Iggles Blitz

by Tommy Lawlor

Focus on Hurts

Posted September 11th, 2026 | No Comments »

Let’s talk about Jalen Hurts as we head into Sunday’s season opener. He is entering his sixth season as the Eagles starting QB. He’s got a pair of Super Bowl appearances and one Lombardi on his resume. He has led the team to the playoffs in each of his first five seasons. Hurts has his share of things to work on, but he is a proven winner.

Hurts is looking to show people he can play well in the Eagles new offensive scheme so this will be an interesting season. He’s not resting on his laurels. He heard a lot of doubts over the past year and is very driven to prove his critics wrong. Some question him, but others think he’ll do well in the new offense.

I hope people are patient with Hurts. Think about what we saw in the first two games of the year. Matt Stafford and Drake Maye, who finished first and second in the MVP voting last year, both struggled and lost their season openers. They combined to throw 1 TD and 4 INTs. Their teams combined to score a total of 17 points. To be brutally frank, Stafford and Maye stunk.

We have to wait until Sunday to see Hurts in action. If you need a fix before then, the team put out a 20-minute video focused on the offense at Training Camp.

There is some good stuff in that video. You can see Hurts working with Dontayvion Wicks and Makai Lemon. He’s got a good relationship with DeVonta Smith and is working on that angle with the new guys.

One advantage that Hurts will have is that I expect the Eagles to lean heavily into the run game. They will want to feed the ball to Saquon Barkley, who has posted big numbers against Washington over the past two years. Hurts and the receivers will need to do their part, but won’t be the focus of the offense. The great thing about Hurts is that he doesn’t care about stats. He’s comfortable throwing 15 passes or 30. He just wants to win. Hurts will do whatever that takes, especially after all the negative comments he had to hear in the offseason. Style points are nice, but coming away with the W is the real key.

It is probably good that Hurts and the coaches got to see the first two games of the season. There are always lessons to be learned from watching other teams. Seeing the Rams and Patriots struggle will keep Hurts focused and from being overconfident.

Sirianni and Hurts are 5-0 in openers so they obviously do a good job of being prepared in those games and handlings things well.

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The Rams have a loaded roster and are still a SB favorite, but the opening game showed how silly some of the hype has been. As good as they are, that roster does have some holes and some issues.

Dan Orlovsky had some interesting comments about the Rams defense.

They struggled in the opener but also going back to last year. They have given up 27 or more points in 7 of the last 10 games. Not good for all the talent they had last season and this year. That could prove to be a legit concern going forward. By comparison, the Eagles gave up 27 or more points just once in all of 2025 (the embarrassing loss to the Giants).

Maybe the Rams will play much better next time out and make this a non-issue. Or maybe not. This is definitely something to watch.

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For anyone who needs a refresher on the Eagles offseason, Jimmy Bama has you covered.

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Lots of Questions

Posted September 10th, 2026 | No Comments »

Every NFL season is a bit of a mystery. We think we know who the good teams are, but there are always X-factors that change things, both good and bad. That’s part of what makes the NFL so fun.

The season opened last night with Seattle coming from behind to beat New England 13-10 in a sloppy game where neither team looked like Super Bowl material. QB Drake Maye threw 3 INTs, including an awful pick in the final minute with his team in FG range. AJ Brown hurt his ankle and only played half the game. We’ll have to see how serious that is. Sam Darnold suffered a hip injury and missed most of the game. That could turn out to be a serious injury. Both teams could be fine in the long run, but it is hard to feel good about them after the season opener.

The Rams are the obvious favorites this year. They have multiple Hall of Fame players in their lineup. It would take multiple key injuries for them to miss the playoffs. That said, even the Rams have some potential issues. The Niners have a lot of talent and experience. They get hit by injuries every year so it is hard to trust them. Detroit was a juggernaut in 2024 and then missed the playoffs last year. I think they will be one of the best offenses in the league, but I’m worried about their defense. The Bears and Packers both have a lot of potential, but also key questions that make them mystery teams.

I don’t think anyone in the NFC South is a legit SB contender. The NFC East is likely a two-team race between the Eagles and Cowboys. Dallas should be vastly improved, but SB contender feels like an awfully big jump. They still have holes in he lineup and will face one of the toughest schedules in the league. Opinions on Dallas and Philly are all over the place.

Spoiler alert…Bill picked the Chiefs to beat the Eagles in the SB. He’s not the only one who sees them getting back to the title game.

So the experts have the Eagles missing the playoffs, as a wild card team or making it back to the Super Bowl. That’s quite a range of outcomes. The lack of faith in the Eagles is all about the offense. AJ Brown is out and a new scheme is in. People have doubts about how good Jalen Hurts will be in the new scheme. It is absolutely fair to have concerns about the offense. I’m buying the Eagles as a contender because of Saquon Barkley, better OL play and an elite defense. That is a winning formula. Hurts should have time to grow into the new offense and for his receivers to work into their roles.

The AFC has plenty of questions as well. Buffalo is probably the best team, but they have a new coach and defensive coordinator. Will those changes put them over the top? Denver won 14 games last year and almost made the SB. They had some crazy comeback wins to get that record. I think they’ll be good, but I don’t see them repeating that level of success. The Chargers added Mike McDaniel as OC and think he can help their offense become more explosive. Justin Herbert has yet to win a playoff game in his career so it seems fair to have doubts on him. How many people realize KC went 6-11 last year? Losing Patrick Mahomes to a torn ACL really hurt them, but they also had issues before his injury. This will be a huge season for the Chiefs. Will offseason changes help them bounce back or are we seeing the end of a dynasty?

The AFC North is as confusing as ever. The Steelers were division champs last year, but Mike Tomlin is gone and Aaron Rodgers is back. They feel like a 9-win team. The Bengals revamped their defense. If the changes work well enough they could become a SB contender. Joe Burrow and that offense are special. The Ravens went 8-9 and fire John Harbaugh. A new coach could be just what the doctor ordered. They do have a lot of talent, but also some key questions. They certainly aren’t a sure thing.

The Jaguars and Texans are the two good teams in the AFC South. Houston has an elite defense. That unit could be good enough to get them to the SB. But CJ Stroud has been erratic and their OL is a work in progress, to put it mildly. Jacksonville had an odd offseason and you just don’t know if they did enough to make themselves a legit contender.

It will be interesting to see how things play out for the Eagles and the rest of the league. This feels like it could be a weird, wild season.

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In case you want some hard-hitting football news.

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