Iggles Blitz

by Tommy Lawlor

Game Preview – LVR at PHI

Posted December 13th, 2025 | 8 Comments »

The 2-11 Las Vegas Raiders could be just what the doctor ordered. The Eagles have lost three games in a row and desperately need a win. They’ve played one of the toughest schedules in the league so facing a bad team could help them stop the losing streak and get things turned around.

But as I’ve said repeatedly with this team, nothing is ever easy. Bad weather could be an issue on Sunday. There could be as much as five inches of snow in the morning. It will be cold and windy during the game. Bad weather is an equalizer. Talented teams want pristine conditions so their players can play fast and maximize their movement skills.

The Eagles do not want a sloppy game. They played one of those on Monday night and it cost them. Let’s hope the weather is more of a distraction than a game-changer.

The Raiders offense is bad. They haven’t scored more than 29 points in a game all season long. They haven’t scored more than 17 points in a game over the last five weeks. They are 31st in yards. They’ll be without starting QB Geno Smith. The Eagles are going to face their old friend Kenny Pickett. Smith hasn’t played well this year so it is hard to say if they caught a break with him being out.

The Raiders best weapon is TE Brock Bowers. It will be interesting to see if the Eagles do something special to cover him or play their normal coverages. Vegas has a bad OL. They have allowed 50 sacks and aren’t good at run blocking either. Rookie RB Ashton Jeanty only averages 3.5 yards per carry, but he gets little yardage before contact. Jeanty has talent so the Eagles need to do a good job against the run.

This is a game where the Eagles defense needs to play to their ability. They need to shut down the Raiders and limit them to 13 points or something like that. The Eagles front, even without Jalen Carter, should have a big advantage. They were outstanding in LA and need to play like that again. They won’t have to deal with Justin Herbert. Pickett has some mobility, but he’s not physically special. The Eagles defense needs to win this game.

The Raiders defense is middle of the pack. They are 24th in points allowed and 16th in yards allowed. That defense is built around DE Maxx Crosby, a dynamic force off the edge. He has 9 sacks, 25 TFLs and 2 FFs. Crosby is a disruptive force. It would be fun to watch him battle Lane Johnson, but Fred Johnson will be starting at RT. He dealt with an ankle injury this week so he’s likely not at 100 percent. RBs, TEs and even WRs will have to help block Crosby. Keep him under control and you can move the ball.

Pete Carroll ran Cover 3 with Seattle and he’s got Vegas doing a lot of that this year. It feels like most of the league has gone to more split safety looks, but Carroll likes what he knows. This allows the Raiders to load the box and focus on the run, but the results have been mixed. Four of the last seven games saw the Raiders allow 152 or more rushing yards. Not good. They started the season playing the run well, but haven’t been able to keep that going.

The Eagles had a good running game last week and need to build on that. With weather as a potential issue, this would be an ideal time for Saquon Barkley to have another big game. Feed 26 and block for him.

Jalen Hurts is coming off a couple of rough performances. He needs to protect the ball more than anything. The Eagles defense should have a significant advantage in this game. Hurts needs to be smart. It would help if his receivers would hold onto the ball this week. A cold, windy day won’t help the passing attack, no matter who is out there.

Former Eagle Devin White is the leading tackler. He’s bounced back in a big way in Las Vegas. The Eagles should have a good feel for how to attack him. It will be interesting to see if the Eagles play with two TEs to deal with the loaded box or go with three receivers to help spreading them out a bit.

One of the keys for the Eagles will be their approach to this game. Nick Sirianni usually does a great job of keeping them focused each week. They don’t get up or down for opponents. It would be easy for human nature to take over and tell the Eagles they’re going to win. Sirianni needs to make sure his guys are locked in and ready to play. This is a game they should win.

This is a game they need to win.

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Upside Down

Posted December 12th, 2025 | 3 Comments »

Part of the reason we love sports so much is that they are unpredictable. The 2011 team was referred to as the Dream Team by one player. That season was no dream. That “team” was more a collection of individuals than a group that truly came together. The 1995 team started 1-3 and then benched the star QB. That group of castoffs and nobodys went 10-6 and won a playoff game.

And of course you can think of the ultimate example from eight years ago. Carson Wentz got hurt in a win over the Rams. Nick Foles took his place and led the Eagles to their first ever Super Bowl title.

You just never know what’s going to happen.

2025 is reminding us just how unpredictable sports can be. There are times when this feels less like a football season and more like the NFL version of the Twighlight Zone. Rod Serling should be reading scores, not Chris Berman. We know crazy things happen, but this season has taken things to another level. If I told you the AFC Championship would be BAL vs KC and the NFC Championship would be WAS vs DET you wouldn’t have flinched. There is a decent chance none of those teams will reach the playoffs.

Daniel Jones has a higher passer rating and more wins than Patrick Mahomes. On what planet is that happening? Sure can’t be Earth.

Saquon Barkley has fewer rushing TDs than rookie QB Jaxson Dart. Insane.

Mac Jones has more wins than Jayden Daniels and Joe Burrow combined. Crazy.

The NY Jets do not have a single INT this season. Zero. That is hard to believe.

The Eagles OL is one of the best and most stable units in the league. This year they are a mess.

The Chiefs are normally one of the best blitzing teams in the league.

The Carolina Panthers are in first place. In December.

Joe Flacco has more passing yards than Aaron Rodgers.

The Patriots and Bears have 20 combined wins and each still has 4 games left.

This is as strange of a football season as I can remember. I mention this because all of the decision-makers around the league are going to have to keep it in mind when the offseason arrives and they have to figure out how to fix problems. Did Steve Spagnuolo and Jeff Stoutland suddenly forget how to coach? Is Mac Jones now a good QB? Are the Lions in a downward spiral?

Some teams are going to make more of the 2025 results than they should and it will hurt them. Think about how Washington treated 2024. They thought they were on the verge of being a Super Bowl team. They focused on veterans to win now. They are 3-10 with an old, expensive roster. Not ideal.

The Eagles are going to have some tough decisions to make. Some have talked about benching Jalen Hurts or what to do with Nick Sirianni. Those are silly ideas. Hurts is a star QB with a Lombardi and Sirianni has one of the highest winning percentages in NFL history. Those guys aren’t going anywhere. The Eagles will need to figure out how to fix the OL. Is getting Landon Dickerson and Cam Jurgens healthy good enough? Do you have to draft an OL in the first round to play RG or be the RT of the future?

The offensive coaching staff certainly could be looking at a shakeup. That’s a long, complicated discussion.

Do you keep AJ Brown around? His numbers are much better recently. Do you want him for another full season?

Something has to be done at TE. Dallas Goedert is a free agent. The guys behind him haven’t done anything this year. Even if you bring DG back, an overhaul is needed.

Is Jake Elliott the guy from the first 10 weeks or the last three?

Trying to figure out what is real and what isn’t will make for a challenging offseason, for the Eagles and plenty of other NFL teams.

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The 2-11 Raiders come to town on Sunday. They have an awful offense and a mediocre defense. The Eagles need to protect the ball and play smart. If they do, this is a game they absolutely should win.

There could be an X-factor.

Snow isn’t ideal when you’re better than the opponent. Weather can act as an equalizer.

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