Links to stories, pods and pictures to help you keep up with NFC East and the NFL in general
NFC East links
ESPN
How Saquon Barkley went from ‘Giant for life’ to Eagles
[T]he star running back who was the face of the franchise the previous six seasons, left to join the rival Philadelphia Eagles as a free agent in March.
Former Giants running back Tiki Barber declared at the time on his drive-time radio show on WFAN, “You’re dead to us!” The tongue-and-cheek comment seemed to speak for a large portion of the fan base on social media, where the nickname “Snaquon Barkley” was born.
Barkley took offense and fired back at Barber. He didn’t seem to like the blowback for making what he viewed as a business decision. He received several million dollars more in guaranteed money ($26 million in total) than the Giants offered during their almost two years of negotiations, dating back to the bye week during the 2022 season.
The Giants weren’t thrilled that the framework of a deal was reportedly done before the start of the free agent negotiating window, front office sources told ESPN. The Eagles didn’t understand why the Giants cared considering they weren’t making a real push to re-sign the player they drafted No. 2 in the 2018 NFL draft.
It brings us to Week 7, when Barkley, no longer the fan favorite, returns to MetLife Stadium for the first time since signing with the division rival.
“Maybe I’m naive, but I think it’s over. That chapter’s closed,” he said before Week 6. “I truly don’t care no more, and I’m pretty sure fans don’t care no more.”
Barber believes there will be a mixed reaction for Barkley’s return to MetLife. There will be those who respect what he did in six seasons. But there’s a chance the vocal majority will express their disgust for the new colors he dons.
Bleeding Green Nation
Eagles Injury Report: Jalen Carter unexpectedly misses practice
Thursday’s news and updates.
The Eagles listed five players under DID NOT PARTICIPATE: Jalen Carter, Darius Slay, Dallas Goedert, Jordan Mailata, and Eli Ricks.
Carter is a brand new addition to the report. He’s listed with a shoulder issue. Obviously not good if he’s unable to play. The Eagles’ defensive line played well in Week 6. Without Carter, they might not be able to build momentum.
Slay was downgraded to DNP after being limited on Wednesday. Wonder if the Eagles are just trying to get him to Sunday or if he really can’t play this weekend. If Slay doesn’t suit up, it’ll likely be Isaiah Rodgers starting in his place.
Goedert and Mailata are expected to miss multiple games. It’ll be interesting to see if the Eagles put them on injured reserve or not prior to 4:00 PM on Saturday.
Ricks, now listed with a groin issue, has been a healthy scratch for three games this season.
Bleeding Green Nation
Eagles at Giants Game Preview: 5 questions and answers with the enemy
Previewing Philadelphia’s Week 7 matchup.
The fan base is largely done with Jones. It’s just tiring, and it feels like the Giants are spinning their wheels. Jones has been pretty efficient this season, and had a nice four-game stretch from Weeks 2-5 before being bad Sunday vs. the Bengals. Jones is “fine,” and you can win with him when things go well around him. He just doesn’t elevate his team, and when things break down around him he has never been able to play through that successfully.
There is a lot of discussion about whether Daboll is, or should be, on the hot seat. I do not think Giants ownership wants to move on from Daboll. I think John Mara craves some stability, and he has seen in the last few years that constant change doesn’t get you anywhere.
Well, the biggest difference is that Martindale was a blitz-crazed coordinator who believed in consistently sending more rushers than the opposing line could block. Bowen is more controlled, more traditional. He likes the four-man rush, with twists, stunts and simulated pressure. The Giants also play more zone under Bowen than they did under Martindale.
That said, Bowen has had a couple of games where he has been willing to go against type and turn up the heat. The Giants are ninth in the league in points against, and that isn’t an accident. They have played well on that side of the ball.
Big Blue View
Was Saquon Barkley worth the investment for the Philadelphia Eagles?
That and more in this week’s ‘5 questions’ segment
Despite their winning record, the Eagles rank 20th in DVOA and 21st in point differential. It’s hard to argue their talent is being maximized.
They’re an unserious team right now. There was every reason for them to beat the lowly Cleveland Browns more comfortably than they did. The Eagles entered this home game with a healthy roster coming off their bye. The Browns were banged up and playing in their third straight road game.
I don’t think they’re hopeless. But I don’t think anyone truly believes in this team right now.
I thought the Eagles should’ve fired Sirianni after last year’s historically bad collapse. I understand how such a decision could’ve been viewed as rash but Jeffrey Lurie has taken pride in his organization making bold decisions. And I think bringing back Sirianni was an uncharacteristic move in terms of trying to play it safe.
I’m less interested in past accomplishment and more interested in focusing on how Sirianni serves the Eagles moving forward. And I really struggle to see how he gives the Eagles an edge over the competition. He’s not aggressive as he needs to be. He’s not proficient when it comes to game management. He doesn’t call plays and he was essentially stripped of offensive influence with the Kellen Moore hire. I think Sirianni did a good job of fostering good vibes in the past but that positive energy hasn’t been present for some time. He doesn’t seem to have answers to big problems, such as the Eagles consistently struggling to start fast (zero first quarter points in seven straight games).
I think the Eagles can win with Sirianni. I think they can win in spite of him. But I don’t have much faith in the Eagles winning because of him. He’s done less with more when the best coaches are known for doing more with less.
It’s been a long time since I’ve worried about the Eagles handling a Giants pass rush but that dynamic is a concern this week. Starting left tackle Jordan Mailata will miss Sunday’s game due to a hamstring injury. His replacement, Fred Johnson, struggled when he last had to start (at right tackle) in Week 4. Johnson allowed 11 pressures in 37 opportunities against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, according to Pro Football Focus. The aforementioned Burns could give Johnson some real issues and I could see Hurts getting strip-sacked or forced into a bad decision.
Of course, the Giants are also going to be without their starting left tackle. The Eagles’ defensive line played well against the Browns; perhaps they’ll be able to build on that performance.
Blogging the Boys
Cowboys review at the bye: Mike Zimmer receiving blame for a faltering defense
How much blame do you put on Mike Zimmer for, um, everything?
The Cowboys defense finds itself grappling with some of the toughest statistics in the league. Ranked third-worst in total points allowed, and ninth-worst in total yards allowed. Zimmer’s defensive unit has recorded just 14 sacks this season, placing them eighth-least in a league that gravitates more toward chaos than composure on the pass rush like last season. Adding to the angst, the turnover tally is similarly dismal. Zimmer’s group has created the fourth-fewest takeaways, a glaring flaw in an era that champions opportunistic defenses. To compound their woes, the statistics reveal a striking fragility in their tackling. An alarming 61 missed tackles have been logged this season—ranking fourth-most in the entire league. This holds serious implications for Zimmer, who has managed to convert a dominant defense from last season that was considered in the top-five, to what is easily shaping out to be the worst in the NFC East.
The upcoming five-game stretch after the bye contains formidable opponents—San Francisco 49ers, Atlanta Falcons, Philadelphia Eagles, Houston Texans, and Washington Commanders—and will be a critical litmus test not just for the team’s playoff aspirations, but also for Mike Zimmer’s tenure as defensive coordinator.
By the time Dallas faces the Commanders, the scenario could become increasingly grim. With all eyes on Zimmer, each opponent’s ability to problem-solve where his defensive schematics falter could affect not just the game’s outcome, but his very future with the franchise. Will he adapt and rise to the occasion, returning his troops to form? Or will the struggles bear down on him, igniting whispers of a coaching change before the season reaches a conclusion?
ESPN
What led to the Cowboys’ roster woes, and is there a fix?
The Cowboys never made a call to Derrick Henry despite the fact that he lives in the Dallas area. The free agent running back signed a two-year deal with the Baltimore Ravens that guaranteed him $9 million. After seeing Henry rush for 151 yards and two touchdowns against Dallas in Week 3, Jones said the Cowboys could not afford him. With a different structure of the deal, though, the Cowboys could have matched that guaranteed money, but it was their choice to pass on Henry, who leads the NFL in rushing (704 yards).
Instead, the Cowboys re-signed Rico Dowdle to a one-year, $1.255 million deal, including a $200,000 signing bonus, and signed Ezekiel Elliott, the franchise’s third-leading rusher of all time, who spent last season with the New England Patriots. Elliott received a one-year deal worth up to $3 million with $2 million guaranteed.
In August, the Cowboys signed Dalvin Cook, a four-time 1,000-yard rusher, to the practice squad, but he has yet to be elevated for a game.
Dowdle has 246 yards on 59 carries. Elliott has 115 yards on 38 carries. The Cowboys have the worst-ranked run offense in the NFL, averaging 77.2 yards a game and just 3.5 yards per carry.
Some of that can be traced to the offensive line.
The Cowboys felt they could not match the deal made by the New York Jets with Dallas’ eight-time Pro Bowl left tackle Tyron Smith. Last season, Smith played on a reworked deal that guaranteed him $6 million. He made another $3 million in incentives.
Given Smith’s age (33) and health (he has not played a full season since 2015), the Cowboys’ path made sense. He signed a one-year deal with the Jets that would max out at $20 million if he hits on a series of playing-time incentives.
To fill Smith’s void, the Cowboys re-signed Chuma Edoga, who has been on injured reserve with a toe injury suffered in the preseason, to a one-year, $1.292 million deal with $500,000 guaranteed and drafted Tyler Guyton in the first round, No. 29 overall.
Guyton started the first five games but missed the loss to the Lions in part because of a knee injury suffered versus the Pittsburgh Steelers. He had some positive moments, but he has given up three sacks and has been penalized eight times (six accepted). His pass block win rate is 87.5%. With the Jets, Smith has given up four sacks in six games, has been penalized five times (two accepted) and has an 84.5% pass block win rate.
Will the Cowboys give up draft capital and salary cap space to fix the issues on a team that has not proved capable of hanging with the better teams?
Before his appearance on the team’s flagship network and immediately after the 38-point loss to the Lions, Jones was asked whether he believes the roster is talented enough at the moment for the Cowboys to be one of the top teams.
“I do,” he said.
Why?
“I just do,” he said.
The Athletic (paywall)
NFL panic meter: How worried should Cowboys, Browns and other struggling teams be?
Of the league’s 32 teams, 13 have losing records. Another five are at .500. Some are banking on their fortunes changing as the season progresses, but others are already starting to run out of time. This is about the point of the season when panic begins to strike. For instance, the New York Jets already hit the panic button, firing coach Robert Saleh after only five games, even though all of their season goals remained in reach.
Then, there are teams like the Philadelphia Eagles, who entered last week in a precarious situation before winning, improving to 3-2 and avoiding the red-alert mode that would have engulfed the franchise had it fallen to 2-3.
So which of these unfortunate teams should keep the faith? Which are in dangerous territory? Which already are in a full-on panic?
Low-grade panic mode
Dallas Cowboys (3-3)
The record suggests a manageable situation, as does an NFC East that features the surprising but still developing Commanders, a glitchy Eagles team that may be getting its groove back and a Giants team not positioned for contention in 2024. But the lack of feel and answers that coach Mike McCarthy and defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer have displayed while directing an underachieving squad, and the injuries on defense, give real cause for concern. The bye comes at a much-needed time following the blowout loss to Detroit. But is a week enough time for the coaches to assess and fix all of their shortcomings?
New York Giants (2-4)
Can you really call it panic mode when your roster had the look of a subpar operation to begin with? Maybe if you’re Brian Daboll, head coach of a team that regressed in Year 2 and continues to struggle in Year 3. Daniel Jones remains erratic and hasn’t thrown a touchdown at home since Jan. 1, 2023, while directing an offense that has failed to score 20 points four times in six games this season. The Giants weren’t going to win the NFC East this season, but they need to show some real improvement as their coach’s seat heats up.
NFL league links
Articles
NFL.com
Broncos-Saints on ‘Thursday Night Football’: Five things we learned from Denver’s 33-10 win
Both rookie quarterbacks had their share of struggles. The 2024 NFL season has featured some pretty impressive rookie-QB play on the whole, but Thursday’s game – the first meeting of two rookie quarterbacks this season – might not make the year-end highlight reel.
Bo Nix outplayed Spencer Rattler, as you might expect from a quarterback who was picked 12th overall and who has held the job since training camp. But Nix was plenty sloppy at times, badly misfiring to several of his targets and getting away with a dropped interception by the Saints’ Tyrann Mathieu before halftime. He was effective with his legs and limited his mistakes, but Nix still has plenty of room for growth.
Where was Courtland Sutton? Nix didn’t look his way once, for the first zero-target game of Sutton’s career. In his second start,
Rattler was rattled after the first strip-sack and was under duress most of the night, unable to find much rhythm after a promising opening drive. Like Nix, he had a few effective scrambles. But the passing game never got going, with his shorthanded WR corps letting him down several times, and Rattler’s two lost fumbles were costly. Jake Haener replaced him in the final few minutes after Rattler sustained a hip pointer, leading the Saints to a garbage-time touchdown, so it’ll be interesting to see how Allen will handle the situation if Derek Carr isn’t healthy prior to the next game at the Chargers.
NFL.com
NFL news roundup: Saints CB Adebo suffers broken femur
DB Paulson Adebo suffered a broken femur in Thursday night’s loss, Allen announced. Adebo, who was carted off the field, was transported to a local medical center after receiving X-rays at the stadium.
QB Spencer Rattler suffered a hip pointer in Thursday’s loss, head coach Dennis Allen said.
WR Rashid Shaheed (knee) underwent a full repair on his meniscus and is out for the rest of the season, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported, per a source. The Saints placed Shaheed on injured reserve.
NFL.com
Titans release former All-Pro safety Jamal Adams after three game appearances
Adams played just three games for Tennessee in 2024, his first season with the team, recording four tackles while playing just 20 total defensive snaps. Pro Football Focus gave Adams a cut-worthy grade for those 20 snaps, handing him a mark of 49.8, including an ugly 37.7 coverage grade (on six coverage snaps).
The sample size is incredibly small but speaks to the descent of Adams as an NFL safety. A three-time All-Pro with the Jets and Seahawks (two second-team selections, one first-team nod), Adams regressed from a promising, hard-hitting former first-round pick to a player who struggled to stay healthy in his final two campaigns in Seattle, playing a combined total of 10 games from 2022 to 2023.
Discussion topics
Front Office Sports
Tom Brady’s $220 Million Raiders Stake Is Messing With His $375 Million Day Job
These are the restrictions that Brady has been working under, as reported by Seth Wickersham in August:
- He can’t criticize teams or refs.
- He can’t enter teams’ facilities.
- He can’t attend practices.
- He can’t join pregame production meetings with teams or players—in person or virtually.
- He’s subject to the league’s gambling and tampering policies.
Finance committee chairman and Chiefs owner Clark Hunt, who will now share a division with Brady, said that the broadcasting situation raised eyebrows.
“I think a lot of owners around the league felt that was a potential conflict,” Hunt said. “It’s hard to know whether it will be an actual conflict, but it can be a potential conflict or perceived conflict.”
The Athletic (paywall)
Can NFC North make NFL history and put every team in playoffs? It all hinges on the Bears
The NFC North is the best division in the NFL, and it’s not particularly close. The 5-0 Minnesota Vikings (+63), 4-1 Detroit Lions (+60), 4-2 Chicago Bears (+47) and 4-2 Green Bay Packers (+41) rank as the top four teams in the NFL in point differential.
No other division in the NFL boasts even three teams with a plus-.500 record.
Can four teams from the same division actually make the playoffs?
The Bears are the final piece of the puzzle for this division to make history. My projections have the Bears at 39% to make the playoffs, and that’s a good chunk lower than the third-most likely team in the division, Green Bay at 58%. And it’s not surprising. The Bears didn’t have the highest of expectations coming into the year — they’re more like a “year away” type of team for 2024 — but rookie quarterback Caleb Williams has played better the last few weeks, and starting out 4-2 is a good way to kick things off. The key for them will be their next three games.
The Bears have their bye this week, but starting in Week 8, they go on the road at the Washington Commanders and Arizona Cardinals before returning home to play the New England Patriots. If they can go 2-1 in those games and get to 6-3, it gives them a good shot to make the playoffs. But if they drop two or all three games in that stretch, it’s going to be an uphill battle. Why? Let’s take a look….
Pro Football Focus
Buy, sell or hold: What should each NFL team do at the 2024 trade deadline?
Carolina Panthers: SELL
The Panthers are struggling, and the price they paid for Bryce Young has hurt their ability to rebuild. Up against the cap, they likely won’t do much buying at the deadline, but it would be a win if they should ship off some veterans.
Chicago Bears: HOLD
Whisper it quietly, but the Bears have a solid roster. This year was about taking a step forward but is quickly developing into something more.
Dallas Cowboys: SELL
The Cowboys look so far from being a contender that they need to start planning for a post-Mike McCarthy future. Before injury, edge defender DeMarcus Lawrence seemed like a player who could help a challenger and net a decent trade return for Dallas.
New York Giants: SELL
The Giants likely won’t be competing for a playoff spot, so they should see what can they get for Darius Slayton or Azeez Ojulari. Slayton ranks tied for eighth in receiving yards over the past three weeks, while Ojulari racked up a season-high six quarterback pressures in Week 6 against the Bengals.
Philadelphia Eagles: BUY
The Eagles may have a third receiver on their radar, and linebacker is another need. The Titans’ Ernest Jones would improve the unit, although he was just acquired by Tennessee in a deal this offseason.
Washington Commanders: BUY
Secondary help is much needed in Washington, and the top candidate is the Rams’ Tre’Davious White. Injuries have ravaged Los Angeles’ roster, so the team may look to the future.