Philadelphia Eagles news and links for 10/18/23.

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Jerry Jones likes the QB push play - PFT
For the quarterback push play to be banned by the league, at least 24 owners have to vote in favor of doing so. Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie surely won’t. Neither will Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, apparently. Appearing Tuesday on 105.3 The Fan, Jones said he’s in favor of the maneuver. “I’m all for it and I like the play,” Jones said. The Cowboys tried it on Monday night, but it did not work. That didn’t change Jones’s opinion.

The Eagles’ ‘tush push’ play is taking over the NFL. But is it working? - The Athletic
The Eagles still lead the league in tush pushes, with 17 this year. Only one has been stopped for no gain. Their 93.3 percent success rate is just shy of their 93.5 percent success rate last season, and that’s only because they don’t have the volume yet at this point in the year. Philadelphia ran the tush push 43 times last season, including six times for two touchdowns in the Super Bowl. And this year, the Eagles have run it six times in one game again, at the Rams, including on third-and-3 in the final two minutes of game time. They gained a yard to set up for a fourth-and-2, where you guessed it, they ran another tush push. The rise in sneaks overall this year makes it clear that the Eagles near-automatic success rate, which is one of the reasons the play was seriously scrutinized by the competition committee over the offseason, has inspired other NFL offenses to see if they can also exploit the same advantage. When you take Philadelphia out of the equation, the rest of the NFL averages a 77.8 percent success rate on sneaks this season.

Opinion: Firing Brian Johnson Isn’t The Answer - BGN
Through six games, the 2023 Eagles are 5-1 but have struggled to fully recapture the magic that made them so dominant during their run to the Super Bowl. Jalen Hurts looks more human, the offensive flow looks a little bit bumpier, and the performance in the redzone is dreadful. The fanbase at large has laid these struggles squarely at the feet of offensive coordinator Brian Johnson, the first-time playcaller faced with the monumental task of replacing the beloved Shane Steichen, who left the Eagles to become the head coach of the Indianapolis Colts. Perfectly filling Steichen’s shoes was always going to be impossible - he is likely a Top 3 playcaller in the NFL, if not the best. Indeed, by all measures, Johnson has not been as good as his predecessor. But certainly there must have been a better option than simply promoting from within? Right? The only way to really answer this question is to look at it both in hindsight (“What should have the Eagles done?”) and in the present (“What should they do now?”)

NFC East Mixtape Vol.132: Dal/Was win, Phil loses, NYG struggles - BGN Radio
Brandon Lee Gowton and RJ Ochoa discuss what went down in the division Week 6. **This episode was recorded before the Eagles signed WR Julio Jones***

Lions, Cowboys top list of buyers at NFL Trade Deadline - SB Nation
Philadelphia’s surprising loss to the New York Jets could not have come at a worse time. But maybe it ends up a blessing in disguise. Heading into Week 6 Eagles fans were already feeling rather uneasy about the state of the Birds. While Philadelphia was undefeated, there were questions about the offense — particularly the Eagles’ sudden inability to turn red zone possessions into touchdowns — and injuries were mounting on the defensive side of the football. Then they lost to the Jets, Lane Johnson went down with an ankle injury, and those uneasy feelings snowballed into something much bigger. That is, until the Phillies took the field for Game 1 of the NLCS. Still, the Eagles have some needs now. We can start with the secondary. By the time the fourth quarter rolled around at MetLife Stadium, James Bradberry was the only Week 1 starter still on the field. Cornerback Avonte Maddox and safety Justin Evans are on injured reserve, Darius Slay has been banged up, and safety Reed Blankenship has missed time with a rib injury. Bolstering both positions — with safety the likely priority — would be a smart move. Then there is the offensive line. As my dear friend JP Acosta noted on a recent episode of “Monday Football Monday,” the Eagles have the best position group in football with their offensive line. But that looks much different with Johnson out of the lineup. His injury is not expected to be long term, but shoring up the right tackle spot behind him — or if that injury lingers — should be another priority.

Five Things I Think I Think About the Miami Dolphins - Week 6 - The Phinsider
The Philadelphia Eagles are not a bad team. They are, and this might be controversial to say, a good team. The Eagles will challenge the Miami defense something fierce. That’s not to say I don’t believe they can rise to it; I think they can. But to do so, they need to bring all of the momentum they’ve built up while thumping their last two opponents and hit Philly with everything they’ve got. I hope to see Vic Fangio continuing to evolve his defense, incorporate more pressure beyond the front four, and corral the dynamic Jalen Hurts. If they can stymie the Eagles’ offense, the Fins will be well on their way to a complete and completely dominant team.

Eagles player review: Julio Jones edition - PhillyVoice
While no longer one of the league’s elite receivers by any stretch, Jones could still play a little in 2022. His skills hadn’t yet completely eroded away, and he can help a team like the Eagles that has virtually depth at all on the outside at receiver. He can also play in the slot, and perhaps create mismatches against opposing defenses with smaller slot corners. “2022 Julio Jones” is better than Quez Watkins, who is on injured reserve anyway. This is an upgrade.

Eagles Add HOF Player! - Iggles Blitz
I have to think this is partially driven by red zone issues. Julio is 6-3, 220. He can go up and get the ball if needed. Adding a receiver isn’t the surprise. That actually makes some sense. I just didn’t think Julio would be on their radar. He’s an older player and won’t contribute on special teams. I do think the fact he’s joining the Eagles tells you he is comfortable being a role player on a title contender. Julio played in the Super Bowl with Atlanta in 2016, but he’s never won the big game. Jones may also be comfortable with the Eagles because of his ties to the other receivers. He played in Atlanta with Zaccheaus. Julio played in Tennessee with AJ. He and DeVonta are both Bama grads and you would think they’ve met somewhere along the way. Don’t think of Julio as the elite player he was for al those years. You have to think of him as a veteran role player. We’ll see if that’s something the Eagles needed.

Micah Parsons rips Cowboys’ critics: Bring ‘same energy’ for our rivals - ESPN
Micah Parsons clapped back at critics of Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys, saying they should bring “the same energy” for the Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers when they struggle. Parsons, Prescott and the Cowboys were widely panned after their historic 42-10 loss to the 49ers in Week 5 but bounced back Monday night with a victory in Los Angeles over the Chargers. The Eagles and Niners, meanwhile, both lost as heavy favorites in Week 6, prompting Parsons to question the perceived lack of scrutiny for Dallas’ rivals. “I just don’t condone the bashing of Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys, and [not] have the same energy for the Eagles. ... We want the same energy for everybody, because there’s a whole bunch of bashing when it’s Dak Prescott, but not the same when it’s the Eagles,” the star pass-rusher said Tuesday on his “The Edge with Micah Parsons” podcast.

Spadaro: Milton Williams motivated to be a monster at DT - PE.com
Milton Williams admits it: When the Eagles used back-to-back first-round draft picks on defensive tackles in 2022 and 2023, he felt it. A sting, maybe? A burn of motivation, possibly? “It added to the chip on my shoulder, that’s for sure,” said Williams, the third-year defensive tackle who has been a force for the Eagles this season and, really, since mid-year of ‘22. “But that’s what the NFL is all about. You are going to get competition. And you should use it to push you and make you better. That’s how I took it. I didn’t get down or anything like that. It just added fuel to the fire.” His is a fire that has been burning brightly and improving rapidly since the Eagles selected him from Louisiana Tech in the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft. Williams was an immediate contributor in the tackle rotation, playing 40 percent of the defensive snaps that season, 36 percent in the Super Bowl run of ‘22, and about 45 percent of the snaps this year. A tremendous athlete who posted ridiculous numbers at the Scouting Combine in ‘21, Williams has learned the game, become a student of film study, and combines great quickness off the ball with strength and technique to thrive in the system.

Eagles sign CB from Steelers’ practice squad/injured list ahead of Week 7 - Behind The Steel Curtain
Josiah Scott was signed to the Steelers’ practice squad on August 31. On September 14, he was moved to the practice squad/injured list, where he remained until signing with Philadelphia. As a result, Scott didn’t occupy a spot on the Steelers’ 16-man practice squad, meaning Pittsburgh will not have a spot to fill following Scott’s departure. This won’t be Scott’s first time in Philadelphia. He was an Eagle in the 2021 and 2022 seasons, appearing in 29 games over that span, recording 49 total tackles, two interceptions, and 8 pass deflections. He was a fourth-round pick by the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2020.

NFC East update: Cowboys close on Eagles after surprising Week 6 - Blogging The Boys
Now the Cowboys enjoy their bye week while the Eagles face one of their toughest matchups this year, hosting the Miami Dolphins on Sunday night. We already knew that the Week 9 game between Philly and Dallas was big, but at this rate it could very well be for the division lead. Washington staying frisky in the short term could benefit Dallas. They have a chance for another confidence booster this Sunday against the Giants before a rematch with Philadelphia in Week 8. The Commanders pushed the Eagles to overtime a couple of weeks ago and will soon see them again as the home team. A loss there for Philly, especially within the division, would be huge for the Cowboys. Like Dallas this week, we’ll sit back and watch as the rest of the NFC East remains in action. Hopefully, their fortunes favor the Cowboys.

Grading the Game – Washington Commanders vs. Atlanta Falcons - Hogs Haven
The offense was solid for nearly three quarters, but this unit struggled in the fourth quarter. However, they did score enough points and the defense helped to secure the victory in the closing seconds. No one should question the talent and arm strength that Sam Howell possesses, but he needs to learn how to avoid sacks.

Giants bringing back OL Tyre Phillips, per report - Big Blue View
The Giants mystifyingly cut Phillips, who missed some time during training camp with injuries, at the end of the preseason. He landed on Philadelphia’s practice squad. The Giants have suffered injuries to starters Andrew Thomas, John Michael Schmitz and Ben Bredeson at times this season. Thomas and Schmitz have now been out multiple weeks. Ezeudu, drafted to be a guard, has been struggling to fill in at left tackle for Thomas and is now on IR The Giants have used several left guards and were forced to play Justin Pugh for 77 snaps, most of them at left tackle, Sunday after Ezeudu suffered a toe injury.

Taking the Points #7: Don’t expect points in Saints/Jags - The SB Nation NFL Show
Chris Dunnells (Canal Street Chronicles), JSpence the King (Buffalo Rumblings), and producer Rob “Stats” Guerrera break down the Thursday Night Football game from a betting perspective. Each week, you’ll get spread advice, same-game parlays, our Thor of the Week Award, fantasy advice, and more! Each and every episode is brought to you by DraftKings. DraftKings Sportsbook is an official sports betting partner of the NFL! Download the Draftkings Sportsbook App today and use code SB NFL for a special offer when you sign up! That’s code SB NFL — only at DraftKings Sportsbook.

Razing Arizona: Phillies 10, D’backs 0 - The Good Phight
Aaron Nola was again brilliant at home in the postseason and the long ball propelled the early lead as the Philadelphia Phillies won Game 2 in dominant fashion, a 10-0 drubbing of the Arizona Diamondbacks. [BLG Note: Six more to go!]

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