL’s record for combined rushing yards in the regular season and postseason to help the franchise win its second Super Bowl title.

    This offseason, Barkley got a boost in his paycheck, was named to the “Madden NFL 26” cover and won an ESPY for being named the NFL’s top player. 

    On Monday night, Barkley picked up another enormous accolade. He was named the NFL’s No. 1 overall player by his fellow NFL players in the league’s annual Top 100 poll. He finished ahead of Lamar Jackson, a two-time MVP, and third-place finisher Josh Allen, the league’s reigning MVP.

    Barkley joined the Eagles last offseason, leaving the Giants – who drafted him second overall out of Penn State in 2018 – after six seasons for their NFC East rivals and a three-year deal worth nearly $38 million.

    He then rushed for a career-best 2,005 yards to lead the NFL and fell just 100 yards short of Eric Dickerson’s NFL single-season record of 2,105 rushing yards. Barkley totaled 2,283 offensive yards in the regular season and 574 more in the playoffs. 

    On Thursday, Barkley will start to show what he can do for an encore, as the defending Super Bowl champion Eagles open the NFL season at the Linc against the rival Dallas Cowboys. Before the game, their championship banner will be unfurled. 

    The NFL MVP might be an annual quarterback award, but the Top 100 has produced different results. Barkley is the second consecutive skill-position player to win the award, following 2025 winner Tyreek Hill, a Dolphins wide receiver. But Barkley is just the second running back to be named No. 1 since Adrian Peterson was voted No. 1 in the 2013 version, making Barkley the first running back in more than a decade to take home the distinction.

    Barkley moved up 85 spots in going to No. 1 overall. And one year from now we’ll see if he can be the first player in Top 100 history to win it in consecutive seasons. Tom Brady has been named No. 1 three times since the poll’s 2011 inception, and Patrick Mahomes has been named No. 1 twice.

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  • Eagles-Cowboys preview: Five things to watch

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    The Philadelphia Eagles will kick off the NFL season on Thursday night against the Micah Parsons-less Dallas Cowboys. Here are five things to watch.

    1) The Eagles’ rushing attack vs. the Cowboys’ “improved” run defense

    The Cowboys’ run defense was abysmal in 2024:

    Cowboys run D  Stat  NFL rank 
    Rush yards allowed per game  137.1  29 
    Rush 1st downs allowed per game  8.3  31 
    Rushing TDs allowed  25  32 
    Yards per rush allowed  4.8  28 
    Rush DVOA  –  29 

    This offseason, the Cowboys lost their best run defender in DeMarcus Lawrence, and they traded for LB Kenneth Murray to replace the injured DeMarvion Overshown. Grain of salt with PFF as always, but they have given Murray horrid run defense grades for years. NT Mazi Smith has also continued to be a major disappointment. 

    062324MaziSmith

    It might be pointed out here that the Cowboys will have a new defense in 2025, with the hiring of defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus. Of course, Eberflus’ Bears defense finished 31st in run defense DVOA last year.

    The Cowboys did add Kenny Clark in the Micah Parsons trade, and Jerry Jones spoke at length about how Clark will help the Cowboys’ run defense. Eh. 

    Meanwhile, the Eagles have an elite rushing offense led by Saquon Barkley, who was arguably the best player in the NFL last season; and Jalen Hurts, who doesn’t get enough recognition for his contributions to the Eagles’ rushing attack.

    The Eagles rushed for 366 yards in two blowout wins over the Cowboys in 2024.

    2) The Eagles’ receivers vs. the Cowboys’ banged-up cornerbacks

    The Cowboys are thin at corner. Their projected starters are Trevon Diggs, DaRon Bland, and Kaiir Elam. Let’s cover them each individually.

    • Trevon Diggs: In January, Diggs had a “chondral tissue graft procedure” on his left knee. He also tore an ACL in that same knee in 2023. Diggs had a huge year in 2021 (11 INTs, 2 pick-sixes), but hasn’t been the same player since because of injuries and inconsistency.

    Diggs returned to practice last Monday. To be determined if he can get into football shape in 10 days, but his availability on Thursday night appears to be a real possibility. Still, even if he is able to return to the lineup in time for the start of the season, what is he going to look like?

    • DaRon Bland: Like Diggs, Bland also has a monster season in the NFL under his belt, in 2023, when he had 9 INTs, 5 (!) of which he returned for TDs. However, in his follow-up season, Bland missed the first 10 games of the season with a stress fracture in his foot. He played the final 7 games, and had 0 INTs.

    With 2024 slot corner Jourdan Lewis leaving in free agency, Bland is likely play outside in the base defense, and shift inside to the slot in nickel.

    • Kaiir Elam: The Cowboys traded a fifth-round pick in 2025 and a seventh-round pick in 2026 to the Bills for Elam and a sixth-round pick in 2025. Elam is 6’1 and he runs a 4.39 40, but for whatever reason he was a first-round bust for the Bills. He has just 12 career starts in 3 seasons.

    The Cowboys’ primary backup corners are all unavailable: 

    • Caelen Carson (IR): Carson is a second-year player who started five games for the Cowboys as a rookie last season. He suffered a hyperextended knee in training camp, and will begin the season on IR.

    • Shavon Revel Jr. (NFI): Revel was the Cowboys’ third round pick. He tore an ACL in September of last year, ending his season. Otherwise, he’d have been picked much higher. He will miss at least the first four games of the season on the non-football injury list.

    • Josh Butler (PUP): Butler is a depth corner who started three games for the Cowboys last season. He tore an ACL in 2024, ending his season. He’ll begin the 2025 season on the PUP list.

    So who is left in reserve at CB for the Cowboys? A couple of guys they claimed off of waivers (Trikweze Bridges and Reddy Stewart), and a career special teams guy (C.J. Goodwin). 😬😬😬

    Anyway, that group will have their hands full with A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, and Jahan Dotson.

    3) The Eagles’ cornerbacks vs. CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens

    The Eagles’ concerns at cornerback are child’s play in comparison to the Cowboys’ cornerback issues, but they are concerns nevertheless.

    Quinyon Mitchell and slot corner Cooper DeJean are both primed for stardom, but the CB2, likely to be manned by Adoree’ Jackson, is the most worrisome spot in the starting lineup, on either side of the ball.

    And certainly, the Cowboys have a trio of receivers who can exploit that in Lamb, Pickens, and playmaker KaVontae Turpin.

    4) Where might the Eagles go feastin’?

    The Cowboys’ offensive line will look like this in 2025:

     LT LG  C  RG  RT 
    Tyler Guyton Tyler Smith Cooper Beebe Tyler Booker Terence Steele

    Let’s start with the interior. 

    • Smith is a very good player. He’s the only sure thing along the offensive line.

    • Beebe had a decent rookie season starting at center after mostly playing guard in college. It’s reasonable to assume he’ll improve in 2025.

    • Booker, the Cowboys’ rookie first-round pick, has prototypical size at 6’5, 321, with 34 1/2″ arms, and gigantic hands. As you might expect of a player his size, he gets movement in the run game, and he can anchor against power in pass protection. He also does a nice job of reading stunts and twists, and most importantly to the Cowboys, apparently, is that he is widely regarded as a smart player with leadership intangibles.

    But, man, he is not a great athlete, to put it kindly.

    That 10-yard split… Yeesh. That’s like, civilian speed. Still, the interior of the Cowboys’ O-line could (maybe should?) be fine.

    The tackles? Yuck. 🤢

    • At RT, Steele signed a five-year deal worth $82.5 million during the 2023 offseason after a very good 2022 season. He has since been a below-average starter, allowing 17 sacks over the last two seasons, per PFF.

    • At LT, Guyton started as a rookie in 2024, and finished second in the NFL with 18 penalties. PFF had him down (very generously) for 6 sacks in 2024. He got benched multiple times during the season. 

    If there were a player that the Cowboys really needed to have a good training camp this summer, it was Guyton, but he broke a bone in his knee and missed the bulk of camp. Guyton has since returned to practice in a limited capacity, and may or may not play Week 1. 

    If Guyton can’t play, 2024 seventh-round pick Nate Thomas (0 career snaps) will likely start in his place.

    Personally, I would take any other tackle tandem in the NFC over Guyton and Steele.

    With the Cowboys likely to give Booker a lot of help against Jalen Carter on the interior, expect Nolan Smith and Jalyx Hunt to have one-on-one opportunities all night against these tackles.

    #FeastinMeter: 7/10 turkey legs. 🍗🍗🍗🍗🍗🍗🍗

    5) The Cowboys have a couple of elite special teams weapons

    The Cowboys might have the best kicker in the NFL in Brandon Aubrey, who is a career 24 of 27 (88.9 percent!) from 50+ yards. He also has the second-longest made field goal in NFL history, at 65 yards.

    What’s crazy about that kick is that it was the first quarter. It’s not like it was with seconds left in the half. The Cowboys were confident enough that Aubrey would make that long-ass kick that they were willing to risk giving the Ravens the ball at the Cowboys’ 45-yard line instead of pinning them deep at around the Ravens’ 10.

    Aubrey is a weapon who changes in-game strategy.

    The Cowboys also have arguably the best return specialist in the NFL in KaVontae Turpin. He can do things like this: 

    Turpin’s M.O. is to slow play his returns, like he did in the video above. He kind of lulls you to sleep by almost jogging to start his returns, and then he turns on the jets and hits top speed in a blink.

    Turpin’s value is higher this season than it was a year ago with the NFL’s new rule that touchbacks come all the way out to the 35 yard line. The Eagles might be inclined to just concede the 35-yard line against a team with a roster that they otherwise completely outclass.

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  • Eagles mailbag: Can the 2025 team be better than the 2024 Super Bowl team?

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    With the Philadelphia Eagles’ Week 1 opener against the Dallas Cowboys just four days away, let’s open up the mailbag. As always, thank you for doing half the work for me. This is Part II of a two-part mailbag. (Part I here.)

    Question from @bodhidad1512 (via Threads): Can you see this team being better than last year’s team?

    If you look at the 2024 Eagles from a full season perspective, they probably won’t be mentioned among the greatest teams of all time. However, if you look at the level that they were playing at by the time the season was over, there’s a good argument that they were indeed one of the best teams of all time.

    In my opinion, “one of the best teams of all-time” is the bar that they have to clear to be better. So, no, it would be a bit of a stretch to think they’ll be better than that team.

    Question from @footba11joe (via Bluesky): Which position groups are weaker or stronger at this initial 53 compared to last year?

    Let’s go position-by-position: 

    • Quarterback: Better. Hurts will continue to grow, and Tanner McKee is significantly better than Kenny Pickett.

    • Running back: Worse. The Eagles are going to have to monitor Saquon Barkley’s volume of carries this season. They can’t have him touch the ball nearly 500 times again. So just by cutting back on his touches, I think they’ll be worse. Do you follow that logic? Good. I do think Will Shipley will be an upgrade on Kenny Gainwell, however.

    • Wide receiver: Better. A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith each missed four games last season, and Jahan Dotson should be a lot more comfortable in the offense than he was a year ago.

    • Tight end: Better. Dallas Goedert missed seven games last year. Though he has been injury prone in recent years, seven missed games was higher than normal.

    • Offensive line: Worse. The depth isn’t as good, and while Tyler Steen could have a breakout season, we know that Mekhi Becton was good, while Steen remains a question mark until he isn’t. 

    • Interior D-line: Worse. Jordan Davis and Moro Ojomo both have a chance to take their games to the next level, and the sky’s the limit for Jalen Carter, but the loss of Milton Williams depletes their numbers on the interior.

    • Edge defender: Worse. Nolan Smith seems to have a nagging shoulder injury, and the losses of Josh Sweat and Brandon Graham depleted their depth.

    • Linebacker: Better. Counting on Zack Baun to be what he was in 2024 is perhaps unrealistic, but the Eagles are just so stacked here with Jihaad Campbell likely to play well early, and Nakobe Dean returning at some point.

    • Cornerback: Worse. Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean could continue to get better, but we could see a big dropoff in play from Darius Slay to Adoree’ Jackson (or whoever else is the CB2 this season).

    • Safety: Worse. CJGJ made plays and brought some swagger to the defense. 

    • Specialists: Better. Jake Elliott was hurt last year, and should have a bounce-back season.

    Question from @TheSmartyJones: If I told you at the end of the 2023 season that two years later, the Eagles might have the best LB corps in football, how many drugs would you have assumed I was on?

    I’m going to pose another question in response to your question on Twitter, and then post it here. 

    My vote is for Jalen Reagor to A.J. Brown. If we’re including coaches, going from Sean Desai and Matt Patricia to Vic Fangio would be No. 1.

    Question from @BigsWinz: Why would the Eagles let Darius Slay and Isaiah Rodgers go? Did they legit believe they had a starting CB2 in house already?

    Salary cap websites like OverTheCap are generally great resources for a lot of things, but they don’t adequately show the Eagles’ complex cap situation, which should really be viewed through a multiyear lens, as opposed to year-to-year. As such, it’s difficult to “show my work,” so to speak, but the short answer is… money.

    I can’t speak to whether or not they truly believed they had a starting CB2 in-house already. They were certainly hopeful.

    Obviously, Kelee Ringo had a disappointing summer and Adoree’ Jackson isn’t a player to get excited about. We’ll see soon enough what that all looks like, and if it’s not good then they have 12 draft picks in 2026 to use as trade chips to fix it.

    Question from @muttonchopsyaz (via Bluesky): Do you see a third receiver having any kind of meaningful impact?

    Yes, I thought Jahan Dotson had a very encouraging summer. A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith will dominate targets, but if either go down, I’m more confident that Dotson can step in a be a reliable WR2. I do not think he was that last year.

    Question from @astonia67 (via Bluesky): Who do you like at pick 32?

    I have like four Saturday prospect posts written already. One guy who I immediately love, and who could be available in that range, is Northwestern EDGE Anto Saka.

    Question from @KeithFo74392733: Which former Eagle that was on the team last season will have the best season?

    I’ll go with Mekhi Becton. I thought he got better and better at RG as the season progressed and made that position his new home.

    Question from @tech_44: I heard someone say a player turned down being on a 53 to stay on a practice squad elsewhere. Can a player turn down being claimed? As far as I understand, vested vets get released but UDFAs are subject to waivers. I didn’t think players had input here.

    If you have four accrued years of NFL service and you are cut, you are “released” and immediately become an unrestricted free agent. If you get cut and have three or fewer accrued years, you are “waived,” subject to waivers. Players who are waived cannot turn down a waiver claim.

    Question from @cookiesecrets (via Bluesky): What stadium spread are you most excited for this season?

    Dallas, as always.

    Question from @killakow: Why do NFL people love to refer to versatile players as “chess pieces” when chess pieces are famously very rigid in how they move? And is there such a thing as a “non-movable chess piece”?

    The queen would qualify as a very movable piece, but that’s about it. Like, if a pawn has a piece in front of it and nothing to attack diagonally it can’t move at all. That is indeed a very weird phrase that has stuck in the NFL lexicon.

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