Tag: endliveblog

• What you should know
• The Eagles (10-5) will face Josh Allen and the Bills (11-4) Sunday in Buffalo, where snow is in the forecast.
• The Eagles clinched the NFC East and a playoff spot, but could still move up to the No. 1 or No. 2 seed.
• It was a bad weekend for NFL officials, including one call that could come back to bite the Eagles.
• Saquon Barkley and the Eagles ran angry in the second half against the Commanders. Jeff McLane thinks it’s about time.
• Columnist Mike Sielski wrote a eulogy for the Tush Push, which died Saturday against the Commanders.

// Timestamp 12/22/25 3:59pm

A lot rides on tonight’s 49ers-Colts game

Fans across the Delaware Valley will be rooting for 44-year-old Philip Rivers to lead the Indianapolis Colts to victory tonight against Brock Purdy and the San Francisco 49ers.

Why? A Colts win preserves the Eagles’ slim hopes of ending the season as the NFC’s No. 1 seed and securing a first-round bye.

The Eagles aren’t the only team that has a stake in tonight’s outcome. Here’s a rundown.

If the Colts win:

• The Eagles will remain alive in the hunt for the NFC’s No. 1 seed
• The Colts will remain alive in the hunt for the AFC South title

If the 49ers win:

• The Bills, Jaguars, and Chargers will all clinch playoff berths
• The 49ers will still be on track to land the No. 1 seed by winning their final two games against the Bears and Seahawks

If the Colts do win tonight, here’s what needs to happen in Week 17 for the Eagles to enter Week 18 with a shot at landing the No. 1 seed and home field advantage throughout the playoffs:

• Eagles win vs. Bills
• Bears win vs. 49ers
• Panthers win vs. Seahawks

A Los Angeles Rams loss to the Atlanta Falcons would also help the Eagles, but the Birds just need the Rams to lose one of their final two games.

Essentially, the Eagles would need to finish the season with a 12-5 record in a three-way tiebreaker with the Bears and Seahawks to nab the top playoff seed. Unlikely? Yes, but crazier things have happened.

— Rob Tornoe

// Timestamp 12/22/25 3:34pm

Despite recent struggles, Eagles sticking with Jake Elliott

Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said the Eagles will not be bringing in competition for Jake Elliott as the longtime kicker has hit a rough patch late in the season.

Sirianni on Monday reiterated his confidence that Elliott will bounce back.

Elliott’s 70.8% success rate (17-for-24) on field goals is the lowest of his career. He missed a 43-yard field goal and a 52-yard try (as well as a 57-yard kick that was negated by a penalty) during Saturday’s win over Washington.

Elliott has missed five field goal attempts over the last five games. He also has a missed extra point during that stretch.

“I understand it’s a production-based business,” Elliott said Saturday when asked if he was worried the Eagles could bring in a new kicker. “You see it all the time. That’s out of my hands, that’s out of my control, all I can do is kind of put my head down and keep pushing.

“I just got to put the ball through the uprights. That’s my job, man. That’s it. It’s not any deeper than that.”

— Jeff Neiburg

// Timestamp 12/22/25 3:02pm

Tyler Steen won’t be suspended after brawl with Commanders

// Timestamp 12/22/25 3:00pm

Nick Sirianni speaks to reporters

// Timestamp 12/22/25 2:06pm

‘The championship runs through Philly’

On The Speakeasy podcast, former Eagles running back LeSean McCoy and former Eagles linebacker Emmanuel Acho were asked the question: Are the Eagles the best team in the NFC?

“When did we let it go,” McCoy said. “We were the defending champs last year. We were the NFC champs. See, y’all forget a lot though. I don’t forget. Last year, we won the whole NFC East. Last year we won the whole NFC. Last year we won the whole league, the Super Bowl. Why y’all forgot? Because we had a couple bad games. Because our Super Bowl quarterback had a couple of bad moments. We’re still the Eagles and we still put on a show. And the championship runs through Philly.”

To Acho, Saturday’s game showed the complete package of what the Eagles could be. Jalen Hurts completed 22 of 30 throws for 185 yards with A.J. Brown as his favorite target, and gained 40 rushing yards on seven carries. Meanwhile, Saquon Barkley finished with 132 yards on 21 carries to contribute to the team’s 207 total rushing yards.

“I think the Eagles are who we thought they were supposed to be all season,” Acho said. “Saquon [Barkley] really got active today. And then on top of that, A.J. Brown, he finally got active today. … This was maybe one of two or three complete games the Eagles have played all season. … The Eagles checked every single box you could hope and expect that they check.”

After a three-game skid, the Eagles have managed to bounce back with two consecutive wins over the 2-13 Las Vegas Raiders and the 4-11 Commanders, two teams that have struggled throughout the season.

“These games are momentum,” McCoy said. “It’s not about the opponent. It’s about getting us back in that groove. Getting us back with that motivation. Because when we get to the playoffs, we’re going to be rolling baby. … Résumés matter, playoff experience matters. And the way the offense is kind of clicking, the defense is making plays. I’m ready to roll.”

— Ariel Simpson

// Timestamp 12/22/25 1:29pm

Nakobe Dean tells fans his injury isn’t serious

During Saturday’s win against the Commanders, Eagles linebacker Nakobe Dean left the game with a hamstring injury halfway through the first quarter and didn’t return.

After the game, teammate Jordan Davis told 94.1 WIP’s Devan Kaney Dean’s injury was minor. And on Sunday, while hosting a toy drive in Cherry Hill, Dean confirmed to fans he was doing “just fine” and only tweaked his hamstring, according to NBC Sports Philadelphia’s Ashlyn Sullivan.

— Rob Tornoe

// Timestamp 12/22/25 12:45pm

How the Eagles finished in the Pro Bowl fan vote

// Timestamp 12/22/25 12:20pm

Merrill Reese: Commanders are being ‘cranky’ losers

Washington Commanders coaches and players were upset following Saturday’s loss to the Eagles, stemming from a two-point try they viewed as the Birds running up the score.

The conversion led to a melee, resulting in three players — including Eagles offensive lineman Tyler Steen — being booted from the game.

“I can only answer for my side, what I would do,” Commanders head coach Dan Quinn told reporters following the game. “Hey man, if that’s how they want to get down, then all good. We’ll play them again in two weeks.”

Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni told reporters he thought the extra point gave the Eagles a better shot at winning the game, and wasn’t because kicker Jake Elliott missed two field goal attempts.

Regardless, Eagles announcer Merrill Reese didn’t think the Birds were trying to run up the score, pointing in part to the team’s decision to stop throwing the ball and playing their backups on defense.

“If you’re playing at the rate the Commanders are playing, and you’re down to your third quarterback, anything’s going to make you irritable. You’re going to be angry about everything,” Reese said during an interview on 94.1 WIP Monday. “That was not running up the score. They’re just being cranky.”

Eagles running back Saquon Barkley summed up the feelings of both teams to reporters following the game.

“This team don’t like us, and that’s just the truth,” Barkley said. “And we don’t like them, either.”

— Rob Tornoe

// Timestamp 12/22/25 10:29am

‘We got a little fired up on the sideline’

// Timestamp 12/22/25 9:57am

It was a bad weekend for NFL officials

It’s easy to criticize the refs, but this weekend NFL officials really gave fans and announcers a few things to complain about.

First up is key late play during the New England Patriots’ win over the Baltimore Ravens Sunday night.

With a little more than three minutes remaining, Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey appeared to outright tackle Patriots wide receiver Kayshon Boutte on a deep pass. Despite an official watching from yards away, no flags were thrown, to the surprise of everyone on NBC’s Sunday Night Football broadcast.

“It’s not really hard — that’s pass interference,” NBC rules analyst and former official Terry McAulay said.

Earlier on Sunday, during the Carolina Panthers’ win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, officials missed what appeared to be a blatant fourth-down penalty.

With a little under five minutes remaining and the game tied, Panthers defender Princely Umanmielen hit punter Riley Dixon after he kicked the ball, which should have resulted in a penalty and a first down. Instead, officials called holding on the Buccaneers and missed the running-into-the-kicker penalty all together.

“It’s contact to the body. I would have had running into the kicker,” Fox rules analyst and former official Mike Pereria said during the broadcast.

That missed call proved pivotal, as the Panthers marched down the field and kicked what ultimately became the game-winning field goal.

Then there’s the controversial ending of the Pittsburgh Steelers-Detroit Lions game, where Lions receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown lateraled to quarterback Jared Goff for what would have been the game-winning touchdown.

On the play, St. Brown was called for pass interference, negating the touchdown. But both head official Carl Cheffers and CBS announcers Jim Nantz and Tony Romo did a poor job explaining why the Lions didn’t get another play

“By rule, that penalty is not enforced and there is no replay. The game is over,” Cheffers said.

NFL rules stipulate if the offense commits a foul with no time remaining, “there shall be no extension of the period. If the foul occurs on the last play of the half, a score by the offense is not counted.”

If Goff had run into the end zone with time remaining on the clock, the Lions would have been given another play. Because of the penalty, the Lions weren’t able to review whether Goff crossed the plane of the goal line with one second remaining.

It also wasn’t the only controversial call to end the game. With 22 seconds left, Goff hit St. Brown on a one-yard touchdown pass, which would have won the game. But officials called pass interference on Lions receiver Isaac TeSlaa, negating the go-ahead score.

“The reporting official on that play told me that the offending player picked one of the defenders, creating an opportunity for the offensive player to make the catch,” Cheffers told pool reporter Nolan Bianch following the game.

— Rob Tornoe

// Timestamp 12/22/25 7:49am

Eagles can get help for No. 1 seed tonight

The Eagles have already clinched the NFC East and will host a wild-card game at the Linc, but the Birds still have an unlikely shot at landing the No. 1 seed.

Here’s how the NFC playoff picture looks after Sunday’s games, with five teams having already clinched a postseason spot:

NFC playoff picture

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To land the No. 1 seed, Philly would need to win their final two games against the Buffalo Bills and Washington Commanders and get a lot of help, beginning with tonight’s Monday Night Football matchup between the San Francisco 49ers and Indianapolis Colts.

The Eagles need the Colts and 44-year-old Philip Rivers to win tonight to have any hope of landing the No. 1 seed.

Here’s everything that needs to happen over the final two weeks of the season for the Eagles to end up with the top seed and secure a first-round bye:

• Eagles win their final two games against the Buffalo Bills and Washington Commanders
• San Francisco 49ers lose to the Indianapolis Colts Monday and the Bears in Week 17
• Seattle Seahawks lose their final two games against the Carolina Panthers and 49ers
• Chicago Bears win against the 49ers in Week 16 and lose to the Detroit Lions in Week 17
• Los Angeles Rams lose one of their final two games against the Atlanta Falcons or Arizona Cardinals

If all that happens, the Eagles would finish the season with a 12-5 record and would win a three-way tiebreaker with the Bears and Seahawks.

The path to the No. 2 seed is more realistic. If the Eagles win out, all they would need is for the Bears to lose their final two games to move up to the No. 2 seed. In that case, they’d host a wild card game against the No. 7 seed, currently the Green Bay Packers.

— Rob Tornoe

// Timestamp 12/22/25 7:45am

Josh Allen injured ahead of Sunday’s game against Eagles

There’s snow in the forecast Sunday in Buffalo, where the Eagles will take on the Bills with playoff seeding on the line for both teams.

The Bills will officially clinch a playoff spot if the Indianapolis Colts lose tonight to the San Francisco 49ers, and they’ll enter Week 17 still in the hunt for their sixth-straight AFC East title.

Reigning NFL MVP Josh Allen injured his ankle during Sunday’s win against the Cleveland Browns, but X-rays taken at halftime were reportedly negative and he finished the game for the Bills.

Allen didn’t seem too concerned following the game.

“We’re gravy, baby,” Allen told CBS sideline reporter Evan Washburn following the game.

The last time the Eagles faced the Bills was 2023 at the Linc, with the Birds rallying to win in overtime. The celebrations didn’t last long, as the Eagles went on to lose five of their final six games and suffer an early playoff exit.

— Rob Tornoe

// Timestamp 12/22/25 7:40am

The Eagles need to continue to be angry runners

Saquon Barkley had rushed for just 52 yards on 14 carries when he came to the sideline late in the third quarter. The Eagles had taken a 14-10 lead after a 17-play, touchdown-scoring drive, but they did so in spite of the struggles in the running game.

It’s been a season-long slog on the ground, but there have been glimpses of hope in recent weeks. And Barkley, who’s had to run into more stacked boxes than ever in his eighth year, felt that he wasn’t taking advantage of opportunities against a weakened Commanders defense.

“We got a little fired up on the sideline, but it was good,” Barkley said. “It’s all out of love, let’s say that. We want to do what’s best for the team when we’re winning games and hold each other accountable. But thank God it happened for me, to be honest, because it put me in my bag, as people would say.”

It was a 12-yard touchdown run off left tackle. The stat sheet account of the play doesn’t do Barkley’s seventh rushing score of the season justice. Jordan Mailata gave perhaps the best description.

“That was an angry run by Say,” the Eagles left tackle said. “Kind of expected that from him by the way he was acting on the sideline. He was just very adamant, being very positive, like, ‘Hey, we’re gonna get it.’”

Barkley’s touchdown wasn’t exactly the final nail. But he drove the last spike with a dazzling 48-yard run two drives later. And backup Tank Bigsby buried the Commanders with a 22-yard bolt into the end zone of the Eagles’ eventual 29-18 win at Northwest Stadium on Saturday.

It may be no coincidence that the offensive improvement came after Sirianni asserted more of his authority on that side of the ball three games ago. There were bright moments in the overtime loss to the Chargers, but Hurts had five turnovers.

Actually, there were improvements in run design the week before against the Bears. But the Eagles defense didn’t meet its usual standard and the offense couldn’t compensate. The numbers in the last four games, though, suggest that Barkley and Co. are doing something better.

The Eagles have averaged 4.96 yards per carry over that span. In their first 11 games, they averaged only 3.91 yards.

— Jeff McLane

// Timestamp 12/22/25 7:33am

Former Imhotep Charter star’s catch propels Bears into the playoffs

After overcoming a 16-6 deficit late in the fourth quarter Saturday night, the Chicago Bears beat the Green Bay Packers, in overtime, 22-16, thanks to a 46-yard touchdown reception from Philly native DJ Moore.

Three plays after the Bears stopped Green Bay on its drive in overtime, quarterback Caleb Williams found Moore, an Imhotep Charter graduate, off a play-action post route to score the walk-off touchdown, his sixth touchdown reception of the season.

“I just had to run, run like I did in practice and connect like we did at practice,” Moore said of his winning reception. ”It was really a practice rep but we did it in a game. Like I said, it was just amazing that we did it against the Packers.”

The victory moved Chicago to the NFC’s No. 2 seed and put the Bears in the driver’s seat to win the NFC North for the first time since 2018. The Bears haven’t made the playoffs since 2020.

Moore is the Bears’ leading receiver this year with 664 yards and is tied for the team lead in touchdowns with Rome Odunze.

Now in his eighth season in the NFL after a standout career at Maryland, Moore has scored three of his touchdowns in the last two games. This is his third year in Chicago after getting traded from the Carolina Panthers after the 2022 season and he has led the team in receiving each of the last three years.

— Devin Jackson

2025 Eagles schedule

• Week 1: Eagles 24, Cowboys 20
• Week 2: Eagles 20, Chiefs 17
• Week 3: Eagles 33, Rams 26
• Week 4: Eagles 31, Buccaneers 25
• Week 5: Broncos 21, Eagles 17
• Week 6: Giants 34, Eagles 17
• Week 7: Eagles 28, Vikings 22
• Week 8: Eagles 38, Giants 20
• Week 9: Bye week
• Week 10: Eagles 10, Packers 7
• Week 11: Eagles 16, Lions 9
• Week 12: Cowboys 24, Eagles 21
• Week 13: Bears 24, Eagles 15
• Week 14: Chargers 22, Eagles 19
• Week 15: Eagles 31, Raiders 0
• Week 16: Eagles 29, Commanders 18
• Week 17: Eagles at Bills, Sunday, Dec. 28, 4:25 p.m. (Fox 29)
• Week 18: Commanders at Eagles, TBD (TBD)

— Rob Tornoe

// Timestamp 12/22/25 7:30am

• What you should know
• The Eagles clinched the NFC East and a playoff spot with Saturday’s 29-18 win against the Washington Commanders.
• The Birds will also clinch the NFC’s No. 3 seed or better if the Tampa Bay Buccaneers win Sunday. Here’s an updated look at the NFL playoff picture.
• Eagles grades: Defense was sound and the special teams was shaky, but the Birds finally ran angry.
• Jake Elliott missed two field goals (a third miss was wiped out by a penalty) leading to a two-point controversy.
• Brawl leads to a Big Dom sighting, officiating the Tush Push, and more from Fox’s Eagles-Commanders broadcast

// Timestamp 12/21/25 6:07pm

After Cowboys’ loss, Jerry Jones says ‘we all underachieved’

The Dallas Cowboys’ slim playoff hopes were dashed by the Eagles Saturday night. On Sunday, the Los Angeles Chargers poured alcohol into the wound with a 34-17 romp of Dak Prescott and company at home.

“We all underachieved,” Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said following the game, reflecting on the team’s lost season.

— Rob Tornoe

// Timestamp 12/21/25 4:16pm

Eagles don’t get any help from the Buccaneers

After Saturday’s win against the Washington Commanders, the Eagles would’ve clinched the No. 3 seed or higher with a Tampa Bay Buccaneers win Sunday.

Unfortunately, the Carolina Panthers defeated the Bucs and took sole possession of first place in the NFC South.

If the Eagles and Panthers both end the season with a 10-7 record, Carolina would win the tiebreaker with a better record among common opponents. That would force the Birds down to the No. 4 seed, where they would host the No. 5 seed in the wild card round, currently the Los Angeles Rams.

The good news is a win next week against the Bills or just one more Panthers loss will lock the Eagles into the No. 3 seed or better heading into the playoffs.

— Rob Tornoe

// Timestamp 12/21/25 2:47pm

Eagles’ unlikely path to the NFC’s No. 1 seed

The Eagles have less than a 1% chance of ending the season with the NFC’s No. 1 playoff seed, according to the New York Times, but weird things have happened before.

In 2018, the Eagles needed a host of things to happen to secure a wild-card spot down the stretch, and they all did, pushing the Birds to the postseason.

Same thing happened in 2008, with the Chicago Bears and Tampa Bay Buccaneers losing to give the Eagles a shot at the playoffs if they defeated the Dallas Cowboys in the final game of the season, which they did in a 44-6 blowout.

So while it is highly unlikely the Eagles get all the help they need to move up to the top playoff seed, here what would need to happen:

• Eagles win their final two games against the Bills and Commanders
• 49ers lose to the Colts Monday and the Bears in Week 17
• Seahawks lose their final two games against the Panthers and 49ers
• Bears win against the 49ers in Week 16 and lose to the Lions in Week 17
• Rams lose one of their final two games against the Falcons or Cardinals

If all that happens, the Eagles would finish the season with a 12-5 record and would win a three-way tiebreaker with the Bears and Seahawks.

The path to the No. 2 seed is more realistic. If the Eagles win out, all they would need is for the Bears to lose their final two games to move up to the No. 2 seed. In that case, they’d host a wild card game against the No. 7 seed, currently the Green Bay Packers.

— Rob Tornoe

// Timestamp 12/21/25 1:57pm

DeVonta Smith celebrates with daughter’s dance

// Timestamp 12/21/25 12:09pm

Jake Elliott doesn’t know what’s going on

There is an isolating nature to Jake Elliott’s job.

Hundreds of micro moments impact a given game. There are passes and runs and blocks and tackles and situational coaching decisions. All of those things can work in harmony on a given day and success or failure could still hinge on your swinging foot.

The Eagles won going away, 29-18, over the Washington Commanders Saturday night and clinched the NFC East title along the way. But inside a happy locker room was a frustrated kicker who missed two field goal attempts, who has missed five over the past five games, who also missed a point-after attempt during that stretch.

It is not the isolating part that is getting to him, Elliott said. In fact, the soon-to-be-31-year-old kicker in his ninth NFL season wishes it were a mental thing at this point.

“It would be easier to fix,” Elliott said.

“It’s just frustrating.”

#Eagles K Jake Elliott on whether his recent struggles are mental: “No, honestly, not at all. That’s kind of what’s frustrating about is I don’t feel that way at all. I kind of wish it was. Easier to fix.” Elliott asked if he worries about the team exploring other options, says… pic.twitter.com/dNgUj5auRy

— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) December 21, 2025

Saturday’s frustration was amplified by the fact that Elliott struck the ball well during warmups, he said. He hit from 52, 55, 58, and 60 yards during pregame. He entered the game, he said, with a good plan, “and when they don’t go through in the game it’s no one to blame but yourself. That’s where we’re at. I got to figure some stuff out.”

— Jeff Neiburg

// Timestamp 12/21/25 10:54am

Lane Johnson, Jalen Carter expected back next week: ESPN

The Eagles could be getting some major reinforcements ahead of next week’s matchup against the Buffalo Bills.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports right tackle Lane Johnson (foot) and defensive tackle Jalen Carter (shoulders) are expected back next week and could take the field against the Bills.

It’s also possible both could be healthy and the Eagles choose to rest them, considering the odds of moving up to the No. 2 or No. 1 seed are incredibly low.

Johnson missed the last five Eagles games after suffering a Lisfranc sprain in his foot during the Birds’ win over the Detroit Lions in Week 11 on Nov. 16.

Carter has missed the past three games after undergoing a procedure on both of his shoulders earlier this month. Carter had been dealing with a shoulder injury since the beginning of training camp.

— Rob Tornoe

// Timestamp 12/21/25 10:27am

Cooper DeJean’s celebration was a tribute to John Cena

// Timestamp 12/21/25 9:49am

The Tush Push is dead

Here at Northwest Stadium, just 35 miles from the city that was the setting for David Simon’s magisterial series The Wire, it is only fitting that, as if attending a barstool wake among Baltimore po-leece, we eulogize the Tush Push. The play that once gave the Eagles a physical, psychological, and strategic edge over every opponent they encountered is, by all available indications, dead.

Three times during their 29-18 victory Saturday over the Commanders, the Eagles tried to run their unique and once-unstoppable version of the quarterback sneak. Three times, it failed. Once, tackle Fred Johnson committed a false-start penalty. Once, Hurts gained no yardage. Once, guard Landon Dickerson committed another false-start infraction. And with his offense facing a (relatively long) fourth-and-1 on its first possession, coach Nick Sirianni had the Eagles punt from their own 41 instead of attempting the play.

This was the flat line across the echocardiogram screen. In 2023, the Eagles led the NFL in fourth-down conversion percentage, at 67.9%. Last season, they were third, but their efficiency rate (71%) was higher. This season, they entered Saturday at 61.1%, seventh-best in the league — good, but not dominant, not close.

“Teams adjust; we’ve got to continue to adjust,” Sirianni said. “Credit to them. They did a really good job of stopping us there. … We have to get this play working the way it’s been in the past, which we’ll work our butts off to do. But we were really able to overcome.”

— Mike Sielski

// Timestamp 12/21/25 8:00am

NFL Playoff picture: Eagles can clinch No. 3 seed or better

Despite Google jumping the gun, the Eagles (10-5) clinched the NFC East and a playoffs spot thanks to Saturday’s win against the Washington Commanders (4-10) Saturday night.

That means the Birds will host at least one playoff game at the Linc, where the Eagles haven’t lost a postseason game since the 2019 playoffs.

The Eagles could also clinch the No. 3 seed or better if the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-7) defeat the Carolina Panthers (7-7) Sunday.

While the odds are slim, the Eagles are still technically alive in the hunt for the No. 1 seed. But their remote chances for the NFC’s top playoff seed (and a first-round bye) will end if the San Francisco 49ers (10-4) defeat the Indianapolis Colts (8-6) on Monday Night Football, according to Wharton professor Deniz Selman.

NFC playoff picture

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The Seattle Seahawks (12-3) control their own playoff destiny after defeating the Los Angeles Rams (11-4) Thursday night. If they win out, they’ll end the season with the No. 1 seed and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.

The same goes for the 49ers.

Despite being one game back, San Francisco and Seattle face off in Week 18. The 49ers defeated the Minnesota Vikings (6-8) way back in Week 1, so a win in Week 18 would clinch a tiebreaker and send the NFC playoffs through Santa Clara, where this year’s Super Bowl is being held.

First the 49ers still need to clinch a playoff spot, which they would do with with a win against the Colts Monday night or a Detroit Lions (8-6) loss.

As for the Bears, they’ll clinch their first playoff spot since the 2020 season with a Lions loss.

Then there’s the NFC South, where the Panthers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-7) play twice over the next three weeks, beginning Sunday in Charlotte. Those two games will decide who hosts a playoff game and who heads home.

Finally, the Dallas Cowboys (6-7-1) were officially eliminated from the playoffs by the Eagles clinching the NFC East, since winning the division was their only remaining path to the postseason.

— Rob Tornoe

// Timestamp 12/21/25 9:18am

NFL games on TV in Philly Sunday

With the Eagles playing Saturday night, here are the NFL games airing on TV in and around Philadelphia Sunday:

• Bills at Browns: 1 p.m., CBS3 (Ian Eagle, J.J. Watt, Evan Washburn)
• Chargers at Cowboys: 1 p.m., Fox 29 (Adam Amin, Drew Brees, Kristina Pink)
• Steelers at Lions: 4:25 p.m., CBS3 (Jim Nantz, Tony Romo, Tracy Wolfson)
• Patriots at Ravens: 8:20 p.m., NBC10 (Mike Tirico, Cris Collinsworth, Melissa Stark)

The San Francisco 49ers play the Indianapolis Colts Monday night at 8:15 p.m. on ESPN and 6ABC, with Joe Buck and Troy Aikman on the call.

— Rob Tornoe

// Timestamp 12/21/25 8:36am

Eagles victory Sunday photo

// Timestamp 12/21/25 8:01am

Eagles injury report

• Tyler Steen was ejected late in the fourth quarter following the Eagles’ two-point conversion for his involvement in a scuffle that broke out between the two teams.
• Nakobe Dean injured his hamstring halfway through the first quarter when he was attempting to tackle Burks. Jihaad Campbell took his place. Dean was ruled out in the third quarter.

— Olivia Reiner

// Timestamp 12/21/25 7:55am

Jordan Love injured, status for next week unknown

Packers quarterback Jordan Love exited with a concussion after he was hit hard in the second quarter, and Green Bay blew a late lead in a gut-wrenching 22-16 overtime loss to the Chicago Bears.

Love was shaken up after a helmet-to-helmet hit by defensive lineman Austin Booker on a sack. Booker was flagged for roughing the passer.

The 27-year-old Love eventually jogged off the field and went into the blue injury tent on Green Bay’s sideline. Then he walked to the visiting locker room.

There was no update on Love after the loss.

“I hollered at him after the game, just really quickly,” said backup quarterback Malik Willis, who replaced Love. “I mean, I didn’t get to really get into it too much with him. Just let him know I’m praying for him and hope he’s ready to go.”

— Associated Press

// Timestamp 12/21/25 7:50am

‘If that’s how they want to get down’: Commanders coach angry at Birds following game

Near the end of the Eagles’ win against the Washington Commanders, a brawl broke out on the field that led to three players being ejected, including Birds offensive lineman Tyler Steen.

“Look out, Tyler Steen is throwing punches,” Fox’s play-by-play announcer Joe Davis said during the broadcast. “This is getting ugly.”

The fight took place after the Eagles scored a late touchdown and went for a two-point conversion rather than have Jake Elliott – who missed two field goals – attempt an extra point.

After the game, Commanders head coach Dan Quinn was asked about the melee, and he suggested the two-point conversion and the feeling the Birds were running up the score played a role in the brawl.

“I can only answer for my side, what I would do,” Quinn told reporters. “Hey man, if that’s how they want to get down, then all good. We’ll play them again in two weeks.”

Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni denied attempting to run up the score.

“To get one more point in my mind is not running up the score,” Sirianni told reporters after the game. “We’re doing that to give ourselves the best chance to win.”

— Rob Tornoe

// Timestamp 12/21/25 7:45am

Eagles to face the Bills next week still alive for No. 2 seed

The Eagles will still have a chance at moving up to the No. 2 seed when they take on the Buffalo Bills next week in frigid Highmark Stadium.

The Eagles have already clinched the NFC East and could clinch the No. 3 spot or better Sunday with a Carolina Panthers win. The Birds currently have a 16% chance at landing the No. 2 seed, according to the New York Times playoff calculator, but that would improve to 27% with a win over the Bills.

Considering the Eagles entered the playoffs as the No. 2 seed last year and went on to win the Super Bowl, it might be something worth playing for.

The game will mean something for the Bills, too. Buffalo could still be fighting for a playoff spot (they’ll clinch Sunday with a win against the Cleveland Browns and losses by either the Indianapolis Colts or Houston Texans) and could still be trying to overtake the New England Patriots and win the AFC East for the sixth straight season.

The last time the Eagles faced the Bills was 2023 at the Linc, with the Birds rallying to win in overtime. The celebrations didn’t last long, as the Eagles went on to lose five of their final six games and suffer an early playoff exit.

— Rob Tornoe

// Timestamp 12/21/25 7:40am

Photos from Eagles’ win against the Commanders

2025 Eagles schedule

• Week 1: Eagles 24, Cowboys 20
• Week 2: Eagles 20, Chiefs 17
• Week 3: Eagles 33, Rams 26
• Week 4: Eagles 31, Buccaneers 25
• Week 5: Broncos 21, Eagles 17
• Week 6: Giants 34, Eagles 17
• Week 7: Eagles 28, Vikings 22
• Week 8: Eagles 38, Giants 20
• Week 9: Bye week
• Week 10: Eagles 10, Packers 7
• Week 11: Eagles 16, Lions 9
• Week 12: Cowboys 24, Eagles 21
• Week 13: Bears 24, Eagles 15
• Week 14: Chargers 22, Eagles 19
• Week 15: Eagles 31, Raiders 0
• Week 16: Eagles 29, Commanders 18
• Week 17: Eagles at Bills, Sunday, Dec. 28, 4:29 p.m. (Fox 29)
• Week 18: Commanders at Eagles, TBD (TBD)

— Rob Tornoe

// Timestamp 12/21/25 7:35am

• What you should know
• The Eagles (9-5) need just one more win to clinch the NFC East and a playoff berth thanks to their shutout win against the Las Vegas Raiders.
• Eagles grades: High marks for the defense and Jalen Hurts, who returned to his Super Bowl MVP form.
• Here’s what columnists Mike Sielski and Marcus Hayes thought of the win, as well as what the national media is saying about the Birds.
• The Eagles will face the Washington Commanders on Saturday at 5 p.m. on Fox. The Birds will again be the favorites in Week 16.
• On Monday, the Commanders shut down starting quarterback Jayden Daniels, paving the way for the Eagles to face another former backup, Marcus Mariota.

// Timestamp 12/15/25 5:05pm

Injuries around the league could shake up playoff races

Micah Parsons is the Packers’ best defensive player. He entered Sunday’s game with 12½ sacks and a league-high 60 QB pressures, a brilliant return on the Packers’ investment. He cost the Pack two first-round picks and defensive tackle Kenny Clark in a blockbuster trade with Dallas, then signed a four-year, $188 million contract extension.

Then, Sunday. Parsons left the game with a knee injury in the third quarter just before the Broncos took the lead for good in their 34-26 win. Reports indicate that he has a torn ACL.

The loss dropped the Packers to 9-4-1, a half-game in the NFC North standings behind the 10-4 Bears — the team they visit Saturday night — but Green Bay leads the 9-5 Eagles, in case that matters. Parsons’ absence might matter more than anything. It would be like the Browns losing Myles Garrett, or maybe even like the Chiefs losing Patrick Mahomes.

On that point …

Mahomes left the Chiefs’ loss Sunday with a torn ACL. The Chiefs were eliminated from playoff contention.

So, suddenly, the best player on an elite NFC team is gone, and, while the return from an ACL injury can be as short at eight months, Parsons, a dynamic athlete who relies on speed, probably won’t be the same until 2027.

Also, suddenly, the best player in the NFL over the last eight seasons on the best team in the NFL over the last eight seasons is gone, and, as perhaps the most effective mobile quarterback in history, Mahomes probably won’t be the same until 2027, either. Neither will the Chiefs.

Finally, star wideout Davante Adams left the Rams’ comeback win against the visiting Lions when he aggravated a hamstring injury. Adams has 14 touchdown receptions, which leads the league by six. He’s seventh on the all-time TD catches list with 117, and he’s the active leader by 11. The Rams sit atop the NFC at 11-3, which might be enough to secure the No. 1 seed, but the impact of a diminished Adams could resonate in the playoffs.

— Marcus Hayes

// Timestamp 12/15/25 3:45pm

In Mariota, Eagles will again face a former backup QB

For a second straight week, the Eagles are set to face off against one of their former backups. This time, it will be Marcus Mariota at the helm of the Commanders’ offense on Saturday.

Jayden Daniels, the NFL’s 2024 offensive rookie of the year, has missed seven games this year due to a litany of injuries, including a knee sprain, a hamstring strain, and now an elbow issue. He initially dislocated his elbow injury in their Week 9 loss to the Seattle Seahawks, and while he returned to action a month later, he aggravated the injury in his first game back against the Minnesota Vikings.

After the second-year quarterback missed the Week 15 win over the New York Giants, Commanders head coach Dan Quinn announced on Monday afternoon that he is being shut down for the rest of the season.

But the injuries to Daniels aren’t the only reason behind Washington’s decline from an offensive standpoint in 2025. The Commanders lack playmakers, and they’re now down two more with former Eagles tight end Zach Ertz tearing his ACL two weeks ago and wide receiver Noah Brown exiting Sunday’s game with a rib injury. Laremy Tunsil, the team’s standout left tackle, also left the Giants game with a shoulder injury.

The Eagles are well-acquainted with Mariota. Much like Daniels, the 32-year-old quarterback has the ability to extend plays with his legs, a quality that has given the Eagles defense fits at times this season.

Mariota was particularly effective on deep passes on Sunday. In fact, he had almost all of his production come on downfield passes, as he went 7-for-11 for 181 yards and a touchdown on throws greater than 10 air yards, according to Next Gen Stats.

Still, the Commanders’ offense practically tried to lose to the worst team in the NFC East. At one point, they had a 15-point lead, then fumbled the ball away twice in the fourth quarter (once from Mariota and another by running back Jeremy McNichols) to give the Giants a shot at a comeback. Saturday’s game shouldn’t be too difficult a test for Vic Fangio’s defense.

— Olivia Reiner

// Timestamp 12/15/25 3:26pm

Commanders to sit Jayden Daniels for rest of season

// Timestamp 12/15/25 3:23pm

How age, injuries, and a little less luck hurt the Commanders

They say age is only a number. But for the Washington Commanders, it’s a number that helps explain how a trip to the NFC championship game last year can be followed up by a 4-10 record through 14 games.

The easiest thing to point to is that young quarterback Jayden Daniels has only been available for seven games. But the Commanders are just 2-5 in the games Daniels has played.

Back to the age issue. The Commanders were a prime candidate for regression — this writer had them missing the playoffs in 2025 — in part because of their age, but also because they were abnormally lucky in 2024. The luck also included a low number of injuries. But the age may have caught up in 2025.

Daniels aside — the quarterback turns 25 this week — the Commanders’ season has been marred by injuries to “older” players.

As ESPN’s Bill Barnwell pointed out Monday, Washington has the league’s oldest team weighted by snaps. It has the league’s oldest defense at 28.9 years old and the fourth-oldest offense at 28.0 years old. That defense alone currently has three players aged 28 or older on injured reserve: defensive end Dorance Armstrong (28), cornerback Marshon Lattimore (29), and defensive end Deatrich Wise Jr. (31).

Additionally, 33-year-old defensive end Preston Smith has been limited to 10 games, 32-year-old corner Jonathan Jones has played in nine games, 28-year-old defensive end Jalyn Holmes has eight appearances, and 29-year-old safety Will Harris has played in six games.

Veterans Von Miller (36) and Bobby Wagner (35) have stayed healthy, but that’s a lot of stress asking the two of them to anchor a defense at this stage.

Only one team allows more yards per game than Washington (382.6).

Then there’s the offense. The latest major injury to the Commanders hit former Eagles tight end Zach Ertz, whose season ended last week after suffering a torn ACL. But 30-year-old receiver Terry McLaurin, who held out in camp and was later signed to a three-year, $96 million extension, has been limited to seven games, and 29-year-old receiver Noah Brown has played in four.

A nightmare season is almost over for the Commanders, and it remains to be seen if they will let Daniels take the field again to play in meaningless football games.

— Jeff Neiburg

// Timestamp 12/15/25 1:00pm

Micah Parsons out for the rest of season with torn ACL

Micah Parsons suffered a torn ACL during the Green Bay Packers’ loss to the Denver Broncos Sunday and will miss the rest of the season, according to multiple reports. Parsons confirmed the injury on social media.

“I may be sidelined, but I am not defeated,” Parsons wrote, calling the injury his “greatest test.”

Parsons, the former Dallas Cowboys All-Pro and Harrisburg native, was traded to Green Bay before the start of the season and is tied for third in the NFL with 12.5 sacks.

The injury happened near the end of the third quarter. Parsons was chasing Broncos quarterback Bo Nix when he suddenly stopped running and grabbed his knee.

“It’s obviously tough,” Packers coach Matt LaFleur told reporters following the game. “We all know what type of player he is and the impact he’s had on our football team. To lose somebody like that, it’s tough. … We’ve got to find a way. Guys have to rally around one another.”

— Rob Tornoe

// Timestamp 12/15/25 12:24pm

How the Eagles could end up with the No. 2 seed

While it remains mathematically possible for the Eagles (9-5) to still end the season as the NFC’s No. 1 playoff seed, it remans a very, very improbable outcome for the season.

But what about the No. 2 seed? That’s how the Eagles entered the playoffs last season, and their postseason run ended with a Super Bowl victory.

The Eagles will enter Week 16 in the NFC’s No. 3 spot, which means if the season were over they’d be hosting the San Francisco 49ers (10-4) at the Linc in a wild card game.

The current No. 2 seed is the Chicago Bears (10-4), who are essentially two games up on the Eagles because of the Birds’ loss to Chicago last month on Black Friday. So there are two scenarios where the Eagles can overtake the Bears:

• Eagles end the season 12-5 (winning their final three games), Bears end the season 11-6 (losing two of their final three).
• Eagles end the season 11-6 (winning two of their final three games), Bears end the season 10-7 (losing their final three).

The Bears’ final three games are against the Green Bay Packers (9-4-1), 49ers, and Detroit Lions (8-6). So losses to the Packers and/or Lions could impact the standings in the NFC North, where the Bears hold a slim half-game lead over the Packers.

NFC North standings

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If the Packers end up winning the NFC North, the Eagles would need to end the season a half-game up to secure the No. 2 seed, thanks to Green Bay’s tie against the Dallas Cowboys earlier this season.

In the unlikely event the Lions overtake both and win the division (the New York Times gives them a 5% chance), the Eagles hold the tiebreaker thanks to their Week 11 win at the Linc.

The good news is the only way the Eagles would drop to the No. 4 seed is if they lost their final three games and either the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-7) or the Carolina Panthers (7-7) won out, since they face each other twice in the final three weeks of the season.

There is a highly improbably scenario where the Eagles and Panthers both end the season 10-7, have the same conference record, and Carolina could win a tiebreaker with a better record among common foes (if they sweep the Buccaneers). In that highly unlikely case, the Panthers would move up to the No. 3 slot and the Birds would drop down to No. 4.

— Rob Tornoe

// Timestamp 12/15/25 11:36am

Injuries changing the playoff picture

Micah Parsons is the Packers’ best defensive player. He entered Sunday’s game with 12½ sacks and a league-high 60 QB pressures, a brilliant return on the Packers’ investment. He cost the Pack two first-round picks and defensive tackle Kenny Clark in a blockbuster trade with Dallas, then signed a four-year, $188 million contract extension.

Then, Sunday. Parsons left the game with a knee injury in the third quarter just before the Broncos took the lead for good in their 34-26 win. Reports indicate that he has a torn ACL.

The loss dropped the Packers to 9-4-1, a half-game in the NFC North standings behind the 10-4 Bears — the team they visit Saturday night — but Green Bay leads the 9-5 Eagles, in case that matters. Parsons’ absence might matter more than anything. It would be like the Browns losing Myles Garrett, or maybe even like the Chiefs losing Patrick Mahomes.

On that point …

Mahomes left the Chiefs’ loss Sunday with a torn ACL. The Chiefs were eliminated from playoff contention.

So, suddenly, the best player on an elite NFC team is gone, and, while the return from an ACL injury can be as short at eight months, Parsons, a dynamic athlete who relies on speed, probably won’t be the same until 2027.

Also, suddenly, the best player in the NFL over the last eight seasons on the best team in the NFL over the last eight seasons is gone, and, as perhaps the most effective mobile quarterback in history, Mahomes probably won’t be the same until 2027, either. Neither will the Chiefs.

Finally, star wideout Davante Adams left the Rams’ comeback win against the visiting Lions when he aggravated a hamstring injury. Adams has 14 touchdown receptions, which leads the league by six. He’s seventh on the all-time TD catches list with 117, and he’s the active leader by 11. The Rams sit atop the NFC at 11-3, which might be enough to secure the No. 1 seed, but the impact of a diminished Adams could resonate in the playoffs.

— Marcus Hayes

// Timestamp 12/15/25 10:35am

Jets fire defensive coordinator Steve Wilks

// Timestamp 12/15/25 10:23am

Playoff picture taking shape means Jalen Carter can continue to rest

What’s in it for the Eagles to rush Jalen Carter back to the field? Not much. Their magic number dropped to one Sunday with their 31-0 victory over the Raiders being coupled with a Cowboys loss.

The Eagles are in the driver’s seat, and, according to ESPN analytics, are at 99% to become NFC East champions for the second consecutive season — a win that would break a 20-season streak of no repeat champions.

Further, their likely playoff seeding is taking shape. The Eagles remain two games back of the Rams and Seahawks (who are vying for the No. 1 seed at 11-3) and a game behind second-seeded Chicago (10-4). The Eagles are sitting comfortably in the third seed in the NFC, two games ahead of the NFC South-leading Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The Eagles, according to ESPN analytics, are at 83% to enter the playoffs as the third seed. It’s possible their seeding could be decided by the end of Week 17, which would make their Week 18 home game vs. Washington a meaningless game played by backups.

Surely, the Eagles won’t mind. All of this clarity just means more rest for Jalen Carter’s ailing shoulders. The star defensive tackle had a procedure on both of his shoulders after the Eagles’ loss to Chicago.

The Eagles did not put Carter on injured reserve, leaving open the possibility that he could return within four games. Sunday was Carter’s second consecutive absence, and the Eagles really won’t have much incentive to rush him back to the field. The Eagles are getting fine production from their interior defensive linemen after moving Brandon Graham inside and running a rotation of Jordan Davis, Moro Ojomo, Byron Young, and Graham (who had two sacks Sunday).

Carter should be able to work his shoulders back to as close to full strength as possible as the Eagles prepare for their playoff run.

Lane Johnson, meanwhile, who missed his fourth consecutive game with a Lisfranc injury in his foot, could return to the field as soon as Saturday, according to a report from the NFL Network.

— Jeff Neiburg

// Timestamp 12/15/25 9:03am

Eagles numbers: Dallas Goedert joins an exclusive Birds club

Leave it to the lowly Las Vegas Raiders to help the Eagles snap a three-game losing streak in style. The Eagles’ 31-0 victory over the Raiders on Sunday afternoon at Lincoln Financial Field made history and had plenty of notable numbers come out of it.

Here’s a look:

• At 2 hours, 31 minutes, Sunday’s game was the quickest Eagles game since at least 1999.
• The Eagles posted their first shutout since Dec. 30, 2018. The 31-point margin was the Eagles’ largest margin of victory during a shutout since Dec. 16, 1990, a 31-0 victory over Green Bay.
• The 75 yards the Eagles limited the Raiders to were the fewest allowed by the Eagles in the Super Bowl era, and fewest overall since they surrendered just 49 yards to the Chicago Cardinals in Dec. 4, 1955. It was also the fewest yards allowed by a team in the NFL since Cleveland allowed just 58 yards by Arizona on Nov. 5, 2023.
• The 312-yard advantage in total yards was the Eagles’ largest margin since Sept. 7, 2008, when they out-gained St. Louis by 356 yards.
• Dallas Goedert scored twice, reaching nine touchdowns on the season. He has more touchdowns in 2025 than his previous three seasons combined. Goedert became the fifth player in Eagles history to reach 400 career receptions, joining Harold Carmichael (589), Zach Ertz (579), Pete Retzlaff (452) and Brian Westbrook (426).
• Goedert is now one off the single-season record for touchdowns by an Eagles tight end. Retzlaff had 10 in 1965.
• Brandon Graham, at 37 years, 255 days, became the oldest player in Eagles history to register a sack in a game. The record was previously held by Richard Dent, who registered a sack on Dec. 14, 1997 in Atlanta on the day after his 31st birthday. Graham also became the oldest NFL player to produce multiple sacks in the first half of a game since Bruce Smith on Nov. 28, 2002 (39 years, 163 days).
• Zack Baun picked up his third interception of the season. He is the only NFL player with at least 100 tackles, three sacks, and three takeaways this year.
• Jalen Hurts became the first quarterback in Eagles history to record multiple games with a 150-plus passer rating (154.9) and 80% completion percentage in the same season. He previously accomplished the feat in Week 7 at Minnesota (158.3 rating and 82.6% percentage).
• The Eagles secured their fifth consecutive winning season with Nick Sirianni at the helm — the longest streak to start a career in franchise history. Sirianni is the 10th head coach since 1970 to start their career with five straight winning seasons, joining Bill Cowher, John Harbaugh, Mike Holmgren, Chuck Knox, Sean McVay, George Seifert, Mike Sherman, Mike Smith, and Mike Tomlin (according to Elias).
• This is the 21st winning season under Jeffrey Lurie’s ownership, making the Eagles one of only four teams with 21-plus winning seasons since Lurie took over — joining Green Bay (24), New England (24) and Pittsburgh (23).

(Stats courtesy of Philadelphia Eagles’ public relations.)

— Jeff Neiburg

// Timestamp 12/15/25 8:49am

Jalen Hurts and a return to the Eagles’ winning formula

When Jalen Hurts and the first-unit offense took their well-earned rest early in the fourth quarter of an eventual 31-0 blowout over the Las Vegas Raiders, the Eagles had a run-pass ratio of 32 to 17.

There were myriad reasons for a ground-heavy attack on Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field: from wintry weather conditions and schematic improvements to situational play-calling with a lead and rebuilding Hurts after a disastrous performance vs. the Chargers.

But mostly the Eagles ran the ball because it’s what they need to establish if they want to repeat as Super Bowl champions. Coach Nick Sirianni would never cop to looking that far ahead, nor should he, but the hapless Raiders offered the opportunity to give his directionless offense a compass for the future.

The run game wasn’t exactly efficient or close to explosive, especially on traditional handoffs to running back Saquon Barkley. The 2025 offense is unlikely to become the 2024 version of itself.

But a formula closer to that of a year ago — and, really, for most of the five years of the Hurts-Sirianni partnership — is the Eagles’ best hope. That meant, obviously, more carries for Barkley and backup Tank Bigsby, but also more diversity in the calls, more runs from under center, more up-tempo, and perhaps most importantly, more of Hurts on designed keeps.

“These are things that have been staples in our offense for a long time, and we’re just continuing to use things that we think fit for that week,” Sirianni said. “I haven’t watched anything on Washington, but next week we could come out and it could be a completely different game.

“We have core philosophies and visions of our identity, but we’ll see.”

— Jeff McLane

// Timestamp 12/15/25 7:46am

Eagles injury report

The good news is there isn’t much to report.

Tight end Cam Latu went to the tent late in the fourth quarter with an apparent arm injury.

Otherwise, the Eagles exited the game healthy, with Lane Johnson on track to possibly return to the team as early as this week against the Washington Commanders, according to NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport.

— Olivia Reiner, Rob Tornoe

// Pinned

// Timestamp 12/15/25 7:40am

NFL Playoff picture: Eagles will clinch NFC East with a win

Thanks, Minnesota!

With the Vikings defeating the Cowboys 34-26 on Sunday Night Football, the Eagles will clinch the NFC East and a playoff berth with a win Saturday against the Washington Commanders.

The Birds will also clinch the NFC East with just one more Cowboys loss.

NFC East standings

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That would make the Eagles the first repeat champions in the division since the 2004 Eagles.

The Eagles won the division in 2022 before Dallas won in 2023. The Eagles clinched their 2024 division title after a 41-7 home victory over the Cowboys last December. The 2025 title would give them three in four years.

The only way for the Cowboys to win the division at this point would be for the Eagles to lose out while Dallas wins their final three games — at home against the Chargers and on the road against the Commanders and New York Giants (2-12).

Considering the Birds will likely face the Marcus Mariota-led Commanders twice in the final three weeks, oddsmakers see that as impossibly unlikely. As in less than a 1% chance, according to the New York Times.

Can the Eagles still end up with the NFC’s No. 1 seed?

You’re saying there’s still a chance?

Despite Sunday’s win, the Eagles still face an all-but-impossible chance to end the season in the NFC’s No. 1 playoff spot.

NFC playoff picture

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What would have to happen? For starters, the Birds need to win their final three games ― against the Buffalo Bills (10-4) and twice against the Commanders ― to even have a shot at the top playoff seed.

Now comes the tricky part. In all likelihood, the Eagles would need four of the NFC’s top teams to lose two of their final three games, according to Wharton professor and Eagles analytics nerd Deniz Selman — the Los Angeles Rams (11-3), Seattle Seahawks (11-3), San Francisco 49ers (10-4), and Bears.

All four teams won Sunday, so the Eagles already-slim odds got worst, despite the Birds’ win.

There are some even less-likely scenarios where the Eagles could win on tiebreakers, but it all points to the road to a Super Bowl repeat not going through the Linc.

Odds are the Eagles will win the NFC East and enter the playoffs at the NFC’s No. 3 seed, but the Birds could also end up as the No. 2 seed if things fall their way. Having tiebreakers against most of the top NFC teams helps, though not with the Packers because of that pesky tie.

The Birds entered the playoffs as the No. 2 seed last year, and that seemed to work out well.

— Rob Tornoe, Jeff Neiburg

// Timestamp 12/15/25 7:35am

Merrill Reese called out Hurts critics at WIP and elsewhere

While there were no pundits that directly called for Jalen Hurts to be benched, a lot of talking heads on 94.1 WIP and elsewhere got close following the Eagles’ three-game losing streak.

“I do think he’s earned the right to start Sunday,” WIP host Joe Giglio said of Hurts leading up to the game. “But that’s the end of where I go with earned, deserve, and all those kind of words. … I would pull the plug if he keeps playing the way he has the last month.”

Inquirer columnist Marcus Hayes also echoed those remarks, writing the Eagles would’ve been right to bench Hurts if he struggled against the Raiders Sunday, which thankfully he didn’t.

“It might sound heretical to say of the Super Bowl MVP, but if Hurts continues to struggle, he damn well should be benched,” Hayes wrote prior to Sunday’s win. “He is not sacred.”

That brings us to Sunday, where we saw a return to the Hurts who protects the ball and runs effectively, as Jeff McLane put it. That led beloved Eagles announcer Merrill Reese, who obviously heard the chatter from his WIP colleague and elsewhere, to take a shot at all the critics during the game.

“You don’t hear any cries for them to bench him, do you?” Reese asked during the broadcast after Hurts converted a long first down with his legs.

“Not from anyone with good sense,” a laughing Mike Quick responded.

7. Hurts converts a 3rd and 12 with his legs!

Merrill: You don't hear any cries for them to bench him, do you?

Mike: Not from anyone with good sense.

GOEDERT STROLLING INTO THE END ZONE FOR TD 2 (could have been 3!) pic.twitter.com/kyWzP1KuMu

— Nick Piccone (@_piccone) December 14, 2025

— Rob Tornoe

// Timestamp 12/15/25 7:30am

Eagles next game is against the Commanders on Saturday night

Live, from Merril Reese’s least-favorite stadium, it’s Saturday night!

The Eagles will take on the Washington Commanders in Week 16 in a Saturday night matchup at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Md. Kickoff is scheduled for 5 p.m, and the Eagles opened as 5½-point favorites at most sportsbooks.

It’s a rematch of last-year’s NFC Championship game, but a lot has happened between then and now.

The Commanders have already been eliminated from the playoffs, and under center will possibly be another former Eagles backup quarterback – Marcus Mariota, who is filling in for an injured Jayden Daniels (elbow).

Washington just ended a eight-game losing streak, defeating the lowly New York Giants 29-21. It was Washington’s first win since Oct. 5.

Three of Washington’s four wins are against the Giants and Raiders. The Commanders did, however, beat the Los Angeles Chargers back in October.

The Eagles will also face the Commanders in two weeks at the Linc in their final game of the season, which has yet to be scheduled. But unless it has some impact on the playoffs or the Eagles are in the hunt for the No. 1 seed, expect the Birds’ Week 18 game to take place at 1 p.m. on Jan. 4.

— Rob Tornoe, Jeff Neiburg

// Timestamp 12/15/25 7:25am

Photos of Eagles’ shutout win against Raiders

2025 Eagles schedule

• Week 1: Eagles 24, Cowboys 20
• Week 2: Eagles 20, Chiefs 17
• Week 3: Eagles 33, Rams 26
• Week 4: Eagles 31, Buccaneers 25
• Week 5: Broncos 21, Eagles 17
• Week 6: Giants 34, Eagles 17
• Week 7: Eagles 28, Vikings 22
• Week 8: Eagles 38, Giants 20
• Week 9: Bye week
• Week 10: Eagles 10, Packers 7
• Week 11: Eagles 16, Lions 9
• Week 12: Cowboys 24, Eagles 21
• Week 13: Bears 24, Eagles 15
• Week 14: Chargers 22, Eagles 19
• Week 15: Eagles 31, Raiders 0
• Week 16: Eagles at Commanders, Saturday, Dec. 20, 5 p.m. (Fox 29)
• Week 17: Eagles at Bills, Sunday, Dec. 28, 4:29 p.m. (Fox 29)
• Week 18: Commanders at Eagles, TBD (TBD)

— Rob Tornoe

// Timestamp 12/15/25 7:20am

• What you should know
• The Eagles (8-4) will travel to Los Angeles in Week 14 to face the Chargers (8-4) on Monday Night Football Dec. 8.
• Nick Sirianni reiterated Monday that offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo will continue to call plays.
• Patullo’s home was vandalized over the weekend, just hours after the Birds’ Black Friday loss to the Chicago Bears.
• Friday’s loss still hangs over the Eagles. David Murphy wonders if this is 2023 all over again.
• Jalen Hurts is at the root of the Eagles’ offensive problems, but Jeff McLane doesn’t think that excuses “Siritullo” At this point, Hurts is a complementary player, writes Marcus Hayes.
• Patullo could benefit by moving from the sidelines to box, according to Nick Foles.

// Timestamp 12/01/25 5:25pm

Eagles vs. Chargers odds for Week 14

It hasn’t been a fun start to the holiday season for Eagles fans after watching their team lose back-to-back games to the Dallas Cowboys and the Chicago Bears.

After two consecutive losses, the Eagles will prepare for a prime-time matchup at SoFi Stadium, where they’ll face the Los Angeles Chargers on Monday Night Football. The last time these teams met was during the 2021 season in a game the Eagles lost, 27-24, at home.

While the Birds are sliding, the Chargers have won four of their last five games. But their latest win over the Las Vegas Raiders saw quarterback Justin Herbert suffer a broken bone in his nonthrowing hand. Ahead of the teams’ Week 14 matchup, the sportsbooks are favoring Philly, who opens as a 3-point favorite.

FanDuel

• Spread: Chargers +3 (-118); Eagles -3 (-104)
• Moneyline: Chargers (+124); Eagles (-146)
• Total: Over 40.5 (-115); Under 40.5 (-105)

DraftKings

• Spread: Chargers +3 (-108); Eagles -3 (-112)
• Moneyline: Chargers (+136); Eagles (-162)
• Total: Over 40.5 (-115); Under 40.5 (-105)

— Ariel Simpson

// Pinned

// Timestamp 12/01/25 4:13pm

Police confirm Kevin Patullo’s home was egged over weekend

A viral video making the rounds on social media Monday appears to show Kevin Patullo’s home being vandalized. And according to the Moorestown Police Department, Patullo’s house was indeed targeted over the weekend, but the vandals weren’t throwing rocks — they were eggs.

According to police, Patullo’s Moorestown, N.J., home was vandalized with multiple eggs at around 2:50 a.m. Saturday morning, hours after the Eagles lost, 24-15, to the Chicago Bears on Black Friday.

Detectives are still working to determine the identities of those involved in the incident, a police spokesperson said.

Patullo, the first-year Eagles offensive coordinator, has shouldered the brunt of the blame for the Eagles’ struggles on offense. A website calling for his firing surfaced. Fans chanted for him to be fired during the game Friday.

Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni reiterated Monday what he said after the game Friday: Patullo will remain the play-caller as the Eagles prepare for their Week 14 game at the Los Angeles Chargers on Monday.

— Jeff Neiburg

// Timestamp 12/01/25 3:45pm

Nick Sirianni reiterates Kevin Patullo will call plays

Nick Sirianni said Monday that the Eagles spent the weekend — and are still — “evaluating everything,” but he reiterated what he said after Friday’s game: Kevin Patullo remains the play caller.

The Eagles, Sirianni said, are working through “different things that we want to do” but declined to share any particulars.

“We’re working through everything,” Sirianni said. “I have a lot of faith in all the players. I have a lot of faith in all the coaches.”

— Jeff Neiburg

// Timestamp 12/01/25 2:50pm

Watch live: Nick Sirianni speaks to reporters

// Timestamp 12/01/25 2:29pm

Chargers rookie RB Omarion Hampton could return against the Eagles

After opening his 21-day practice window last week, it appears likely Los Angeles Chargers running back Omarion Hampton will make his return to the field against the Eagles Monday night.

CBS Sports reporter Matt Zenitz wrote “there’s optimism” the rookie could return to action this week after missing the past seven games with a broken ankle.

“Gosh, he looked good,” Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh said of Hampton’s return to practice last week.

Without Hampton in the lineup, the Chargers have relied on the one-two punch of running backs Kimani Vidal and Jaret Patterson. It worked out well Sunday, with the two combining for 180 yards rushing in a blowout win against the Las Vegas Raiders.

Hampton, a standout at North Carolina taken with the No. 22 pick in the 2025 NFL draft, quickly became a key part of the Chargers offense, both rushing and receiving out of the backfield. He slid into the starting role after Najee Harris’ season-ending Achilles rupture against the Denver Broncos in Week 3.

If he returns, Hampton will likely find some open running lanes against the Eagles. The Birds defense is allowing 128.9 rushing yards per game, ninth-worst in the NFL, and just gave up 281 yards rushing to the Chicago Bears.

— Rob Tornoe

// Timestamp 12/01/25 1:51pm

Nick Foles has a suggestion for Kevin Patullo

Nick Foles sees everyone’s frustrations with the Eagles offense, but he’s not ready to pull the plug on Kevin Patullo just for the sake of making a change.

Foles doesn’t believe Sirianni wants to call plays himself, and the solution to the Birds’ offensive woes in the long-term might be outside the building.

So, in the short-term, Foles pitched a few potential solutions, including moving Patullo up from the sideline back into the box, where he’s sat since joining the Eagles in 2021.

“Being a pass game coordinator, [Patullo’s] role was to be in the box, to be in the booth, to oversee what is happening on the field from an up-above perspective, not being on the sidelines with the players and feeling the emotions from the sideline,” Foles said on the most-recent episode of The SZN podcast he co-hosts with Evan Moore. “He was in a controlled environment to see coverages, to see plays, and to make recommendations for the passing game.”

Being on the sideline surrounded by the players provides a different perspective than being up in the box, which is also where Vic Fangio calls plays from. It’s a less distracting environment, and it can be easier to make adjustments as the drive develops instead of waiting to watch tape on delay.

Last week, Foles suggested Patullo might not have what it takes when it comes to calling plays.

“Kevin Patullo is probably a great dude, a great coach, but there’s an art to play-calling that not everyone has and it’s not showing up this year,” Foles said.

— Gabriela Carroll

// Timestamp 12/01/25 12:30pm

Vikings waive WR Adam Thielen, wants to join a contender

// Timestamp 12/01/25 11:40am

The NFL’s Cult of Analytics

You never start an argument with an analytics zealot because you will always lose. They have data and numbers and history. They generally ignore intangibles such as momentum, atmosphere, competition, site, and psyche.

This matters this week because of the meaningless yet fiery debate, fueled by superb (if somewhat self-anointing) NFL analyst Greg Olsen, surrounding the Eagles’ decision to try a two-point conversion with more than three minutes to play, trailing by nine, to make it a seven-point game. It failed. That meant the Eagles needed two more possessions to win, which was unlikely considering the limited time remaining. It made more common sense to kick the PAT and make it an eight-point game.

Nick Sirianni said, “I’m always going to go for a two in that scenario,” citing his personal research on the matter over several years. Sirianni is winning at a legendary clip, so maybe his studies show something publicly available analytics do not. Those analytics give a slight edge to doing what Sirianni did.

But what Sirianni did virtually assured the loss. By doing so, it removed any real incentive from the defense, which had already been on the field 14 minutes more than the offense. The most realistically hopeful scenario after the missed two-point try was for the defense to hold, for the Eagles to score a TD, then for the Eagles to recover an onside kick, which happens at only about a 5% rate the past two seasons.

Olson and his tribe used X/Twitter to preach their message, which, predictably, incensed the anti-analytics barbarians.

It was kind of fun to watch the two sides battle, but kind of sad, too.

Because anyone who watched that game knew the Eagles weren’t going to score another touchdown, anyway.

— Marcus Hayes

// Timestamp 12/01/25 10:34am

‘He’s selfish’: Seth Joyner rips A.J. Brown

// Timestamp 12/01/25 9:29am

The Eagles’ path to the No. 1 seed in the NFC is difficult

There’s a new king in the NFC, and it’s the team that strolled into Lincoln Financial Field on Black Friday, ran all over the Eagles, and silenced the critics — this writer included — that said its 8-3 record was fugazi.

Yes, if the season ended today, all roads would lead to the shirtless final boss, Ben Johnson, and his 9-3 Chicago Bears. And if that pole positioning holds, they’ll have earned it. Chicago’s final five games look like this: at Green Bay, home vs. Cleveland, home vs. Green Bay, at San Francisco, home vs. Detroit.

In other words, the Bears are holding onto that top seed in a similar way Jalen Hurts held onto the football during that fourth-quarter Tush Push on Friday.

There are six teams in the NFC now with eight or nine wins, and the Eagles — despite the sky falling on Philadelphia and Nick Sirianni fairly being asked about his offensive coordinator’s job status — are one of them.

Only two teams have an easier schedule the rest of the way than the Eagles do, and neither team is in the aforementioned group.

Cue the Lloyd Christmas line. Yes, there’s a chance.

The math gets a little complicated, so a tip of the hat to Eagles numbers guru Deniz Selman for laying it all out Monday morning on social media.

There’s a lot going on there. How likely is the No. 1 seed for the Eagles? FTN Fantasy puts the chances at 3.3%. Not great. But not quite the one-in-a-million odds Christmas faced in Dumb and Dumber.

In fact, considering FTN puts the Eagles’ playoff chances at 93.3%, there’s a better mathematical chance this collapse ends with the Eagles blowing the NFC East and missing the playoffs than the Eagles securing the No. 1 seed.

— Jeff Neiburg

// Timestamp 12/01/25 8:14am

Kurt Warner finds a problem, and it isn’t Jalen Hurts

NFL Network analyst and Hall of Fame quarterback Kurt Warner took a deep dive on the Eagles’ offense following their Black Friday loss to the Chicago Bears, and came away noticing a big issue in the team’s approach on offense.

To illustrate his point, Warner spent 15 minutes on his QB Confidential YouTube channel examining a single offensive play from the second quarter, a failed third down pass to what appeared to be a wide open DeVonta Smith.

From Warner’s perspective, what at first appeared to be a misfire by Jalen Hurts looks more like a failure to plan for defensive pressure. Specifically, the decision for Smith to run a “choice route” that led to a bad throw because he didn’t appear to be on the same page as Hurts facing a Bears’ blitz.

“To me, this is a losing play scheme-wise because you didn’t define what you wanted to do,” Warner said. “You left too much indecision and too much guessing in a critical situation, and it’s something that cost you.”

So why did Warner do a deep dive of the play? It appears to be in reaction to several pundits, including Brian Baldinger, blaming Hurts for making an errant throw on the play.

“Jalen went to exactly the right place and really the only place he can go” in their offense, Warner wrote on social media.

This is obviously just one play, but speaks to a larger issue my colleague Jeff McLane has written about — a failure along multiple fronts that has led to the Eagles offense dropping from an elite squad to the league’s ninth-worst, averaging just a few more yards per game more than New Orleans Saints.

“If you want to know why the passing route design sometimes looks rudimentary, look at Sirianni, Patullo and their nondescript scheme,” McLane wrote following Friday’s loss. “But don’t forget the quarterback. There are swaths of the playbook that aren’t touched because Hurts isn’t comfortable with certain concepts.”

— Rob Tornoe

// Timestamp 12/01/25 7:20am

Eagles injury updates

• Offensive tackle Lane Johnson will miss his second straight game after suffering a Lisfranc sprain in his foot during the Birds’ loss against the Detroit Lions. Johnson is hoping to return in Week 15 against the Las Vegas Raiders, according to NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport.
• Running back Saquon Barkley was nursing an injured groin he suffered back in Week 8 against the New York Giants. The injury didn’t prevent him from starting against the Bears and isn’t expected to sideline him against the Chargers.
• Defensive end Brandon Graham was also dealing with a groin injury. He played last week, but was only on the field for six plays.
• Safety Andrew Mukuba was placed on injured reserve last week after breaking his leg during the loss against the Dallas Cowboys. His season could be over.

— Rob Tornoe

// Timestamp 12/01/25 7:15am

NFC playoff picture: No change for the Eagles

The Chicago Bears?

Thanks to the Carolina Panthers’ upset win over the Los Angeles Rams Sunday, the Bears suddenly hold the NFC’s top playoff spot with five games remaining in the season.

The Eagles remain in the No. 3 spot, while the Tampa Bay Buccaneers still hold the No. 4 spot and first place in the NFC South thanks to their win against the Arizona Cardinals, which officially eliminated Jonathan Gannon’s squad from the playoffs.

The New Orleans Saints were also eliminated from playoff contention Sunday. Despite their loss to the Denver Broncos Sunday night, the Washington Commanders remain mathematically alive, at least for another week. Though their only path is sweeping the Eagles and winning the NFC East with an 8-9 record.

NFC playoff standings

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As for the NFC East, the situation is a lot tighter for the Eagles than it was just two weeks ago.

The Birds will enter Week 14 just one game up on the Dallas Cowboys in the loss column facing a feisty Los Angeles Chargers team that has won four of their last five games.

The Cowboys face the suddenly desperate Detroit Lions in a few days on Thursday Night Football. The New York Times is only giving Dallas an 8% chance to win the NFC East, but a Cowboys win paired with another Birds loss would change that in a hurry.

That being said, the Eagles still remain in control of the division. Their magic number — a combination of Birds wins and Cowboys losses — is four, and the overall record of their opponents down the stretch is 24-34, including two games against the 3-8 Commanders.

NFC East standings

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— Rob Tornoe

// Timestamp 12/01/25 7:10am

Eagles reportedly losing front office exec

A member of the Eagles’ front office staff will be joining a college football program.

Eagles senior personnel director/advisor to the general manager Dave Caldwell will become the University of Florida’s college football general manager, per multiple reports. On3.com first reported the news.

Caldwell will join the staff of Jon Sumrall, the Tulane coach that multiple outlets reported is finalizing a deal to take over the Gators program.

Caldwell joined the Eagles in 2021 after an eight-year stint as general manager of the Jacksonville Jaguars. He spent time with the Atlanta Falcons (2008-12), Indianapolis Colts (1998-07) and the Carolina Panthers (1996-97) prior to to his Jaguars tenure.

With name, image and likeness realities and the transfer portal taking over college athletics, Power Four programs have increasingly sought dedicated general managers with the experience to handle the acquisition and compensation details of players.

Florida finished the 2025 season at 4-8.

— Devin Jackson

// Timestamp 12/01/25 7:05am

Justin Herbert may be forced to miss Eagles-Chargers

The Eagles will face the Chargers in a pivotal Week 14 matchup Monday, but Los Angeles may be without their star quarterback.

Justin Herbert suffered a broken left hand during Sunday’s win against the Las Vegas Raiders. Coach Jim Harbaugh told reporters Herbert is scheduled to undergo surgery Monday and might night be able to play the Birds on Monday Night Football.

Herbert was a bit more optimistic about his chances of being on the field.

“I’m treating it as if I’m playing on Monday,” Herbert told reporters.

Herbert suffered the broken left hand in the first quarter, but missed just a handful of plays before returning to the field. He got a lot of support from running backs Kimani Vidal and Jaret Patterson, who combined for 180 yards rushing Sunday.

That’s not promising for the Eagles, who just gave up 281 yards rushing to the Chicago Bears.

If Herbert isn’t able to play, Trey Lance would get the start for the Chargers.

— Rob Tornoe

2025 Eagles schedule

• Week 1: Eagles 24, Cowboys 20
• Week 2: Eagles 20, Chiefs 17
• Week 3: Eagles 33, Rams 26
• Week 4: Eagles 31, Buccaneers 25
• Week 5: Broncos 21, Eagles 17
• Week 6: Giants 34, Eagles 17
• Week 7: Eagles 28, Vikings 22
• Week 8: Eagles 38, Giants 20
• Week 9: Bye week
• Week 10: Eagles 10, Packers 7
• Week 11: Eagles 16, Lions 9
• Week 12: Cowboys 24, Eagles 21
• Week 13: Bears 24, Eagles 15
• Week 14: Eagles at Chargers, Monday, Dec. 8, 8:15 p.m. (6ABC, ESPN)
• Week 15: Raiders at Eagles, Sunday, Dec. 14, 1 p.m. (Fox 29)
• Week 16: Eagles at Commanders, Saturday, Dec. 20, TBD (Fox 29)
• Week 17: Eagles at Bills, Sunday, Dec. 28, 4:29 p.m. (Fox 29)
• Week 18: Commanders at Eagles, TBD (TBD)

— Rob Tornoe

// Timestamp 12/01/25 7:00am

• What you should know
• The Eagles blew a 21-point lead in their 24-21 loss to the Dallas Cowboys Sunday.
• Rookie safety Drew Mukuba, who was injured in the final minute of the loss, suffered a leg fracture, putting his season in jeopardy.
• Whoever is captaining the Eagles offense — Nick Sirianni or Kevin Patullo — veered off course during a worrying collapse in Jerryworld, writes Jeff McLane.
• Despite the offense’s struggles, Patullo will continue to call plays, Sirianni said Monday.
• Eagles grades: Sirianni’s conservatism cost the Birds, while Saquon Barkley thinks he’s “in a little funk.”
• The Eagles will host the surprising Chicago Bears at the Linc on Black Friday, which will stream for free on Amazon’s Prime Video.

// Timestamp 11/24/25 5:52pm

Nick Sirianni takes blame for Eagles’ penalty outburst

The Eagles matched their high for penalties in the Nick Sirianni era with 14. As mentioned, seven of them were on the offense and a few of them wiped out key plays.

The Eagles had three false starts. They also had an illegal formation penalty out of the jumbo package with Matt Pryor on the field as an extra blocker.

The Eagles, according to NFL Stat OASIS, have the sixth-highest percentage of offensive drives with a penalty.

Sirianni said it’s “hard to sustain the success of a game when you have those.”

It has made a struggling offense’s problems even worse.

“Anytime it’s penalties like that, or any time it’s ball security, or any time it’s the fundamentals, or something within ‘tough, detailed, together,’ I’m going to put that on myself,” the Eagles head coach said Monday. “Just point blank, I have to do a better job of coaching it and finding different ways to make sure it gets through.”

— Jeff Neiburg

// Timestamp 11/24/25 4:52pm

Were Eagles surprised by Cowboys’ five-man front? Depends who you ask.

Landon Dickerson said after the game that the Eagles were surprised by Dallas’ frequent use of a five-man front. Jalen Hurts said “that’s how they’re built now” after the Cowboys acquired Quinnen Williams and retooled their defense.

The front gave the Eagles fits at times, especially as they tried to establish a run game that never got going. Saquon Barkley rushed 10 times for 22 yards.

Dallas showed that five-man front a week earlier vs. Las Vegas. So, were the Eagles prepared for it or were they not?

“You go into every week and you’re trying to play the game in your mind as much as you possibly can, not just with how you call it but how you plan it for practice as well, and how you plan for drills,” Nick Sirianni said Monday. “The walk-throughs, the practice, your drill work, you’re trying to identify what you think and what you’re always trying to do is say, ‘how many reps do I need to devote towards this? How many reps do I need to devote towards that?’ And you try to make educated guesses there.”

Which is to say …

“We devoted time for all of them,” Sirianni said. “We knew they had that in their package and their plan. They played a little bit more there, even than anticipated. So, of course, as coaches, you say to yourself ‘Well, I wish I would’ve gave them a couple more reps on this one.’

“Now, you’re limited as far as how many reps you actually have at walk-through, at live, at drill work. … No one’s ever going to pitch a perfect game here. Looking back at it, yeah, sure, I wish I would’ve given us a couple more reps there.

“We prepared for the things that we thought we were going to get, some more than others, and then sometimes it doesn’t play out that way when you look at it after the game.”

— Jeff Neiburg

// Timestamp 11/24/25 3:57pm

Nick Sirianni sticking with Kevin Patullo as Eagles’ play-caller

One day after the Eagles’ offense stalled and was shut out after building a 21-0 lead 18-plus minutes into the game, Nick Sirianni said the Eagles are “searching for answers” for their ailing offense.

But the head coach said there won’t be any changes to who is calling plays.

“I haven’t considered that,” Sirianni said when asked on Monday if he had considered taking play-calling duties away from offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo.

“It’s every piece of the puzzle: coaching, playing, execution, scheme, everything. We’ve got to be better in all those aspects. And so yesterday, I thought Kevin did a good job of calling it. Obviously, he’s going to want some plays back, just like every player and myself, we all want plays back.”

The Eagles hurt themselves with self-inflicted wounds. Of their 14 penalties, seven were on the offense. Two of them erased gains of 16 and 20 yards that had a major impact on the game. But even still, the offense that looked dynamic and creative for the first few series’ went silent. The Eagles didn’t get past Dallas’ 38-yard line in the second half.

What gives Sirianni confidence that the Eagles can make a course correction this late in the season?

“I feel like we’ve got the right people, as players, as coaches, that have had success,” Sirianni said. “And we’re all searching for answers to make it more consistent. There are some good things, obviously there are some not so good things. And we’ve got to find the things that we really can hang our hat on, and then the complements that come off of that.”

— Jeff Neiburg

// Timestamp 11/24/25 3:09pm

Watch: Nick Sirianni addresses reporters on Monday

// Pinned

// Timestamp 11/24/25 2:59pm

Safety Drew Mukuba suffered leg fracture, likely headed to IR

Eagles rookie safety Drew Mukuba suffered a right leg fracture in the waning moments of Sunday’s loss, sources confirmed to The Inquirer.

ESPN and the NFL Network were first to report.

Mukuba will likely be heading to injured reserve.

The second-round pick was injured after making a tackle on Dallas wide receiver George Pickens. He was helped into the locker room without being able to put pressure on his right foot, and was later seen in a walking boot and with crutches.

The Eagles lost both of their safeties to injury before the game ended. Earlier in the game, Reed Blankenship suffered a thigh injury and did not return.

Sydney Brown filled in for Blankenship and played 26 snaps. It’s unclear if Blankenship will miss Friday’s game vs. Chicago.

The Eagles are thin at safety and have only those three on the active roster. Andre’ Sam is on the practice squad, and Marcus Epps is on injured reserve.

Cooper DeJean and Michael Carter II would be potential options if the Eagles need a fill-in for Blankenship.

You can check out the rest of the Eagles’ injury updates, here.

— Jeff Neiburg, Jeff McLane

// Timestamp 11/24/25 2:45pm

Marcus Hayes: Tom Brady couldn’t help Chip Kelly

The NFL last October allowed Tom Brady to purchase 5% of the Raiders. Brady was not required to leave his post as the top Fox Sports NFL broadcast analyst, despite the clear conflict of interest.

Brady has been instrumental in the hiring of staff, including retread head coach Pete Carroll and failed Eagles head coach Chip Kelly, the offensive coordinator who was fired Sunday after 11 games. The Raiders reportedly are on the hook for the remainder of Kelly’s three-year, $18 million contract, the amount it took to pry Kelly away from the coordinator job at Ohio State.

More evidence that Kelly — who also failed in San Francisco — might be able to manage lesser beings in the NCAA, but he clearly lacks the depth to coach the elite, independent athletes in the NFL. Also more evidence that Brady, who reportedly met with Kelly at least twice a week to discuss strategies, is unable to manage the roles he now fills.

The Raiders are 2-9 and also fired special teams coordinator Tom McMahon on Nov. 7. They visit the Eagles on Dec. 14.

— Marcus Hayes

// Timestamp 11/24/25 2:15pm

Early odds for Eagles-Bears on Black Friday

After the epic collapse, the Eagles face a short turnaround as they prepare to host the Chicago Bears on Black Friday. The two teams last met during the 2022 season, a 25-20 road win for the Birds.

This time around, the game will be in Philly as the Eagles attempt to bounce back from an embarrassing loss to their division rivals. Meanwhile, the Bears are heading into Friday’s game on a four-game winning streak, including their latest over the Pittsburgh Steelers Sunday. Despite the divergent results, sportsbooks are favoring Philadelphia by a touchdown, with the Eagles opening Week 13 as seven-point favorites.

FanDuel

• Spread: Bears +7 (-112); Eagles -7 (-108)
• Moneyline: Bears (+290); Eagles (-360)
• Total: Over 44.5 (-104); Under 44.5 (-118)

DraftKings

• Spread: Bears +7 (-115); Eagles -7 (-105)
• Moneyline: Bears (+260); Eagles (-325)
• Total: Over 44.5 (-110); Under 44.5 (-110)

— Ariel Simpson

// Timestamp 11/24/25 12:37pm

Nick Foles has a theory about the Eagles’ offensive struggles

Even before Sunday’s game, Nick Foles seemed to have a theory about why the Eagles “superpowered” offense hasn’t been able to get into a good rhythm this year. It’s the playcalling, according to the former Eagles QB, and a lack of creativity.

Foles called out the team’s route designs, which haven’t put A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith in the best position to get open, which also prevents Saquon Barkley from finding the holes he found last year. The former Eagles quarterback told cohost Evan Moore that the Eagles utilize “simplistic” route trees (or the combination of routes a player can run at a given time) that don’t create space for the players, forcing them to get open and make plays on their own.

“The great teams, those guys are wide open. Even when I’m watching with [my wife] Tori, she’s like, ‘Why are these guys so wide open?’” Foles explained. “And I’m like, ‘Well, it’s a complementary route to a deep route. … You need those downfield shots because it puts more pressure on the [defensive backs], it opens up more one-on-one matchups, but you’ve got to have complementary [routes], because then the DB can’t key and can’t guess.

“So the creativity is key as a playcaller, and calling the plays at the right time. … There’s just an art. And I don’t see that this year. I don’t think anyone sees it. Fans that are passionate Eagles fans — because I’ve been to Philly several times, and you hear, every time I run across Philly fans, ’Man, what do you think is going to happen with the offense? What’s going on? Is this Jalen?’ I’m like, ‘Listen, it’s a team thing. Kevin Patullo is probably a great dude, a great coach, but there’s an art to playcalling that not everyone has and it’s not showing up this year.

“They’re in more of a trajectory of the 2023 season. … I would argue that they’re more on that trajectory than last year’s trend line, but at the same time, I do know that they have the players.”

— Gabriela Carroll

// Timestamp 11/24/25 11:32am

Snap count takeaways: Jihaad Campbell’s decreasing playing time

The Eagles were forced to dip into their depth chart on defense due to multiple injuries during their 24-21 loss to the Cowboys.

But another player saw his playing time decrease even more Sunday.

Here are some notes and thoughts on the Sunday snap counts.

• Jihaad Campbell’s playing time continues to decrease. Nakobe Dean’s play has forced Vic Fangio’s hand, and the Eagles don’t really need Campbell taking snaps on the outside. Campbell played just 11 snaps, and his snap total and snap share (15%) were lows for the season. Campbell told The Inquirer recently that he’s handling the change well and sees the bigger picture.
• A rare thing happened Sunday: The Eagles started and finished a game with the same offensive line. All five linemen played 100% of the snaps.
• But Lane Johnson’s absence and Fred Johnson’s start at right tackle led to the Eagles using the jumbo package less. Matt Pryor came on the field for that package just twice Sunday.
• Tank Bigsby has been running well for the Eagles when given a chance, but the running back was on the field for just three snaps Sunday, five fewer than Will Shipley.
• Reed Blankenship’s thigh injury led to Sydney Brown playing 26 snaps. Michael Carter II (25) also saw an increase in work after Adoree’ Jackson (26) left with a concussion.
• Brandon Graham played just eight snaps Sunday, the same number as last week vs. Detroit. Meanwhile, Nolan Smith’s workload increased from 22 snaps last week to 40 this week as he works his way back from a triceps injury.

— Jeff Neiburg

// Timestamp 11/24/25 10:39am

What is going on with Saquon Barkley?

There was a disagreement in the visitor’s locker room at AT&T Stadium, 20 minutes and 20 feet apart.

“I’m in a little funk right now,” Saquon Barkley said at his locker stall after he totaled just 22 rushing yards on 10 carries, his lowest output in a game with at least 10 carries since 2022.

Jordan Mailata doesn’t agree.

“He’s not in a funk, man,” Mailata said. “He’s hard on himself. … It’s on all of us up front.”

One thing the running back and left tackle could probably agree on, though, is that what happened Sunday — the Eagles blowing a 21-point lead in a 24-21 loss to the Cowboys — would never, could never, have happened to the 2024 Eagles.

The Eagles lost for a lot of reasons Sunday. They beat themselves with 14 penalties, which tied a high in the Nick Sirianni era. They raced to a 21-0 lead behind an opened-up and aggressive playbook and then went too conservative. They didn’t apply enough pressure on Dak Prescott. They struggled covering Dallas’ one-two punch at wide receiver, especially later in the game with a banged-up secondary.

But they lost Sunday, too, because of their yearlong problem running the football. Yes, they tried to — and sometimes with great success — get their passing game going against one of the worst pass defenses in the NFL, but they have consistently struggled this season to control a game and control the clock with what was their greatest weapon in 2024: a running game that broke records. This, with almost the same personnel.

— Jeff Neiburg

// Timestamp 11/24/25 9:41am

Eagles secondary will limp into Black Friday matchup against the Bears

It is still a little too early to speculate, but the Eagles could be looking at a makeshift secondary for a pivotal Black Friday game vs. the Chicago Bears (8-3) in just four days.

The unit was decimated during Sunday’s defeat.

Adoree’ Jackson, who left the Eagles’ Week 7 game in Minnesota and missed their Week 8 home game vs. the New York Giants due to a concussion, suffered another head injury Sunday. He was being evaluated for a concussion and never returned to the game.

The Eagles opted to roll with Cooper DeJean on the outside in the nickel package and put Michael Carter II in the slot. DeJean was burned twice on deep passes. The Eagles also tried Kelee Ringo for a few snaps, and on his first he was flagged for pass interference.

The Eagles also lost both safeties. Reed Blankenship left the game first with a thigh injury, and later, Drew Mukuba was injured on the final Dallas drive. Mukuba had to be helped into the locker room by Dom DiSandro and a team trainer and couldn’t put weight on his right foot. He was later seen in a boot and using crutches.

It’s unclear how severe any of the injuries are — though you can make some assertions regarding Mukuba. Still, there’s a non-zero chance the Eagles enter Friday without either of their safeties.

What would happen? The Eagles don’t have much safety depth. They could try using Sydney Brown and DeJean, or maybe Brown and Carter, who has the ability to play safety.

Safety Marcus Epps is on injured reserve, and the Eagles also have Andre’ Sam on the practice squad.

If DeJean is used as a safety, that would diminish the corner position. That unit, with DeJean at safety and Jackson in concussion protocol, could have Quinyon Mitchell and Kelee Ringo or Jakorian Bennett outside with Carter in the slot.

— Jeff Neiburg

// Timestamp 11/24/25 8:50am

Whoever is captaining the Eagles offense veered off course Sunday

The Eagles couldn’t run the ball again, and yet, after they jumped out to a 21-0 lead, Saquon Barkley rushed on four first downs in the next five possessions.

He gained a total of five yards on the carries.

The play-calling defied logic after the offense had used an 8-18 run-pass ratio to score touchdowns on their first three drives. Offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo powered down the engine, but make no mistake, it was coach Nick Sirianni who was at the commands.

He’s the driver of the Eagles’ conservatism this season and it finally caught up to his team, who coughed up a 24-21 loss to the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday at AT&T Stadium.

There were myriad reasons for the Eagles falling to 8-3. Two uncharacteristic turnovers. Fourteen penalties — many of them unforced. And an injury-marred defense that succumbed under the weight of the offense’s ineffectiveness.

But Sirianni and Patullo turtled up when they should have pounced on the Cowboys’ sloppiness. Running the ball into five-man fronts — more on that mystery later — was puzzling. The lack of aggressiveness before the half and in fourth-down situations weren’t as egregious, but decisions in those situations were emblematic of the overall timidness.

“We just weren’t very efficient as an offense in that second half,” Sirianni said. “I didn’t really feel that we took our foot off the gas.”

It’s been the tale of the Eagles’ offense for the past three months. They have spurts or even an entire half of efficiency. But consistency has been fleeting. The game plan opened with quick passes from quarterback Jalen Hurts to A.J. Brown, and eventually a downfield shot to DeVonta Smith.

There was diversity in the calls and innovation in the red zone. But the Cowboys adjusted and the Eagles failed to counter.

— Jeff McLane

// Timestamp 11/24/25 9:49am

Eagles injury report

• With 35 seconds remaining in the game, safety Drew Mukuba went down after George Pickens’ 24-yard catch. On Monday, Jeff McLane reported that he’s headed to IR after suffering a leg fracture.
• Safety Reid Blankenship left the game in the third quarter after injuring his thigh while making a tackle.
• Wide receiver Xavier Gipson went down with a shoulder injury following his fourth-quarter fumble on a punt return. He was carted from the medical tent to the locker room. After the game, Gipson was in the locker room with his right arm in a sling.
• Cornerback Adoree’ Jackson suffered another head injury Sunday. He was being evaluated for a concussion and never returned to the game.

— Olivia Reiner, Rob Tornoe, Jeff Neiburg

// Timestamp 11/24/25 7:35am

NFC playoff picture: Eagles drop out of the top spot

The Los Angeles Rams’ (9-2) blowout win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-5) Sunday night bumped the Eagles (8-3) down to the No. 2 spot in the NFC.

The Birds’ last-second loss to the Dallas Cowboys (5-5-1) dropped Philly’s odds of landing the No. 1 seed (and a first-round bye) down to 33%, according to the New York Times playoff simulator.

The Eagles will face the Chicago Bears (8-3) on Friday, with the winning team gaining a crucial tiebreaker as the top NFC teams remain bunched together in the standings.

While they aren’t scheduled to play the Seattle Seahawks (8-3) this season, the Eagles currently hold the tiebreaker with a better conference record (7-2 vs. 4-3).

The San Francisco 49ers (7-4) could also quietly improve to eight wins with a win against the Carolina Panthers (6-5) Sunday night. While that would give the 49ers a better conference record than the Birds (8-2 vs. 7-2), the Eagles would remain in the No. 2 spot because San Francisco trails the Rams in the division.

We also had our first playoff elimination — the New York Giants (2-10), who lost to the Detroit Lions (7-4) Sunday.

It’s the earliest playoff exit for the Giants since 1976 and the soonest a team has been eliminated since the New York Jets in 2020, according to NFL playoffs analyst Joe Ferreira. The Giants also became just the 11th team since 1990 to be eliminated from playoff contention before their bye week.

NFC standings

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As for the NFC East, the Eagles’ magic number remains four.

Despite Sunday’s loss, the Birds still hold a 2.5 game lead over the Cowboys in the division with six games remaining. The New York Times gives the Eagles a 98% chance to win the NFC East, so long as they can avoid a 2023-level collapse.

The Cowboys kept their playoff hopes alive, almost assuring their Thanksgiving matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs (6-5) will be the most-watched regular season NFL game in league history.

The Washington Commanders (3-8) were on their bye Sunday, but with Jayden Daniels sidelined, their playoff chances are barely better than the eliminated Giants.

NFC East standings

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— Rob Tornoe

// Timestamp 11/24/25 7:30am

Refs were off the mark again during Eagles-Cowboys

Can we go a single week without a bad penalty impacting a game?

During the Eagles’ loss to the Cowboys Sunday, Cooper DeJean was called for pass interference on a 48-yard Cowboys pass that seemed very clearly to be offensive pass interference by CeeDee Lamb. Though neither Tom Brady nor Fox rules analyst Mike Pereira seemed to notice.

“A little hand fighting,” Brady said during the broadcast.

Fox’s cameras caught the appropriate reactions of Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni and kicker Jake Elliott.

The Eagles also benefited from a roughing the punter call that gave them a free first down in the first quarter. The ball was tipped, which should have negated the penalty, but the refs missed it and the Cowboys didn’t challenge.

Poor officiating wasn’t limited to the Eagles-Cowboys game. Over in Kansas City, CBS analyst Tony Romo blasted the refs over a phantom offensive pass interference penalty called on Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce.

“This is the worst call I have seen all year,” Romo said.

— Rob Tornoe

// Timestamp 11/24/25 7:25am

Raiders fire former Eagles head coach Chip Kelly

The Eagles won’t get to face their former head coach after all.

The Las Vegas Raiders fired offensive coordinator Chip Kelly following a 24-10 loss to the Cleveland Browns, the team announced Sunday night.

“I spoke with Chip Kelly earlier this evening and informed him of his release as offensive coordinator of the Raiders,” head coach Pete Carroll said in a statement. “I would like to thank Chip for his service and wish him all the best in the future.”

The Raiders hired Kelly away from Ohio State in February, where he served as offensive coordinator and helped push the Buckeyes to a national title. He was reportedly being paid $6 million a year. He also served as the head coach of UCLA and spent one season with the San Francisco 49ers after the Eagles fired him with one game left in the 2015 season.

The Eagles face the Raiders in Week 15 on Dec. 14.

— Rob Tornoe

// Timestamp 11/24/25 7:20am

Chicago Bears up next on a short week for the Eagles

No rest for the weary.

The Eagles (8-3) will be back in action in just a couple of days, taking on the Chicago Bears (8-3) the day after Thanksgiving on Amazon’s Black Friday game.

The Bears are coming off a narrow win against the Pittsburgh Steelers (6-5), where Caleb Williams threw for three touchdowns and Aaron Rodgers didn’t play due to a fractured left wrist.

The surprising Bears have now won four straight games behind the league’s second-best rushing offense, averaging 142.3 yards on the ground per game. Former Eagles running back D’Andre Swift leads the team with 649 yards rushing, through he was stonewalled Sunday by the Steelers, limited to just 15 yards rushing on eight carries.

The Eagles have faced the Bears just twice over the past seven seasons (2019 and 2022) and won both games, though they were close.

While Thanksgiving games have been a tradition for decades, it’s just the third season the NFL has scheduled a game on Black Friday, which will stream exclusively on Amazon’s Prime Video.

— Rob Tornoe

// Timestamp 11/24/25 7:15am

Photos from the Eagles’ loss to the Cowboys

2025 Eagles schedule

• Week 1: Eagles 24, Cowboys 20
• Week 2: Eagles 20, Chiefs 17
• Week 3: Eagles 33, Rams 26
• Week 4: Eagles 31, Buccaneers 25
• Week 5: Broncos 21, Eagles 17
• Week 6: Giants 34, Eagles 17
• Week 7: Eagles 28, Vikings 22
• Week 8: Eagles 38, Giants 20
• Week 9: Bye week
• Week 10: Eagles 10, Packers 7
• Week 11: Eagles 16, Lions 9
• Week 12: Cowboys 24, Eagles 21
• Week 13: Bears at Eagles, Friday, Nov. 28, 3 p.m. (Amazon Prime Video)
• Week 14: Eagles at Chargers, Monday, Dec. 8, 8:15 p.m. (6ABC, ESPN)
• Week 15: Raiders at Eagles, Sunday, Dec. 14, 1 p.m. (Fox 29)
• Week 16: Eagles at Commanders, Saturday, Dec. 20, TBD (Fox 29)
• Week 17: Eagles at Bills, Sunday, Dec. 28, 4:29 p.m. (Fox 29)
• Week 18: Commanders at Eagles, TBD (TBD)

— Rob Tornoe

// Timestamp 11/24/25 7:10am