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Let’s get to the Philadelphia Eagles links ...
Jordan Mailata: Micah Parsons should worry about Cowboys - ESPN
Eagles players on Wednesday swatted away comments by Dallas Cowboys edge rusher Micah Parsons, who questioned how much Jalen Hurts has to do with Philadelphia’s success. That pushback was made most forcefully by Hurts’ blindside protector, left tackle Jordan Mailata. “I’m going to worry about the Chicago Bears this week, mate, worry about this game. Micah should worry about his game this week, too. I don’t know who the f--- they’re playing, pardon my language. Just worry about who you got this week,” Mailata said. “That’s how we do it here. I’m not going to worry about any other comments anybody said. That’s just how we focus and run about our business. We’ve got the Chicago Bears, not the Chicago Micah Parsons.”
Jalen Hurts is worthy of the MVP, regardless of what Micah Parsons says - SB Nation
This is where we want to be. Hurts’ numbers jumped to 95-for-127 and seven touchdowns through 14 games this season. His development as a passer raises the ceiling of the offense to new heights, and his willingness to throw the ball over the middle has kept defenses from limiting what the Eagles can do. Sure, having AJ Brown helps a lot, but Hurts has become so much better as a passer. Patrick Mahomes will probably win the MVP award, and rightfully so. What he’s done this year with a weaker cast is worthy of that. But Jalen Hurts is more than worthy of MVP, due to his ability to raise the floor of the Eagles offense with his running ability and raise the ceiling of the Eagles offense with his continued development as a passer.
Chargers Stacks Lead the Way in Week 15 DFS - Football Outsiders
Jalen Hurts $8200 @ Chicago Bears. When quarterbacks cross the $8,000 threshold in DraftKings pricing, we need to be very sure that they can return bang for their buck, and Jalen Hurts is certainly doing that this year with only two weekly finishes outside the top six fantasy quarterbacks. Since the Eagles’ Week 7 bye, Hurts has averaged 27.0 fantasy points and has either scored a rushing touchdown or gone over 100 rushing yards in each of his last five games. The Bears defense ranks 31st in DVOA and is unlikely to have many answers. Usage Suggestions: With Hurts being so expensive, his rostership will be more subdued than it should be, and he’s an excellent play in tournaments. The Bears defense is weak all over the field, but particularly against WR1s, making A.J. Brown an excellent stacking partner, despite the steep price tag.
Eagles Offense All-22 Film Review: Takeaways from the Giants game - BGN
What do you even say about the first drive? Hurts looked like a 10-year veteran who was reading the defense with ease. This wasn’t an RPO-heavy offense or a lot of short screen passes. This was a proper dropback passing game, where Hurts had to sit in the pocket and read the play and throw with timing and anticipation. And he made it look easy! I said this on the BGN Instant Reaction show, but this felt like the ‘empty’ game early on. The Giants wanted to keep 5 in the box which meant they had to play single-high man coverage and the Eagles continued to take advantage of it. Hurts loves throwing to DeVonta Smith on these quick outs and this is the best one of the year. Smith doesn’t get a lot of separation for once but throws it with fantastic timing and anticipation which allows him to squeeze it into a tight window. This is a big-time throw.
The NFC East Mixtape Vol.88: Are the Giants going to miss the playoffs? - BGN Radio
Brandon Lee Gowton (@BrandonGowton) and RJ Ochoa (@rjochoa) discuss the biggest storylines in the division.
Eagles at Bears: Five matchups to watch - PhillyVoice
As a passer, Fields has improved significantly from his rookie season into Year 2, but he remains a work in progress, with just 13 TDs vs. 10 INTs. As we noted last week, the Eagles are facing a string of the most run-heavy teams in the NFL, and the Bears are the run-heaviest, as they run it on an absurd 58.6 percent of their plays, which is crazy for a team with a 3-10 record that trails in most games. The Eagles’ run defense will catch a break in this game, as RB Khalil Herbert is on IR, and will not play. Herbert rushed 108 times for 643 yards (6.0 YPC) and 4 TDs before going down with a hip flexor injury. Herbert formed a nice speed/power duo with David Montgomery, who has 160 rushes for 641 yards (4.0 YPC) and 4 TDs.
Game Review – PHI 48, NYG 22 - Iggles Blitz
K’Von Wallace took over for Reed. Up and down game. Was caught looking in the backfield and Jones hit the TE in the flat to set up the Giants first TD. Gave up a big completion in the second half. I’m not sure what happened there. On other plays, he showed some potential. Played faster than I remembered. When he saw a runner or receiver, took off and flew to the ball. Mostly tackled well. Finished with 5 solo tackles. You can see potential, but the coverage breakdowns are a real concern.
NFL QB Index, Week 15: San Francisco 49ers rookie Brock Purdy soars into top half of rankings - NFL.com
2) Jalen Hurts. At the helm of a juggernaut, Hurts makes it look easy. He stomped out the Giants on Sunday at warp speed, crafting a 14-0 lead off two punishing touchdown drives before New York took a breath. The first march ate up eight-plus minutes off 14 plays and saw Hurts casually spread the ball to seven different targets. The second broke the Giants psychologically, with Hurts unfurling a perfectly placed 41-yard laser beam to DeVonta Smith on fourth-and-7. Next, Giants punter Jamie Gillan muffed a punt, and Hurts effectively ended the game before halftime with a 33-yard score to a wide-open A.J. Brown. Philly’s quarterback doubles as an MVP-worthy rocket ship.
Predicting the 2022 NFL MVP: Philadelphia Eagles QB Jalen Hurts leads the MVP race - PFF
Hurts and the Eagles continue with their impressive late-season stretch on offense, catapulting Hurts into the lead for the MVP award, according to the betting markets.
A Jalen Hurts MVP Campaign, Justin Jefferson Chasing 2,000 Yards and NFL Final-Month Story Lines - SI
Hurts, who has exploded for 3,157 yards, a 22-to-3 TD-to-INT ratio and another 10 touchdowns as a runner, has led the Eagles to a league-best 12–1 record and may never have a better chance to win an MVP. This is not a commentary on his career ceiling, or his potential to remain perennially in the conversation regarding elite quarterbacks. It’s just a statement of fact that it’s hard to win this award. Dan Marino won it in his second season in 1984. John Elway won it in his fifth season in ’87. Neither captured it again, despite both being all-time greats and no-doubt Hall of Famers. Players like Matt Ryan and Cam Newton won the award and never came close again, but think about how many times you read “the former MVP” as people discussed Ryan’s move to Indianapolis, even six years later, as a shorthand for what kind of run he had with the Falcons. A lot of the focus on Hurts and the MVP race has been spent talking about whether he deserves it. There are still four weeks to sort that out. Instead, I’ll just note what an opportunity he has to put the finishing touches on a memorable season and be thought of as an MVP forever.
OPINION: Perloff: Sorry, Jalen Hurts, everybody is a system quarterback - Audacy
And that’s the bottom line on the NFL. Everybody is a system quarterback — even non-quarterbacks. If you want to take this deeper, system quarterback philosophy extends far beyond the gridiron. It offers a more accurate lens to better understand all of human achievement. Just for fun, below are some of my favorite historical figures who were really just system quarterbacks. The Beatles were a system band. No coincidence most of the greatest bands in rock history formed in 1960s Britain. Right time and the right place. Copernicus was a system astrologer. He’s no Galileo. Columbus was a system explorer. He didn’t even know where he landed. Shakespeare was a system playwright. Of course, that is if he actually wrote all those plays. Genghis Khan was a system marauder.
The added benefit of Eagles’ winning in blowouts - NBCSP
The biggest benefit to getting Jalen Hurts and the rest of the starters out there is pretty obvious. It eliminates the risk of injury as the Eagles get close to what they hope will be a long and successful playoff run. Every time a player lands awkwardly or is slow to get up over the next month, you’re going to hold your breath. But the other benefit is pretty important too. These blowouts are giving the Eagles’ younger players opportunities to get some live game action in the regular season. “Unbelievably valuable,” defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon said. “I talk about there are a lot of ways to learn. To me in my opinion the biggest learning tool that you have are game reps. When you can play five snaps here or 10 snaps here or 15 snaps here, those snaps add up.
Week 15 NFL Picks Against the Spread - The Ringer
Philadelphia Eagles at Chicago Bears (+9). One big reason why the Eagles are 12-1: Jalen Hurts has managed to produce explosive plays without turning the ball over. His 50 completions of 20+ yards are tied for second in the NFL to only Mahomes, and his five turnovers are the fewest among the 28 quarterbacks who have logged at least 300 offensive plays. The last two weeks have been Hurts’s best film of his career as a passer. As for the Bears, they are coming off their bye looking to see more flashes from Justin Fields. It wouldn’t surprise me if Fields made some plays in this game, but asking the Bears’ 32nd-ranked defense to slow Hurts down is a big ask. The pick: Eagles (-9)
NFL picks against the spread: Vic Tafur’s Week 15 predictions - The Athletic
Jalen Hurts is going to win the NFL MVP Award and the Eagles are going to win 16 games. That doesn’t mean they can’t have a little bit of trouble against the lowly Bears, who we do think are well-coached and are coming off a bye. The Eagles, meanwhile, just had a convincing win over the division-rival Giants to clinch a playoff spot and travel to Dallas next Saturday to face the Cowboys. They say they’re unfulfilled … Sometimes it doesn’t even matter when good teams overlook bad ones, but we have an ace up our sleeve: Justin Fields. He is working on getting better at checkdowns, but we are going to need him to make like the Roadrunner. The Eagles have faced 40 total QB rushes and rank last in success rate vs. QB runs (7.7 percent) and YPC allowed to QBs (6.83). Of those 40 runs, 12 were designed plays — and all of them have been successful for the Eagles’ opponent. Give me the nine points at home. The pick: Bears +9
Why did Brett Kern sign with the Eagles? - PE.com
When Brett Kern was presented with the opportunity to sign with the Philadelphia Eagles as the team’s new punter, he immediately knew it was the perfect fit – he packed his bags in Tennessee moments after receiving the call from his agent. “In my mind, I knew I was going to kick again. I just didn’t know where or when, but I knew I still wanted to keep playing. So mentally, I stayed ready, physically stayed ready, just for whatever opportunity came, and I’m extremely thankful for this one,” Kern said on Wednesday. It’s not just because the Eagles are a hot 12-1 team with a locked-up playoff spot and Super Bowl aspirations, or because his 13-year-old son, Bryce, has Jalen Hurts starting at quarterback in his fantasy football lineup. Kern attributed much of his decision to prior relationships with players and staff members across the organization. “The decision to come here was a no-brainer, obviously, because of the season y’all are having, but also familiarity with a lot of people on the staff and some players, and knowing Jake (Elliott) and Rick (Lovato).”
Gardner Minshew on Mike Leach: He ‘changed my life.’ The Eagles QB reflects on the late coach - Inquirer
Gardner Minshew cried as he spoke about Mike Leach. It’s likely he wouldn’t have been so open with his emotions had he never met and played for the colorful, innovative college coach who died on Monday. Minshew spent just one year with Leach at Washington State. But the Eagles backup quarterback said he would have never made it to the NFL had it not been for the coach and the confidence he instilled in him after coming close to giving up on his dream of playing in the pros. “He was the first person I’ve ever been around who, just by the way he lived and how authentic he was, brings that out in the people around him,” Minshew said on Wednesday, his voice often cracking. “I never found myself more comfortable with myself than when I was with Coach Leach. “The way he believed in me — that belief, that’s something that really resonates, and that’s something I tell any parent, coach, teacher. The best thing you can do for a kid is believe in him. And he did that for me, and it changed my life.”
Bears Injury Update: Brisker, Gordon return to practice; Fields is ill - Windy City Gridiron
Chase Claypool did not practice due to a knee injury that has kept him on the injury report the last several weeks. Claypool has traditionally been limited on Wednesdays due to knee so the fact that he didn’t participate at all today is worth monitoring. Larry Borom continues to recover from a knee injury and didn’t practice, but the big thing to watch this week is going to be Justin Fields who sat out practice on Wednesday due to an illness. Matt Eberflus told the media today that Fields is “day-to-day” but the expectation is that he will play Sunday against Philadelphia.
The Cowboys potential plan to rotate Josh Ball and Jason Peters could make for a messy experience - Blogging The Boys
Just when the Dallas Cowboys are about to get their All-Pro left tackle Tyron Smith back, they suffer a huge loss with the season-ending ACL injury to right tackle Terence Steele. The third-year UDFA from 2020 was having his best season as a pro. His improvement in pass protection was good to see, and he’s emerged as one of the better run-blocking tackles in the league. He and Zack Martin created a bulldozing force along the right side of the offensive line. Steele has played so well that any complaints of being without former Cowboys right tackle La’el Collins are long gone. But just as the season is about to get into the nitty gritty, the team will now have to truck through without him. Last week, the Cowboys called upon their fourth-round pick from a year ago, Josh Ball, to come in and replace Steele. Ball was injured last season and never played a down, and prior to the Texans’ game, he had only played sparingly in garbage time (he played eight snaps against the Vikings and three snaps against the Colts). On Sunday, he logged 26 total snaps but was replaced by Jason Peters late in the game after allowing the Texans’ edge rusher Ogbonnia Okoronkwo to work him over good on two consecutive plays. The first bad play resulted in a Dak Prescott fumble that Ball was able to fall on, but the second bad play caused Prescott’s arm to be hit, resulting in an interception near the goal line.
Giants’ S Xavier McKinney expected to remain sidelined vs. Washington - Big Blue View
Xavier McKinney, one of the four injured players the New York Giants were hoping to get back for Sunday’s game against the Washington Commanders, will not play this week. Giants coach Brian Daboll said “I would say no’’ when asked on Wednesday if McKinney will play vs. Washington. The third-year safety has been out of the lineup since fracturing fingers in his left hand during a bye week accident in Mexico. This will be McKinney’s sixth consecutive missed game. Other players who did not practice on Wednesday included cornerback Adoree’ Jackson (knee), offensive lineman Shane Lemieux (toe) and offensive lineman Joshua Ezeudu (neck). That would likely mean those players will miss another game. Jackson, the team’s best cornerback, is another player the Giants had hoped might return against the Commanders. Edge defender Jihad Ward and wide receiver/kick returner Richie James are in the league’s concussion protocol and also did not practice.
BofA to release prospectus on the Commanders to potential buyers; Dan Snyder expected to sell the team - Hogs Haven
Today’s news is a big step in the right direction if you want Snyder to become the former owner of the Washington Commanders. The Post makes it clear that this move does not mean a full sale is happening, and the Snyder’s intentions likely won’t be revealed.
Peter King, & playoff contenders primed to pull off upsets - The SB Nation NFL Show
This week on the SB Nation NFL Show, Rob “Stats” Guerrera, Kyle Posey, and Justis Mosqueda discuss the playoff contenders most suited to pull off major upsets in the postseason. Stats also sits down with NFL writer for NBC Sports Peter King to discuss the NFL playoff race.
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