The Linc - Eric Allen is a Pro Football Hall of Fame finalist

Philadelphia Eagles v Washington Redskins — Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images

Philadelphia Eagles news and links for 12/28/24.

Let’s get to the Philadelphia Eagles links …

Eric Allen is a finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame – PE.com
What a perfect start to this Eagles-Cowboys weekend. Eric Allen, already enshrined as a member of the Eagles Hall of Fame, was named a finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday. Allen is one of 15 modern-era finalists for induction. The Class of 2025 will be announced at NFL Honors on Thursday, February 6, before Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans. It would be fitting as New Orleans was the site of one of Allen’s many marquee performances in Kelly Green, the same jerseys that the Eagles are wearing on Sunday against Dallas.

Eagles-Cowboys Game Preview: 5 questions and answers with the Week 17 enemy – BGN
1) The Cowboys are 4-1 over their last five games. What’s gone into the turnaround? One of the biggest things is they have gotten healthier in some key spots. That has helped the defense in a big way as the return of Micah Parsons has really energized the pass rush, putting much more pressure on opposing offenses. Besides just better play overall on defense, it has led to turnovers which are fueling this offense that is hampered by a suspect offensive line and a backup quarterback. Besides Parsons, the defense got DaRon Bland back. There is also a long-held belief about Mike Zimmer defenses that says they will look lousy while learning his scheme, but once they get used to it they will be very effective. That seems to have held true here. Cooper Rush has also taken a few games to get going but has looked more comfortable lately. He’s working behind a patchwork line, but one that has looked better than they should based on continuity and past performance of some of the players. They have helped create a viable run game with Rico Dowdle that has been able to sustain drives and help cover for Rush’s shortfalls. So put all those things together and you have a team that is much more capable than the one they rolled out earlier in the year. Plus, the schedule got easier.

Eric Dickerson doesn’t think Saquon Barkley will break his record. He’s wrong – SB Nation
Despite what Dickerson thinks the odds are on Barkley’s side. The Eagles have two remaining games against Giants and Cowboys, who are common opponents Philly have already faced — so that gives us a baseline to potentially predict how Barkley could perform to close out the season. Week 7 vs. Giants: 17 carries, 176 yards. Week 10 vs. Cowboys: 14 carries, 66 yards. Barkley falls barely short if we combine these numbers, ending his season with 2,080 yards. The devil is in the details though. It needs to be noted that the Giants allowed a ludicrous 10.4 yards-per-carry to Barkley in their game, and the Cowboys allowed 4.7 yards-per-carry. In addition, Barkley’s usage rate has drastically increased since Week 10. The Eagles have had him carry the ball an average of 25.5 times per game in the last six weeks, and the only thing that could stop that is if Philly tries to save him for the playoffs.

Eagles-Cowboys preview: Five things to watch – PhillyVoice
2) Can Kenny Pickett make some plays? After Hurts left the game last Sunday, the Commanders showed little respect for Pickett either as a passer or a runner. They packed the box and dared Pickett to beat them through the air. If the Cowboys employ a similar defensive approach — and spoiler, they will — the Eagles have to make them pay with chunk plays down the field. On Friday morning we took an in-depth look at Pickett’s performance against the Commanders on Sunday. In my opinion, it’s unlikely that the Eagles would have lost that game if Hurts hadn’t gotten concussed. Kellen Moore and Nick Sirianni will be responsible for putting together a game plan for Pickett that hides his deficiencies. That means no more zone reads that opposing defenses aren’t going to respect, for example. Their play calls made little sense at times, as they failed to adjust to a less physically gifted quarterback entering the game. They cannot just run their offense as is on Sunday as if Hurts is still the starter.

Kenny Time – Iggles Blitz
Pickett grew up an Eagles fan so this is a dream come true for him. He gets to start against the Dallas Cowboys with the NFC East title on the line. That is pretty cool. This is a great opportunity, but there is also a lot of pressure on him. Eagles fans aren’t particularly patient or forgiving. If he doesn’t play well, Pickett will hear about it. A lot. Last week was a mixed performance for Pickett. A week of practice should make a difference and help him to play better. He knocked the rust off last week. His timing should be improved and the offense will be adjusted to fit his strengths. Pickett doesn’t need to turn into Joe Montana for the Eagles to win. He does need to play better than he did in Washington. Pickett will have a healthy OL to protect him. He’ll have star WRs to throw the ball to in AJ and DeVonta. He’ll also have that Barkley guy to hand the ball to. It would be tough for a backup QB to ask for more than that. Pickett will have everything he needs to succeed. One X-factor is that it is supposed to rain. That can make things challenging for all QBs, let alone a backup who has small hands.

In Roob’s Eagles Observations: How Kellen Moore can make life easier for Kenny Pickett – NBCSP
7. He doesn’t throw many touchdowns, but he doesn’t throw many interceptions, either. He’s not a scrambler, but he’s got a respectable 4.3 career rushing average (when you remove kneel downs) and he’s turned a surprising 36 of his 78 career non-kneel down rushing attempts into first downs. He’s only averaged 181 passing yards in his 24 career starts, but he’s won 14 of them. Kenny Pickett doesn’t do anything particularly well, but he also doesn’t do anything particularly poorly. His strengths are his toughness, intelligence and work ethic, and those may not be reasons to draft him in the first round, but they should make him a decent backup. With a full week practicing with the starting offense and a game plan tailored to him and not Jalen Hurts, I expect Pickett to play OK Sunday against the Cowboys. He’s not going to go out there and win a game on his own, but with this defense and this offensive line and these skill guys, he doesn’t need to.

5 things to watch when the Cowboys play the Eagles on Sunday – Blogging The Boys
1. Will Saquon break one? The Eagles have the top rushing offense in the league, averaging 188 yards a game. Saquon Barkley is a big reason for this as he’s produced 122.5 yards per game, which is over 40 yards better than his best season with the New York Giants. Barkley is a star running back but also benefits from a top-notch running scheme. Eagles run game coordinator Jeff Stoutland does a fantastic job pulling linemen and utilizing skill players to open running lanes as you’ll often find center Cam Jurgens or tight end C.J. Uzomah leading the way. Barkley has 1,201 rushing yards before contact this season, which is absolutely insane. That is more than the total rushing yards of all the Cowboys’ running backs combined. There is no doubt the Eagles will lean heavily on their rushing attack, especially with Jalen Hurts out with a concussion. Barkley has been tearing it up this year, but shockingly the Cowboys’ defense has been his kryptonite over the years. He is averaging less than 50 yards per game over the last eight games against Dallas. It’s been over five years since he rushed for more than 81 yards in a game against them.

How safe is Nick Sirianni? – PFT
Eagles coach Nick Sirianni is four for four when it comes to making the playoffs. And yet there’s still a sense that Sirianni isn’t a high-end NFL coach. It’s not just a media thing. Despite a 13-4 season, Sirianni has become a 100-1 afterthought in the betting for coach of the year. And it all flows from the perception that the Eagles have the most overall talent in the league. So much talent that they thrive not because of Sirianni but in spite of him. At times, he acts like a fan who won a contest to be coach for a day. For example, he jawed with folks in the crowd late in a win over the Browns. More recently, he reportedly got into something with Commanders tight end Zach Ertz that required Big Dom to intervene. It’s fair to ask whether another coach would be able to nudge this impressive collection of players over the top. On Friday, Colin Cowherd offered up an interesting take. If the Eagles lose in the first- or second-round of the playoffs, Sirianni could be out — and Bill Belichick could be in.

Russini’s what I’m hearing: Vikings want Darnold back in 2025, Watson’s new deal, Brady’s big role – The Athletic
For Giants fans, though, it’s bittersweet watching Saquon dominate week after week for Philadelphia. As we know, with the Giants he never had the kind of blocking he’s getting now with the Eagles, led by right tackle Lane Johnson. After their Week 15 win over the Steelers, I caught up with Lane while he was sitting at his locker, looking completely wiped. When I asked him how he was feeling, he just grinned and said, “Getting old sucks.” Sure, getting older isn’t exactly a blast, but for Johnson, it hasn’t slowed him down one bit. At 34, he can make a claim to being the best offensive tackle in the league. According to Pro Football Focus, he hasn’t allowed a single sack all season. He’s only given up 10 pressures and nine QB hurries, even while squaring off against some of the NFL’s top pass rushers. And here’s the wild part: According to PFF, he is among the NFL leaders in “island rate” — snaps on which he gets no help from a guard or a running back/tight end chip — and he’s been the best tackle in football this season in those “island” situations. That’s almost unheard of, yet Johnson makes it look effortless. And he’s not just a wall in pass protection, he’s a force in the run game, too. Johnson ranks in the top-four for win rates in both pass and run blocking, proving he’s as well-rounded as they come.

C.J. Gardner-Johnson and Eagles defense want to ‘toe the line’ but not cross it after Commanders matchup boils over – Inquirer
Gardner-Johnson wouldn’t say whether the defense’s reputation for taking it to opponents is starting to precede the group with referees, but said it wouldn’t change going forward either way. “That question I’m not answering, because at the end of the day, the intensity of the defense is showing in numbers,” Gardner-Johnson said. “We’re just going to keep playing, week in and week out.”

ESPN+ Cheat Sheet: Our best fantasy football advice for Week 17 – ESPN+
Best of the Week. Mike Clay: Even after a rough Week 16 showing in which they allowed five TDs and 66.4 fantasy points to Washington’s WR room, the Eagles have still allowed the eighth-fewest fantasy points to wide receivers, including the third fewest to the perimeter this season. Even after last week’s disastrous showing by Philly, this passing game should be downgraded. Mike Clay: After producing 120-plus yards and 14-plus fantasy points in three consecutive games, Rico Dowdle came back down to earth with just 51 yards on 16 touches against the Buccaneers on Sunday. The Eagles have allowed the second-fewest RB fantasy points (and a league-low five TDs). No back has reached 21 fantasy points against them and only four have reached 15. Dallas backs totaled 8.8 points when these teams met in Week 10. Dowdle is best viewed as a low-ceiling flex option.

The Best NFL Bets for Week 17 (Part 2): The Rest of ’Em – The Ringer
Although Philadelphia has an advantage on paper against the Dallas run defense, the Cowboys will likely load the box against Pickett and his career average of 6.2 yards per attempt average. This is the second time the Eagles defense has faced Cooper Rush this season, and the Cowboys struggled to generate offense in the first meeting. They finished the game with only 146 total yards on 2.6 yards per play. Dallas’ run offense has improved since then, but relying on the quick passing game through Rush will be challenging in potentially rainy and windy conditions. All signs point to the under here, especially since Dallas’ top offensive player, CeeDee Lamb, has been shut down for the season. Verdict: Bet Under 39.5 (-110)

NFL coaching cycle: Examining league hot seats, current openings with two weeks left in regular season – NFL.com
The Giants enter Sunday’s game against the Colts on a 10-game losing streak, ranked dead last in scoring (14.3 points per game) and two losses away from the franchise’s worst record since 1966 when they went 1-12-1 — all of which has raised questions about the futures of head coach Brian Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen. Giants president and CEO John Mara believes both men are highly capable. He remembers just two years ago when Daboll and Schoen were the toast of the town and the Giants won a playoff game at Minnesota during Super Wild Card Weekend. Even this season could have gone differently if they’d finished games early, before injuries struck, the losses mounted, and the team released quarterback Daniel Jones after he was benched in November. The prevailing sense in league circles is that Mara doesn’t want to make changes. He said as much in October when the Giants were 2-5, telling reporters attending the premiere of an NFL Films piece on his father that Wellington Mara preached patience — but the Giants haven’t won a game since those comments.

Commanders vs Falcons Friday Injury Report: Five players ruled out for Sunday night’s game – Hogs Haven
Washington ruled out 5 players for this Sunday night’s home game against the Atlanta Falcons. Three of those were due to hamstring injuries suffered during the victory over the Eagles. Marshon Lattimore re-injured his left hamstring, and didn’t practice this week. This re-injury puts him back on the injury cycle that he was on before Washington traded for him on November 5th. General manager Adam Peters said the team was aware of his injury, and they were acquiring him for the long-term after the trade was announced. Lattimore returned vs his former team, the New Orleans Saints, and wasn’t targeted once. The Eagles targeted him 10 times, and he allowed 5 receptions for 68 yards and a TD. He was also flagged for pass interference 3 times in the same quarter for 68 yards.

Fates of New York Giants GM Joe Schoen, coach Brian Daboll undecided — report – Big Blue View
With two games remaining in a historically miserable season for the New York Giants, the big question is whether general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll will keep their jobs once it’s over. A report from NFL Network insiders Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport indicates that is still to be determined. Their newly-released report indicates that Giants co-owner John Mara “hasn’t made” his decision yet.

Buccaneers bring Shaq back – Bucs Nation
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have re-signed Shaquil Barrett, a move that bolsters their defensive lineup as they push for the playoffs. Barrett, previously released by the Bucs in February 2024 to clear cap space, had a brief stint with the Miami Dolphins before retiring.