Philly Front Office

Rejoice! The Eagles have won the NFC East and no longer will you have to hear about no repeat winners in the division. Speaking of which, lost in that statistical oddity is that Philly has won 12 of 25 division titles since 2000, Dallas has 7, while Washington and New York have the scraps. The back-to-back stat makes it seem like parody when it isn’t.

Eagles Postgame: Why Not Us?

Anyway, this is a strange week of NFL games. The Christmas slate is rank garbage that I’m sure Netflix and Amazon were real excited about just a few months ago. Only the NBA is probably happy about those matchups. Saturday is the real winner with 3.5 good teams playing. Sorry Baltimore, you only get half a mention because you haven’t technically been eliminated following your collapse against the Pats. As much as I want to say the Eagles heading to Buffalo is the game of the Week, I can’t. It isn’t even the game of the time slot. If I were anything but an Eagles fans, my eyes would be glued to Giants at Raiders and Tank Bowl 2025. How often do you get the two top teams in the NFL playing each other? By top, I mean best of the absolute worst. I may have to put that one on a second screen. It is going to be AWFUL. Who doesn’t love that?

The NFL Hates Christmas Football

• Dallas Cowboys at Washington Commanders
  • 1pm on Netflix
  • The Cowboys will not be winning the Super Bowl this season. This will mark 30 years since Dallas beat Pittsburgh in Super Bowl XXX. There’s a continuous debate online between Eagles and Cowboys fans regarding championships. You know the one, they say 5 is greater than 2 then we say what about NFL Championships. It’s silly. I am obviously biased, but for all the fans under 35, it seems a bit disingenuous to brag about something you never experienced. Pre SB52, could I have said anything about those NFL Championships? No way. That always seemed pathetic, just like young Cowboys fans now.
  • It was kind of sad to watch the Commanders on Saturday. They want to say this season was tanked because of injuries, but that’s only half the story. Daniels getting hurt was obviously huge, but did you notice any young talent on the field? Other than the RB, there’s nobody. Even McLaurin is already 30. This season wasn’t just a failure because they lost, it was a failure because they wasted a year of development. They need a higher pick in the draft much more than the Cowboys. Unfortunately for them, they only have 2 picks in the top 145 (they pick 146th in the 5th round).
• Detroit Lions at Minnesota Vikings
  • 4:30pm on Netflix
  • The Lions losing to Pittsburgh last week was an absolute killer. They aren’t technically eliminated yet thanks to the Packers tie earlier in the year against the Cowboys, but Detroit need to win out and Green Bay to lose out for the Lions to get in. I know their defense is hurt and they had a killer schedule, but this team just didn’t have the juice this year. In their losses, the defense wasn’t great, but it was the offense that usually couldn’t find a score when they needed it. Let’s root for the Lions just so the Packers game Saturday night has some extra intrigue to it.
  • The Vikings really needed to see JJ McCarthy play these last few weeks. He is hurt again. What the hell are they going to do with him? After 2 seasons, they have no idea if he is any good or not but do know he is an injury waiting to happen. Do they stick with him? They are sitting in the middle of the draft, so they are not in position to draft his replacement if that is even something they would want to do. After spending big in free agency this year, they are going to have to roll the dice again with McCarthy next year. What a total waste of a draft pick and 3 years of Justin Jefferson’s prime.
• Denver Broncos at Kansas City Chiefs
  • 8:15pm on Prime
  • The Broncos looked like they were exposed last week against the Jaguars while Jacksonville had a coming out party. The Jags did whatever they wanted to the vaunted Denver defense with ease. It couldn’t have happened to a better guy than Sean Payton. I would like the Broncos to lose this week (sorry Louie) just to throw the top of the AFC playoff picture into a total mess. They are tied with the Patriots right now but own the tiebreaker on common opponents. The real test is next week when they face the Chargers who could steal the division from them – but that would require Justin Herbert to play well in a big game so…
  • So sad to see the Kansas City Chiefs implode. With the team falling from grace and Travis Kelce likely retiring, they might have the most precipitous drop in popularity the league has ever seen. The icing on the cake though is the move to the other side of the Mississippi. I’ve seen a lot of people asking what the big deal is (especially from those shocked that Kansas City wasn’t in Kansas this whole time), but they are missing the point. How would Eagles fans feel about the team moving to Camden? The city of Oakland lost the Warriors across the Bay then the Raiders and A’s left town leaving them with nothing. Let’s move the Yankees to NJ to play with the Giants and Jets. It’s the same thing, right? Let’s move the Red Sox over to Foxboro while we are at it. How did Buffalo fans feel about playing home games in Toronto? This was a straight greed move by ownership that has been blessed with the best stretch in franchise history. No more, no less. Can’t wait for them to go back to mediocrity in a new state and no fake media image covering up their shit organization.

Eagles 2026 Offseason Plans

Screw College Saturday Football

• Houston Texans at Los Angeles Chargers
  • 4:30pm on NFL Network
    • NFL Network? Really? That’s still a thing?
  • Houston was totally looking past Las Vegas last week and almost blew their 6 game winning streak. That moves to 7 now with the Jags in their sights. All things being equal, the Texans would win the division based on the Strength of Victory tiebreak which is way in the weeds. They need to get past the Chargers first though while hoping Jacksonville screws up once.
  • Such a dilemma. Chaos is a lot of fun and the Chargers winning this game would create just that. This could put them in position to steal the division from the Broncos in Week 18 while also putting themselves in play for the #1 seed along with the Pats, Jags, and not the Bills after they lose to the Eagles on Sunday. Of course, that would mean that my narrative about Justin Herbert being a super fraud would take a slight hit until he implodes next week. Who to root for? Well, I’m selfish and really love the Texans super-red uniforms so it’s screw the Chargers this week and for the foreseeable future. A loss this week likely clinches the division for Denver after they murder the Chiefs.
• Baltimore Ravens at Green Bay Packers
  • 8:00pm on Peacock
    • Peacock? I ended up forgetting to cancel Peacock for 3 months after the Eagles played the Packers to start last season. I am not falling into that trap again.
  • Come on Ravens, what the hell was that against the Pats? A 2-score lead with 12 minutes to play and they decided to ice Derek Henry. They deserved to lose that game and put their playoff hopes in serious peril. They need to not only win this game but hope the Steelers lose to the awful Browns to have next week’s showdown mean anything. Just a disastrous end to that game.
  • Speaking of blowing games, the Packers went from having a chance for the #1 seed to possibly missing the playoffs in a span of 5 minutes to end that game against the Bears. You can’t lose a 16-6 lead late in the 4th quarter and see yourself as a real contender. As much as I had a good time up at Lambeau this year, let’s hope the Ravens pull this one out for their sake and to put a ton of panic in the fan base and probably false hope for Detroit.

1pm Football

• Arizona Cardinals at Cincinnati Bengals
  • Is this the biggest who the hell cares game of the week? The Cardinals can’t even hope to get the #1 pick in the draft despite having the second worst record because they lose tie breaks to everyone but the Titans. Let’s focus on their QB situation instead. They are looking at either just under or just above $50m in cap hit if they release Kyler Murray, depending on how they do it. Then they have the problem of needed another QB. Let’s hope they lose so the 2nd round pick they offer the Eagles for Tanner McKee is slightly better.
  • Speaking of getting rid of QBs, the Bengals are absolutely not trading Joe Burrow. If they did, it would probably be the biggest trade in league history. 3 first round picks for Myles Garrett is NOTHING compared to the haul Burrow would land. You don’t just have to pay for his value, you have to pay the Bengals to get rid of the single thing keeping their franchise afloat. Of course you would probably have to trade Ja’Marr Chase as well. Yikes. Again, it’s not happening.
• Pittsburgh Steelers at Cleveland Browns
  • After almost a full season of mediocrity, the Steelers beat the Lions last week, saw the Ravens lose, and now they have a shot in the playoffs. They are easily the worst team that will represent the AFC in the playoffs, but it was still solidly impressive. What is not impressive is all the people calling for Mike Tomlin’s head. They have punted the QB situation for years and this is supposed to be his fault? Praise this man for another winning season instead of accusing him of having lost a step please.
  • The Browns are a total mess. This is their QB situation: lose $230m pariah to a knee injury for the year, trade for Kenny Pickett, sign Joe Flacco, draft Dillon Gabriel, draft Shedeur Sanders. Despite that, they now go into 2026 with Deshaun Watson set to cost $80m against the cap unless they extend him or move even more of that money to the future and probably Sanders as the starter. They would also be in position to draft a QB. Would they? Yikes.
• New Orleans Saints at Tennessee Titans
  • The Saints should probably be commended for winning the last few games with zero talent on this team, but honestly it has been unhelpful. Tyler Shough seems to be ok and allows them to not take a QB in the draft this year, but he has also taken them out of the running for the top draft pick and down to around 10 and possibly as low as 15. For a team in dire need of blue chip talent, that’s not ideal. I don’t like any of this as the Saints are a player for the Eagles Tanner McKee
  • The Titans have now won 2 of 3 and played themselves out of the top pick in the draft too. Their situation isn’t as bad as New Orleans, but it’s close. After Ward and Jeffery Simmons, this team is in desperate need of talent. Speaking of which. Simmons needs to be out of town in the offseason. Considering what Quinnen Williams just went for, Tennessee needs to cash in. He is 28 and has a very reasonable salary for the position. They could get two 1sts for him. He’s good, but they are a few years at best from contending. Why waste his prime when you can develop?
• Jacksonville Jaguars at Indianapolis Colts
  • I have to admit, I did not think the Jags were for real. Then they completely dominated the Broncos on offense. Compared to the Eagles, they looked like they were in the future. I still don’t trust Larence at all and the defense is sketchy, but they have no business being that good moving the ball with Brian Thomas being half the player he was and Travis Hunter being a total waste of 2 picks. A win puts them in the race for the #1 pick and KOs the once high and mighty Colts
  • I have nothing against the Colts but seeing them fall from grace this season has been something I can’t stop paying attention to. Remember that Jay-Z line “It was all good just a week ago”? That’s how it feels when Daniel Jones goes down and you trade two 1sts for Sauce Gardner who also goes down. Jonathan Taylor is having an amazing season, but other than him this team is snake bit. They are going to miss the playoffs and owe the Jets the #15 pick. Then are they going to re-sign Jones? This whole scene with Jones has happened before.
• Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Miami Dolphins
  • In some ways Baker Mayfield is a product of the times we live in. The things he does well are awesome. The underdog leading a comeback drive and getting all kinds of fired up about it is fun to watch. Except, that completely hides the fact that he is a former #1 pick, is usually the reason his team is trailing, and more often than not he throws the game away. No one wants to look at him beyond the highlights. He is fine as far as QBs go, but he’s basically Jameis Winston with better receivers. Enough ranting. The Bucs simply need to win this game to still have a shot at the division next week against Carolina since they get the tiebreak if they finish with the same record. A loss and a Carolina win against the Seahawks makes next week moot.
  • The Quinn Ewers era has begun in Miami I guess. Do the Dolphins really plan on canning Tua? I mean, he deserves it, but this has to set off a crazy series of events for the Dolphins. Why? Because Tua has $100m that needs to be accounted for whether that comes all in 2026 or split over the next two years (67/33). You can’t put a quality team on the field with that kind of crater on your balance sheet (plus Tyreek Hill). This team needs a SERIOUS reset.
• New England Patriots at New York Jets
  • I didn’t want to believe it at the beginning of the season, but Drake Maye is pretty good. Watching him not make mistakes and make throws when he needs to reminds me a lot of Jalen Hurts (even if both sides probably find this offensive). In the simplest sense, none of the passes are going where they shouldn’t even if you want them to go somewhere else. The Patriots wrap against their two most hated rivals. as long as they don’t look past either, they could be looking at the #1 seed in the AFC.
  • The Jets are sitting at #4 in the Tank Rank right now but with hopes of a jump with some luck. To get to #1, they need the Giants to beat the Raiders on Sunday then both those teams to win next week AND the Browns to win one more game. You’d get serious odds on that in a parlay but don’t make that bet. Good things do not happen to the Jets.
• Seattle Seahawks at Carolina Panthers
  • The Rams exercised some demons last week with their comeback over the Rams, but damn Sam Darnold cannot really inspire much confidence. He still threw 2 picks and was sacked 4 times. If they win out, they are the #1 seed in the NFC. However, they play SF next week where the winner could move to #1 while the loser could drop as low as 6th. As the Eagles have the #3 seed damn near set, that’s a big deal for us.
  • Of course, Seattle will need to get by Carolina first. This is the type of game the Panthers have excelled in all season. Good teams look past them and they are good enough to take advantage. This has all the makings of a trap game for Seattle even though Carolina is gunning for their division. A win and a Tampa loss to Miami makes next week’s showdown in Tampa a rest your starters game for the Panthers. A Panthers loss would clinch the #3 seed for the Eagles, but I would rather they knock out Seattle than doing our work for us.

Who Might Trade for Tanner McKee?

4pm Football

• New York Giants at Las Vegas Raiders
  • TANK BOWL 2025
  • At the first sign of a big hit on Jaxson Dart, the Giants need to remove him from the game. You cannot have his effort and drive to win ruin their chances at losing this game. In fact, why not have everyone in the building start coughing on him now and get him out of there to protect his health, right? Can’t be too cautious. My fear for the Giants is that they have more will to win this game than their opponent. That kind of hope is a killer in a must lose game like this.
  • No need to worry about motivation for the Raiders, they have none. Geno Smith is maybe the single worst starting QB in the league and now he’s pressing. They should have no problem not moving the ball and turning it over. What they need to worry about is Ashton Jeanty. Not only is he gunning for a 1000 yard season, but he is the only home run hitter playing in this one. If he gets loose once, it could be the difference between securing the top pick and picking 4th. The Raiders have already scratched Brock Bowers and Jeremy Chinn, why not Jeanty?
• Philadelphia Eagles at Buffalo Bills
  • A win or Carolina loss and the Eagles clinch the 3rd seed. I don’t care about that. Even though this game shouldn’t be personal, it is. Buffalo has been the darling of the NFL for years and their QB can do no wrong. I want to tear him apart. Let’s see how he does against a real defense. Last time he played one, in Houston, he lost. The Eagles will be getting Jalen Carter and Lane Johnson back as well. Granted I don’t want to see anyone get hurt, but a win here makes next week an automatic bye week (if we want). Plus it also announces to the league that the Eagles are back.
  • The Bills still have an outside chance at the #1 seed in the AFC. A loss though and they will drop to the #7 seed behind Houston and LA. The talking point this week has been that this is Allen’s best chance to get to the Super Bowl considering Mahomes, Burrow, and Jackson could all be out. Something like that would be used to discredit Jalen Hurts and the Eagles (like in 2022) but would never be mentioned again if it happened to Allen. The reason I hate other teams’ QBs is because they get treated the way I wish mine was treated.

Worst Front Office Series: The Raiders’ Plan

Sunday Night Football

• Chicago Bears at San Francisco 49ers
  • Who thought this game would be so important when the schedule came out? The Bears can clinch the division with a win (unless Green Bay clinches it for them on Saturday). They can also clinch at least the 2 seed with a win. The #1 seed isn’t out of the picture either as they could catch Seattle with some help. We, sadly, want them to lose for the chance at the #2 seed ourselves. To get that, the Eagles need to win out and the Bears to lose this week and next week to the Lions. It is going to be VERY hard to want the 49ers to win.
  • If SF wins, they will have a chance to clinch the #1 seed against Seattle next week. That would be a crazy turn of events this season for a 49ers team that was basically punting this season in order to get its finances right. I hate them, but that’s pretty crazy. They just keep chugging along turning out wins (even if they are mostly against bad teams). It might be smoke and mirrors but they looked like a 6-11 team in the offseason. A loss though slides them down to the 6th or 7th seed and firmly on our radar. So, what would we rather have, an outside shot at the #2 seed and a rematch with Green Bay or to face the 49ers in Round 1?

Monday Night Football

• Los Angeles Rams at Atlanta Falcons
  • The Rams choked that Seahawks game away. It was over…then they lost. A win would have basically wrapped up the NFC, now they might be anywhere other than #4. It would be funny if they won their division but tied with the Eagles and lost the tie break on that Jordan Davis blocked FG Thicc 6.
  • The Falcons owe their first round draft pick to the Rams. That pick is currently sitting at #11. A loss for Atlanta means that pick could go as high as 8. A win though and it could vault as high as 15. That’s a little extra motivation for the Rams you’d think. Atlanta has serious trap game vibes though.

Worst Front Office Series: Atlanta Falcons