Category: Eagles Game Day

Philadelphia Eagles to play home games without fans in attendance during 2020 NFL season

City of Philadelphia announces fans won’t be allowed at Eagles games

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In a move that will break the hearts of Eagles fans, Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney on Tuesday announced a moratorium on all large public events that require public permits through February.

Events at private venues, including sports stadiums, aren’t affected by that ban, and city officials said the teams would be allowed to play without crowds per The Inquirer.

In a move that will likely cause some friction between both parties, it was a move made by the city of Philadelphia in lieu of rising coronavirus cases.

The Eagles had previously sent out notices to season ticket holders notifying them that they wouldn’t be charged their deferred payment and fans could look towards 2021 without penalty.

That now seems to be future, with Eagles home games played at an empty Lincoln Financial Field.

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Eagles center Jason Kelce mentioned in a ranking of the NFL’s top-10 interior linemen

Eagles center Jason Kelce mentioned in a ranking of the NFL’s top-10 interior linemen

Jason Kelce is still among the best players in the game at his position and although he’s now playing on a year-to-year basis, the Eagles star center is still highly respected around the league.

ESPN.com is firmly entrenched in a top-10 ranking of every position in the NFL and just as they were at the quarterback, wide receiver and offensive tackle positions, the Eagles were well represented on the list.

8. Jason Kelce, Philadelphia Eagles
Age: 32 | Highest ranking: 5 | Lowest ranking: 13

So many voters have had Kelce as their top center that they have trouble moving off him as he declines with age.

“Not quite as good as he used to be but still a fantastic player,” said one NFC exec. “He does everything well.”

Kelce still produced an 81.0 Pro Football Focus ranking and hasn’t missed a game in five years on his way to three straight All-Pro bids.

“Probably lost a step at this point — he’s great at managing the game but will struggle at the power game,” said a veteran NFL defensive coach.

If not for an Achilles injury while working out, Brandon Brooks would have definitely landed in the top-4 of the list, giving the Eagles two-players in the top-10.

Colts star Quenton Nelson took the top spot.

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Washington to retire the Redskins name; Could have a new nickname in the next 24-48 hours

Washington Redskins to unveil a new nickname on Monday, July 13

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In a move that has been imminent for about a week now, the Washington Redskins are set to announce on Monday that they intend to retire its current name per Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports.

The move will come some 10 days after the team announced that it would conduct a “thorough review” of the team name after being pressured by Nike and FedEx.

Nike has removed all Washington team merchandise from its online store.

The team moved to Washington D.C. prior to the 1937 season and has utilized that nickname ever since.

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DeSean Jackson working with Jewish community leaders to further educate himself

DeSean Jackson has started working with Jewish community leaders to educate himself

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Philadelphia Eagles star wideout DeSean Jackson is continuing to take steps to educate himself on Judaism and the Jewish community amid the fallout from an Instagram post that falsely attributed anti-Semitic quotes to Adolph Hitler.

Jackson has spoken with Patriots star Julian Edelman, who reached out to Jackson and offered to visit a Holocaust museum with the Eagles star and then, in turn, will visit the African American museum as both players take steps to learn and educate each other about their respective cultures.

Jeff Skversky of 6ABC is reporting that Jackson has been in touch with Jewish community leaders and also met with an elder Holocaust victim to further educate himself on the atrocities suffered by that community.

There have been calls for the Eagles to move on from Jackson but it appears after conversations with both Jeffrey Lurie and Howie Roseman, that DeSean’s actions moving forward will determine his place with the franchise two months from now.

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Eagles rookie QB Jalen Hurts’s Madden 21 rating revealed

Jalen Hurts gets a 68 overall rating in Madden NFL 21

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NFL training camps are less than three weeks away from starting and that means fans and gamers alike can start to prepare for the release of Madden NFL 21.

Lamar Jackson is the cover guy and although the game is more than a month from an official release, EA Sports is spilling some of the details.

First up is the all-important ratings, with the rookies getting the nod first. On Thursday EA Sports released the rookie quarterback rankings and Hurts landed in the top-5 with a 68 overall rating.

Here are the quarterbacks ranked above Hurts in terms of overall rating:

Joe Burrow — 76
Tua Tagovailoa — 73
Jordan Love — 71
Justin Herbert — 70

Hurts tied with Titans rookie Cole McDonald and Ravens rookie Tyler Huntley for the highest rating in the speed department at 86 overall.

Hurts was tops in acceleration, strength, and agility as well.

Best- and worse-case scenarios for the Philadelphia Eagles ahead of the 2020 season

Pro Football Focus offers the Best- and worst-case scenarios for the Philadelphia Eagles ahead of the 2020 season

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The 2020 version of the Philadelphia Eagles is loaded at specific positions on their roster but they are also another rash of injuries from being on the outside looking into the playoff picture.

The Birds have a confident Carson Wentz on offense, a bevy of weapons, and a reloaded defense that now offers an All-Pro caliber cornerback in Darius Slay.

Pro Football Focus recently broke down the best and worst-case scenario for all 32 NFL teams and the Eagles could flourish or be looking at a total rebuild depending on how things play out.

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES
10th percentile outcome: 5-11
How they get there: The additions of Jalen Reagor, Darius Slay and Nickell Robey-Coleman aren’t enough to make up for the problems the Eagles had on the perimeter in 2019. DeSean Jackson fails to help, and injuries once again keep Alshon Jeffery from being a big contributor. Teams pick on whoever wins the second outside cornerback job — whether that be Avonte Maddox or Sidney Jones or safety-convert Jalen Mills — in coverage. Additionally, the offensive line is not the dominant force it was a season ago thanks to the losses of Brandon Brooks and Jason Peters, which compounds the supporting-cast issues for Carson Wentz.

90th percentile outcome: 10-6
How they get there: Wentz remains healthy for the entire year and delivers a performance reminiscent of the one he produced in 2017 ─ a year in which he was a legitimate MVP candidate. Reagor stretches defenses, opening things up underneath for the likes of Zach Ertz. Defensively, the Eagles boast one of the most dangerous four-man pass rushes in the NFL with Fletcher Cox, Javon Hargrave, Brandon Graham and Derek Barnett, and they can throw Malik Jackson into that mix, too. That speeds up opposing quarterbacks and helps the secondary create some splash plays.

You can expect this team to gel quickly and with Doug Pederson leading and at the helm, this team should hover around the 10 or 11 win mark, rather than faltering and turning into a team that’s staring at a top-10 draft pick.

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Lincoln Financial Field lands in the top-10 of The Athletic’s NFL stadium ranking

Lincoln Financial Field lands in the top-10 of The Athletic’s NFL stadium ranking

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The NFL’s stadiums have been reduced from 31 to 30, but it is not a bad thing as the Rams and Chargers will now go the route of the Giants and Jets by sharing a stadium.

Rams and Chargers will share SoFi Stadium in southern California, while the Raiders will debut their new digs in Las Vegas soon as well.

The Athletic went about the task of ranking all 30 NFL stadiums and the Eagles Lincoln Financial Field landed in the top-10.

1. U.S. Bank Stadium (Vikings)

2. CenturyLink Field (Seahawks)

3. AT&T Stadium (Cowboys)

4. Lambeau Field (Packers)

5. Arrowhead Stadium (Chiefs)

6. Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Falcons)

7. Soldier Field (Bears)

8. State Farm Stadium (Cardinals)

9. Lincoln Financial Field (Eagles)

10. Heinz Field (Steelers)

11. Empower Field at Mile High (Broncos)

12. Levi’s Stadium (49ers)

13. Lucas Oil Stadium (Colts)

14. Mercedes-Benz Superdome (Saints)

15. Raymond James Stadium (Buccaneers)

16. M&T Bank Stadium (Ravens)

17. Nissan Stadium (Titans)

18. NRG Stadium (Texans)

19. Ford Field (Lions)

20. Gillette Stadium (Patriots)

21. Dignity Health Sports Park (Chargers)

22. Bank of America Stadium (Panthers)

23. FirstEnergy Stadium (Browns)

24. New Era Field (Bills)

25. Hard Rock Stadium (Dolphins)

26. MetLife Stadium (Giants/Jets)

27. Paul Brown Stadium (Bengals)

28. L.A. Memorial Coliseum (Rams)

29. Oakland Coliseum (Raiders)

30. TIAA Bank Field (Jaguars)

31. FedExField (Washington)

It’s an interesting ranking with each NFL stadium actually landing one vote on the top-five list and some stadiums landing a vote on both lists.

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NFC East takes the top spot in a ranking of NFL divisions by running backs

NFC East is No. 1 in a ranking of NFL divisions by running backs

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The NFL has some superior talent at running back but only one division reigns supreme when it comes to having the most versatile workhorses in the NFL.

With the role of the running back position changing and guys being asked to be pass catchers as well, it’s imperative to have guys who can play three downs and at different spots on the field.

CBSSports.com recently broke down all eight NFL divisions based on the running back position and thanks to some superior talent in all four cities, the NFC East came out on top.

CBS Sports placed high value in the running back’s ability to contribute supremely in the passing-game over rushing ability to break ties because “passing has a far greater effect than running on both offensive efficiency and a team’s ability to win.”

Ezekiel Elliott is still the best back in the division with Saquon Barkley chomping at his heels on a weekly basis. Miles Sanders is set to break out as a star in his second season, while Derrius Guice is just looking to be healthy.

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Eagles released a statement condemning DeSean Jackson’s anti-Semitic post attributed to Hitler

Eagles released a statement condemning DeSean Jackson’s post attributed to Hitler

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The Philadelphia Eagles just released a scathing response to DeSean Jackson posting anti-semitic remarks attributed to Hitler.

Eagles team officials said they are still continuing “to evaluate the circumstances and take appropriate action.”

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Eagles CB Darius Slay morphing into the ultimate mentor for the younger generation of NFL cornerbacks

Eagles CB Darius Slay morphing into the ultimate mentor for the younger generation of defensive backs

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The 2020 NFL offseason saw the Philadelphia Eagles finally acquire a top-notch cornerback when the franchise traded picks for disgruntled Lions star Darius Slay. Slay will likely shadow the Eagles opponent’s top pass catcher while affording defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz options and versatility for his scheme that he’s never had while in Philadelphia.

Slay has garnered accolades this summer for his precise footwork but he’s also quickly morphed into one of the go-to guys in the NFL for mentorship from younger defensive backs around the league.

Slay has been mentoring and tutoring younger defensive backs in Michigan this summer and made it point to invite young athletes from Philadelphia out as well when he arrived in the city.

For Slay, it’s all about returning the love.

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