Philadelphia might be losing a front office member.

New Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles is expected to target Philadelphia Eagles director of player personnel Ian Cunningham for a “high-ranking front office position,” according to a report from Geoff Mosher and Adam Caplan. The report notes that Poles and Cunningham have a close relationship.

Cunningham seems to be fairly well-respected around the league. The Carolina Panthers interviewed him for their assistant general manager opening last offseason. In a press conference following the 2020 season, Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie indicated he believes Cunningham will be a future GM.

The Eagles added Cunningham to their front office in 2017, coming off the nine years he spent with the Baltimore Ravens. Cunningham began as a director of college scouting with the Eagles before being promoted to assistant director of player personnel in 2019. He was promoted again last offseason with the Eagles dropping “assistant” from his title.

As one of the Eagles’ two directors of player personnel, Cunningham oversees the team’s college scouting staff with crossover work on the pro player personnel side. Fellow Eagles director of player personnel Brandon Brown, who interviewed for the Minnesota Vikings’ general manager opening but didn’t get the job, oversees the team’s pro personnel staff with crossover work on the college side.

Assuming his contract isn’t up, the Eagles can block the Bears from hiring Cunningham if they desire. But they might not want to do that to him if he’s up for a big-time promotion as Poles’ right-hand man. We’ll see. Cunningham is one of Philly’s top scouting staff members behind vice president of player personnel Andy Weidl.

Cunningham might not be the only member of the Eagles organization headed to the Windy City. It was reported earlier today that passing game coordinator Kevin Patullo could be headed to Chi-Town.

Looking at the strengths and weaknesses of Philly’s starting quarterback.

Jalen Hurts.

How many times are we all going to mention that name the next few months? I don’t even want to know.

After Howie Roseman’s end of season press conference, Hurts appears to be in line to start for the Eagles in 2022. I will give you my opinion on this briefly at the end, but I wanted this week’s film room to just be about what Jalen Hurts strengths and weaknesses are. Rather than repeat the same statements we are going to read online and hear on the radio thousands of times, I wanted to go deep on Jalen Hurts film from 2021.

This is my scouting report on Hurts, with film clips to back up everything I believe (except certain things that the film doesn’t show). As always, this is purely my opinion but it is an opinion based on watching the all22 of every single Jalen Hurts snap (at least once) that he has had as an Eagle. Lets get to it.

Strengths

+ Top talent as a runner. Almost has the running ability of a running back. Can handle a heavy workload as a runner. Has both speed and power and impacts an offenses run game massively.

+ Very effective scrambler. Has the ability to create outside of structure, either as a runner or passer.

+ His athletic profile can lead to predictable coverages, especially on 3rd and long when defenses have to account for his speed.

+ Accurate outside the numbers, especially in the intermediate zones.

+ Shows good touch on throws and throws a ‘catchable’ ball frequently.

+ Shows poise in the pocket and doesn’t look hurried too often.

+ Good decision maker and rarely puts the ball in precarious situations.

+ Consistently good at diagnosing and reading defenses pre-snap

+ Mentally very strong and does not let mistakes impact his play or confidence

+ Teammates and coaches speak extremely well about him as a leader

+ Has made improvements as a passer from year 1 to 2.

WEAKNESSES

- Rarely see him manipulate defenders with his eye placement.

- Very rarely targets the middle of the field. He only had 31 throws all season in the middle of the field between 10-19 yards, per Sports Info Solutions.

- His skillset should excel in the RPO game but he makes poor reads too often.

- Too slow to process post-snap/eliminate what is not there.

- Sometimes too keen to run and will bail from clean pockets.

- Rarely asked to make full field reads, leads a very ‘QB friendly’ offense which is limited when chasing games.

- Too often just doesn’t see the field or misses open receivers.

- His deep balls lack velocity and he can put too much air under them. Misses too many deep balls. This is often linked to his footwork which can be inconsistent and when his heel clicks it impacts his arm strength in a negative way.

- Fumbles a concern in the pocket. Fumbled 9 times in 15 games.

- Has a tendency to drop his eyes if faced with immediate pressure, especially from unexpected pressure (such as a disguised blitz).

Overall

Hurts clearly had a pretty good year. I had a look at some QB rankings to see where others ranked him as I obviously can’t watch every QB in detail and everyone had him around the 12-18 range. Gregg Rosenthal had him at 15 and I trust his opinion a lot. PFF had him 11th. ESPN had him 16th. Pro Football Network had him 16th. It’s interesting comparing him to Jimmy Garappolo who was always just slightly behind Hurts in the rankings (except for one).

Hurts is a fascinating talent due to his extremely unique blend of athleticism, speed and power at the quarterback position. He clearly progressed as a passer from last year, yet the Eagles are still running a pretty basic passing game and Hurts has some huge weaknesses that he needs to improve on if he wants to reach the next level. In particular, using his eyes more to move secondary defenders and speeding up his process post snap is something he simply must improve. Teams will now have a whole season of film on Hurts and they will know exactly what is strengths and weaknesses are.

Personally, I think Hurts has clearly proven himself to be a ‘starting calibre’ quarterback. You do have to run a specific style of offense with Hurts but you simply cannot evaluate Hurts as a passer without ignoring what he gives you in the running game. He completely alters the Eagles running game and is a huge reason why the Eagles had an elite running game throughout the second half of last season. In the modern game though, is a ‘starting calibre’ QB enough to challenge for the Super Bowl?

The Future

The question of ‘should Hurts be the Eagles starting quarterback in 2022’ is not as simple as it sounds.

Unless you think Jalen Hurts has top 5-8 potential (personally, I do not at this point) then the Eagles should be looking at other quarterbacks to try and find an elite option. Pretty much every single team who doesn’t have an elite quarterback should be looking to improve. This doesn’t mean you cannot win without an elite quarterback but you have to accept that the best teams usually have the best quarterbacks. Steven Ruiz wrote a great piece about this topic recently, but it is clear that the elite quarterbacks in the league right now are just playing the position at a completely different level than a ‘good’ quarterback. Does anyone think an Eagles offense led by Hurts can compete with Patrick Mahomes or Josh Allen in a playoff game? I struggle to see it, especially after watching the high level performances at the quarterback position this weekend. The talent on show was extraordinary.

However, this does not mean you should move on from Hurts at all costs. The odds of finding a top quarterback are extremely rare. Maybe you can pursue a Russell Wilson, but who knows if he even wants to come here? Based on what I have read about the quarterbacks coming out in the draft recently, it may be that none of them have the potential to be a top 5-7 quarterback either. If this is the case, you have absolutely no reason to move on from Hurts and there is nothing wrong with him starting next season.

You can believe that the Eagles should attempt to find an elite quarterback option and that Jalen Hurts should be the starter in 2022 if they can’t find an answer. This may be a boring answer and its not an exciting ‘hot take’ but this is where I am at with the Eagles quarterback position.

I expect the Eagles to pursue an elite quarterback but if this fails (as I believe it will), the Eagles should spend the offseason ensuring that Hurts has elite talent surrounding him in order to allow him to reach his potential. As someone who was wrong about Hurts this year and openly accept this (I thought he would be worse - I am never afraid to admit when I am wrong either) I am not going to doubt that he can continue to improve. He obviously has an excellent work ethic and wants to be coached and get better. Whether he will reach the elite stage remains extremely doubtful, but there is more than one way to win in the NFL (see: Jimmy G and the 49ers) and overall, I do believe Hurts made some good progress this year and is an very interesting talent. Let’s leave it there for today...

As always, I appreciate the comments and feedback is always welcome

Predicting the winners of this week’s NFL games.

The Bleeding Green Nation writers picks are in for the Conference Championship Round of the 2022 NFL Playoffs! Four teams are vying for the privilege of playing in Super Bowl LVI.

The AFC Championship Game features the Kansas City Chiefs hosting the Cincinnati Bengals while the San Francisco 49ers are traveling to play the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Championship Game. The home teams are unsurprisingly the betting favorites, according to DraftKings Sportsbook.

When it comes to BGN’s pick standings, I’ve ascended to a first-place tie with the BGN Community. With three total games left to go, this race is coming down to the wire. I’m also tied with Tyler Jackson in the playoff pick standings.

Feel free to post your own predictions or discuss the writer predictions in the comments. You can also vote for who you think will win the games by using the polls beneath the table.

MAKE YOUR PICKS

Vote for your picks below.

EXPLANATIONS

Since there are only two games this week, the BGN staff gave some explanations for their picks.

BRANDON LEE GOWTON

Chiefs - I really want to take the Bengals. I made Cincy my Super Bowl pick prior to the playoffs beginning. And I did it because I really believe in Joe Burrow. But the combination of his offensive line concerns me, as does the inevitability of the Chiefs. Plus, I’m trying to win this competition, and the Bengals are too risky of a pick.

Rams - Ugh. I’d hate to see Sean McVay in the Super Bowl. And I can’t say I have unshakeable confidence in Matthew Stafford. But it just feels like the 49ers are defying logic by continuing to win. I mean, Jimmy Garoppolo was clearly the worst remaining starting quarterback entering last week. He’s still yet to even throw a touchdown in the postseason. Doesn’t feel sustainable! I know the 49ers own the Rams, so I could regret this.

Please note that my hedging in both of these pick explanations was a tribute to McVay’s cowardice.

SHAMUS CLANCY

Chiefs - I’d love to ride with Joe Burrow and the Bengals here, but after going 0-4 in my picks in the Divisional Round, perhaps aligning with them would be a kiss of death. In what has instantaneously gone down as one of the greatest games in NFL history, Kansas City showcased why a Patrick Mahomes-led attack is one of the greatest offensive forces ever on Sunday. Josh Allen played as masterful of a game as possible for the Bills and it still wasn’t enough to give Buffalo the win. I’m sick of seeing the Mahomes-Andy Reid pairing in the Super Bowl already, but it may be happening for the third-consecutive year.

49ers - I can’t actually pick Sean McVay, right? It’d be antithetical to my brand. Jimmy Garoppolo might not be the most obvious quarterback to back in a huge game, but he did win in this spot just two years ago. Please don’t let McVay advance, Kyle Shanahan.

TYLER JACKSON

Chiefs - Chiefs 42, Bengals 24. The last time these two teams met in Cincy officiating kept drives alive for the Bengals and Ja’Marr Chase had a historic performance. I would expect the Bengals to keep pace briefly but their offensive line is a huge liability against a front that features Chris Jones, Melvin Ingram and Frank Clark. As already evidenced by last week’s shootout against Buffalo, the Chiefs’ offense is in prime form, hosting instead of traveling this time.

Rams - Rams 27, 49ers 10. Eventually the law of averages has to come into play for the Rams, right? They’ve lost six straight to San Francisco, a team they see twice a year! This is what the Rams have spent the last three season gearing up for, trading for some of the biggest names in the sport in an effort to get back to the Super Bowl. The Rams have the better QB, they have two of the best defenders in the game in Aaron Donald and Jalen Ramsey with Von Miller in the mix. It also seems highly unlikely the 49ers can overcome the shortcomings of Jimmy Garoppolo as they have in the previous two games.

LEE SIFFORD

Chiefs - What a matchup... Two young superstar quarterbacks set to battle for a Super Bowl appearance might just be the most exciting situation you can hope for as a football fan and that is what we have here. Two unstoppable offenses teeming with playmakers should lead to a high scoring game in which either team has a real shot to win, however Andy Reid’s masterful playcalling paired with the experience edge Mahomes has over Burrow should lead to a victory for the Chiefs. Chiefs 30, Bengals 27.

49ers - It seems that in 2022, the old adage of defense wins championships may not be so accurate, as this game features two more teams capable of putting on a display. This game should be a little easier to predict, however as the 49ers seem to have the key to success against Sean McVay and the Rams. I expect the 49ers to win in a dramatic fashion. 49ers 27, Rams 17.

ALEXIS CHASSEN

Bengals - My heart says Bengals and my head says Chiefs, but given Cincinnati’s rare opportunity to actually extend their playoff run, I don’t see them squandering it. There really are few words to describe the kind of offensive feat the Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes pulled off on Sunday against the Bills, but that kind of performance seems difficult to replicate. I see them being a real challenge for the Bengals secondary, but ultimately, I think Joe Burrow and the Bengals offense keep up enough to stay in the game and pull off the win.

49ers - The Niners should not win this game, but it feels like they’ll be able to squeak it out. Sure, the Rams were able to stave off a last minute collapse and come back by Tom Brady last week, but the fact that they let the Bucs get that far back into the game after being up three scores says more to me than their victory. I want Matthew Stafford to win, but unfortunately, I think the Niners defense will be more than the Rams’ offense can handle. Plus, San Francisco will be back in a more familiar climate for this matchup, and should be much faster and more efficient than they were in the snow in Green Bay.

JOHN STOLNIS

Well, I’m 3-7 in the playoffs so far so, if you’re reading this, thank you for your charity.

Chiefs - My heart wants to pick the Bengals and see a rematch of two classic Super Bowls from the 1980s, and Cincinnati can absolutely get there with an all-world quarterback in Joe Burrow and studs at the skill positions like WRs JaMarr Chase, Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd, as well as running back Joe Mixon. Their most glaring weakness, offensive line, was manhandled by a Titans defense that sacked Burrow an NFL record nine times. While that won’t happen again, Kansas City’s pressure could pose a big problem for Burrow. Not only that, how do you stop a Chiefs team that defeated a Buffalo Bills team in the fashion they did? How do you pick against Patrick Mahomes, a postseason assassin who has been here, in this exact spot, three times before? Andy Reid is, outside of Bill Belichick, still the best head coach in football and will have his ultra talented team ready to go back to the Super Bowl. It’ll be high scoring, but in the end, it’ll be Chiefs 35, Bengals 31.

49ers - The only thing I’ve gotten right this year was the San Francisco 49ers. At the beginning of the season, they were my pick to win the Super Bowl, over the Tennessee Titans. Despite being just the No. 6 seed, they’ve knocked off two behemoths in the Cowboys and Packers, both on the road, and now they face a divisional opponent who they have already beaten twice this year. Kyle Shanahan is working his magic with his use of WR Deebo Samuel, creating mismatches all over the field with George Kittle and the rest of his receiving corps. And that San Francisco defense is legit. Nick Bosa is an absolute beast. The Rams’ defense, however, is even better, and it’s hard to beat the same team three times in one season. These two teams know each other extremely well, and the Matthew Stafford-Cooper Kupp connection seems unstoppable. This should also be a close, defense-first affair, but I do think the Niners advance to the Super Bowl with a thrilling 24-23 win, their third straight on the road in the postseason.

BEN NATAN

Chiefs - The Bengals are hard to bet against given Joe Burrow’s constant overcoming of odds against him. However, where Burrow has magic, the Chiefs have even more. Kansas City’s offense is firing on all cylinders right now and they have just enough defensive firepower to outlast the Bengals in what should be a high scoring game.

49ers - Kyle Shanahan has gone 7-3 against Sean McVay, including going 2-0 this year against a very talented Rams team. While the Niners offense will be challenged, their defense has continually given Matt Stafford company fits. The Niners should win in a close one.

MAKE YOUR PICKS

Vote for your picks in the polls below, or perish.

Nick Sirianni might be losing his right-hand man.

Jonathan Gannon might not be the only Philadelphia assistant leaving Nick Sirianni’s coaching staff this offseason.

Eagles passing game coordinator Kevin Patullo is a candidate to join newly-hired Chicago Bears head coach Matt Eberflus, according to a report from NFL insider Ian Rapoport. Rapoport specifically says Patullo “is a name to watch for new (offensive coordinator).”

Patullo and Eberflus overlapped as members of Frank Reich’s coaching staff on the Indianapolis Colts from 2018 through 2020.

Patullo seems like a ... curious ... choice for the Bears. The Eagles’ passing game was pretty ineffective early on during the 2021 season. So much so that the Birds pivoted to relying on the league’s heaviest rushing attack.

Here’s how the Eagles ranked in a number of key passing categories:

Average team passer rating: 20th
Pass yards per game: 21st
Completion percentage: 26th
Passing touchdowns per game: 28th
Passing play percentage: 32nd

This isn’t to suggest Patullo was solely to blame for the Eagles not being a great passing team. Jalen Hurts’ limitations as a thrower obviously factored in to these rankings. Still, one would have to imagine there are more inspiring options out there.

Losing Patullo should hardly be a death knell for the Eagles but it would be a significant absence in terms of him being Sirianni’s right-hand man. Patullo was set to fill in for Siranni at head coach when the latter was in jeopardy of missing a game due to contracting COVID. Sirianni recovered in time to coach that week, however.

The Eagles might (somewhat inexplicably) lose not one but two notable assistants this offseason. And so we’ll continue to monitor the statuses of Gannon and Patullo.

Projecting all seven rounds.

Welcome back to the Mock Simulation Series. In this series I use the awesome draft simulator over at The Draft Network every week to play out different draft scenarios for the Eagles. The Eagles have a *ton* of picks in the 2022 class, so there are plenty of avenues for roster improvement that we will explore over the next few months.

Pick 15: Ahmad Gardner, Cornerback, Cincinnati

As long as Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner is available at this pick, the Eagles should take them. Modern NFL defense requires three competent cornerbacks and Ahmad Gardner would thrive outside and opposite of Darius Slay.

Pick 16: Travon Walker, Defensive Lineman, Georgia

Regardless of who is the defensive coordinator, the Eagles will need to overhaul every level of the unit with young, dynamic talent. Travon Walker is an exciting prospect who can win on the edge and as an interior rusher. He is athletic with a high motor. He would be a great addition as the Eagles consider moving on from Fletcher Cox, Derek Barnett and maybe Brandon Graham.

Pick 19: Jaquan Brisker, Safety, Penn State

The Eagles have had solid safety play for a few years now, but they need to consider a young option at the position with Rodney McLeod and Anthony Harris poised for free agency. Jaquan Brisker only falls to pick 19 in this class by virtue of Kyle Hamilton being an elite safety prospect. Brisker himself can handle any safety responsibilities at a high level due to his athleticism, size, instincts and physicality.

Pick 51: David Bell, Wide Receiver, Purdue

The Eagles certainly lack quality at the wide receiver position beyond DeVonta Smith, but they generally lack any sort of physicality at the position. David Bell could bring a new dynamic to the group with his contested catching ability, strong running after the catch and polished route running. He could immediately step in as the number two receiver and could thrive in the slot or the outside.

Pick 83: Chad Muma, Linebacker, Wyoming

The Eagles get another infusion of youth and speed on defense with this pick. Chad Muma’s size and speed combo made him a three down stalwart at Wyoming. He has the strength and instincts to take on the running game and athleticism to hang in coverage. The middle of the field was where offenses feasted against the Eagles defense last year. They need to draft with that in mind.

Pick 120: Alec Lindstrom, Interior Offensive Lineman, Boston College

Brandon Brooks has retired, Isaac Seumalo is coming off injury and Jason Kelce’s future is up in the air. The Eagles need to address the interior offensive line depth through the draft this year. Lindstrom would be a phenomenal pick this late in the draft. He is a road paving interior blocker that would fit perfectly into the Eagles physical rushing offense.

Pick 152: Jeffrey Gunter, Edge, CCU

The Eagles got a gem in 2021 when they drafted Tarron Jackson out of CCU and now they can go get his teammate. Jeffrey Gunter is a high energy type of player who could contribute on special teams and as a rotational defender for a retooling Eagles defense.

Pick 160: Jerome Ford, Running Back, Cincinnati

Running back is a sneaky need for the Eagles, even after a year with such success running the football. Jerome Ford is a tough, hard running back that exploded for Cincinnati this year. Ford could contribute early in his career and eventually develop into a lead back.

Pick 164: Greg Dulich, Tight End, UCLA

Dulich might appear in these pieces quite a bit. The pass catching specialist addresses an important need in the Eagles offense with the tight end group lacking a receiving threat outside of Dallas Goedert.

Pick 193: Charleston Rambo, Wide Receiver, Miami

The Eagles keep swinging at the wide receiver position with Charleston Rambo here. Rambo enjoyed a nice season in Miami this year due to his speed and route running savvy.

Pick 205: Ifeanyi Maijeh, Interior Defensive Lineman, Rutgers

At one point in his career, Ifeanyi Maijeh was a promising pass rushing defensive tackle at Temple. After a few down years and a transfer to Rutgers, Maijeh’s name has dropped off the radar. Despite this, Maijeh is still talented enough to take a late round bet on. Especially at a position where any team could do with a wealth of young talent.

PREVIOUS EAGLES DRAFT SIMULATIONS

VERSION 1.0

Philadelphia now has three representatives in this year’s all-star game.

For the first time in his NFL career, Javon Hargrave is Pro Bowl-bound.

The Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle was bumped up from his alternate status with Kenny Clark opting out of the game due to injury.

It’s not difficult to argue that Hargrave should’ve been in over Clark from the jump. Just look at the numbers:

Hargrave — 16 games played (727 snaps), 63 total tackles, 9 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks, 18 QB hits, 1 forced fumble, 1 pass deflection

Clark — 16 games played (781 snaps), 48 total tackles, 7 tackles for loss, 4 sacks, 14 QB hits, 0 forced fumbles, 0 pass deflections

A devil’s advocate could point out that Clark is graded higher than Hargrave by Pro Football Focus; the former ranks 10th among interior defenders while the latter is 26th. Interestingly enough, Hargrave ranks second best in pass rush grade but second worst in run defense. But PFF grades should hardly be the determining factor here.

In any case, it’s good to see Hargrave eventually received some well-deserved recognition. He had a real strong start to the 2021 campaign with six sacks in his first five games. He was on an All-Pro pace before cooling off with just 1.5 sacks the rest of the regular season.

Hargrave is set to join fellow Eagles Pro Bowl selections Jason Kelce and Darius Slay in Las Vegas for this year’s Pro Bowl. The game will take place on Sunday, February 6 if you’re a true sicko who’s interested in watching.

Philadelphia Eagles news and links for 1/27/22.

Let’s get to the Philadelphia Eagles links ...

Eagles offseason trade candidates, and hypothetical compensation - PhillyVoice
DT Fletcher Cox. Overall, Roseman had a good 2021, but the one major misstep that he made was restructuring Cox’s contract instead of dealing him for a valuable asset prior to the 2021 season. Because of the complexity of the restructure (it was actually more like two restructures — in 2021 and proactively in 2022), it took the great Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com 25 minutes to try to explain it below. Good luck digesting this. [...] The short-short version of that video is that whether the Eagles cut, trade, or keep Cox in 2022, they found creative ways of dumping Cox’s cap charges into the 2023 season, when the cap is expected to rise substantially. What kind of compensation could the Eagles expect in return? Day 3 pick.

Sean Payton stepping away from Saints could impact Eagles down the road - BGN
Sean Payton: future Dallas Cowboys head coach? Such speculation has only intensified — after already existing as an undercurrent for years — following the somewhat surprising news that the New Orleans Saints head coach is stepping away from the NFL. For now, at least. With Payton still under contract with the Saints through 2024, the Cowboys can’t instantly hire him to replace Mike McCarthy. But it’s not difficult to envision Payton taking the Bruce Arians path in terms of getting paid as a TV analyst for a year (or two) before returning to the coaching in a new NFL city. It’s also not difficult to envision Dallas being eager to move on from McCarthy after he inevitably holds them back in the playoffs (assuming they make it there) once again. The Cowboys eventually replacing McCarthy with Payton would not be an ideal development for the Philadelphia Eagles. With a career 159-89 record under his belt, there’s some evidence to suggest he’s a good coach. I mean, he almost had the Saints in the playoffs this year despite the fact they were starting the combination of Jameis Winston, Taysom Hill, Trevor Siemian, and Ian Book at quarterback.

NFC East Mixtape Vol.41: Figuring out where each team is at - BGN Radio
Brandon Lee Gowton and RJ Ochoa run through the biggest storylines for each team including questioning why Jonathan Gannon is getting buzz for a head coaching gig and share thoughts on Washington trading for Justin Fields this offseason.

Brooks Retires - iggles Blitz
Brooks became a terrific pro. He was great at anchoring in pass protection. DTs wouldn’t get him to move an inch. Brooks was devastating on double-teams in the run game. Depending on the play, he would partner with Jason Kelce or Lane Johnson and they would drive the DT off the ball, creating a lot of running room for the various runners who played behind them. Brooks was athletic enough that he could also get out in space and take on LBs or DBs. He will go down as one of the great O-linemen in Eagles history.

Brandon Brooks Restructures Contract - Over The Cap
By reducing Brooks salary from $13.5 million to $1.12 million the Eagles will be able to carry Brooks on the roster for $12.38 million less than his original contract bringing his cap charge to about $7.1 million. If they were forced to release Brooks in March he would have cost $15.76 million on the salary cap. Now they will be able to carry Brooks on the roster at $7.1 million until June 1. On June 2nd they will make the retirement official with the NFL and Brooks’ cap charge will reduce to $5.939 million in 2022 and they can defer $9.797 in dead money to 2023. This was by far the best case scenario for Philadelphia if Brooks was not going to play this year. Often when players restructure deals and people say its for the good of the team it is meaningless since the teams generally control the rights to restructure. In this case this truly was a deal that was done in the best interest of the Eagles. The Eagles are now estimated to have about $24 million in cap room in 2022.

Watching Brooks fulfill his potential was a joy - NBCSP
On the field, Brooks could do incredible things. Watching him pull on a run or get downfield on a screen was magical. A 340-pound guy should not have been able to do some of the things he did. But I didn’t marvel at any of that the way I did watching him deal with his anxiety issues under such a public spotlight. I’ll miss watching him play, but I’ll miss chatting with him by his locker more. At least he’s staying local.

NFL teams that can turn it around in 2022: Ravens, Vikings among those set to rebound - NFL.com
Washington stood at 6-6 after a four-game win streak highlighted by bashings of the Bucs and Raiders. The offense boasts a workable nucleus of talent around Antonio Gibson, Terry McLaurin and Logan Thomas. A healthy Chase Young and Montez Sweat can operate as the cherry on top of a powerful defensive front boasting chaos-spinners in Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne. I was swayed by the Taylor Heinicke Experience, but WFT must explore options under center. Ron Rivera would pair well with a proven veteran trade candidate, such as Derek Carr or Matt Ryan — maybe even Russell Wilson. (Just throwing out names!) A tangible upgrade at the game’s most critical position would place this scrappy-but-flawed outfit into a new circle of contenders in the NFC. It’s challenging to imagine Rivera hitching his wagon to a rookie, but Washington also owns the No. 11 overall pick and could work its way up the board if it fell in love with a newbie. There’s lots to like here if the offseason dots connect.

John Mara: DeShaun Watson will not be a New York Giant - Big Blue View
New York Giants co-owner John Mara on Wednesday ruled out the idea that the New York Giants would trade for disgruntled and embattled Houston Texans’ quarterback DeShaun Watson. “We’re not trading for DeShaun Watson,” Mara said. “There are so many reasons why we wouldn’t do that. Cap wise, we couldn’t afford it, but more importantly, with the allegations that are out there right now that’s just not the right fit for us.” The talented 26-year-old has been implicated in 22 separate civil suits that accuse him of lewd sexual behavior; two of the suits allege sexual assault. Watson did not play a down for the Texans during the 2020 season.

3 things that need to happen for the Cowboys to reach the NFC Championship in 2022 - Blogging The Boys
With the 2021 Conference Championship featuring a two-seed, two four seeds, and a six seed, this year is a perfect example of “anything can happen in the postseason.” But what would it take for the Cowboys to be one of the four teams in 2022?

Vikings officially hire Kwesi Adofo-Mensah as new General Manager - Daily Norseman
The news broke yesterday that the Minnesota Vikings were going to be making a hire for the General Manager spot that’s been open for a few weeks now, and today it became official. Per numerous sources, the Vikings have officially hired Cleveland Browns’ Vice President of Football Operations Kwesi Adofo-Mensah to run the football operations for the team. [BLG Note: Confirmation that the Vikings won’t be hiring an Eagles executive. Also, worth mentioning that KAM is a South Jersey native.]

Report: Broncos are finalizing a deal to name Nathaniel Hackett the next head coach - Mile High Report
Rise and shine Broncos fans, we have a new coach! Also, let the Aaron Rodgers rumors begin once again. [BLG Note: Aaron Rodgers leaving the NFC?! Plus, no Jonathan Gannon in Denver.]

The James Harden-for-Ben Simmons trade rumors are too good not to happen - SB Nation
The careers of James Harden and Ben Simmons have been intertwined before. At the start of last season, back when the bearded one-time MVP was doing everything he could to force his way out of the Houston Rockets, Simmons was reportedly the centerpiece of the Philadelphia 76ers’ trade offer for Harden. It made sense: Daryl Morey, the architect of Harden’s very good Rockets teams during their time together in Houston, had just jumped to the 76ers, and badly wanted to pair his old star with his new star (Joel Embiid). Ultimately, the Sixers finished second in the Harden sweepstakes, as Houston chose a bundle of future draft picks from the Brooklyn Nets rather Philly’s Simmons-centric package. The aftershock of that almost trade is still reverberating more than a year later. [BLG Note: Please. I need Simmons gone.]

NFL University #25: Packers pain, Mahomes vs. Josh Allen, Matthew Stafford, and Burrow is for real - The SB Nation NFL Show
Welcome back to another edition of NFL University! Stephen Serda, Kyle Posey, and Justis Mosqueda discuss what may have been the greatest weekend of football in NFL history. The Green Bay Packers special teams had an all-time bad performance, and Saints head coach Sean Payton is stepping down. Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen lived up to everything it was supposed to be and more. Matthew Stafford has been lights out for the Rams in the playoffs and Joe Burrow continues to prove he’s the real deal.

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The Eagles’ Pro Bowl guard is ending his career following years’ of injuries.

This news isn’t surprising, especially in the wake of his recent contract restructure, but it’s still bittersweet to hear Brandon Brooks has officially announced his NFL retirement.

The nine-year veteran worked tirelessly to come back from injuries three seasons in a row, but unfortunately ended up missing the entire 2020 season and was once again sidelined in 2021 early on in Week 2. Now, the three-time Pro Bowl guard will call it a career.

Brooks signed with the Eagles back in 2016 on a five-year, $40 million deal and was worth every penny. He played in 14 games his first year in Philly, and didn’t miss a regular season game in 2017, 2018, and 2019 — the three years he was also named to the Pro Bowl. The team signed him to a four-year contract extension worth $54.2 million in November 2019, a move at the time that seemed like a no-brainer and made Brooks the highest paid guard in the league.

The guard had his first taste of significant injury during the 2019 playoffs, when he tore his Achilles during the wild card round against the Saints. It’s a game that Lane Johnson would later argue that the Eagles were a right guard away from winning. Still, he worked his ass off and stayed true to his word, rehabbing and returning in time for Week 1 of the 2019 season.

Brooks went on to play in all 16 regular season games that year, but suffered a dislocated shoulder in Week 17 that eventually required surgery. As he worked his way back onto the field, the guard ended up tearing his other Achilles, and was ruled out of the 2020 NFL season in June of that year. There was early optimism that Brooks might not miss the entire season, but he did.

Once again, Brooks worked through his rehab and was back at training camp for the Eagles ahead of the 2021 season. There was no reason to think that he wasn’t going to be back next to Jason Kelce and Lane Johnson, and he was... for a week and a half. But, in Week 2 he suffered a pectoral injury, went on IR, and that was that.

Johnson didn’t shy away from explaining what losing Brooks meant to the offense:

“You can’t replace those type of players. Younger guys gotta step up and we gotta press on. It’s terrible, I mean, Brooks is one of my best friends, best guard in the league for a long time, and was doing well so far this season, and having him not be out there was a tremendous loss for us. Having him out there might have been the difference between us winning and losing.”

Head coach Nick Sirianni eventually stopped including him in his weekly injury updates and throughout the year, Brooks return seemed less likely. During the end-of-season press conference with Howie Roseman, the Eagles’ GM said their priority was for Brooks to be fully healthy heading into the offseason — but he wouldn’t specifically address the rumors that had begun circulating about Brooks’ potential retirement.

Now we know that Brooks is officially hanging up his cleats after an incredibly impressive and successful pro football career.

[Brooks is speaking with the media about his decision, and we will update this story with his words.]

One of the NFL’s best head coaches might eventually land in the NFC East.

Sean Payton: future Dallas Cowboys head coach?

Such speculation has only intensified — after already existing as an undercurrent for years — following the somewhat surprising news that the New Orleans Saints head coach is stepping away from the NFL.

For now, at least.

With Payton still under contract with the Saints through 2024, the Cowboys can’t instantly hire him to replace Mike McCarthy. But it’s not difficult to envision Payton taking the Bruce Arians path in terms of getting paid as a TV analyst for a year (or two) before returning to the coaching in a new NFL city. It’s also not difficult to envision Dallas being eager to move on from McCarthy after he inevitably holds them back in the playoffs (assuming they make it there) once again.

The Cowboys eventually replacing McCarthy with Payton would not be an ideal development for the Philadelphia Eagles. With a career 159-89 record under his belt, there’s some evidence to suggest he’s a good coach. I mean, he almost had the Saints in the playoffs this year despite the fact they were starting the combination of Jameis Winston, Taysom Hill, Trevor Siemian, and Ian Book at quarterback.

While Payton does have a Super Bowl ring to his name, his teams have become known for underachieving in the playoffs in recent years. (So, maybe a perfect fit for the Cowboys, then.) New Orleans had just three postseason wins to accompany a 49-15 regular season record from 2017 through 2020. And all this despite having a Hall of Fame quarterback in Drew Brees to work with.

Still, the thought of Payton eventually landing in Dallas isn’t exactly comforting. I broached this topic more with Blogging The Boys’ RJ Ochoa and in the latest episode of the NFC East Mixtape. You can listen here:

A few other angles to the Payton news to consider:

• Could the Eagles try to hire him if Nick Sirianni flames out in Year 2? Not to suggest that Sirianni struggling is a likely outcome; he clearly showed promise in 2021. But he still has much to prove and the Eagles have previously shown interest in hiring Payton. You’ll recall that he worked for Jeffrey Lurie as Philly’s quarterbacks coach in 1997 and 1998.
• The Eagles won’t have to face Payton when they play the Saints in 2022. The Eagles are 2-0 in their last two meetings against them. Though, of course, those games featured Taysom Hill and Trevor Siemian starting for the opposition.
• Could Doug Pederson replace Payton in New Orleans? Promoting Dennis Allen seems like the obvious move ... but Payton and Pederson are close friends. Payton might highly recommend Dougie P as his replacement.

Other NFCEM podcast topics include:

• Potential defensive coordinator replacements for Dan Quinn and Jonathan Gannon
• How Cowboys fans are feeling about their loss to the 49ers after seeing San Francisco beat Green Bay
• Justin Fields or Jimmy G to Washington?
• The Giants might actually be on the right track?

Philadelphia is moving on from a great player.

Brandon Brooks and the Philadelphia Eagles agreed to a contract restructure that signals the end of his time in Philly, according to a report from NFL Network.

This restructure isn’t totally dissimilar to how the Eagles moved some money around to set the table for them eventually releasing Alshon Jeffery and Malik Jackson as designated post-June 1 cuts last year.

NFL salary cap expert Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap offered some more insight on what this Brooks restructure means:

(Note that a player retiring and a player being released works the same from a salary cap perspective.)

The TL;DR version is that the Eagles cleared extra space this year but they’ll take on more dead money in the future. They’re not so worried about that latter part with the anticipation that the cap will eventually explode (in a good way).

Opening up around $12 million with this Brooks restructure means the Eagles are projected to have about $24 million entering free agency. That projected figure is currently the 14th most in the league.

Getting back to Brooks, it’s a shame that his Eagles career had to end this way. He proved to be a great free agent signing, making 67 total starts (including playoffs) from 2016 through 2020. In addition to being the Eagles’ Super Bowl starting right guard, he earned three Pro Bowl berths.

Unfortunately, injuries derailed Brooks’ career. Brooks originally made a remarkable recovery from an Achilles injury in the Eagles’ January 2019 playoff game against the New Orleans Saints. It was a surprise to see him ready for Week 1 of the 2019 regular season. But then Brooks suffered a separated shoulder in the regular season finale that year. And then he suffered another Achilles injury during the 2020 offseason, preventing him from playing all year. The Eagles reportedly gave thought to trading Brooks during the 2021 offseason but he returned and made two starts before suffering a chest injury in Week 2. Lane Johnson suggested Brooks was going to be able to return in eight weeks but that never happened and Brooks instead remained on injured reserve.

Brooks should be remembered as a very good Eagles starter who was underrated from a national perspective. His impact on lives off the field through his mental advocacy was also remarkable. Brooks is a sharp dude who will likely have a bright post-football career in whatever he decides to do.

Moving forward, the Eagles will have to figure out who they want to start at right guard. They could move Landon Dickerson to that spot if Jason Kelce returns for another season and Isaac Seumalo plays at left guard. If Kelce doesn’t come back, though, it could be Seumalo at center, Dickerson at left guard, and Jack Driscoll or a rookie filling Brooks’ place.

PROGRAMMING NOTE: Brooks will address Philly reporters via virtual press conference at 11:00 AM Eastern this morning.

Philadelphia Eagles news and links for 1/26/22.

Let’s get to the Philadelphia Eagles links ...

Ranking rookie classes from the 2021 NFL draft: Best and worst teams based on first-year production - ESPN+
9. Philadelphia Eagles. Why they’re ranked here: DeVonta Smith showed that the ability to run routes and generate separation translates to the NFL level seamlessly, but his production was capped by the overall potency of the Eagles passing offense. Landon Dickerson ended up starting 13 games at guard once injuries struck the line, and Milton Williams played almost 500 snaps for the team on the defensive line. Kenneth Gainwell was also a contributor on offense but had just 107 total touches over the season including the wild-card loss. How their top pick fared: Smith’s route running was as sharp and effective as ever, and he seems to generate quick separation at will, but he was featured less than fellow top receiver draft picks Ja’Marr Chase and Jaylen Waddle. He showed the ability to make impressive sideline catches, but there were times where the greater physicality of the NFL caused some problems. Only Chase and Kadarius Toney had more yards per route run than Smith’s 1.77 among rookie receivers.

Early breakout candidates for all 32 NFL teams in 2022 - PFF
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES: G LANDON DICKERSON. 2021 PFF Grade: 69.6. Dickerson’s best play in college came at center, and his career came to a close with a brutal torn ACL in the SEC title game. Despite all that, the second-round pick performed at a quality level for Philadelphia at left guard, where he started from Week 4 on as a rookie. The Alabama product earned the 12th-best PFF grade among left guards over that span. Now, he needs some consistency within his pass protection to take that next step forward. With a year of going up against NFL play strength now under his belt, that breakout is possible for 2022.

State of the Eagles, Part II: 2021 Final Exams - BGN
Howie should be fired for malpractice if he doesn’t make every attempt to trade the 15th pick for a 2023 1st rounder. The Eagles are in an enviable situation where they have back-to-back first round picks. This means if a guy they like falls to 15th, they can trade out to a team that doesn’t want him and scoop him up at 16th (assuming a trade partner materializes). It’s an easy way to give them more draft picks in 2023 to take a quarterback in case Hurts doesn’t pan out. The only exception to this, of course, is if there are 2 guys they really like when they are on the clock, but even then I’d think long and hard about trading that pick.

From the Bleachers #99 - NFL Mock Draft with Ben Natan - BGN Radio
Bleeding Green Nation draft writer Ben Natan joins Shamus Clancy to go through his latest mock draft for the Eagles.

Eagles stay or go: Head coach Nick Sirianni - PhillyVoice
#JimmyVerdict: When Jeffrey Lurie introduced Sirianni as the team’s new head coach during the aforementioned initial press conference, he cited “what coach he can become and what organization we can become with his leadership.” Lurie seemed well aware that there would be bumps in the road initially, which proved to be prophetic. Credit Sirianni for weathering those early bumps in a hardcore football city and improving as a head coach as the season progressed. It will be interesting to see how he evolves from Year 1 to Year 2.

Can the Eagles commit to Jalen Hurts after watching Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen? - Inquirer
For anyone who paid close attention to the Eagles and Hurts this season, it was impossible to watch Sunday’s games, see the plays that Stafford, Brady, Allen, and Mahomes were making, and think, Yeah, Hurts can do that. Maybe he’ll improve over time, but there were too many instances this season that suggested he won’t reach that level, too many instances in which his reads were late or his arm wasn’t quite strong enough to make the sorts of throws that appear routine to those four quarterbacks.If the Eagles’ recent history is any reliable indication, Lurie and Roseman were noticing the same thing. From Donovan McNabb to Carson Wentz, they’ve done their best to find and commit to a franchise quarterback — one who, they believe, can make them great and keep them great for a long time. And since Roseman presumably didn’t put his hand atop a Bible before telling reporters last week that Hurts would be the team’s starter next season, it should be no surprise that the Eagles have been and will be mentioned as a possible destination for Russell Wilson, should the Seahawks try to trade him.

Eagles’ backup OL faces lengthy rehab after knee surgery - NBCSP
Eagles backup offensive lineman Brett Toth, who was injured in the team’s regular season finale, now faces a lengthy recovery process. The 25-year-old lineman posted on his Instagram account on Monday that he had knee surgery will need nine months to rehab. If Toth takes the full nine months, that puts this timeframe deep into October, which means the Eagles won’t have him for training camp and at least for the start of the 2022 regular season.

Why ex-Eagles head coach Doug Pederson makes sense to replace Saints’ Sean Payton - NJ.com
Payton announced Tuesday that he would be retiring, ending a run with the Saints that lasted for 16 seasons. The Saints now join eight other teams and searching for a new head coach. However, to fix their open vacancy, the Saints could very well turn to someone who played college in Louisiana to lead their team: Former Eagles head coach Doug Pederson.

Insider says Cowboys had deal to trade for Sean Payton until Anthony Davis wanted out of New Orleans - Blogging The Boys
Whether or not Payton becomes the Cowboys coach in the future is obviously something that has yet to come to fruition, but according to one NFL insider he very nearly became their head coach in the past. As in very nearly. ProFootballTalk’s Mike Florio has a book releasing soon called Playmakers, and in the aftermath of the Payton news, he decided to share an excerpt from it where he notes that the Cowboys were set to trade for Payton in early 2019 until Anthony Davis asked to be traded away from the New Orleans Pelicans. Yes. You read all of those words correctly.

Sean Payton’s Departure Will Be Felt Throughout the NFL - The Ringer
It doesn’t seem like that Payton will coach next year, but that doesn’t mean he won’t have an impact on the season. Any coach already on the hot seat—Mike McCarthy in Dallas and Matt Rhule in Carolina, for instance—is feeling a little more heat now that an elite head coach is on the market. The same goes for any coach on shaky ground. An opportunity to land a leader with Payton’s résumé and team-building experience doesn’t come around too often. Payton says his heart isn’t in coaching right now, but what if a high-profile team comes along offering a lot of money? If Jerry Jones wakes up tomorrow and decides he wants to hire Payton, I’m sure it could be arranged. Sure, the Cowboys have already committed to bringing McCarthy back for another season, but things have changed since then. From Payton’s perspective, the opportunity to coach Dak Prescott—who may be this generation’s Brees in terms of play style—would be awfully hard to turn down.

If Sean Payton stays in the NFL these teams should be all-in - SB Nation
Dallas Cowboys: I hate getting into all this, because truly I think Mike McCarthy is a good coach — and this scenario involves firing McCarthy. Still, it has to be considered. Payton has been linked to the Cowboys before, and they represent another nearly-complete team in need of some small adjustments. The big thing for Dallas right now is that they have two really promising coordinators in Dan Quinn and Kellen Moore, both of whom are getting some head coaching buzz — and they’d like to keep one, or both still in the fold. Is Sean Payton enough to take the current Cowboys’ roster and win a Super Bowl? Perhaps. That could be good enough. If you’re Jerry Jones then the dream scenario would be to hire Payton, let someone like Moore learn from him with the expectation the job would be his in a few years. Now you have a cohesive plan for the future, and a way to win now. There’s a lot of moving parts to this, but it’s definitely intriguing.

Off Day Debrief #73: Conference title games are set + Power Rankings of head coaching candidates - The SB Nation NFL Show
Rob “Stats” Guerrera and Brandon Lee Gowton react to an incredible Divisional Round and power rank the five best head coaching candidates in this hiring cycle. How the hell is Jimmy Garoppolo still in the playoffs? (3:40) Credit the Rams and Matthew Stafford for a huge play (13:31). Is this the last we’ve seen of Tom Brady (17:16). Did the return of Derrick Henry actually hurt the Titans? (22:37). Head coaching candidate power rankings (31:00.MVPs and LVPs of the week (56:32).

How you can get free N95 masks from the US government - Vox
This week, the Biden administration will begin distributing free N95 masks — which provide the greatest protection among readily available disposable masks — to the public as part of its push back against the omicron wave. The administration had announced last week that it would be making 400 million N95 respirator masks freely available to the public at community health centers and pharmacies across the country. That announcement came on the heels of the rollout of a website for ordering free Covid-19 rapid tests.

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With the 2022 NFL Draft a few months away, let’s take stock of the Eagles roster, the talent of the draft class, and where it leaves the team in terms of how to address needs. This will be a position-by-position review with draft outlook incorporated. Let’s take a look at the running backs.

The Team

The Eagles led the NFL in rushing yards and touchdowns in 2021 and set franchise records on the ground. Which is amazing when you consider they weren’t running the ball consistently until midseason. Anyway, the Eagles finding their identity midseason as a dominant rushing team was a huge reason they sneaked into the playoffs. With one of the best offensive lines in the NFL and a dangerously mobile quarterback, the Eagles are well equipped to run the ball often, with great efficiency and in a variety of ways.

As for the running backs, the Eagles backfield was a bit of a carousel this season. Jordan Howard was the Eagles most dependable runner on any given carry, but injuries plagued him this year as they have since his tenure started in Philadelphia. Miles Sanders was the Eagles most explosive runner and had some brilliant performances late in the season, but he, too, was plagued by injuries and has missed eight games in the last two seasons. Injuries aside, Sanders has all the makings of a lead NFL back, but he has yet to be a consistent runner and tends to leave yards on the field.

Behind those two guys are Boston Scott and Kenneth Gainwell. Scott has been a steady role player since getting to Philadelphia, but is better off as the second or third back in a committee. Kenneth Gainwell had a promising rookie season where he showed versatility as a runner and pass catcher. However, his weaknesses as a pass blocker kept him off the field when the other Eagles backs were healthy.

The Draft

There have been seven straight NFL drafts with at least one running back going in the first round. The 2022 class could break that streak. That is not for lack of talent, but certainly for lack of first round quality players.

The big names in the class will be Kenneth Walker III, Breece Hall, Zach Charbonnet, Kyren Williams, and Isaiah Spiller. All are excellent players, but they don’t immediately project as do-it-all three down backs which hurts their cases for being drafted on day one.

All it takes is one team to love a player to draft him high, of course, but it is hard to imagine that happening unless one of these players blows the world away at the NFL combine.

Outlook

The relative “weakness” of the running back class actually bodes well for the Eagles. Take a look at the Eagles backfield and the most sensible way to address it is find a Jordan Howard replacement. Howard’s consistency on the field was crucial to getting easy yardage and his bruising style paired perfectly with Miles Sanders and Jalen Hurts’ more slippery dynamics. Howard’s health prevents him from being a long term answer as the “thunder” in the Eagles backfield, but there are power backs in this class who could fill that role as mid round picks.

The question will be”how high do the Eagles want to draft a new member of their running back committee?” Kenneth Walker and Breece Hall feel like perfect fits in the Eagles backfield with the combination of their size, hard running, and ability to break away from defenses. Hall even has a clear upside as a pass catcher. Those two will probably be the first running backs off the board, so the Eagles will need to determine if they want to aim high at the running back position, or attack the mid and late rounds hoping their offensive line can make any solid back look excellent.

In Part I, we discussed (and graded) Nick Sirianni. Read on for an assessment of Hurts, Gannon, and more!

In Part I of my 2021 review, I took an in-depth look at Nick Sirianni. I eventually graded him, and gave him an “A-” for his efforts in 2021. For Part II, I’ll put the rest of the Eagles under the microscope and continue to hand out grades. In this article:

• What should we make of Jalen Hurts after one full season as the starter?
• Gannon might be on his way to a head coaching gig - could this be addition by subtraction for the Eagles?
• Running the ball is overrated (or: why you should learn to stop worrying and love the pass).
• Offseason sneak-peak (spoiler - trading for Wilson or Rodgers doesn’t make a lot of sense).

Jalen Hurts: The Tools and Intangibles

Way back in August, I wrote my annual season preview and had this to say about Jalen Hurts:

It’s important to point out that Hurts does not necessarily have to set the world on fire to earn himself another season with as the Eagles’ starter. He just needs to make the Eagles’ brass believe that next year’s free agent moves and draft capital is better spent supporting Hurts rather than replacing him. In other words, if Hurts can convince Howie, Nick, and Lurie that he would be a top-5 quarterback with a better roster, he will have largely been successful in 2021, even if he isn’t a top-10 quarterback this year.

Okay, so did Hurts do enough to make people believe he would be a top-5 quarterback with a better roster? I would say no, especially based on how badly he regressed in the playoffs. However, he did benefit from the fact that the quality of the 2022 rookie quarterback class absolutely cratered when Spencer Rattler imploded this season. Even with the questions surrounding Hurts, the smart move seems to use their resources at other positions.

Given all that, what can we say about Hurts? Obviously, his mindset and leadership skills are second to none, and he is a supremely gifted athlete that can take an entire stadium’s breath away when he takes off and runs. But his developments as a passer left much to be desired, as he often failed to read the entire field and throw with anticipation. Additionally, Sirianni had schemed up a simple passing game dependent on the success of the run to function. When the Eagles needed Hurts to “win the game with his arm,” he came up short. In the modern NFL, you need to have a “standalone” passing game to be competitive, and we haven’t seen if Hurts is really capable of delivering on that front.

Ultimately, how you (and the Eagles) feel about Hurts depends on whether or not you fall into the “he is what he is” camp. People in that camp feel that this is the player Hurts has been for his entire football career and he is unlikely to change. People outside that camp believe he’s young, has only started 21 games, and has the mindset to grow and improve under the right conditions.

I tend to lean towards the “he is who he is” camp, but I would be more than happy to see Hurts make a Josh Allen-type leap in 2022. If he is going to develop into a true NFL quarterback, he will need to put in more work than just the typical offseason routine, and should be hiring passing coaches that can help him with the mental side of the position.

Nevertheless, Hurts led several successful comeback efforts, took his team to the playoffs, and made the Eagles fun to watch. That is quite a notable resume in a season that had so few expectations. Grade: B+

Note For Gannon: The Eagles Don’t Have Darius Leonard

I don’t have as much to say about Gannon, who may be on his way out of Philadelphia if he (somewhat inexplicably) lands a head coaching job elsewhere. I do think criticism of Gannon downplayed the dearth of talent the Eagles had on defense. Of course, it’s the coach’s job to understand the limitations of his roster, and Gannon spent much of the season scheming as if he was still on a team that employs a linebacker like Darius Leonard.

Generally, I like bend-but-don’t-break defenses. After watching receivers torch the cornerbacks Jim Schwartz would exile to islands for several seasons, I welcomed a defense that would give up some dink-and-dunk plays if it meant stopping a backbreaking 40-yard bomb. Of course, a bend-but-don’t-break defense doesn’t work if it actually breaks, which the Eagles did far too often under Gannon. The defense also lacked teeth, routinely failing to register sacks or turnovers against quality opponents.

If Gannon doesn’t leave for greener pastures, I’d be curious to see if he improves as a coordinator, assuming the Eagles use the offseason to beef up the defense. Interestingly, Gannon’s scheme necessitates talent at a position - linebacker - that the Eagles have historically ignored. Would Howie change his ways to help Gannon out? I’m not so sure.

I also wouldn’t complain if Gannon does leave, but a lot of that is because of who’s available to replace him. My top choice is Zimmer, and while Fangio and Bradley are both excellent defensive coordinators, they prefer a 3-4 and the Eagles simply do not like to run that alignment.

The final assessment? Gannon wasn’t given a lot to work with, and he did a good job against lesser opponents, but he was very slow to adapt to the talent he had and was usually outclassed against better offenses. Grade: C

You Can’t Run To The Promised Land

The blue-collar appeal of the running game is obvious - there are few NFL plays more exhilarating than hitting your opponent in the mouth and rumbling through them for an explosive run. Likewise, Philly is a blue-collar town, and Eagles fandom’s obsession with the running game has a long and storied history back to the Andy Reid days.

Unfortunately, this isn’t really a sustainable, winning strategy. In the modern NFL, the passing game carries more weight - championship teams win through the air, and they often do so independently of the running game. For example, the good people at Football Outsiders have put together some good evidence challenging the notions that you need to establish the run to win in the NFL and that play-action passing only works when the run game is effective. Even when you look at the current “running” team - the Titans - you’ll find that over the past few seasons their offenses have been buoyed by Top-10 DVOA passing rankings.

I’m not saying that the Eagles should abandon the run, or that I wasn’t appalled when they didn’t run even 10 times against Dallas back in September. But to try and build the team through the running game is a fools’ errand. We all want to see “smashmouth runs,” but those runs are more effective when they are a product of the passing game, as opposed to the identity of the offense.

2017 is a good example of this. I’ve seen some revisionist history going around that the Eagles were a “run-first” team when they won the Super Bowl. This is false! Carson Wentz broke the franchise passing touchdown record after only 13 games. In 2017 they scored 38 passing touchdowns against 9 rushing touchdowns. Yes, they averaged 132 yards per game on the ground, but that was because they accomplished the “gold standard” of the ground game - running out of 11 personnel.

Every modern offense wants to run effectively out of 11 personnel. You’re taking a linebacker off the field and spreading out the defense. But you can’t just line up in 11 personnel and run the ball - the defense needs to believe that you are a threat to pass. You need a great offensive line, 3 good receivers, a good quarterback, and a tight end that can both catch and block. In other words, you need a functional passing offense!

This is what the Eagles did in 2017. They lined up in 11 personnel and dared every team - including the Patriots - to leave their nickel cornerback on the bench. And when that nickel corner came on to the field, they ran it down their throats.

The Eagles opponents in 2021 could leave that corner on the bench, if they wanted. The Eagles still found success on the ground, but it was lightning in a bottle. We know from early in the season and the lone game that Minshew started that Nick wants to pass the ball. We should applaud that mindset and be glad we have a coach that isn’t stuck in the 1950s.

Offseason Sneak Peak

I’ll offer more on the offseason when the new league year officially starts. But I’ll offer a few nuggets here while the season is still fresh:

• Trading for Russell Wilson or Aaron Rodgers is a bad idea. Currently, the Eagles have about $12M in cap space. Using Spotrac’s roster management tool, I was able to bring that up to about $31M (I focused only on moves that would increase cap space). Currently, Aaron Rodgers’ cap hit in 2022 is over $46M (base is just over $26M) while Russell Wilson’s is $37M (base is $19M). Trading for either player will cost them most of their great draft capital this year, inhibit their ability to sign any real impactful free agents, and likely require more cap casualties. For a team that is not “a quarterback away,” trading for one would move them even farther away, and so that’s a hard pass from me.
• Howie should be fired for malpractice if he doesn’t make every attempt to trade the 15th pick for a 2023 1st rounder. The Eagles are in an enviable situation where they have back-to-back first round picks. This means if a guy they like falls to 15th, they can trade out to a team that doesn’t want him and scoop him up at 16th (assuming a trade partner materializes). It’s an easy way to give them more draft picks in 2023 to take a quarterback in case Hurts doesn’t pan out. The only exception to this, of course, is if there are 2 guys they really like when they are on the clock, but even then I’d think long and hard about trading that pick.

Closing Thoughts

The 2021 season was a wild ride for Eagles fans, but it was an enjoyable one. Given the expectations and what they accomplished, it’s difficult not to be happy with the results. And the best news is they are well-positioned to build on what they started in a hurry with their offseason outlook. The playoff game was a stinker for sure, but if you told any Eagles fan in August they would be playing in a wild card game I am pretty sure they’d be thrilled.

And as for 2022, I really think they are good hands with Nick Sirianni. It’s really up to Roseman to show that he can take the resources at his disposal and kickstart something special.

Oh, and that final grade? Eh, considering our expectations for the team in August, we’ll go with an A.

Go Birds.

Philadelphia Eagles news and links for 1/25/22.

Let’s get to the Philadelphia Eagles links ...

Three free agents who make sense for the Eagles, version 1.0 - PhillyVoice
D.J. Chark: In May of last offseason (long after the meaty part of free agency concluded), the Eagles hired former Jaguars GM Dave Caldwell to a “personnel executive” position, and his influence was clear, with the Birds’ trades for QB Gardner Minshew and CB Josiah Scott. The Jaguars free agent who I think makes sense for the Eagles this offseason is Chark, a 6’4, 198-pound former Pro Bowl receiver who Caldwell selected in the second round of the 2018 NFL Draft. In addition to his large catch radius, Chark is an impressive athlete who ran a 4.34 40 and posted a 40” vertical jump at the 2018 Combine. Chark has down-the-field big play ability and is also a threat in the red zone. A highlight reel from 2020, working with a combination of Minshew and other quarterbacks like Jake Luton and Mike Glennon. So why would Chark only be sort of a medium-priced free agent? After his Pro Bowl season in 2019, his numbers fell off a bit in 2020 while working with some bad quarterbacks, followed by a 2021 season during which he missed 13 games with a broken ankle. Chark would be a nice complement to DeVonta Smith and Quez Watkins.

Top NFL free agents for 2022: Ranking the best 50 players potentially on the market this offseason - ESPN+
22. DJ Chark Jr., WR. 2021 team: Jacksonville Jaguars | Age entering 2022 season: 25. A fractured ankle ended Chark’s 2021 season after four games, but the injury occurred early enough that he is expected to be at full strength by training camp at the latest. He earned Pro Bowl honors in 2019 with career-highs in receiving yardage (1,008) and touchdowns (eight). We should grade any Jaguars free agent — especially in the passing game — on a statistical curve. It should also be pointed out that Chark has never played a 16- (or 17) game season in four years with the Jaguars.

11 Eagles defensive coordinator candidates if Jonathan Gannon isn’t back - BGN
The Eagles hired Wilson, previously the New York Jets’ defensive passing game coordinator, to be their defensive backs coach last year. Wilson oversaw a position group that included a Pro Bowl resurgence from Darius Slay, a career season from Avonte Maddox, and solid contribution from Steve Nelson. Rookie cornerback Zech McPhearson also showed intriguing potential in training camp. [...] If the Doug Pederson era was any indication, the Eagles seem prefer internal promotions as opposed to often making outside hires. The idea that the in-house answer is always best can be frustrating/troubling. But, in this case, Wilson should be considered a reasonable candidate. At the very least, he’s deserving of an interview.

The Eagles plan on Jalen Hurts as their QB in 2022, but what are their other options? - The Athletic
My view: If the Eagles can land Wilson (who also has a no-trade clause), they should do what it takes to get him. That’s not a slight on Hurts as much as an indication of how an eight-time Pro Bowler with a Super Bowl ring could alter the trajectory of the franchise. It could be similar to Peyton Manning going to Denver in 2013, when he took over a team that made the postseason with Tim Tebow the previous year and invigorated the offense. Any Eagles fans who watched the Bills-Chiefs game on Sunday night must have been left thinking, how can we get one of those guys? There’s more demand than supply, but Wilson would give the Eagles a better chance of winning one of those games.

Eagles mailbag: Picking 2 free agents for the Birds - NBCSP
Offense: WR Mike Williams. The Eagles are looking for the right complement for DeVonta Smith and Williams (6-4, 220) might be it. The former No. 7 overall pick is coming off his best NFL season in 2021; he had 76/1,146/9 with the Chargers this season. Williams is huge but is also a great deep threat, averaging 16.1 yards per catch during his career, including 20.4 back in 2019. And he already knows Nick Sirianni from the 2017 season, Williams’ first in the NFL and Sirianni’s last with the Chargers as their receivers coach.

2022 Houston Texans Head Coaching Search: Who’s Your Favorite Candidate? - Battle Red Blog
So far, Houston has completed interviews with Lombardi, Hines Ward, Josh McCown, Brian Flores, and Jonathan Gannon. They also reportedly want to speak with Rams offensive coordinator Kevin O’Connell. I’m nixing some of these names because they are seemingly mere conversations; it never hurts to interview. Below is a list of reasonable Texans head coaching candidates. Answer the poll below, and let us know who you want to be the next head coach of the Houston Texans. [BLG Note: Gannon comes out third in this poll, behind Brian Flores and DeMeco Ryans.]

Exploring QB scenarios for Washington in 2022 - Hogs Haven
A couple of weeks ago, this seemed like a plausibly painless scenario to pick up a veteran option who might be a bridge QB for a freshly drafted rookie. As of now, it feels like a more expensive Alex Smith 2.0 deal. Having made it at least to the Conference Championship, Garoppolo’s price continues to climb, from a Day 2 pick, most likely, to a first rounder. For all Jimmy G’s doubters, and they are legion, I imagine his price would be the #11 overall pick from Washington, buttressed on the back-end with an immediate 2 to 3 year extension. Garoppolo’s current contract only pays him $27M in 2022. Having nabbed Trent Williams from Washington at a bargain basement price a couple of years ago, is Kyle Shanahan ready to do the Andy Reid double-dip in 2022? Re-couping value on Garoppolo now, after having traded away their 2022 first rounder for Trey Lance last year, could be a coup for Shanahan, Lynch, and the SF front office, which looks potentially to be on the verge of a minor dynasty, if Lance can do what Shanny needs him to. I’m told Martin Mayhew has connections.

Dan Quinn update: Bears want second interview with Cowboys defensive coordinator - Blogging The Boys
If it isn’t incredibly obvious by now, Dan Quinn is a really popular guy in our present moment. It seems that just about every team with a head coach vacancy has him at the top of their list, including the Chicago Bears. The Bears haven’t released a set of finalists or anything but they are bringing Quinn back for a second interview which obviously means they are impressed. Former Cowboys staffer and current Indianapolis Colts defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus also had a second interview with the Bears.

Giants head coaching search: Brian Daboll to get second interview on Tuesday - Big Blue View
New York Giants general manager Joe Schoen wasted no time taking advantage of the Buffalo Bills’ stunning loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, reportedly scheduling a second interview on Tuesdeay with Buffalo offensive coordinator Brian Daboll for the team’s head-coaching job. Daboll interviewed with Schoen and co-owners John Mara and Steve Tisch on Friday evening, Schoen’s first day on the job.

The Bills and Chiefs Just Showed That With QBs, “Good Enough” Is No Longer Good Enough - The Ringer
Like, imagine being a Patriots fan watching Sunday night’s game. You just saw Mac Jones put together a fairly impressive rookie campaign. If Ja’Marr Chase didn’t exist, Jones would be the overwhelming favorite to win Offensive Rookie of the Year. But it’s hard to get excited about the next decade knowing that he’ll have to compete with Allen for the division every year. When those two matched up this season, it looked like they were playing two different positions.

Tom Brady hinted at retirement with an ominous quote on a podcast - SB Nation
Brady is still playing an incredibly high level, of course. He led the NFL in both passing yards and passing touchdowns. He’s one of the leading candidates to win MVP. Those quotes from Brady about his family sure sound like a guy who is thinking about walking away, though. This really might be it. NFL insider Ian Rapoport added fuel to the fire, saying: “Tom Brady is going to take a step back, take some time, talk to his family, and figure out does he still want to play football.”

Monday Football Monday #72: Super stars showed up, Rodgers chokes + Stafford -Kupp is a dynamic duo - The SB Nation NFL Show
RJ Ochoa and Pete Sweeney recap all of the chaos and thrill from the greatest playoff weekend ever including the 49ers who still own Aaron Rodgers, the Matthew Stafford-Cooper Kupp dynamic duo and all of the super stars that completely balled out.

...

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An early look at what the Eagles might do with the roster as free agency approaches.

The Eagles were steadfast in their mission in 2021 to move forward with a young team. This spanned multiple position groups, and while often came at the expense of experience, it set them up with a plethora of starters locked in on rookie deals. Howie Roseman and co. also used some time during the season to tie up some loose ends, and got extensions done with Dallas Goedert, Avonte Maddox, and T.J. Edwards.

Still, there are eight unrestricted free agents heading into the offseason, and another five restricted free agents that will need to be sorted out — plus, Andre Chachere is an exclusive rights free agent this offseason, as well.

Some of these guys seem like no-brainers.

Ryan Kerrigan, for example, was finally helpful in the Eagles’ one playoff game, but until then it was pretty tough to even remember that he was on the team, let alone saw playing time each week. With his age, and lack of contributions, it should be a no-brainer to let him go elsewhere this offseason.

But, there’s also a handful of question marks on both sides of the ball.

Rodney McLeod is a UFA this offseason, and despite the team choosing him to be their leader of the secondary a few seasons ago — when they essentially chose him over Malcolm Jenkins — he’s suffered pretty significant injuries and missed a lot of games in the years since he signed his last deal. He’s considered a staple on the defense, but will the Eagles deem him a priority to re-sign? Or will they look at bringing in a veteran from elsewhere? That whole position is a bit of a mystery with Anthony Harris also a free agent, and the young guys like K’Von Wallace and Marcus Epps, still trying to establish dominance at the position.

The Eagles have always invested in their offensive and defensive lines, but they’ll really need to evaluate how to move forward with the d-line, especially with three other (younger) guys — in addition to Kerrigan — hitting the free agency market this offseason. Genard Avery, Derek Barnett, and Hassan Ridgeway could all be moving on this spring. Barnett was always Jim Schwartz’s favorite, and while Nick Sirianni has called him essential throughout the season, it’s hard to imagine they look past his inability to not draw penalties. Avery and Ridgeway both contributed at times throughout the season, but the Eagles are also super high on rookie Milton Williams and Javon Hargrave took a big leap in 2021, so it’ll be interesting to see what they do at DE and DT.

I’d imagine that the team is likely to bring back Nate Herbig, who has been a fill-in at several spots, and with his continued work with guys like Jason Kelce and Lane Johnson, should only continue to develop. He’s also got the experience as a back-up center, so especially if Kelce doesn’t retire, it would make sense to keep Herbig around.

As for skill players, Greg Ward has been called a leader of the WR group by Sirianni, but with a significant reduction in playing time, will the Eagles look to re-sign him? Same with Boston Scott — he’s proven to be a guy that can tuck the ball and ram his way into the endzone, but behind Miles Sanders and Kenny Gainwell, the Eagles might not commit to him moving forward. Both players might also prefer a chance to play a bigger role on a different team, but since they are restricted free agents, it won’t really be their decision.

Which free agents do you think the Eagles will bring back in 2022?

(Sound off in the comments!)

One less option for Philadelphia’s DC.

Eagles defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon is NOT one of the three finalists for the Denver Broncos’ head coaching vacancy, according to NFL insider Ian Rapoport.

RapSheet says Denver is down to Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, Los Angeles Rams offensive coordinator Kevin O’Connell, and Green Bay Packers offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett.

The Eagles received a request from the Broncos to interview Gannon two weeks ago. Reports indicated that Gannon came off as a very impressive candidate ... but clearly not enough to make him a finalist for the job.

With the Broncos out of the mix, Gannon is seemingly still alive for at least two other openings: the Houston Texans and Minnesota Vikings. Gannon is reportedly viewed as a “front-runner” for the Texans gig and Houston is said to have interest in holding a second interview with him. There hasn’t been as much word on the Vikings’ interest in Gannon, though it could be worth noting that Minny ruled out two Eagles executives from their general manager search.

More than two weeks have passed since the 2021 regular season ended and we’ve yet to see a team officially announce a new head coach hire. Kinda strange. In the meantime, we’re left waiting to see if Gannon will actually be gone or not.

If Gannon doesn’t return, the Eagles have some interesting replacement options to pick from.

...

Side note: The Broncos narrowing their search down to those three candidates also means Doug Pederson won’t end up in Denver. There hasn’t been a lot of buzz around Doug lately; will he even get a HC job this year? It’d be a shame if he doesn’t.

What an incredible weekend of football.

You don’t need a lot of flowery prose to know that this weekend was unparalleled in NFL history.

The Cinderella Bengals overcoming a ferocious Tennessee Titans defense and knocking out the No. 1 seed on the road to earn their first AFC Title game appearance since 1988 on a last second field goal by a rookie kicker. The 49ers scoring their only touchdown on a blocked punt and somehow shutting down Aaron Rodgers, on the road, in snowy Lambeau Field, to upset the No. 1 seed Packers on a walk-off field goal. The Rams nearly gakking away a second half 27-6 lead before somehow pulling off the walk-off field goal as time expired, the third straight game of the weekend in which the road team won on a game-ending field goal. And then the capper, potentially one of the five greatest games in NFL history, and the insane final two minutes of Chiefs vs. Bills.

We’ve never seen anything like it, and we’ll never see anything like it again. It’s almost impossible to conceive that the two title games this weekend and/or the Super Bowl will surpass the sheer drama of what we witnessed over the weekend, and that’s OK. Sometimes, sports just gives you gifts and you must simply say “thank you” in return.

We saw so much over the weekend, but here are 15 takeaways from four football games that defy explanation.

This was the greatest weekend in American football history

Just to hammer the point home...

Mahomes-Allen is this generation’s Montana-Marino/Brady-Manning

Not only was Bills vs. Chiefs an all-time classic, it was a quarterbacking clinic put on by the two best quarterbacks in the NFL right now, and yes I am aware Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady are still, for the moment, in the league.

Rodgers is going to win the MVP and Brady has shown no signs of slowing down, but Mahomes and Allen are the next generation and, oh boy, Mahomes vs. Joe Burrow this weekend could add a third element into the mix. It harkens back to the 1980s and the too-infrequent match-ups between 49ers QB Joe Montana and Dolphins stud Dan Marino as well as the 2000s battles between Brady and Peyton Manning. The three-headed monster of Mahomes/Allen/Burrow could be the next Brady/Manning/Roethlisberger, and that would be pretty amazing.

You can do a lot with 13 seconds

When Mahomes and the Chiefs took possession of the ball with 13 seconds left at their own 25-yard line, it seemed inconceivable they would find a way to force overtime. According to ESPN Stats & Info, the Bills had a 91% chance of moving on to the AFC Championship Game.

Mahomes had one timeout left. He needed at least 35 yards in order to have a prayer at a low percentage field goal. And he pulled it all off in 13 seconds. Compare that to this.

Meanwhile, with 14 seconds left in their wild card loss to the 49ers, Dak Prescott and the Cowboys had the ball on San Francisco’s 40-yard line, granted with no timeouts, and did that.

Kansas City’s last second drive was reminiscent of the Eagles’ drive just before the two-minute warning in their NFC Championship Game win over the Minnesota Vikings in 2017. With a couple of smart play calls and all three timeouts, the Birds, with 29 seconds left, moved from their own 20 to the Minnesota 20 and used only one timeout in the process before kicking a 37-yard field goal to push their lead to 24-7.

With smart coaching, talent and good execution. you can do a lot with a little bit of time.

Aaron Rodgers comes up short again

Rodgers is a surefire, first ballot Hall of Famer. He’s an inner-circle great. He’s won three MVP awards, is second all-time in passer rating, 5th in TDs and 10th in passing yards. He has won at least 10 regular season games in a season 10 times, has gone 13-3 each of the last three seasons and will almost certainly win a 4th MVP award after this season is over.

And yet, he has not appeared in a Super Bowl since following the 2010 season.

Rodgers loses NFC playoff games with regularity and he ultimately plays poorly in most of those losses. That was the case on Saturday as he went 20-for-29 for 225 yards with 0 TDs and a rating of 91.9. The offense scored just 10 points, allowing San Francisco to steal a win and escape to Los Angeles for the NFC title game. But it shouldn’t have been a surprise, even if Green Bay was the No. 1 seed. In the postseason, this is what Rodgers does.

Rams’ defense may be McVay-proof

Sean McVay’s offense raced out to a 27-6 lead over the favored Bucs in Tampa Bay, seemingly running Tom Brady out of his own stadium. Of course, any team led by Sean McVay is going to shrink in big moments, as McVay routinely plays situations too conservatively, with too much deference to his opponent. He coaches scared, so perhaps it shouldn’t have been a shock when McVay’s Rams let Brady and the Bucs back into it.

Now, McVay certainly can’t be blamed for his running back’s fumbles, but the offense clearly lost its way over the game’s final 18 minutes. Matthew Stafford and Cooper Kupp saved his coach’s bacon with their last-second heroics but, more importantly, it was the L.A. defense that won the day.

Because of the fumbles and missed field goal, the Rams’ defense was forced to defend a short field on a number of occasions and, yes, they could have held Tampa to a field goal on one of those drives. But if you look at the numbers, you see a tremendous effort behind what might actually be the league’s best unit.

They may just be good enough to save themselves from their head coach.

Questionable coaching decisions

What were the Bills thinking by rushing four against Mahomes on his last gasp drive at the end of regulation, even allowing for the possibility of Travis Kelce getting that kind of chunk yardage? With two defensive-minded coaches in Sean McDermott and Leslie Frazier and the No. 1 defense in the NFL, it’s inconceivable that play was allowed to happen.

How does Tampa’s defense blitz a slot corner on the definitive Cooper Kupp reception that set up the game-winning field goal? Should McDermott have squib kicked the ball to drain more time off the clock at the end of regulation? Should Mike Vrabel have kicked the extra point after their first touchdown after Cincinnati committed a penalty, making it 7-6 instead of 6-6? Had they done so, they would have been up 17-16 in the final two minutes and trying to run out the clock rather than trying to get into field goal range, a drive that ultimately ended in Ryan Tannehill’s killer interception (IMO, it was the correct decision).

As is the case in most close games, even the best coaches can make a misstep that will cost his team a win. Credit Andy Reid, who seemed to make those kinds of mistakes on a yearly basis in the playoffs, for being one of the few rock solid head coaches in the postseason the last few years.

Josh Allen has made the “leap”

We all knew Josh Allen had become an elite QB in the NFL though, if I’m being honest, I still was not 100% convinced even leading into this year’s playoffs. Of course, I’m an idiot. Allen cemented himself as one of, if not the best QB, in the league.

Allen’s 97.9 passer rating was 9th-best in the NFL and he led all quarterbacks in rushing yards, 897. He’s what we hoped Randall Cunningham would become at the start of his Eagles’ career.

There has never been another coach like Andy Reid

The Kansas City Chiefs are now the first team in NFL history to host four straight conference title games. It is the second time in his career Reid has led a team to four straight conference title games, doing it in the NFC with the Eagles following the 2001-04 seasons.

He is the only coach in NFL history to lead two separate franchises, let alone in two conferences, to four straight conference championship games. Obviously, most of the rooting interest this weekend will side toward the Bengals, but Big Red really deserves one more Super Bowl victory to cement his status as perhaps the second-greatest head coach of all-time.

Cooper Kupp is legit

How does this guy continue to get this wide open?

How?

Coming into the season, Kupp was already known as one of the better wideouts in football but, in 2021, with Stafford as his QB, he became a full-on legend. Including the postseason, Kupp has put up the most receiving yards (2,191) of any receiver in history, besting Larry Fitzgerald’s 2008 regular season and playoff run (1,977). On Sunday, the Rams needed every one of his 9 receptions for 183 yards and one can make the case it is he, not Rodgers, who should be the league’s MVP.

No. 1 seed byes meant nothing

This was the second year that only the top seed in each conference secured a first round bye and, this year, it didn’t matter a lick.

Of course, the Titans and Packers were widely regarded as some of the weaker No. 1 seeds in recent NFL playoff history, and those declarations were backed up by the play of those two teams. That being said, getting a first round bye in the playoffs is usually an express train to the conference title game. This note via The Score says a lot:

Since the NFL expanded to 12 playoff teams in the 1990 season, clubs coming off a first-round bye are 64-55-3 against the spread (53.8%) and 91-31 straight up (74.6%). Since 2015, those marks have jumped to 13-8-1 ATS (61.9%) and 18-4 SU (81.8%), including a 7-4 ATS / 10-2 SU run for No. 1 seeds.

Of course, nothing made sense this weekend so why should this be any different? Let’s not kid ourselves, though, getting a first round bye in the NFL postseason is still the surest way to get to the Super Bowl.

Kickers & Special Teams matter

When we break down key match-ups ahead of big games, most of the time we look at QB play, defensive schemes, injuries, etc., but rarely do we take a look at special teams or the kicking game.

This weekend, those units mattered a great deal. Cincinnati took a lot of heat when they drafted kicker Evan McPherson in the fifth round with the 149th pick last April, but he’s been money all year and calmly knocked down a game-ending 52-yard kick like he’d been doing it for a decade.

Unlike McPherson, San Francisco kicker Robbie Gould is a veteran, kicking in the league since 2005. But while he’d been in these situations before, kicking in snowy, icy conditions at Lambeau Field in mid-January is a much different animal. And yet...

This capped off a game in which Green Bay’s much maligned special teams unit simply handed a game to a 49ers team that could do nothing on offense. Their only touchdown came on a blocked punt returned for a touchdown and they saved themselves three points with a blocked field goal just before halftime.

Rams kicker Matt Gay kicked L.A.’s way into the conference title game with his last second shot in Tampa, and his story is one of perseverance.

And then, of course, all of Mahomes’ heroics would have been for naught if Harrison Butker doesn’t knock down his 45-yarder as time expired to send the game into OT. Kickers ruled the weekend.

Joe Burrow is the toughest dude around

The Titans sacked Joe Burrow a playoff record nine times and he was held without a touchdown throw in Cincy’s victory over Tennessee and yet, Burrow kept his team in the game with a terrific fourth quarter that showed his toughness and resilience. Consider...

He certainly didn’t have his best game on Saturday, but he did go 28-for-37 for 348 yards, good for a QB rating of 93.1, and led the team on a final, last-minute drive to win the game. He deserves to be spoken about in the same breath as Mahomes and Allen.

Hire Eric Bienemy/Leslie Frazier/DeMeco Ryans/Brian Daboll/Byron Leftwich

It’s criminal Bienemy didn’t get a head coaching job last year, but here he is, once again in the AFC Championship Game, helping to lead one of the most prolific offenses in NFL history to the doorstep of another Super Bowl. Yes, Reid calls the plays, but are we really to believe that no offensive coordinator under Andy Reid can call plays? We know that not to be true.

Buffalo offensive coordinator Brian Daboll appears to be a perfect fit for the New York Giants job now that the Bills’ former assistant GM has ascended to the top job there, although defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier would be a great candidate as well, last night’s final minute meltdown notwithstanding. Byron Leftwich has done an outstanding job as Tampa’s offensive coordinator, keeping things humming in Tampa while losing Antonio Brown, Chris Godwin and Leonard Fournette for much of the season then dealing with the loss of right tackle Justin Wirfs just before Sunday’s game. He’s a rising star. DeMeco Ryans, the 49ers defensive coordinator, is already getting interviews and should be a head coach as soon as possible, too.

Things didn’t go perfectly for all these guys this weekend, but their units did enough during the season, and in these playoff games, to warrant head coaching gigs in 2022.

Tom Brady ain’t retiring

After the game, regarding retirement, Brady said, “I haven’t put a lot of thought into it.”

If you think Brady’s retiring after the way he played this season, after the way he led the team back from a 27-6 deficit while not playing his best, and after losing a crushing game like that, I’d like to speak to you about a crypto deal I’ve been working on (note: I am not currently working on any crypto deal FWIW).

Let’s tweak the OT rules

First, the Bills did not lose because of the overtime rules. They lost because their defense couldn’t get a stop with 13 seconds left on the clock and their opponent 40 yards away from field goal range. But that doesn’t mean the playoff OT rules shouldn’t be tweaked.

We had this same conversation in 2019 after Mahomes was victimized by the rules at the hands of Brady, who was then with the Patriots. After leading the Chiefs to a game-tying field goal at the end of regulation, the Pats won the toss and proceeded to march down the field and score a TD. Mahomes never got the ball with a chance to score, just like Allen on Sunday night.

If the NFL wants to put the best product on the field in the playoffs, then it must figure out a way for both teams to touch the ball in the extra session no matter what. Again, this is only for the playoffs, but it would make sense to have a 5th quarter, 15 minutes, with no sudden death and then, if at the end of the 5th quarter the game is still tied, the teams go to sudden death. Or, just guarantee at least one possession to each team. Either way, there are simple solutions that would give fans more playoff football, which I think is what everyone wanted by the time Allen and the Bills sulked off the field in dejection.

Eagles still have a long way to go

If you, as an Eagles fan, felt like you were watching a different brand of football this weekend than what we were used to seeing this year, you weren’t hallucinating. It’s clear that the eight teams who entered the divisional round of the playoffs were substantially more talented across the board than the Eagles.

It’s funny that, for the first time since the 2009 season, neither Rodgers nor Brady will play in a conference title game, and yet Jimmy Garoppolo is. That’s the way it goes sometimes, but the other three QBs, Burrow, Mahomes and Stafford, are all upper echelon quarterbacks in this league who can all throw the ball. With Jalen Hurts, the Eagles appear to have someone who is limited in the passing game. It’s clear the Eagles need a QB, whether it’s Hurts or someone else, who can win games through the air.

That being said, the quality of defenses in this round was significant. The Birds need help along all levels of the defense, but especially on the edges, at linebacker and in the secondary. They also need another play-making wide receiver and a scheme that will take advantage of DeVonta Smith’s talents.

Nick Sirianni had a good first year with the Eagles and there are reasons to be positive, but while I don’t agree that Philadelphia is in QB purgatory (not with all their draft picks, potential free agents and Hurts’ rookie contract), they do have some extremely important determinations to make this summer regarding the quarterback position.

The Bengals went from a 4-win team in 2020 to the AFC Championship in one year. It’s possible the Eagles can mimic a turnaround like that, although they will need to hit on all their moves this off-season.

They still have a long way to go.

Two Former Eagles on active rosters advance to the AFC and NFC Championship games.

The list of former Eagles still competing for a chance to play in the Super Bowl continues to dwindle down, with seven players total — including practice squad and IR players — on teams advancing, but just two on active rosters and suiting up in next weekend’s division championship matchups.

The stage is set for an AFC Championship game featuring the Bengals vs. Chiefs, and the NFC Championship matchup that has come down to two California teams, the Niners vs. Rams.

Here’s a look at how some former Eagles fared in the divisional round.

CINCINNATI BENGALS vs TENNESSEE TITANS

The Bengals (Elijah Holyfield [PS]) advance to the AFC Championship next weekend after winning their first ever road playoff game against the Titans (B.J. Bello [IR], Marcus Johnson [IR]) on Saturday, 19-16.

SAN FRANCISCO 49ers vs. Green Bay Packers

The Niners (River Cracraft, Nate Sudfeld [PS], Jordan Matthews [PS], Lavert Hill [PS], Raheem Mostert [IR]) were able to pull off a last-second field goal to win over the Packers (Rasul Douglas, Dennis Kelly, Chandon Sullivan) Saturday night, 13-10.

River Cracraft will get a chance to play in next weekend’s NFC Championship game, and could get a little more attention with the overall special team performance by the Niners on Saturday. While the Packers special team unit was really that bad, San Francisco’s unit consistently made the most of it. Cracraft was about half a step from being the one to scoop and score on the blocked punt late in the fourth quarter.

Despite fans pleas — in the form of begging, bribing, etc... — Rasul Douglas wasn’t able to nab an interception for the Packers. The cornerback finished the game with five tackles and one pass breakup, and was on the field for 100 percent of the defensive snaps. It would be surprising if the Packers didn’t find a way to bring Douglas back in 2022, and based on his performance, the CB should get a lot more than the $990k deal he signed for 2021.

Chandon Sullivan saw a big drop in playing time on Saturday. Not only was he not in the starting lineup, but his defensive snaps were less than half from the regular season finale, down to just 31 percent. Still, he managed three total tackles, including one for loss. Sullivan was similarly on a one-year deal with the Packers — although it was worth significantly more than Douglas’, at $2.3 million — but his return isn’t guaranteed.

For the last five weeks of the season, Dennis Kelly started on the Packers offensive line, and was playing at a pretty high level. But, when a team like the Packers lose in the collapse that they did, blame is spread around aplenty. There were a lot of arguments that Kelly should’ve been back on the bench and Yosh Nijman on the field even before the game started.

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS vs Los Angeles Rams

The Buccaneers (Andrew Adams, Kenjon Barner [PS]) lost to the Rams on Sunday despite making quite the fourth-quarter comeback. Former Eagles safety Andrew Adams only saw special teams snaps in the divisional round, and failed to record even one tackle.

BUFFALO BILLS vs KANSAS CITY CHIEFS

The final game of the divisional round was absolutely insane, with what will be remembered as an epic back-and-forth between the Chiefs (James Winchester) and Bills (Ryan Bates, Jordan Poyer). Thanks to the overtime rule, the Chiefs ended up getting the win, 42-36, but both teams had incredible performances, with 25 points being scored in the final two minutes of regulation.

Ryan Bates has been a great addition for the Bills offensive line, especially in the last few weeks of the season. His presence helped establish a better run game, and he’s someone that most fans are clamoring to re-sign in the offseason. Bates credits a lot of his development to Eagles GOAT Jason Kelce — who was at the game Sunday supporting his brother Travis.

It wasn’t easy for the Bills’ secondary, but Jordan Poyer still had a solid performance despite the loss. He finished the game with eight total tackles, his most since Week 14, and a forced fumble. Poyer was on the field for 100 percent of the defensive snaps, and took 27 percent of the special teams, as well. He also got toasted by Tyreek Hill that led to a 60-yard touchdown, so...

Philadelphia might be on to their third DC in three years.

With rumors that Jonathan Gannon is a strong candidate to land a head coaching job, there’s a decent chance the Philadelphia Eagles will need a new defensive coordinator.

While the Eagles would probably prefer to keep continuity, the reality is there are some good replacement options available to them. Gannon leaving might even be a blessing in disguise with the potential to upgrade on him.

Let’s take a look at some of Philly’s options.

1 - DENNARD WILSON

The Eagles hired Wilson, previously the New York Jets’ defensive passing game coordinator, to be their defensive backs coach last year. Wilson oversaw a position group that included a Pro Bowl resurgence from Darius Slay, a career season from Avonte Maddox, and solid contribution from Steve Nelson. Rookie cornerback Zech McPhearson also showed intriguing potential in training camp.

Slay spoke highly of Wilson late in the regular season:

“I’m not going to sit here and play around. Dennard, man, he’s been a great coach. He helped me elevate my game to a whole ‘nother level. [...] Like I said, I’m just surprised he’s been in the game 15 years and not had a DC job because he’s a smart dude. And he played in this league before so I won’t be surprised if sooner or later he has one of them jobs.”

NFL insider Jason La Canfora also wrote about how Wilson deserves DC consideration:

Any prospective head coach trying to put a staff together or any team looking for a dynamic young defensive coordinator should take a long look at the Eagles’ Dennard Wilson. Wilson is a self-made guy, a hard worker and an under-heralded gem. He didn’t move up the coaching ranks as a secondary coach because of nepotism, or some well-connected agent or the way it works too often in this league. He’s worked under some great coaches, players love him (he played in the NFL), he got a good run coaching college at the time when many of these spread concepts and RPOs were coming in vogue and what I love most about him is that unique background. Wilson has a mix of college and pro background and he also spent four years with the Bears as a scout learning to evaluate talent and understand personnel. Honestly, every rising young coach should strive for that sort of mix. Wilson has coached DBs with the Rams and Jets and is completing his first year with the Eagles. He’s been in the NFL since 2008. He’s served as a passing game coordinator, and he’s ready for a coordinator role.

If the Doug Pederson era was any indication, the Eagles seem prefer internal promotions as opposed to often making outside hires. The idea that the in-house answer is always best can be frustrating/troubling. But, in this case, Wilson should be considered a reasonable candidate. At the very least, he’s deserving of an interview.

2 - VIC FANGIO

Fangio is one of the NFL’s most coveted DC options after being fired by the Broncos. Prior to becoming Denver’s head coach, he oversaw significant defensive improvement in his time with the Chicago Bears. Ranks by DVOA:

2015 — 31st
2016 — 22nd
2017 — 14th
2018 — 1st

Prior to that period, he had success with the San Francisco 49ers:

2011 — 3rd
2012 — 4th
2013 — 13th
2014 — 5th

As a Dunmore, Pennsylvania native (two hours north of Philly), Fangio previously said he grew up as an Eagles fan. Fangio also notably overlapped with Eagles vice president of player personnel Andy Weidl on the Baltimore Ravens from 2006 through 2009. So, perhaps those factors are working in the Eagles’ favor.

A potential drawback to hiring Fangio is that it could create a contentious dynamic similar to the one that existed with Doug Pederson and Jim Schwartz. Internally, at least, the latter didn’t seem to always respect the former’s authority. Would Fangio come in and think he knows better than Nick Sirianni?

Fangio’s defensive background (3-4 and 4-3 under) also doesn’t make for a seamless transition. That might be OK if the Eagles are looking to change things up. But it’s possible they want to stick with some of Gannon’s philosophies.

The Eagles might not get a crack at Fangio if Jim Harbaugh returns to the NFL as the Raiders’ head coach. Fangio could easily reunite with Harbs in Las Vegas.

3 - DON “WINK” MARTINDALE

The Ravens and Martindale surprisingly “mutually parted ways” last week.

The Ravens’ defense did disappoint in 2021, finishing as the league’s 28th-ranked unit by DVOA. But Baltimore also had to deal with a ton of defensive back absences due to injuries and COVID. Here’s how the Ravens’ defenses ranked in DVOA prior to last season:

2018 — 4th
2019 — 5th
2020 — 9th

Martindale likes to blitz heavily, which is something I’m not sure the Eagles value in a defensive coordinator. Neither Schwartz nor Gannon were big into doing that.

It could be worth noting that Martindale has a connection to Philly. He overlapped with the aforementioned Weidl in Baltimore from 2012 through May 2016.

4 - BRIAN FLORES

There’s a pretty decent chance Flores lands a head coaching job despite being fired by the Miami Dolphins. If he’s left on the outside looking in, though, the Eagles should be looking into him as a DC.

5 - MIKE ZIMMER

Zimmer’s influence in Gannon’s background seemed to contribute to the Eagles’ interest in making the latter their defensive coordinator. But he’s probably not the most likely candidate for Philly. There’s a lot of talk that Zimmer could return to Dallas if/when the Cowboys lose Dan Quinn to a head coaching job.

6 - PATRICK GRAHAM

Graham is still currently under contract with the New York Giants. But there’s a chance the Giants hire a head coach who has their own vision for defensive coordinator and Graham shakes free. The Pittsburgh Steelers, who know a thing or two about defense, are reportedly interested in Graham. The Eagles should also be looking into him if he’s available. For as bad as the Giants have been in recent years, the defense has arguably been the most respectable thing about the team. Eagles fans should recall the Giants holding Jalen Hurts to two of his worst performances in 2021.

7 - JEROD MAYO

After interviewing for the Eagles’ head coaching job last year, Mayo is generating some more HC buzz this offseason. The New England Patriots’ linebackers coach might not be eager to leave Bill Belichick’s side. Then again, he might realize that Josh McDaniels is Belichick’s most likely successor and Belichick’s two kids (Steve is the de facto DC and defensive play-caller) on staff might get more favor than he ever will. Leaving the Patriots and having success as a defensive coordinator could be the best path for Mayo to strengthen his case as a head coaching candidate.

8 - ALAN WILLIAMS

With Sirianni and Gannon both coming from Indy, it’s possible the Eagles look back to Frank Reich’s coaching staff. Williams rejoined the Colts in 2018 as a defensive backs/safeties coach. He previously served as the Vikings’ defensive coordinator from 2012 through 2013, overseeing some solid but unspectacular units.

9 - TERYL AUSTIN

CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones said Austin’s name has often been mentioned in the league as a top DC candidate this offseason. Austin offers five years of NFL DC experience and has recently overseen success as the Pittsburgh Steelers’ senior defensive assistant/secondary coach. He was previously on the Eagles’ radar as a head coaching candidate before they hired in 2016. Austin also overlapped with Weidl in Baltimore from 2011 through 2013.

10 - JIM LEONHARD

Leonhard is regarded one of the best assistant coaches in college football. As Wisconsin’s defensive coordinator and defensive back coach, Leonhard was in charge of the nation’s top total defense in 2021. The Badgers previously ranked fifth in 2020 and eight in 2019. Guessing the Eagles won’t be going with someone who’s never coached in the NFL as their DC but Leonhard is an outside-of-the-box candidate worth interviewing at the very least.

11 - JEFF STOUTLAND

Obligatory Juan Castillo joke.

But I feel like we probably don’t talk enough about how insane it was that the Eagles once moved their offensive line coach to DC.

Nick has shown he can be a good head coach in the NFL. Can he take the next step to being great?

The first part of this Eagles season review focuses on their new head coach, Nick Sirianni. Check back tomorrow for the second part, which will cover the other parts of the Eagles.

I began following the Eagles in 2006. Since then, they have hired 3 head coaches, and every time I try to keep an open mind, regardless of the context surrounding their hiring. In their first season, I care less about results and more about motivation. Is the team buying what he is selling? Do they play hard every game, even when they are struggling? In most situations, a new coach is inheriting a bad team, so expecting instant success isn’t reasonable. However, expecting the team to be resilient in the face of adversity is reasonable. That is really what a coach needs to establish in his first season.

Nick Sirianni was no exception, and I was pleased with the job he’s done throughout the season. Yes, that does include those “first seven games” - more on that in a bit. First, in typical Eagles fan fashion, I want to highlight where I think Sirianni has room to improve (aside from his clunky press conferences and his terrible beard).

Needs Work

Avoiding the Vizzini Effect. In the classic 80s film, “The Princess Bride,” there is a memorable scene where the hero, Westley, gets involved in a wager with a con man named Vizzini. There are two chalices of wine, one of which Westley has secretly poisoned. Vizzini must then pick the ones from which they will drink, and goes on a rant for several minutes as he attempts to deduce Westley’s train of thought when he was poisoning the wine. (Spoiler: he ends up choosing... poorly. Westley tainted both chalices, as he had developed an immunity to the poison).

I dub this futile exercise of endlessly attempting to predict how your enemy will plan against you “the Vizzini Effect,” and Nick seemed to fall victim to it several times this season (including in the playoffs). Instead of trying to gameplan against the Bucs defense, he appeared to gameplan against how he thought the Bucs would gameplan against him. It’s the only logical explanation for blatantly ignoring DeVonta Smith early in the game (“They’re gonna focus on him, so we’re gonna give the ball to other players!”). He even admitted to falling victim to the Vizzini Effect against the Cowboys in Week 3 when he called a pass-heavy game because he “anticipated a shootout” - as opposed to using a ball control offense to limit Cowboys possessions.

Of course, coaches do need to consider to some extent what they expect the opposing defense to scheme up against their offense, but at times it seemed as if Nick tried to anticipate everything they would do. This galaxy brain approach to coaching isn’t how you beat tough opponents, and Nick will need to learn that soon if the Eagles want to continue making strides.

Dialing back gadget plays. At least once a game, a promising Eagles drive seemed to be snuffed out by an ill-timed jet sweep (usually to Reagor) or some other triple option nonsense that would set them up behind the sticks on second down. Additionally, while the Eagles had a decent red zone offense, they were atrocious in goal-to-go situations - indicating that they somehow were better at scoring touchdowns between the 10-20 yard line than from inside the 10. For whatever reason, Sirianni managed to call the worst plays when the goal line was right in front of him.

This was never more painfully obvious than in Week 2 against the 49ers, when the Eagles failed to score after they had a first down at the 1-yard line following an incredible 91-yard pass from Hurts to Watkins. Sirianni would be wise to remember KISS - “Keep it simple, stupid!” - and not try to prove to the world that he’s the smartest coach on the field, since he’s probably not.

Two Jobs, One Coach

But enough Negadelphia. What did Nick Sirianni do well? A lot, in my opinion - and that includes the infamous “first seven games.” It seemed any praise of Sirianni this season required the bumper sticker qualifier that he stunk in his first seven games before having some kind of miraculous epiphany halfway through the season. But I don’t see it that way. Before I launch into my explanation, it’s important to understand the two primary responsibilities of an NFL head coach:

• Get the most production out of the roster as possible. This is a big fat “duh,” and we hear coaches talk about this all the time, typically in some form of “putting players in a position to succeed.” Head coaches are most expected to accomplish this on teams with competitive rosters.
• Evaluate and develop the talent at all levels of the roster. This is the “lesser” of the two responsibilities, and usually the one taken when a team is not expected to compete. The front office needs to see what they currently have so they have a better understanding of how to improve in the offseason. It’s the coach’s job to provide that information in the form of the product on the field.

What’s interesting about these responsibilities is that they naturally contradict each other. If you’re playing your best players, your rookies are probably riding the bench, so you’re not evaluating them at all. On the other hand, if you need to evaluate your younger players or speed up their development, you have to play them, probably at the expense of a few wins your veterans could have earned you. The choice is binary - you’re stuck with one or the other.

That’s why, before every season, each team needs to decide what “hat” (visor?) they want the coach to wear, based on their expectations of the roster - and based on the what potential direction the front office can take the team in the future. That second part is important to understanding the first seven games. Sirianni didn’t magically change halfway through the season. The football landscape did.

An Evolving Situation

Let’s look at where the Eagles were before their first game against the Falcons:

• The defense was lacking talent, depth, or both at several key positions
• Jalen Hurts was still a relative unknown as a starting quarterback
• The Eagles had a good chance of securing 3 first round picks in 2022 that would allow them to grab a new quarterback, with Spencer Rattler headlining as the best prospect
• Their cap situation was improving, but still not good enough to trade for a veteran quarterback in the offseason without gutting their roster (more on this in Part II)

All of these factors point to a simple plan - use 2021 to evaluate Jalen Hurts as a passer and if he doesn’t cut the mustard, pull out the stops to grab Spencer Rattler in the 2022 draft. And this is what everyone was saying in August! 2021 is an “evaluation year.” Hurts would get “one year” to prove he can be a franchise passer with the Eagles. Well, if he only gets one year, doesn’t it make the most sense to throw the ball and see how he fares? To run a modern NFL offense and see if it “clicks”? To everyone who was screaming for Nick to run the ball - of course they could have run the ball! They were a team built to run the ball! You knew that, I knew that, the beat writers knew that, and certainly the coaches and players knew that.

But that’s not the hat Nick was asked to wear. He was tasked with evaluating Hurts as a passer, and you can’t really do that if he’s throwing 20 (or fewer) passes per game in a run-heavy, simple spread offense that doesn’t challenge him to make “NFL throws.” And yes, they could have started as running team and “eased in” the passing game, but if you’re looking to evaluate a quarterback in a single year, every game counts - especially if that is a higher priority than winning right now.

Of course, as we know, Nick did eventually start running the ball. So what happened? Here is a brief timeline of events in the football world in October as it pertains to the Eagles:

• Saturday, Oct 9: Spencer Rattler is benched for Caleb Williams in the Sooners’ thrilling win over Texas.
• Thursday, Oct 14: The Eagles, using their pass-heavy offense, fall to the Buccaneers.
• Saturday, Oct 16: Caleb Williams is officially the new starting quarterback for the Sooners and throws for 4 touchdowns against TCU.
• Sunday, Oct 24: The Eagles open their game against the Raiders with more runs, but Miles Sanders gets injured and Las Vegas jumps out to a big lead, forcing the Eagles to pass.
• Sunday, Oct 31: The Eagles explode for 44 points against the Lions to formally announce their new run-first philosophy. Jalen Hurts attempts 14 passes for 103 yards, 72 of which went to Dallas Goedert.

To me it seems reasonable that, as Rattler plummeted as a “sure-fire” quarterback prospect, the front office pulled the plug on drafting a quarterback with a high pick in 2022. Realizing that Hurts would likely get another year as the Eagles’ starter, they decided to change hats and maximize what they had on the roster to build team morale and culture. With the window of evaluation extended for Hurts, there was no reason to cram his passing development into a single season. It would also be a good exercise to see Nick’s ability to adapt his offense to the players he has, instead of hoping they’ll become the players he wants.

I don’t think they expected how explosive their run game would end up being, nor do I think they thought they could compete for a playoff spot. But that was certainly a nice development, and I think it was absolutely the right decision to make (the top QB prospects this year are a hard pass from me).

Final Grade

Nick is certainly not a perfect head coach. But he’s energetic, creative, and clearly seems to be a leader of men that knows how to instill a culture and motivate a locker room. His midseason transformation to smashmouth running offense was a masterstroke that hints at his ability to understand the situation at hand and adapt. Whether or not he can improve on his less desirable tendencies remain to be seen, but given the expectations going into the season I’m not sure how much more you could have asked of him this first year. I’m giving him an A- for his first year, and the only reason it’s not an A is because we saw some of those drawbacks rear their ugly heads against the Bucs in the playoff game.

If you’ve made it this far, thanks for reading, and look out for “Part II” tomorrow!

Go Birds.