The Linc

Let’s get to the Philadelphia Eagles links …

In Roob’s Observations: A concerning trend with Eagles GM Howie Roseman – NBCSP
1. Mekhi Becton looks like a steal as a right guard. And Saquon Barkley – despite the drop – looks like a stroke of brilliance. But Howie Roseman’s big-ticket moves on defense over the last few years are starting to look ominously bad. First-round picks for Jordan Davis, Jalen Carter and Nolan Smith – high 1st-round picks for Davis and Carter – don’t look so promising at the moment. Carter had that dominating stretch early last year and I still believe he’ll be a great player, but none of them have lived up to where they were picked so far and it’s fair to wonder when they will. Devin White, penciled in as a starting linebacker, wasn’t even active Monday night. Bryce Huff hasn’t gotten close to an opposing quarterback for $51 million. Chauncey Gardner-Johnson has the 2nd-most missed tackles of any NFL safety (behind former Eagle Marcus Epps) and is hurt again. Zack Baun had a couple sacks in the opener but has the 3rd-most missed tackles of any NFL linebacker. Vaunted 3rd-round pick Nakobe Dean has the 2nd-lowest Pro Football Focus grade among off-ball linebackers (ahead of only former teammate Kyzir White of the Cards). Quinyon Mitchell looks very promising, but overall when you look at why the Eagles have had one of the worst defenses in the NFL through two weeks, you have to look squarely at a bunch of Roseman’s moves. It’s still early, and the Eagles are on their third defensive coordinator in the span of eight games and that’s not ideal, and we knew it was going to take a while for all the new pieces to fit together in a new scheme. There’s still time for any or all of these guys to turn things around. But no sacks by an edge? One of the worst opponents’ rushing averages in NFL history? One takeaway? Nobody is making plays, and that’s concerning. You can’t keep losing quality defensive players – Javon Hargrave, Haason Reddick, Fletcher Cox, T.J. Edwards, soon to be B.G. – and not replacing them. Especially considering the assets Roseman used to build this defense. Howie’s track record over the years is very good. Two Super Bowl appearances with different coaches and quarterbacks, six playoff trips in the last seven years, just three losing seasons since he became GM in 2010. But at least so far, most of his recent high-profile defensive moves are looking awfully shaky.

NFL Week 3 predictions, fantasy sleepers, upset picks, buzz – ESPN+
Can Eagles edge rushers Josh Sweat and Bryce Huff get pressure on Derek Carr? Through two weeks, the Eagles’ edge rush has been disappointing. Philadelphia ranks 27th in sack rate (4.4% of opponent dropbacks) and 30th in pressure rate (23.5%). The tandem of Sweat and Huff that many thought would be disruptive to opposing QBs has been anything but that. The duo has combined for just three pressures. Saints rookie Taliese Fuaga has a 96% pass block win rate — ninth among tackles — and while Trevor Penning is still below average in the category (44th at 83%), he has improved. Plus, the heavy rate of play-action in the Klint Kubiak offense makes life easier for New Orleans’ pass protection. So if Philadelphia is going to disrupt the Saints’ hot streak to begin the season, Sweat and Huff are going to need to deliver more on Sunday.

Eagles-Saints Game Preview: 5 questions and answers with the enemy – BGN
3 – If there have been any cracks in the Saints’ armor, however small, what — if anything — are you worried that the Eagles might be able to exploit? Dennis Allen has a history of struggling to contain dual-threat quarterbacks, with Jalen Hurts being one of his more problematic assignments over the past few years (175 rushing yards and 3 rushing TDs in two games vs. New Orleans). Last season, former Minnesota Vikings QB Josh Dobbs terrorized the Saints defense with his legs, along with former UDFA QB Tyson Bagent of the Chicago Bears, who recorded 70 rushing yards on 8 attempts against New Orleans.

Interview with the Enemy: Philadelphia Eagles – Canal Street Chronicles
This week the New Orleans Saints head back home to face the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 3 of the 2024 regular season. Brandon Lee Gowton of Bleeding Green Nation joins us to preview Sunday’s matchup between two of the best rushing attacks in football.

Spadaro: Jahan Dotson’s role, Zack Baun’s return, and no looking back for Saquon Barkley – PE.com
Wide receiver A.J. Brown hasn’t practiced yet this week, casting doubt that he will play on Sunday after suffering a hamstring injury in practice one week ago. Jahan Dotson, acquired in a trade with Washington late in the preseason, is ready if the opportunity presents itself in New Orleans. “I feel like it’s a moment to prove to everyone else who I know I am,” Dotson said. “I know I’m a very good wide receiver. I’m know I’m capable of making plays at this level as I’ve done before. This is a what-have-you-done-for-me-lately league and for me, I haven’t had the production I had in my rookie year. I want to prove to everyone that I know who I am, so every chance I get, that’s my mindset: Make plays. Help this team win. “You can look at it in two ways. You can complain about it – You’re not getting the ball, things aren’t going your way – or you can be thankful. That’s something I’ve been talking to my agent about recently, about having a different outlook and having different outcomes in life and being thankful for it all. I love this game and I’m thankful for being out there every day. Obviously, I want to make plays. I’m very competitive and that’s where I am.” Dotson feels he is up to speed in the offense, although he acknowledges that’s a work in progress every day, and that his time will come.

Commanders are currently atop the NFC East and fans are feeling good about the team and its rookie QB Jayden Daniels – Hogs Haven
Through two weeks, Jayden Daniels ranks 10th among QBs (min 20 passes) in yards per attempt at 7.7, and he is completing 75% of his passes. While his intended air yards are low (he leads the league in passes behind the line of scrimmage), the players catching his passes collectively rank 4th in the NFL in yards-after-catch-per-reception, and the Commanders are tied for 6th in receptions of 20+ yards, with 6 in two games. Significantly, Jayden has yet to throw an interception, which sets him apart from Caleb Williams (2) and Bo Nix (4). Among all NFL quarterbacks (min 20 passes), Jayden is 7th in Passer Rating (96), and the Commanders offense is enjoying a lot of success. Washington is 6th in the NFL with 44 first-downs, and the Commanders are one of three teams to have punted only 3 times this season (tied for #1). In fact, the Commanders have run the 9th-most offensive plays in the league so far.

Dallas Cowboys history: Falling to 1-2 has ended poorly more often than not – Blogging The Boys
Given that the NFL is over 100 years old you can find an example for something for just about anything. Teams have won the Super Bowl and experienced success through a number of different paths. But history is, at the very least, something heed. The Dallas Cowboys will host the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday afternoon and one team involved is hoping to leave the game with a 1-2 record. That team would be Baltimore given that they are currently winless on the season, and for what it’s worth oddsmakers have them favored to do that. With Dallas sitting at 1-1 on the season, a Ravens win would leave the Cowboys with a 1-2 record that (in that hypothetical) would feel very different than Baltimore’s. As noted there are many different paths to the Super Bowl and/or playoffs, but generally speaking, falling to 1-2 has not worked out well for America’s Team.

Poll results: Giants fans err on the side of panic – Big Blue View
In light of the trends regarding 0-2 starts, outlets around the NFL media sphere are wondering whether fans (and franchises) should be panicking over slow starts. That was the question we put to the Big Blue View community, asking if you were panicking or exercising patience with the Giants. Giants fans are split, with 56 percent of fans choosing “panic”, while 44 percent chose “patience”.

The NFL’s passing crisis has one solution, and it’s not banning Cover-2 – SB Nation
The funniest thing about this conversation is that you can still throw downfield and be explosive against two-high shells! Concepts like Mills and Double Post can be used against these defenses. The problem is that these are long developing plays that require proper protection, and that’s where offensive line play comes in. There has to be better development, and more time being put into developing quality offensive linemen at the NFL level. More teams have to spend more offseason hours working with their linemen, maybe bringing back a little bit of contact during the offseason to get their guys working on these stunts at a proper level to combat NFL defenses. Running the damn ball is back, and it’s glorious. Banning Cover-2 and Quarters coverage won’t solve anything. Widening the hashes won’t help, it actually might hurt. Defenses have made their adjustment in this match, and now offenses have to as well.