Somehow, eight weeks of football have already passed, giving fans a clear idea of what to expect this season. Here are Andy’s Handy Takes, which feature opinions that get progressively hotter as the article continues.
Spicy Meter: 2/10 (BBQ Chicken)
Jalen Hurts is bound to make a strong MVP surge if the Eagles can stay healthy.
Starting off with our non-negotiable barbecue chicken take: Jalen Hurts is bound to make a strong MVP surge if the Eagles can stay healthy. Just an undeniable barbeque chicken fact is that he has passed for 1,667 yards and 15 touchdowns with just 1 interception through 8 weeks of healthy Eagles football. He also leads all quarterbacks with 5 rushing touchdowns. If the Eagles remain atop the NFC and Hurts continues his performance, it will be difficult to keep him out of the MVP conversation come January. Currently at the week 9 bye the Eagles have a comfortable 2.5 game lead over the second place Cowboys.
Spicy Meter: 4.5/10 (Mild Sauce)
Tank Bigsby to play important role in Eagles run game later in the season.
Bigsby is a strong, physical runner the Eagles acquired from the Jaguars back in week 1. Not your typical household name, but the third year back has been showing out in his opportunity provided. Fighting for carries with 2,000 yard rusher Saquon Barkley makes the spotlight hard to achieve, but Bigsby has 15 carries for 127 yards on his limited opportunities. On top of that, Bigsby has 8.5 yards per carry, 5 missed tackles forced, 6 carries for over 10 yards, while averaging 7 yards after contact. Bigsby’s sample size is small, but the sky is the limit for the 24 year old.
Spicy Meter: 7/10 (Spicy Hot)
Kevin Patullo is incapable of calling plays, and the play-calling should be handled by head coach Nick Sirianni.
Let’s get spicy: Kevin Patullo is incapable of calling plays, and the play-calling should be handled by head coach Nick Sirianni. The Eagles are 6-2, so this complaint is easily dismissed for now, but what happens when playoff time arrives and there’s a designed quarterback run on 3rd-and-13 during a crucial drive? Patullo has too many superstars to be running a playbook centered around his mobile quarterback. Can Hurts operate as the best player on the Eagles? Yes. Do they play better when the offense is centered around AJ Brown or Saquon Barkley? Absolutely. Patullo either needs to feed what won the ring last year or step aside.
Spicy Meter: 9/10 (Hot Fire)
AJ Brown’s time as an Eagle is over, and winning is easier without him.
Last, but certainly not least: AJ Brown’s time as an Eagle is over, and winning is easier without him. This year has been a disaster for Brown, but on paper, it’s a great start for the Birds. They’re winning, the ball is being shared, and everyone seems happy—until we consider that Brown doesn’t care about who wins, he just wants the ball in his hands. For a systematically run team that operates through multiple lenses and players, complaints like this are problematic. The value for a wide receiver as talented as him could bring the Eagles multiple picks, an outside cornerback, or edge rushing depth that they desperately need. Can the Eagles truly find success without Brown, operating with Hurts and Smith as the primary option? Because if they can, it might be time to ship the all-pro back to the AFC.
