The Linc - Cowboys fans call for Kellen Moore to return to Dallas

Dallas Cowboys v Philadelphia Eagles — Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images

Philadelphia Eagles news and links for 1/14/25.

Let’s get to the Philadelphia Eagles links …

Why hiring Kellen Moore would be the fastest way to get the Cowboys’ offense back on track – Blogging The Boys
Moore knows how to get the most out of Prescott, and by all accounts, the two have an outstanding relationship. As their competitive window moves forward, getting Prescott back to the MVP-caliber football he was playing as recently as last season should be Dallas’ top priority. Moore would be able to do just that, and probably much quicker than any new candidate the Cowboys would hire. Kellen Moore has many qualifications that set him apart from other potential candidates. First, he understands how things work in Dallas and what being a coach for the Cowboys entails, one of the most important qualifications to become the Cowboys’ head coach. Second, he has a good relationship with Dallas’ key offensive stars and elevated their play consistently during his time as the offense coordinator. Finally, Moore is an innovative play-caller who can provide some much-needed creativity to a Dallas offense that has lacked it for the past couple of years. If the Cowboys want to get their offense back on track and return to being one of the most dominant offensive units in all of football, hiring Kellen Moore as their next head coach would be the fastest way to do so.

Adam Schefter Names Two Former Cowboys Who Could Be in the Hunt for Head Coaching Job – SI
“Obviously it’s just new, it’s just beginning we’ll see where that brings them. A lot of names floating around out there,” Schefter said. “I think in time, they could have some level of interest in the Eagles’ offensive coordinator, Kellen Moore. Potentially maybe Jason Witten, an all-time franchise great, but this is very early on, very preliminary. And we’ll see ultimately where Jerry Jones goes with this search but the Cowboys are now in the market for a new head coach.”

In Bungling the Mike McCarthy Breakup, Has Jerry Jones Once Again Misplayed His Hand? – The Ringer
It’s less clear that the Cowboys prepared for what’s next. There are certainly plenty of candidates out there they can interview (eventually), including ones with ties to the organization, like Kellen Moore. But the late decision about McCarthy’s future likely cost them the chance to interview Vrabel. Belichick, meanwhile, would reportedly have been interested in the Cowboys job if he had known it would be available before committing to UNC. I suppose we should never say never when it comes to Belichick—Jones and Belichick have a personal relationship, and it’s always possible Jerry could try to make a financial offer that can’t be refused. Or Jones may find an up-and-coming candidate to latch onto.

Eagles vs. Packers: 14 winners, 1 loser, and 5 IDKs – BGN
Kellen Moore shares blame for the passing offense being out of sync. The broadcast showed replays where Hurts didn’t appear to have good answers. It’s hard to say Moore is absolutely crushing it, though the fake Brotherly Shove was a really nice call that the QB just didn’t execute. I don’t know that I’m willing to blame the Eagles’ offensive coordinator as much as others when some of the issues with the passing offense predate Moore’s time in Philly. Speaking of issues that predate Moore, I don’t know how much the Eagles’ conservative approach on third-and-long has to do with him. He’s calling the plays, yeah, but I doubt Sirianni isn’t involved in what the Eagles are aiming to accomplish in those situations. The Eagles called runs on 3rd-and-12, 3rd-and-19, and 3rd-and-13. They simply gave up on trying to get first downs. What is all of this offensive talent even for if that’s going to be the mindset?

8 NFL playoff teams still alive, ranked by their Super Bowl chances – SB Nation
5. Philadelphia Eagles. The NFL+ “Know it All” reminded us this weekend that defense still wins championships in the NFL. As an aside, when this season is over we need to have a long discussion about that ad campaign, but we digress … But that fact could bode very well for the Philadelphia Eagles. Vic Fangio’s defense led the way for the Eagles in their 22-10 win over the Green Bay Packers on Sunday afternoon, intercepting Jordan Love three times and pressuring him throughout the contest. The Packers QB finished the game with an NFL Passer Rating of just 41.5, the second-lowest of his career and the second-lowest ever from a Packers QB in the playoffs. While they lost Nakobe Dean to a brutal knee injury in the win, which will test their depth at linebacker, this Philadelphia defense looks extremely formidable. While the offense sputtered somewhat in Jalen Hurts’ first game back from a concussion, the Eagles rushing attack is also a problem for opponents. Add in one of the best offensive lines in football, and you have a tough out in the playoffs.

NFC Hierarchy/Obituary: Divisional Round edition – PhillyVoice
2) Eagles (15-3): How many games have the Eagles played this year in which they won comfortably and Jalen Hurts either didn’t play well or didn’t need to so he wasn’t asked to throw all that much? I can think of like a half dozen off the top of my head. They can survive that way for one more round, but it’ll get real after that.

NFL Divisional Round: Biggest immediate question for advancing/eliminated playoff teams – NFL.com
Is their passing game going to be a concern in the next round? It’s not surprising that Philadelphia struggled to throw the football in their 22-10 wild-card win over Green Bay. Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts was returning from a concussion sustained in a Week 16 loss to Washington, and wide receiver A.J. Brown was nursing a knee injury that cost him a couple days of practice. Throw in a Packers defense that tied for third in the NFL with 17 interceptions and you can see why Hurts only finished with 131 passing yards. The Eagles relied on running back Saquon Barkley (119 rushing yards) and a suffocating defense (which forced four turnovers) to do the bulk of the damage against a Green Bay team that sustained an assortment of injuries on Sunday. But what happens when a healthier opponent shows up with a more explosive offense? As talented as the Eagles are — and this is still a team that has won 13 of its last 14 games — they need to be more dynamic with their passing attack as they move deeper into the postseason. That’s especially true if they end up facing a team like Minnesota (which plays the Rams on Monday night) in the Divisional Round, as the Vikings have a prolific offense and the type of stifling defense that could shut down Barkley. There’s likely going to be a game on the horizon where the defense doesn’t deliver (as was the case in that Washington loss after Hurts went down). Hurts can’t afford to be as rusty as he was in the early portions of that Green Bay win.

Test Time – Iggles Blitz
You can’t ignore the sloppiness from Sunday, but also can’t obsess on it. Last year the Texans had the biggest margin of victory in the wild card round and the biggest margin of defeat in the divisional round. We all remember the Eagles struggling to beat the Falcons 15-10 in 2017 and then destroying the Vikings 38-7. Jalen Hurts didn’t put up big numbers. The offense didn’t look great. But let’s also keep things in context. The Eagles ran for 169 yards and played great defense. Hurts threw for 2 TDs and made plays when they were needed. That formula has basically worked all year long. The Eagles don’t need Hurts to throw for 300 yards until they need him to. If the offense had clicked on Sunday, the game would have been a blowout. You don’t want to let teams hang around, but winning big is more of a luxury than a necessity. The other key that we have to mention is the Packers defense. They were 6th in scoring defense and 5th in yards allowed. In 6 of the previous 7 games, Green Bay held teams to 83 or fewer rushing yards. The Packers had the youngest defense in the NFL so they were more vulnerable in the opener than on Sunday. That defense got better and better as the season wore on. They played well in Philly. I would expect the Eagles offense to be better next week. If things go well, there could be a showdown with Detroit and the offense will need to have a big day.

Rams vs. Eagles opening odds: LA slight underdogs at the Linc – Turf Show Times
When these teams faced off in Week 12, All-Pro Saquon Barkley rushed for an Eagles’ franchise record 255 yards. The likelihood of Barkley getting anywhere close to that total is low. Los Angeles had better know what’s coming this time around. Philly’s passing attack is nothing to be scared of. LA’s defense has significantly improved since the last matchup and they’ll maintain their strong play in a hostile environment. This will be a defensive battle all the way. Unlike the Slackers, the Rams will show plenty of fight in a physical and low-scoring battle that Philadelphia will win on a late field goal.

NFL playoffs divisional round: Schedule, previews for AFC, NFC – ESPN
Why the Eagles will win: Their defense. Philadelphia can dominate at all three levels. Defensive tackles Jalen Carter and Milton Williams can create pressure from the interior, linebacker Zack Baun can generate stops against the run and the pass at the second level, and the secondary is capable of suffocating an opponent. That’s why the Eagles ranked second in EPA per play allowed (minus-0.05) in the regular season and why they beat the Packers in the wild-card round despite a somewhat anemic passing attack. And then there’s Barkley. It’s hard to forget about him. He has totaled 565 rush yards over expectation this season, including the playoffs (per NFL Next Gen Stats). And he could have had a heck of a lot more if he hadn’t taken a knee at the beginning of what could have been a house call in the final minutes against Green Bay. Barkley gives Philadelphia efficiency on the ground and is a safety net in case the passing game can’t find its rhythm again.

Eagles film breakdown: Rust or redundancy? Breaking down QB Jalen Hurts’ uneven return vs. Packers – Inquirer
Overall, the lack of variety and in-game adjustments against the wrinkles Green Bay presented left Hurts without consistent answers, and Hurts was indecisive at times to compound things. We’ve seen the Eagles’ pass game come out of similar ruts during the regular season, but the group doesn’t have the benefit of time to figure things out going into the divisional round against a surging Rams team.

PFF Awards 2024: Philadelphia Eagles win Best Offensive Line – PFF
The unit hit its lowest point in years when Mailata was out for an extended period and was replaced by Fred Johnson, who earned a 37.3 PFF pass-blocking grade — the last-ranked mark among all offensive tackles in the NFL. After 10 weeks, the Eagles’ offensive line was tied with the Tennessee Titans for the 29th-ranked unit in PFF pass-blocking efficiency rating (80.2), ahead of only the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks. So, while three of 2023’s starters were back in the same positions, there were enough changes to provide a challenge for the Eagles this season. But once Mailata returned, the front five started playing up to its potential, improving to an above-average unit in pass blocking and the best run-blocking offensive line in the NFL. Between Weeks 11 and 17, the Eagles’ line surrendered only 41 pressures — including three sacks — on 205 pass plays and earned an 89.3 PFF pass-blocking efficiency rating. In terms of PFF overall grades, Mailata (96.1) and Lane Johnson (85.4) ended up among the top 10 at their position, while Dickerson (79.4) and Becton (72.6) were among the top 20 guards this season.

A.J. Brown went viral for reading a book on sideline of Packers-Eagles. But his story explains why Philly is advancing in the NFC playoffs – Yahoo! Sports
“Honestly, felt it on my heart — I just felt convicted to recommend it to him,” Ojomo told Yahoo Sports by phone Sunday night. “It allows me to not be so much outcome-based and almost to live a truer life with joy. In essence, we become so obsessed with some of the things we can’t control rather than controlling the things we can and I believe that we miss life.” Brown followed up shortly after to confirm the book’s title. Soon, he was not only reading it — count it toward his two-books-a-month goal — but also highlighting, underlining and writing his own bullet points in the front inside cover. He began bringing it to games and stashing it near the sideline, locking in on key passages between each drive regardless of the outcome. Score a touchdown or go for 100 yards, as Brown did seven and five times respectively this season? Murphy’s passages remind Brown that those “best moments always come from a clear mind and unburdened heart.” Drop a pass, or run a wide-open route only to not be targeted? Murphy’s words caution Brown against judgmental thoughts or “beliefs that limit us.”

In Roob’s Stats: A record for Dallas Goedert, history from Eagles’ defense – NBCSP
4. A record-setting day for Dallas Goedert. With four catches, Dallas Goedert increased his career postseason total to a franchise-record 39, one more than Chad Lewis. Goedert’s 39 catches are 2nd-most among active tight ends, just behind Travis Kelce, who has 165. Goedert’s 39 catches are 13th-most all-time by a tight end in the postseason, one more than former teammate Zach Ertz. Goedert needs six more catches to enter the all-time top-10. Goedert’s four postseason touchdowns are two shy of the Eagles record of six, held by Hall of Famer Harold Carmichael.

The Day After: Saquon Barkley’s historic Eagles playoff debut, Quinyon Mitchell’s dawg mentality, and much more – PE.com
3. Some notes on running back Saquon Barkley’s first playoff game as an Eagle: His 119 rushing yards marked the first 100-yard rushing playoff rushing performance of his career. It was Barkley’s 12th 100-yard rushing game of the season (team record) and his 14th game with 100-plus scrimmage yards (ties Brian Westbrook, 2006). The Eagles had a lot of success running behind left tackle Jordan Mailata and left guard Landon Dickerson, as 97 of Barkley’s 119 rushing yards came to the left side, according to NFL NextGen Stats. Also: Barkley forced six missed tackles and gained 77 yards after contact. The Eagles ranked first in the NFL in rushing yards before contact during the season (2.0 yards, above the NFL average of 1.1 yards), per NFL NextGen Stats.

Keisean Nixon: I recovered my fumble, and there should have been a penalty on the Eagles – PFT
The opening kickoff proved to be one of the biggest plays of Sunday’s Packers-Eagles game, as Packers returner Keisean Nixon fumbled, the Eagles recovered, and they scored three plays later to take a lead they would never relinquish. But Nixon says the officials made two big mistakes on the play. Nixon says that he’s sure he recovered the fumble in the pile-up before the ball was taken away from him after the play was dead. And he also says the fumble should have been negated by a penalty on the Eagles for an illegal hit that caused the fumble. “I got the ball back for sure and then it should’ve been targeting, helmet to helmet,” Nixon said. “I’ve never been hit that hard.”

Mom of Eagles player reunites with dog more than 2 months after she was stolen – NBC10
Finally, on Monday, Jan. 13, two and a half months after the theft, Hale-Ringo was reunited with her beloved Molly. The reunion came just in time for the Eagles playoff run. Hale-Ringo hopes the good news brings good luck to her son and his team. “We got a win yesterday and a win for me two days in a row,” she said. “Go Birds.” Police have not yet revealed where in New Jersey Molly was found or if anyone was arrested and charged in connection to her initial theft. NBC10 reached out to Philadelphia police for comment. We have not yet heard back from them.

Dan Quinn Presser: Inside the lens of that helmet, Jayden Daniels is a killer – Hogs Haven
Dan Quinn speaks to the media on Victory Monday.

Wild Card Weekend wasn’t great for New York Giants’ quarterback search – Big Blue View
Darnold’s awful play Monday night in a 27-9 loss the Los Angeles Rams, on the heels of a similarly horrific effort in a 31-9 loss to the Detroit Lions that determined the NFC North champion, may have blown up that possibility. Darnold completed 25 of 40 passes for 245 yards. He was often uncertain where to go with the ball and took nine sacks, many of them his own fault. He threw an interception. He lost a fumble that was returned for a touchdown. A week earlier, Darnold was just 18 of 41 (43.9%) for 166 yards in that critical, lopsided loss to the Lions that cost the Vikings a chance to host a playoff game. ESPN Research showed that 23 of Darnold’s 81 passes in those two games (28.4%) were considered off-target. In the Vikings’ two biggest games of the season, their resurgent quarterback came up small. Darnold can be a free agent this offseason. Monday night, Minnesota coach Kevin O’Connell did not sound like he expected Darnold to be a Viking in 2025.