Category: Eagles/NFL

Yes, the vibes are bad, but the Eagles (8-4) enter Week 14 in surprisingly good shape, as far as the playoffs are concerned.

Despite losing two straight, the Birds can tighten their grip on the NFC East and improve their chances of earning the No. 1 seed with a win Monday night against the Los Angeles Chargers (8-4). Though it won’t be easy.

Send some thank you notes to Detroit (8-5). The Lions’ 44-30 beatdown of the Dallas Cowboys (6-6-1) Thursday night gave the Eagles a much-needed playoff boost. But they’ll need more help to move back into the NFC’s top spot.

Unfortunately, they didn’t get any help from former Eagles defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon, now the embattled head coach of the Arizona Cardinals (3-10). The Cardinals were blown out 45-17 at home by the Los Angeles Rams (10-3), moving Matt Stafford and company back into the NFC’s No. 1 spot.

Regardless what happens, the Eagles will end the week in the No. 3 seed. The Green Bay Packers (9-3-1) moved into first place in the NFC North and the NFC’s No. 2 seed thanks to their 28-21 win against the Chicago Bears (9-4).

As a result, the Bears slide down six spots, from No. 1 all the way down to No. 7, the NFC’s final wild card.

The good news is the Eagles hold tiebreakers against the Rams, Packers (though it likely won’t come into play because of Green Bay’s tie), Lions, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-6), and just two of the Birds’ final five games are against opponents with a winning record.

The bad news is the Eagles would need the Rams to lose two of their final four games to have a chance at overtaking them. That could also create more headaches for the Eagles, with the Rams tied with the Seattle Seahawks (10-3) and just one game up on the San Francisco 49ers (9-3) in a tight NFC West.

Currently, the Eagles have just a 5% chance to land the No. 1 seed, according to the New York Times’ playoff simulator, but that would improve slightly with a win Monday night.

NFC East standings

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To win the NFC East and clinch their fifth-straight playoff berth, the Eagles’ magic number — combined Birds’ wins and/or Cowboys’ losses — is now three. That will drop to two with a win Monday night against the Chargers.

Barring a 2023-level collapse, the Birds will become the first team in 21 seasons to win the NFC East in back-to-back years. That would mean hosting at least one playoff game at the Linc.

As for the Cowboys, may the odds forever be in their favor. With four games left on their schedule, Dallas has just a 9% chance of making the playoffs, according to the New York Times. That would drop to 6% with an Eagles win Monday night.

Even if the Cowboys win their four remaining games — at home against the Chargers and Minnesota Vikings (5-8), on the road against the Washington Commanders (3-10) and New York Giants (2-11) — Dallas would still need the Eagles to lose three of their final five games to take the division.

NFC playoff picture

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With nine teams bunched together atop the NFC, there were no playoff clinching scenarios in Week 14.

But a couple of teams were eliminated.

The Commanders slim playoff hopes were extinguished Sunday in a 31-0 blowout loss to the Vikings.

The same goes for the Atlanta Falcons (4-9), who were eliminated from playoff contention after being defeated by the Seattle Seahawls (10-3). That will make it eight straight seasons without a postseason appearance for Atlanta.

Meanwhile, the Carolina Panthers (7-6) are still in the hunt, thanks to their upset win against the Los Angeles Rams last week and Sunday’s Buccaneers loss. Carolina has a bye this week and faces Tampa Bay twice in the final four weeks of the season.

AFC playoff picture

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As with the NFC, there were no clinching scenarios in the AFC this week, but a couple of teams were eliminated.

The Cleveland Browns (3-10) were officially eliminated from playoff contention by the Tennessee Titans (2-11) Sunday, while the New York Jets (3-10) were eliminated by the Miami Dolphins (6-7), who have won four straight games and are trying to remain in the hunt for a wild card.

The loss also guarantees this will be the 15th straight season the Jets miss the playoffs, the longest current streak in the NFL.

If the Eagles do turn around their season, it’s looking less and less likely they’ll have yet another rematch against the Kansas City Chiefs (6-7). Andy Reid’s squad lost to the Houston Texans (8-5) Sunday night and are currently two games back in the hunt for the AFC’s final wild-card spot, their only remaining path to the postseason.

The Eagles could help improve the Chiefs’ odds by defeating the Chargers Monday night, but they’ll still have any 80% chance of missing the playoffs, according to the New York Times simulator.

The Jacksonville Jaguars (9-4) moved into sole possession of first place in the AFC South thanks to their win against the Indianapolis Colts (8-5) Sunday. With everyone in the AFC bunched at the top, the winner of the division might be the only team from the AFC South that advances to the playoffs.

The Denver Broncos (11-2) moved back into the AFC’s No. 1 seed thanks to their win against the lowly Las Vegas Raiders (2-11). While the Broncos are tied with the New England Patriots (11-2), Denver has a better conference record (7-2 vs. 6-2) and Sunday’s win guarantees they’ll have a better record among common opponents (the Patriots lost to the Raiders back in Week 1), the next tiebreaker if Denver ends the season with the same record as the Patriots.

When do the NFL playoffs start?

We’re still more than a month away from the first playoff game, which will take place on wild-card weekend beginning Jan. 10.

Six games will take place in the first round of the playoffs, airing across Fox, CBS, NBC, and ESPN/ABC. Amazon will also exclusively stream a wild-card game on Prime Video for the second straight season.

Full 2025 NFL playoff schedule:

• Wild-card round: Saturday, Jan. 10 to Monday, Jan. 12
• Divisional round: Saturday, Jan. 17 to Sunday, Jan. 18
• AFC and NFC championship games: Sunday, Jan. 25
• Super Bowl LX: Sunday, Feb. 8

Where is this year’s Super Bowl?

Super Bowl LX (or 60, for those who don’t like Roman numerals) is being held at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., home of the San Francisco 49ers. NBC will broadcast this year’s Super Bowl.

It will be the third time the Bay Area hosts a Super Bowl, and the second played at Levi’s Stadium. The first was Super Bowl 50 in 2016, with the Broncos defeating the Carolina Panthers in a defensive battle best remembered as Peyton Manning’s final game.

Here are the sites announced for future Super Bowls. Maybe Philly will be added to this list over the next decade, if Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie builds the dome he wants:

• Super Bowl LXI: Feb. 14., 2027, SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, Calif. (ESPN, ABC)
• Super Bowl LXII: Feb. 2028, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Ga. (CBS)

The Eagles travel to the Los Angeles Chargers for a Week 14 matchup at SoFi Stadium on Monday at 8:15 p.m. Here’s what you need to know about the game:

When the Eagles have the ball: It’s December and it’s unlikely the Eagles will suddenly have a high-powered offense at this late stage. At the least, they could look more like the outfit that did enough to win most of the first 11 weeks by not turning the ball over and being effective in the red zone. But there is conceivable room for improvement and I think one way to address that is having Jalen Hurts run more. Kevin Patullo suggested as much earlier this week, and the guess here is that the offensive coordinator and coach Nick Sirianni had a “come-to-Jesus” conversation with the quarterback about having more designed runs.

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, this could be the game to get Saquon Barkley and the run game back on track. Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter has used light boxes 48.2% of the time — which ranks third in the NFL — to induce good passing offenses into running more. But he may break that trend considering how effective defenses have been when concentrating their efforts on stopping Barkley. The Chargers use their base five-man front only 20% of the time, but when nose tackle Teair Tart is on the field, he eats up the “A” gaps. Patullo can keep L.A. in nickel on run downs simply by favoring three-receiver sets. This matchup screams for less of second tight end Grant Calcaterra as a run blocker, despite the Eagles’ perplexingly high use of “12” personnel.

Minter’s philosophy mirrors that of Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio. He’ll sacrifice some yards on the ground if it means aiding the secondary and limiting explosive plays through the air. The Chargers lean on two-high safety shells and zone coverage 82% of the time. Minter uses dime personnel — and sometimes will have as many as seven defensive backs on the field — more than most coordinators. He favors Cover 4 when he has two safeties — typically RJ Mickens and Elijah Molden — deep. Derwin James is the linchpin in the secondary and rotates between the slot, box, and post. The Eagles will see some single-high safety looks, but rarely vs. man coverage. Patullo needs to open the playbook with more crossing routes for receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith. Hurts can throw intermediate-length passes, he just needs to pick his spots.

The Eagles’ pass protection has been relatively sound, but pressure has been an issue in recent weeks. Minter blitzes only 19% of the time — 31st in the league. He likes to simulate blitzes with exchange pressures. The Eagles have struggled to pick those up this season. Hurts needs to find his answers … not that they’ve always been there. Outside linebacker Tuli Tuipulotu leads the Chargers in pressures, but Khalil Mack is healthy and the most dangerous. Both edges line up predominantly over the right tackle, which will be Fred Johnson in this case. He’s starting for a third straight game with Lane Johnson (foot) still out. Patullo has increasingly helped his tackles with chip blocks. Hurts isn’t getting sacked as much, but he’s completed only 59% of his passes in the last four games vs. 70% before the bye.

When the Chargers have the ball: Justin Herbert is expected to play despite surgery on the quarterback’s left non-throwing hand earlier in the week. If he can’t go, it’ll be backup Trey Lance, which would be a considerable drop-off. Assuming Herbert is active, he may not be able to go under center. The Chargers don’t have a heavy volume under-center offense, but they do it 29% of the time and throw play-action out of that formation 33% of the time. That’s one less variable coach and play-caller Jim Harbaugh will have at his disposal. And that could help an Eagles defensive line vs. a patchwork offensive line.

The Chargers offense is down both starting tackles. Rashawn Slater was lost for the season in training camp. Joe Alt followed him to injured reserve last month. In the three games since his injury, the offense ranks 28th in expected points added (EPA) per drop back. After some shuffling, Harbaugh has settled on Jamaree Salyer at left tackle and Trey Pipkins at right tackle. Both have previous starting experience, but are backups for good reason. With the Eagles down their best defensive lineman, Jalen Carter, the edge rushing group — led by Jaelan Phillips, Jalyx Hunt, and Nolan Smith — will need to exploit their advantage.

Herbert has four solid receivers to sprinkle around his throws. Ladd McConkey, Keenan Allen, Oronde Gadsden, and Quentin Johnston each have more than 500 yards receiving. Eagles cornerback Quinyon Mitchell is unlikely to follow one guy as a result. Adoree’ Jackson should expect a lot of attention, as should a safety corps that has underperformed. Sydney Brown may be back to the bench if Marcus Epps is ready after a stint on IR. If not, Herbert or Lance will likely find ways to attack him in coverage.

Even without Carter, the Eagles’ interior D-line shouldn’t be overmatched. Center Bradley Bozeman can be a liability. Right guard Mekhi Becton has regressed playing on a weaker line than he did in Philly. He was benched in Week 11 but is expected to start. Harbaugh will want to establish the run, especially after the Eagles got chewed up on the ground by the Bears. Running back Omarion Hampton could be active after having his 21-day practice window opened last week. The first-round rookie averaged 4.8 yards a carry in five games before suffering an ankle fracture. A remarkable 4.1 of those yards came after contact. Hampton is tough to bring down, as is Kimani Vidal, who averages 3.4 yards after contact. The Chargers use a fair amount of two-back personnel. The Eagles, who missed eight run tackle attempts vs. the Bears, will need to be more sure-handed on Monday night.

Extra point: I’m not 100% convinced Herbert is active. Neither are the Eagles. They prepared for both Chargers quarterbacks. Herbert is the one to worry about, obviously. He’s done a remarkable job considering the O-line woes. He can make almost any throw and can fit it into tight windows. Herbert also been excellent out of structure, which has happened a fair amount due to poor pass pro. But he’s forced some passes, which has resulted in interceptions. And now he has the issue with his off hand.

I’ve been terrible at picking Eagles games, as usual. Come for the analysis above — I hope — and leave by the time you get to the prediction. I’m sure fans hate whenever I pick the Eagles. I get the joke. But I like their chances against a limited quarterback, and definitely if Lance starts. I don’t think the offense will rise from the near-dead, but I anticipate noticeable changes off the mini-bye that will aid their chances. I also like Hurts indoors.

Prediction: Eagles, 25-19

On Monday night, the Eagles will face the Los Angeles Chargers with hopes of snapping a two-game losing streak.. The last time the Birds held a three-game losing streak was in early December of 2023, a campaign marked by early success and a late-season collapse.

Fresh off a deflating loss to the NFC-leading Chicago Bears on Black Friday, the Eagles are only three-point favorites against John Harbaugh’s Bolts. The Chargers, who are also 8-4, may be without star quarterback Justin Herbert, who suffered a broken left hand in his team’s 31-14 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders.

Will fans get deja vu of 2023, when the Eagles collapsed after a Super Bowl appearance the previous year? Or will the team finally get back on track? Here’s what the Chargers are saying about the birds.

‘We know how good their defense is’

Herbert was unable to take snaps under center against the Raiders due to his off-hand injury, significantly impacting the team’s offensive game plan as Harbaugh and offensive coordinator Greg Roman transitioned to more snaps in pistol and shotgun.

With uncertainty in the air regarding both Herbert’s ability to execute the offense, the former Oregon quarterback believes Harbaugh’s familiarity with Vic Fangio will play a major role in the Chargers’ game planning.

Fangio coached under Harbaugh in previous stops with the San Francisco 49ers and Stanford, and also coached against the Chargers two times a year as head coach of the Broncos from 2019-2021.

“He’s had a ton of success in this league,” Herbert said of Fangio. “Back at his time with the Broncos, we saw him twice a year and we had a lot of respect for him then. … The guys that they have on that side of the ball are game-wreckers and you have to be aware of those guys, and at the same time they are really well coached, and it makes for a dangerous combination for a defense.”

Meanwhile, Roman also expressed confidence in wide receiver Ladd McConkey’s ability to break Fangio ’s schemes.

“I was born at night, but not last night,” Roman said. “Vic’s going to have different ways to leverage coverage to where it’s not one-on-one at all times … But as far as the matchup, I like Ladd against anybody.”

‘I forgot he was dealing with something’

Herbert’s chances of playing all comes down to his next days in practice.

“As long as [the doctors] felt like it’s repaired and fixed, I think it comes down to getting that swelling down and being able to play with it,” Herbert said. “You got to catch a snap, you got to be able to hold on to the ball… it’s just see how it goes this week and doing everything to be out there.”

Herbert’s teammates seem more confident in his return, describing mixtures of shock and awe in response to how well he has played in practice despite the injury.

“I forgot he was dealing with something the way he’s playing,” wide receiver Quentin Johnston said. “But that’s just the type of guy he is. Very, very tough guy. He was still at practice, throwing very accurate, so he honestly looked like he hasn’t lost his touch. So right now, just getting him through practice and getting him through the week and prepared for Sunday.”

‘Some love to our offensive line’

Herbert has been pressured more than any other quarterback in the NFL this season, and no matter if it’s him or Trey Lance under center, the offense will be focusing on containing the Eagles’ front seven in pass protection.

“Their D-Line, a lot of people say it’s probably the strength of their defense,” Roman said. “And it’s hard to argue with that, but I think they are good at all three levels.”

The Chargers have seen both their starting tackles, Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt, injured this season — resulting in a carousel throughout their offensive line. Following last week’s benching of left tackle Trevor Penning, Roman believes the offensive line is on the up, with the unit performing admirably against Maxx Crosby and the Raiders. The Eagles will be without Jalen Carter after he had a procedure for his to treat both of his shoulders. That could also work in the Chargers’ favor.

“I want to throw out some love to our offensive line,” Roman said. “I really feel like they did an amazing job last week, not only handling Maxx Crosby, but really just handling the game plan and adjusting accordingly.”

‘Hell of a challenge’

The Chargers are well aware of the Eagles’ offensive line difficulties this year, including the potential absence of All-Pro tackle Lane Johnson. Despite this, star defensive end Khalil Mack knows not to underestimate the Eagles’ pass protection.

“Nameless, faceless objects,” Mack said. “You understand who they are and what they’ve been able to accomplish and the level of football they play at, so it’s going to be a hell of a challenge.”

When asked what problems the tandem of Jalen Hurts and Saquon Barkley pose to the Chargers defense on the ground, Mack was quick to express a similar respect despite the team’s recent struggles to run the ball.

“All the problems,” Mack said regarding Hurts’ ability to run. “You can talk about his strength and his ability to withstand tackles in the pocket; it’s going to be a hell of a challenge, and I am looking forward to it.”

“Saquon one of the best in the league,” Mack said. “At any moment, he could pop a big run, so you gotta be on your P’s and Q’s throughout the whole game, just understanding the intangibles they have, and the offensive line they have accumulated with him in the backfield and Jalen in the backfield. His ability to run the QB runs, just their scheme in general, it’s going to be a challenge for us.”