The Personal Website of Mark W. Dawson

Introductory Comments

All my friends are aware that I have been a huge Eagles fan for over fifty years. As such, I have seen a lot of bad football and some good to very good football. In all of this, I have kept in mind that I am just an Eagles football fan, and as a fan, I know very little about the intricacies of NFL football. Much of what I have learned about NFL football has come from listening to and reading the thoughts of the sportswriter Ray Didinger, who is in the Writers' Honor roll in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. Ray takes an analytical and reasoned approach to all aspects of the game: management, coaching, players, strategy, and tactics. He is also the author of several books about NFL football, most notably “The Eagles Encyclopedia”. As such, I often use an analytical and reasoned approach in my comments and critiques of the Philadelphia Eagles.

However, I feel confident enough about the current Eagles football team to make some comments and predictions. Despite the losses of some team members from the 2024 Super Bowl team, they are still a very good team, and I believe that they are the best team in the NFL. They have some young players ready to step up and be starters, with the only question being how far they will step up. Given this, I would mostly comment on their possible weaknesses while only highlighting their strengths.

2025 Philadelphia Eagles Schedule

Preseason
Week 1: Thursday, August 7: Home vs. Cincinnati Bengals at 7:30 PM (NBC10)
Week 2: Saturday, August 16: Home vs. Cleveland Browns at 1 PM (NBC10)
Week 3: Friday, August 22: Away at New York Jets at 7:30 PM (NBC10)

Regular Season
Week 1: Thursday, September 4: Home vs. Dallas Cowboys at 8:20 PM (NBC^)
Week 2: Sunday, September 14: Away at Kansas City Chiefs at 4:25 PM (FOX)
Week 3: Sunday, September 21: Home vs. Los Angeles Rams at 1 PM (FOX)
Week 4: Sunday, September 28: Away at Tampa Bay Buccaneers at 1 PM (FOX)
Week 5: Sunday, October 5: Home vs. Denver Broncos at 1 PM+ (CBS)
Week 6: Thursday, October 9: Away at New York Giants at 8:15 PM (Prime Video^)
Week 7: Sunday, October 19: Away at Minnesota Vikings at 1 PM+ (FOX)
Week 8: Sunday, October 26: Home vs. New York Giants at 1 PM+ (FOX)
Week 9: BYE
Week 10: Monday, November 10: Away at Green Bay Packers at 8:15 PM (ESPN/ABC^)
Week 11: Sunday, November 16: Home vs. Detroit Lions at 8:20 PM+ (NBC^)
Week 12: Sunday, November 23: Away at Dallas Cowboys at 4:25 PM+ (FOX)
Week 13: Friday, November 28: Home vs. Chicago Bears at 3 PM (Prime Video)
Week 14: Monday, December 8: Away at Los Angeles Chargers at 8:15 PM+ (ESPN/ABC^)
Week 15: Sunday, December 14: Home vs. Las Vegas Raiders at 1 PM+ (FOX)
Week 16: Saturday, December 20: Away at Washington Commanders at either 4:30 PM or 8 PM+ (FOX)
Week 17: Sunday, December 28: Away at Buffalo Bills at 4:25 PM+ (FOX)
Week 18: Date TBD: Home vs. Washington Commanders (Time and Network TBD)

Playoffs
Saturday, January 10, Sunday, January 11, and Monday, January 12: AFC and NFC Wild Card Playoffs
Saturday, January 17 and Sunday, January 18: AFC and NFC Divisional Playoffs
Sunday, January 25: AFC and NFC Championship Games
Sunday, February 8: Super Bowl LX at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, CA (NBC)

Projected Roster:

Their current roster is:

Offense (26):

• Quarterback (3)
  Jalen Hurts, Tanner McKee, Sam Howell
• Running back (4)
  Saquon Barkley, AJ Dillon, Will Shipley, Ben VanSumeren
• Wide receiver (5)
  J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, Jahan Dotson, John Metchie III, Darius Cooper
• Tight end (3)
  Dallas Goedert, Grant Calcaterra, Kylen Granson
• Offensive tackle (5)
  Jordan Mailata, Lane Johnson, Fred Johnson, Cameron Williams (R), Matt Pryor
• Offensive Guard/Center (6)
  Landon Dickerson, Cam Jurgens, Tyler Steen, Kenyon Green, Brent Toth, Drew Kendall

Defense (24):

• Interior defensive line (6)
  Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis, Moro Ojomo, Ty Robinson (R), Byron Young, Gabe Hall
• Edge Rusher (5)
  Nolan Smith Jr., Jalyx Hunt, Joshua Uche, Azeez Ojulari, Ogbo Okoronkwo
• Inside linebacker (4)
  Zack Baun, Jihaad Campbell (R), Jeremiah Trotter Jr., Smael Mondon Jr. (R)
• Cornerback (6)
  Quinyon Mitchell, Cooper DeJean, Kelee Ringo, Mac McWilliams (R), Adoree’ Jackson, Jakorian Bennett
• Safety (3)
  Reed Blankenship, Sydney Brown, Andrew Mukuba (R)

Special teams (3):

• Jake Elliott (K), Braden Mann (P), Charley Hughlett (LS)

Players not available for Week 1 (1):

• LB Nakobe Dean

Coaching:

• Head Coach Nick Sirianni
• Offensive Coordinator Kevin Patullo
• Defensive Coordinator Vic Fangio

The Offense Roster Comments

Their Offensive roster largely remains intact from the previous season. The only questions are who the starting Right Guard will be and who will be the third Wide Receiver. Otherwise, the Offensive Line is one of the best, if not the best, Offensive Line in the NFL. Their two starting Wide Receivers are one of the best tandems in the NFL, and their Tight End, when healthy, is one of the best in the NFL. Their Running Back had a historic season last year, and while he may not have that type of season this year, I expect he will still have a very good season. It should also be noted that they have slotted a new position of Fullback, which should be a help as a blocker for their running backs and passing game. Their Quarterback is one of the best in the NFL, and while his statistics are not elite, primarily due to the heavy usage of the Running Back, he has a will to win, unlike most Quarterbacks in the NFL. This will to win, along with his restrained ego and the ability to learn from his mistakes and shrug them off during the game, makes him an elite Quarterback (and, in my opinion, the best Quarterback in the NFL due to his will to win). The only critique I would offer is that they need more balance between the running and passing game to make them an elite offense.

The Defense Roster Comments

The Eagles will have a strong Defense, with several players being All-Pro players. Their starting players returning from the 2024 team are a formidable group. The only questions on the Defense side are in their secondary of who the third cornerback will be, and who will be the second safety, but the other starters are very good. At linebacker they have a Pro Bowler and a very good rookie, and one good starter that is currently injured with uncertain return date. However, he will return this season, and the Eagles have a good backup inside linebacker that can fill in for him until he returns.  As for theiredge rushers, they have two players who are good to very good, and they have adequate backups, but another good to very good player would be helpful if one of their backups cannot step up and become good to very good. Their Interior defensive line is very good, with good backups. All-in-all, they may not be as dominant a defense as they were in 2024, but they will be a very good defensive unit that should rank in the top five defenses in the NFL.

The Special Teams Roster Comments

The Eagles Special Teams had an up-and-down 2024 season. Their Kicker had a sub-par year compared to his other years with the Eagles. However, it was revealed that he had an undisclosed injury throughout the season, which affected his performance. I expect that with the healing of this injury, he will once again become one of the top Kickers in the NFL in the 2025 season. Their Punter was one of the best in the NFL, and I expect that this will continue in the 2025 season. They do have a new Long-Snapper who is a journeyman in the NFL, and it remains to be seen how well he will perform with the Eagles. This upcoming season, the Eagles will be featuring an unknown new Kickoff and Punt returner, and, as such, it is impossible to determine how good (or bad) they will perform. Their Kickoff and Punt return units performed adequately in the 2024 season, but they had some notable slip-ups that must be corrected. This is not unusual in the NFL, as most Kickoff and Punt return units are manned by the backups and rookies.

The Coaching Comments

Their Head Coach has had a roller coaster ride in his first four years as a Head Coach, all with the Eagles. However, this roller coaster ride has been at the top of the NFL, and he has shown the ability and willingness to change in the best interests of the team. He has also had some of the best statistics for a new coach in the history of the NFL, and if he continues and has a long career with the same success, he will be considered one of the best coaches in the history of the NFL. His players have shown that they respect and will listen to him, and they are willing to fight for him. This makes him an excellent leader for the team.

This season, the Eagles will have a new Offensive Coordinator (which has been a frequent occurrence under their current Head Coach). While he has never been an Offensive Coordinator in his career, he has been a student of many fine Offensive Coordinators, and he has been with the Eagles Head Coach from the start of the Head Coach’s tenure with the Eagles. The question is how well the new Offensive Coordinator will perform and if he can bring more balance to the passing and running game. Last season, the Eagles were heavily dependent on the running game (with good reason, given the Running Back performance), but a more balanced offense would make the Eagle's Offense more dynamic and elite.

The Eagles have retained the services of one of the best Defensive Coordinator minds in the modern NFL. He took a Defense that had woefully underperformed in the 2023 season and made it the best Defense in the 2024 season. I expect this high-performance Defense to continue in the 2025 season, even though they lost some key starters. While the Defense roster has changed, it has changed with young, very good players who are expected to get better with more experience. Thus, I am confident that the 2025 Defense will still be very good.

The Team Management Comments

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Eagles Owner Jeffry Lurie and General Manager Howie Roseman, who I believe are the best Owner/General Manager tandem in the NFL today. They both have shown that they will do whatever is best to build a championship team, which they have done several times in the 21st century. Without their leadership, the Eagles would most likely have been a run-of-the-mill NFL team.

My Predictions

As to my predictions for the upcoming season, I will limit myself to the NFC East and the NFC teams that have Super Bowl aspirations. It is important for every NFL team to win their division, as their first playoff game will occur in their home stadium. It is also important to be the best team in the NFC and AFC, as you get a bye week and home-field advantage in your first playoff game, and home-field advantage if you continue to win playoff games. Of course, predictions in the NFL are notoriously unpredictable, as unknown factors (such as injuries to key players and weather) cannot be predicted. Thus, my predictions are based on minimal unknown factors that will have minimal impacts on the outcomes of the season (and keeping in mind, as the British would say, ‘Not Bloody Likely’).

NFC East:

Philadelphia Eagles (12-13 Wins, with the possibility of more wins)
On Offense, I expect that their wide receiver duo will achieve 1400 to 1600 receiving yards apiece, while their Tight Ends will have at least 800 yards receiving. This will put them at 3800 yards receiving for the season. I expect their Running Back to have 1600 yards rushing and 300 yards pass receptions. I also expect that the other skilled position players will account for 900 yards rushing (including Quarterback rushes) and 600 receiving yards for the season. I also expect that they will score 30+ points per game in most of their games. This will put their Offense at 6900 yards and 510 points for the season. On Defense, I expect that they will hold most of their opponents to less than 350 yards per game and less than 23 points per game. This would equate to 5950 yards allowed for the season and 390 points allowed for the season.

Washington Commanders (10-11 Wins)
The Washington Commanders had a very good 2024 season, mostly due to their phenomenal rookie Quarterback and a softer schedule. Opposing Defensive Coordinators had very little film on the Commanders Quarterback, which made it difficult to determine his strengths and weaknesses and his and the Offense's tendencies. This will not happen in the 2025 season, as the opposing Defensive Coordinators now have a full year of film to study and prepare for him and the Commander's Offense. In addition, the Washington Commanders have a tougher schedule this year due to their better performance from last year. Still, I believe that the Washington Commanders should have ten or eleven wins, with one or two unexpected wins (and one unexpected loss).

Dallas Cowboys (8-9 Wins)
The Dallas Cowboys have a history in the 21st century of playing well in the regular season, occasionally making it to the postseason, and then quickly folding in the playoffs (10 postseason appearances in 24 years, all with early losses). I do not expect this to change this season, especially with a new Head Coach. Some of their problems are their Quarterback, Running Backs, Offensive Line, and limited Receiving corps. Their positives are that they have a very good pass rush. While their Quarterback is a good to very good, he needs an offense surrounding him to accentuate his positives and cover up his deficiencies. This shows up in the postseason when they face a quality opponent and often lose the playoff game. This surrounding of the Quarterback has not happened, as the Cowboys are built around a superstar concept. They believe that a few superstars on their Offense and Defense can carry them to a Super Bowl, and their salary structure overpays the superstars and leaves little money to pay the other surrounding players. Thus, I believe that they are only capable of winning eight to nine games and probably not making the postseason.

New York Giants (6-7 Wins)
The Giants are a mess, but they have made slight improvements during the off-season. Given their soft schedule, it may be possible for them to eke out six or seven wins, but they could just as easily have a four- or five-win season. I will give them the benefit of the doubt and give them six or seven wins, with one or two surprise wins.

NFC Contenders:

When I look around at the other NFC teams, I believe that the 2025 season will result in the following contenders:

NFC North Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions proved in their 2024 season that they are Super Bowl contenders, but they faltered in the postseason. I expect them to learn from this and not do so again, especially if they have a home-field advantage in the postseason. Thus, they are a top Super Bowl contender in the NFC.

NFC South Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a hard team to decipher. While they had a good 2024 season, and they won the 2020 Super Bowl with Tom Brady as their Quarterback, the seasons since the Super Bowl win have been of winning their division but faltering in the postseason. With more all-around consistent play in 2025, they could be a Super Bowl contender.

NFC West San Fransico 49ers
The San Fransico 49ers had a bad 2024 season due to several injuries to their key players. If these players are healthy in 2025, I believe that the 49ers could win their division and become a formidable opponent to any team they face. I would not be surprised if they went deep into the postseason and became a Super Bowl contender.

NFC Wildcard Los Angeles Rams
While the Los Angeles Rams had a strong team in the 2024 season, and they won the 2021 Super Bowl, I believe that they have several deficiencies that will prevent them from becoming a true Super Bowl contender in 2025.

Other NFC Aspirants and Wannabees:

The Green Bay Packers, the Minnesota Vikings, and the Seattle Seahawks come to mind as the other NFC teams that believe they are contenders. Sorry guys, while you may have a good team, it is not good enough to be a serious contender. While the Green Bay Packers are an up-and-coming team, I believe that the Minnesota Vikings and the Seattle Seahawks are on an even keel of good but limited potential.

Given my above predictions, I believe that the top three NFC contenders for the Super Bowl are 1) the Philadelphia Eagles, 2) the Detroit Lions, and 3) the San Fransico 49ers. And, of course, I am predicting that the Eagles will be in the 2025 Super Bowl.

Suggestions for the Eagles Coaches:

Keeping in mind that I am just an Eagles football fan, and as a fan, I know very little about the intricacies of NFL football. I have, however, noticed a few things that I would like to suggest to the Eagles coaches that I believe will help the team:

• Stop passing to DeVonta Smith if he is not in motion. When DeVonta is in motion, he catches the football and gains quite a few yards. In this, he is like a stiletto, slicing and dicing the defense. When he catches the football while not in motion, he is far less effective, and he often only gains or loses a few yards.
• Do not use Cooper DeJean on Special Teams. He is too important to risk an injury on Special Teams, and he should use the rest to freshen up and prepare for the next defensive series.
• Teach your Punt Returner to move forward after the catch before he decides to move left or right. Often, Punt Returners want to make a big play, and they will dance around or veer to one side or the other after the catch. Occasionally, they will make a big play, but frequently, they are stopped for no gain or a loss or gain of just a few yards. Better to pick up the medium yardage of a forward return than to have no/short gain or a loss of yardage.

Final Thoughts

I believe that the 2025 Eagles are the best team in the NFC and perhaps the best team in the NFL. I believe that they are the most likely NFC team to advance to the Super Bowl, and if they should do so, they have a very good chance of once again winning the Super Bowl. I, therefore, am very much looking forward to watching the Eagles 2025 season with my dog by my side.