The Eagles are getting a key defensive player back on the field this week.
Philadelphia announced on Wednesday that the club has opened the 21-day practice window for defensive end Bryce Huff.
Huff underwent a procedure on his wrist in November after playing through an issue for a few weeks.
The Eagles signed Huff as a free agent after he spent his first four seasons with the Jets. In 10 games this year, Huff has recorded 2.5 sacks with three tackles for loss and four QB hits.
Additionally, Philadelphia announced tight end Kevin Foelsch has been signed to the practice squad.
The number of available spots in the NFL’s postseason tournament are disappearing quickly and we could be down to two by the time Week 16 is over.
The NFL released this week’s playoff scenarios on Tuesday and five teams are in position to sew up their spots this weekend. The Packers will be the third NFC North team to assure themselves a berth by beating the Saints on Monday night. If the Falcons lose to the Giants on Sunday, the Packers can also get in with losses by either the Rams or Seahawks.
Washington is the other NFC team that can clinch this weekend. They need to beat the Eagles and get one of the same combinations that would help out the Packers.
If the Commanders lose to the Eagles, the Eagles will be the NFC East champs.
As noted earlier on Tuesday, the entire AFC field could be set by the end of this week’s games. The Ravens and Broncos are in with wins and the Broncos can also clinch if they lose to the Chargers. They would need the Dolphins, Colts, and Bengals to lose or tie and that scenario would also assure the Chargers a spot in the tournament.
The Chiefs will wrap up the top seed in the conference if they beat the Texans on Saturday and the Bills lose to or tie with the Patriots on Sunday.
The Steelers will clinch the AFC North by beating the Ravens in Saturday’s other game. Should that happen, Baltimore would still nab a playoff berth if the Dolphins and Colts lose on Sunday.
Last year, Jalen Hurts and Josh Allen each ran for 15 touchdowns, setting a new record for rushing touchdowns by a quarterback in a season. This year, Hurts is poised to break that record, and Allen isn’t far behind.
Hurts has 14 touchdowns through 14 games, meaning he needs one touchdown to tie the record and two touchdowns to break it. With three games left, Hurts is likely to do it. The “tush push” has become an almost automatic touchdown for Hurts and the Eagles once Philadelphia gets close enough to the goal line, and it’s hard to believe he won’t find the end zone at least two more times with three more games to play.
Allen has 11 rushing touchdowns and could still break the record he shares with Hurts as well, although that’s going to be a taller order, needing five touchdowns in three games to do it.
Only 12 times in NFL history has a quarterback run for more than 10 touchdowns in a season, and the leaderboard shows how much more quarterbacks are finding the end zone in recent years than they used to. Here’s the list of quarterbacks who have run for more than 10 touchdowns in one year:
15 Jalen Hurts 2023
15 Josh Allen 2023
14 Jalen Hurts 2024 (with three games left)
14 Cam Newton 2011
13 Jalen Hurts 2022
12 Cam Newton 2020
12 Steve Grogan 1976
11 Josh Allen 2024 (with three games left)
11 Kyler Murray 2020
11 Kordell Stewart 1997
11 Tobin Rote 1956
11 Johnny Lujack 1950
Newton owns the career record for rushing touchdowns by a quarterback with 75. Allen is about one season from catching Newton at 64 career rushing touchdowns, and Hurts is about two seasons from catching Newton at 55 career rushing touchdowns. Steve Young is a distant fourth with 43 career rushing touchdowns, and no active quarterback will catch Allen or Hurts any time soon.
The Commanders have a few injury issues coming out of Sunday’s win over the Saints.
Via multiple reporters, head coach Dan Quinn said Washington tight end Zach Ertz and safety Jeremy Chinn are in concussion protocol.
Ertz has 54 catches for 526 yards with four touchdowns so far in 2024.
Chinn has registered 93 total tackles with three passes defensed, an interception, a forced fumble, and two fumble recoveries in 14 games this season.
Center Tyler Biadasz is expected to be available for the Week 16 game against the Eagles after he was inactive on Sunday with an illness.
Kicker Zane Gonzalez also was close to playing yesterday but still had an issue with his plant foot. But he is set to be the team’s kicker when he’s healthy.
Former NFL quarterback Michael Vick is reportedly drawing head coaching interest from multiple schools.
Vick interviewed for the Norfolk State job and Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that Sacramento State is also in discussions with Vick about running their team.
Per the report, Sacramento State has designs on moving up to the Football Bowl Subdivision, which is the highest level of college football, and plans to build a new stadium. They are also reportedly equipped with $50 million in NIL money to use in recruiting.
Sacramento State was 3-9 while playing in the Football Championship Subdivision’s Big Sky Conference this season.
