Delaware County Daily Times: https://tinyurl.com/3mz7fd7n
Originally published Oct. 10, 2026
Everyone knows Bill Walsh created the West Coast offense. What many people don’t know is that its origins weren’t in sunny California. Walsh, long before he became the Hall of Fame coach of the San Francisco 49ers, developed it out of necessity while he was offensive coordinator for the Cincinnati Bengals under Paul Brown in the early 1970s.
The Bengals had a weak-armed quarterback in Virgil Carter and, more importantly, an offensive line that couldn’t protect him.
So Walsh came up with a system of short, high-percentage passes built on precise timing, quick releases, routes that stretched defenses horizontally, yards after the catch and multiple receiving options (including heavy involvement by tight ends and running backs) to exploit mismatches and mitigate a struggling front.
Quarterback Jalen Hurts and the Eagles (2-2) could learn a lesson there.
Hurts certainly has no problem with arm strength — he’s one of the best deep-ball throwers on the planet — but his offensive line is a giant question mark. He needs to get rid of the ball faster to execute Sean Mannion’s offshoot of Walsh’s West Coast system, whether Hurts trusts his receivers or not.
That may be a lot to ask for a QB trained in protecting the football at all costs, but it has to happen. Danger be damned.
The Eagles have been ravaged by injuries, making execution of the new offense even more difficult early on. And they just had a tumultuous week that included the retirement of iconic right tackle Lane Johnson and the trade of Pro Bowl center Cam Jurgens.
But Sunday in London against the Jacksonville Jaguars (3-1) — Jax is favored by more than a touchdown, according to several betting outlets — is the start of a pivotal stretch of the season.
The Eagles’ 7-hour flight to London, which is five time zones ahead, departed at approximately 11 p.m. ET Friday. The team will fly back shortly after the game and arrive here late Sunday night.
Coach Nick Sirianni said he wanted to get a full week of practice in before leaving Philly. The Jags, who play in London every year, left a day earlier and practiced overseas Friday.
Injury report
EAGLES
Game status: OUT – RB Saquon Barkley (hamstring), WR Hollywood Brown (ankle), S Marcus Epps (groin), C Drew Kendall (knee), WR DeVonta Smith (hamstring). QUESTIONABLE – OLB/EDGE Jonathan Greenard (ankle).
Friday practice report: DNP – RB Saquon Barkley (hamstring), WR Hollywood Brown (ankle), S Marcus Epps (groin), OLB/EDGE Jonathan Greenard (ankle), C Drew Kendall (knee), WR DeVonta Smith (hamstring). LIMITED – OLB/EDGE AJ Epenesa (back), WR Dontayvion Wicks (hamstring). FULL – LB Zack Baun (concussion), LB Jihaad Campbell (knee), TE Dallas Goedert (knee), QB Jalen Hurts (calf), TE EJ Jenkins (toe), T Fred Johnson (knee), CB Quinyon Mitchell (knee).
(Does not include players on injured reserve.)
Running backs on the active roster will be Will Shipley, Dameon Pierce and Carson Steele. Center Jake Majors, a four-year starter at Texas, was elevated from the practice squad.
JAGUARS
Game status: OUT – CB Jaylon Jones (hamstring). DOUBTFUL – S Eric Murray (concussion).
Friday practice report: DNP – None. LIMITED – CB Montaric Brown (hamstring), DT DaVon Hamilton (foot), DE Josh Hines-Allen (groin), CB Jaylon Jones (hamstring), CB Jarrian Jones (foot), CB Jourdan Lewis (hamstring), S Eric Murray (concussion). FULL – RB LeQuint Allen Jr. (hip), T Anton Harrison (elbow), WR Jakobi Meyers (thumb), OL Cole Van Lanen (knee).
Pregame position grades
Here’s how the teams match up by position group in Week 5, based on track record and recent performance, with injuries taken into account. Performances will be evaluated postgame.
QB: Eagles B, Jags A-
RB: Eagles C-, Jags B+
TE: Eagles C, Jags C
WR: Eagles C, Jags A-
OL: Eagles D, Jags C
DL: Eagles B-, Jags B
LB: Eagles A, Jags A-
CB/S: Eagles B, Jags C-
K/P: Eagles A-, Jags B+
KR/PR/ST coverage: Eagles B+, Jags C-
Coaching: Eagles A, Jags A-
On the air
Eagles (2-2) vs. Jaguars (3-1), Sunday, 9:30 a.m., Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London
TV: NFL Network (6abc in the Philadelphia area): Dave Pasch, Kurt Warner, Jason Kelce and Molly McGrath.
Radio/streaming: 94.1-FM WIP: Merrill Reese and Mike Quick (no official sideline reporter). Tico: Rickie Ricardo, Oscar Budejen and Dave Gerhardt. Westwood One (national radio). NFL+, ESPN Unlimited.
Last week: Eagles lost to the Rams 24-20. Jaguars beat the Bengals 22-17.
Betting odds
Spread: Jaguars -7.5
Over/under: 41.5
Money line: Jaguars -386; Eagles +304
Notes
● The Eagles lead the overall series 5-3 and have won five straight against Jacksonville, including a 28-23 victory in Philadelphia in 2024. That was Barkley’s reverse-hurdle game.
● The Eagles are 2-0 in international regular-season games, beating Jacksonville 24-18 at Wembley Stadium in London in 2018 and Green Bay 34-29 in Brazil in 2024.
● Nick Sirianni is 2-0 against Jacksonville and 6-0 against AFC South opponents. His 31-14 road record is the NFL’s best since he became Eagles head coach in 2021.
● Jacksonville is 7-7 all-time in London, including 2-1 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Sunday marks the Jags’ 15th regular-season game in the United Kingdom.
● The Jaguars rank second in the NFL in scoring defense (13.3 points allowed per game) and rushing defense (74.3 yards allowed per game).
● Jacksonville leads the NFL with a plus-six turnover differential, having forced eight turnovers while committing just two. The Eagles are minus-3.
● Jags QB Trevor Lawrence has thrown eight touchdown passes in four games. He completed 18 of 23 passes for 227 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions against Cincinnati last week.
● Jax held Cincinnati to 23 rushing yards on 15 carries last week, the fifth-fewest rushing yards allowed in franchise history. However, Joe Burrow threw for 428 yards. The Jaguars rank 31st in passing defense.
● Jacksonville held Cincinnati scoreless on two fourth-quarter red-zone possessions last week.
● Jacksonville ranks fourth in the NFL in offensive play success rate (48.4 percent), while Philadelphia ranks fourth-worst (37.4 percent).
● The Eagles have been shut out in the second half of each of their last two games, losses to Chicago and the Los Angeles Rams.
Follow Christiaan DeFranco on X and Threads at @the_defranc.