The Linc - PFF says Jordan Mailata is the NFL’s best offensive lineman

Philadelphia Eagles v Los Angeles Rams — Photo by Brooke Sutton/Getty Images

Philadelphia Eagles news and links for 1/15/25.

Let’s get to the Philadelphia Eagles links …

PFF Awards 2024: Jordan Mailata wins Best Offensive Lineman – PFF
A former seventh-round pick and rugby star, the Philadelphia Eagles‘s Jordan Mailata had never played a single snap of football before 2018. Now, he stands among the NFL’s elite, finishing the 2024 regular season with a league-high 95.8 PFF overall grade to solidify his status as arguably one of the best — if not the best — left tackles in the game. Mailata’s impact was most evident in the run game, where he led all offensive linemen with an impressive 94.9 PFF run-blocking grade. As the anchor of one of the league’s most formidable rushing offenses, he was a key contributor in Saquon Barkley’s near-record-breaking season. He led the way for Barkley to become one of nine running backs to hit 2,000 rushing yards in a season by posting 90.0-plus grades in both zone and gap run-blocking schemes. Mailata’s excellence wasn’t just limited to run blocking. He was equally dominant in pass protection, finishing with a 91.7 PFF pass-blocking grade, which ranked second among all offensive linemen and made him the only offensive tackle to achieve a 90.0 grade in both pass blocking and run blocking this season. Across 406 pass-blocking snaps, he allowed just one sack and 13 pressures.

Eagles-Packers Film Review: Jalen Hurts didn’t play particularly well but he didn’t get much help from offensive design – BGN
To summarize… The Eagles’ playing risk-averse football is having an impact on the passing game. Jalen Hurts did not play particularly well in this one. Jalen Hurts did not get a lot of help from the offensive design. Some of the 3rd down stuff was appalling. The Eagles’ philosophy is that the above does not matter that much right now. This is a team that arguably has the best defense and best running game in the NFL. They believe they will win games if they do not turn the football over. Personally, I can accept this style when you take an early lead. However, if the Eagles do end up in a shootout one game, I hope that this team has some better pass plays up their sleeves. Because right now, I’m not sure it’s good enough to win the Super Bowl.

Eagles’ Sirianni is a players’ coach, no matter what you think of him – ESPN
“Sometimes, he’ll just come through [the locker room] to get a haircut, and he’ll be like, ‘Want to get a quick game of ping pong?’” Mailata said. “A quick game turns into like three games because he lost the first one. He’s so competitive. So once you understand his true nature, for us it’s easy to defend him because that’s just who he is. It’s hard to understand that as a fan. “Could he be more professional? One hundred percent. But we’ve always supported him in saying, ‘Just be you.’ We know you like to wear your heart on your sleeve. Continue to do that and we’ll continue to bat for you because you always bat for us.’” That last point is a crucial one: Sirianni often takes the heat for his players’ missteps even when it makes him look foolish. His players know it. And that’s one reason why they play for him and have his back when others are crushing him. “I’ve had conversations with Nick about this, and his answer f—ing shocked me,” Mailata said. “He said, ‘That’s my job.’ I was like, ‘No it’s not. You’ve got a family too, brother. You’ve got to think about them.’ But he was like, ‘No, that’s my burden to bear. That’s my job: to take the heat off you guys so you can go out there and play free.’”

Jeremiah Trotter Jr. in mix to replace Nakobe Dean – NBCSP
But Trotter in limited time has also shown that he’s got outstanding athleticism and instincts. Even though he just turned 22 and is a rookie 5th-round pick, he’s shown up when he’s gotten a chance. He had half a sack in that Dallas game and 11 tackles and a quarterback hit against the Giants on the last day of the regular season. It was Trotter that recovered Keisean Nixon’s fumble on the opening kickoff Sunday – a fumble forced by Burks. “I think Trot’s got a good future,” Fangio said. “And that future may be now. He’s got good instincts, really likes the game, he’s smart, he’s got a lot of good qualities.” Burks had 17 tackles in the Giants game, which the starters sat out. But he struggled Sunday after replacing Dean. Jordan Love was 5-for-5 for 62 yards when targeting Burks for a 118.3 passer rating. Burks also missed three tackles. Quarterbacks had an 80.6 rating targeting Dean this year and a 75.6 rating against Trotter in limited opportunities (seven targets). Burks’ 12.4 yards per target allowed was 2nd-highest by any Eagle this year and highest by any NFL linebacker wild-card weekend.

NFL Wild Card Weekend: Scheme Review – Sumer Sports
Philadelphia Eagles: Zach Baun’s Versatility and Vic Fangio’s Turn to Cover 4. Vic Fangio’s defense, one of personal fascination and many typed words, is made to meet the moment. It is flexible when dealing with star receivers, creating pressure when only sending four pass rushers, and can be undecodable for opposing quarterbacks. Fangio’s recent trademarks (holding two high safeties before rotating one to the line of scrimmage at the last second, unique route matches in zone coverage instead of just dropping to areas, and unique defensive fronts) have all been on display for the Philadelphia Eagles defense that finished the season second in EPA/play allowed. Fangio’s evolution over a 45-year career is noteworthy; he consistently tweaks his core structures to match his personnel and deal with the newest movement of NFL offenses. This year’s evolution is thanks in part to the versatility of Zach Baun. Baun, a former special teamer and trained edge rusher, is nothing short of a revelation. He earned first-team All-Pro honors at linebacker in a season in which the response to him starting at the position was questions, doubts, and concerns. Baun ducks defenders in the run game, is instinctive in the pass game, and is the skeleton key for Vic Fangio’s unit.

The Eagles aren’t losing to the Rams. But if they did, here’s how they would. – Inquirer
One of the more concerning aspects of Hurts’ performance against the Packers was his performance against the pass rush. According to Pro Football Reference, the Packers generated pressure on 10 of his 24 drop backs. On those plays, Hurts completed just 2 of 8 passes for 19 yards. But, again, the Eagles only asked Hurts to drop back 24 times, despite having the best offensive line in the game and the best receiving corps in the game, and a running back who is among the better pass-catchers and blitz-picker-uppers in the game, and an opponent that was missing its All-Pro cornerback. It goes without saying that Hurts is a much better quarterback than Darnold. He does not have the internal panic alarm in the face of pressure, which is half the battle of quarterbacking in the NFL. Pressure does not become sacks and interceptions. Increasingly, though, it does become throwaways and scrambles for minimal gain. The Rams do not have an elite pass rush. But they do have a very good pass rusher in Verse. And they did utilize some creative blitzes to leave Darnold wishing that rare wish of still being a Panther or a Jet.

Confidence rankings, Super Bowl odds for eight remaining NFL playoff teams – NFL.com
5) EAGLES. Philadelphia’s offense features all-world playmakers and the best offensive line in football, but this team is truly defined by its defense. Since the Eagles’ early bye back in Week 5, Vic Fangio’s unit has performed at an elite level, allowing just 14.6 points and 255.1 yards per game in its last 14 outings. Now, in Sunday’s 22-10 smothering of Green Bay, Philly did lose linebacker Nakobe Dean to a season-ending injury. That hurts. But the Eagles still have potent playmakers on each level of the D, including first-team All-Pro LB Zack Baun, second-team All-Pro DT Jalen Carter and a pair of dynamic rookie DBs in Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean. If defense truly does win championships, this is the team to back.

Spadaro: How will the Eagles account for the loss of Nakobe Dean? – PE.com
Offensive Coordinator Kellen Moore acknowledges that Sunday’s offensive output against Green Bay “wasn’t our best performance” and is looking for a cleaner, more productive game this week against the Rams. “The exciting part for us is how we navigate that,” Moore said. The first time the Eagles played the Rams, Philadelphia ran for more than 300 yards and running back Saquon Barkley gained 255 yards – including touchdown runs of 70 and 72 yards. Los Angeles, no doubt, will be focused on No. 26.

Eagles fan banned from Lincoln Financial Field for sexist tirade aimed at Green Bay Packers fan – PhillyVoice
An Eagles fan who shouted sexist profanities at a Packers fan during Sunday’s Wild Card playoff game has been banned from attending future events at Lincoln Financial Field, a source confirmed Tuesday. The incident in the stands was caught on video by Packers fan Alexander Basara, the fiancé of the woman who was targeted by the Eagles fan. Basara – whose bio on X, formerly Twitter, describes him as a “daily Packers content creator” – said the Eagles fan’s outburst was “unprovoked” and came in response to his fiancé cheering for Green Bay during the fourth quarter.

NFL playoffs remaining starting QBs were seven first-round picks and a second-round pick – PFT
Washington’s Jayden Daniels was the second overall pick in 2024. Houston’s C.J. Stroud was the second overall pick in 2023. Buffalo’s Josh Allen was the seventh overall pick in 2018. Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes was the 10th overall pick in 2017. Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson was the 32nd overall pick in 2018. Philadelphia’s Jalen Hurts, the only second-round pick, was the 53rd overall pick in 2020.

Week 19 DVOA: Big Games for Texans and Rams – FTN Fantasy
[BLG Note: The Eagles rank 2nd in weighted DVOA while the Rams rank 6th.]

Weddle on Eagles WRs: ‘They don’t care’ – Turf Show Times
A.J. Brown had one of the least productive games of his career during the Eagles’ 22-10 win over the Packers in the wild card round, finishing with only one catch for 10 yards on three targets, but Philadelphia will host the L.A. Rams in the next round. The receiver may have still been the NFL’s star of the weekend though for being seen reading a book on the sidelines that has since shot to number one on Amazon. But was the moment inspirational, funny, or a sign that the Eagles receivers are more concerned with getting the ball than winning a playoff game? Former Rams safety Eric Weddle said on a podcast this week that Brown and the other Eagles receivers appeared to care more about their stats than the fact that they would be hosting a divisional playoff game the next week.

Packers Film Analysis: Interceptions and Quick-Game – Acme Packing Company
And, of course, there were the three interceptions. The first one was a slightly underthrown pass on a vertical shot. The Eagles start with a two-high safety alignment, then spin to a single-high look post-snap. That gives Love a one-on-one on the outside: Dontayvion Wicks vs. Darius Slay. Wicks isn’t able to gain separation down the field and is a bit pinned to the sideline, so Love tries to make a perfect pass over the inside shoulder instead of fading this to the outside shoulder. Slay doesn’t even really see it until it’s almost to him, and the ball falls right in his lap.

Jaguars 2025 head coach candidate profile: Eagles OC Kellen Moore – Big Cat Country
Kellen Moore has compiled seven seasons as a coach in the NFL, six of them as an offensive coordinator. Outside of some incredible statistical output, particularly during his time with the Cowboys, it’s quite clear that he is well respected throughout the league. His relationships with quarterbacks is particularly evident, as you would expect from a former signal caller. The level of effort he goes to in creating a QB-friendly offense is obvious simply from the quotes above. And, the injury-riddled season with the Chargers aside, his approach to offense has consistently been rewarded with yards, touchdowns, and wins.

Should the Saints hire Kellen Moore as the next head coach? – Canal Street Chronicles
As of right now, I only feel slightly better about the Saints’ interest. His play calling in the playoffs is my biggest worry […] New Orleans is also in need of a culture builder, and I don’t think that’s a way you could describe Kellen Moore.

Commanders vs Lions Tuesday Injury Report: Bobby Wagner is the only new DNP, and another kicker injury – Hogs Haven
Two of Washington’s linebackers didn’t practice today. Dan Quinn told reporters yesterday that rookie Jordan Magee reinjured hamstring on Sunday and wasn’t expected to play against the Lions. Bobby Wagner was listed as a DNP for today with a new ankle injury. The team didn’t run a full practice, and we’ll have to wait until the team gets a full practice in tomorrow to see if today’s designation was precautionary for the veteran that has only missed 11 snaps on defense all year.

Report: Jason Witten may have been ‘heir apparent’ plan under Jerry Jones’ Mike McCarthy return idea – Blogging The Boys
This is… something. As noted Witten does not have any coaching experience in either the collegiate ranks or the NFL. In that vein it makes sense to bring him in as someone who could learn at the foot of a different head coach, but it is also fair to understand Mike McCarthy not wanting to do that if that is ultimately what happened. It will be somewhat telling if Witten does ultimately wind up on the Cowboys staff, whether as the head coach or as the “heir apparent” to someone else. That would seemingly signal that the plan is in fact for Witten to ultimately take over. We will see.

New York Giants offensive line was better, but the work isn’t done – Big Blue View
The Giants surrendered 48 sacks, which was 11th-most in the league, a year after surrendering a league-worst 85. Their Pro Football Focus team pass blocking grade of 57.6 was significantly better than their league-worst 43.4 grade in 2023. In run blocking, the Giants improved from a 40.9 PFF grade in 2023 to 59.7 in 2024. The Giants went from a league-low 3.35 Adjusted Line Yards in 2023 to 4.17 in 2024, which was 21st. So, there was improvement.

Vikings made history in the NFL Wild Card Playoffs, for all the wrong reasons – SB Nation
Another playoff season has come and gone for the Minnesota Vikings without success. The NFL’s best regular season team continues to struggle when the games matter the most, and that manifested on Monday night with a blowout loss to the Los Angeles Rams that made it look like the Vikings never belonged in the playoffs. It was also a loss that cemented the Vikings in history once more. Minnesota is now the only team in NFL history to win 14 games in the regular season, then lose in the Wild Card Playoff round. It’s a horrible record to own and we might need to wait a long time for it to be broken.