Football has put another season on the shelf. Teams can now use their franchise or transitional tag on impending free agents on Feb. 17, the NFL combine begins Feb. 23, and the free-agency period begins March 11.

Yes, the season is over with Seattle’s blowout win — but the Eagles’ drama continues.

With the Birds’ recent moves, are they flying in the right direction? Has there been an overreaction from fans after their unexpected playoff exit and recent personnel moves?

In this version of my Inside the Huddle column, I’ll take a look at the state of the Eagles with their recent subtractions and additions, reveal your thoughts about their direction, reveal some Super Bowl thoughts, and open up the archives about a former Marian star who also was a college head coach.

Getting Defensive ... Many saw Sunday’s Super Bowl as a snoozer and a blowout that began as early as 9-0 with Seattle’s dominating defense.

One Super Bowl that can be a parallel is the Ravens’ 34-7 victory over the Giants in which their defense limited New York to 178 yards, had four interceptions, and four sacks.

In Sunday’s Super Bowl, New England’s Drake Maye had a late garbage-time touchdown as part of his 295 passing yards, but was sacked six times and picked off twice.

The Vote Is In ... In a recent Times News Lehighton Sports Facebook poll, the question was posed as to whether the Eagles are headed in the right direction in 2026.

Well, most Birds fans are staying positive, as 62 percent believe they are, while 38 believe they aren’t.

Youth Movement And A Shift ... There have been plenty of anxiety attacks since the Birds parted ways with both legendary line coach and running game coordinator Jeff Stoutland, and tight end coach Jason Michael, who was with head coach Nick Sirianni since he came on board in 2021.

However, the Birds relieved some of that tension with the hire of ex-Packers assistant, 38-year-old Ryan Mahaffey, as their run game coordinator and tight ends coach. Mahaffey worked with new offensive coordinator, 33-year-old Ryan Mannion, in Green Bay. New passing game coordinator Josh Grizzard is 35.

The thinking here is the Eagles will move from the traditional inside-zone running attacks employed by Stoutland to a more outside-zone game and more tight end schemes.

Any looming question is whether Sirianni will allow Mannion to solely call plays, or have a hand in it.

Towing The Line ... There’s also plenty of speculation about the Eagles’ offensive line.

Guard Landon Johnson, who is 27, was sidelined most of last season with a foot injury, and 36-year-old right tackle Lane Johnson has contemplated retirement due to a rash of injuries.

Tackle Jordan Mailata and center Cam Jurgens both had off years, while Tyler Steen was adequate, filling the gap left by Mekhi Becton, who bolted for the Chargers.

Backups Fred Johnson, Brett Toth and Matt Pryor are all free agents.

Brown Out ... The A.J. Brown saga will continue.

Brown’s status will be an issue all spring. If Brown is traded, it likely won’t be until after June 1. After that, the Eagles would incur a dead-cap hit of $43,515,106 million with $27,161,109 toward 2027. But the Eagles would receive a 2027 draft pick, which they cherish.

Buffalo has emerged as a top landing spot for Brown. The Bills are thin at wide receiver, with Brandon Cooks and Keon Coleman as their lead receivers.

Other potential landing spots are Kansas City, San Francisco, and Cleveland.

By the Numbers ... If you believe the Eagles are headed South, here are some numbers that can possibly reverse your thinking.

Over the past five seasons, the Eagles, Bills and Steelers are the only teams that have posted winning records during the span.

The Eagles are only one of two teams to go to the playoffs the last five years, and are also among three teams who have been in the postseason eight of the last nine years.

Over the past four years, the Eagles have won more games (50) than any other four-year window in franchise history. Andy Reid’s teams came close with 48 from 2001-04.

NFC Least Now Elite ... The Eagles have won three NFC East titles since 2022, including two consecutive.

But, the division figures to be among the league’s elite in 2026 with the return of Washington quarterback Jayden Daniels from injury, along with the rise of New York signal caller Jaxson Dart. Dallas’ Dax Prescott had MVP numbers last year in the Cowboys’ high-powered offense.

All of that adds up to a few more hurdles for the Eagles in 2026.

Vegas Likes Them ... Despite all of the despair around the Eagles, Vegas has them as the team with the fourth-best odds to win the Super Bowl in 2027.

The Eagles are +1,300, preceded by the Seahawks at +950, Rams at +950, and Bills at +1,110, with the Eagles, Patriots, and Ravens all at +1,300.

Half and Half ... I didn’t watch any of the Bad Bunny halftime show, and only watched a minute or two of the Turning Point extravaganza. Both received overall favorable reviews, even though they are perceived as polar opposites in political circles.

The point here is commissioner Roger Goodell’s choice of entertainment. The NFL has developed into a thread woven deep into our society, and Goodell has followed in lockstep.

His recent halftime shows have contained underlining sexual and violent connotations from his performers.

A colleague and I recently reflected on how previous shows featured college halftime bands, themes such as Disney, and artists and bands such as Michael Jackson, Prince, and the Rolling Stones that simply performed their legendary songs.

Top Of His Class ... Ironically, Sam Darnold was the first quarterback to win a Super Bowl from the much-hyped 2018 draft class.

Cleveland drafted Baker Mayfield first; the Jets took Darnold third; Buffalo selected Josh Allen, seventh; Arizona took Josh Rosen, 10th; and Baltimore picked Lamar Jackson 32nd.

Of those, both Allen and Jackson have won league MVPs, while Rosen was out of the league after 2021.

They Called It ... Panther Valley head football coach Mark Lavine and Times News assistant sports editor Rod Heckman had the closest predictions to the Seahawks’ 29-13 victory.

In a prediction piece that was published Friday, Lavine saw the game as a 31-14 Seahawk victory, while Heckman viewed it as a 31-13 Seahawk triumph.

Fifty Super Bowls Ago ... In Super Bowl X, the Steelers edged the Cowboys, 21-17, in one of the better matchups.

Terry Bradshaw connected on a 64-yard winning touchdown pass to Lynn Swann, who outraced cornerback Mark Washington in single coverage.

Dallas had a safety blitz on, and Bradshaw was leveled by defensive end Larry Cole. The Pittsburgh quarterback had to be helped off the field.

Bradshaw went nine for 19 for 209 yards with two touchdowns, and Franco Harris ran for 82 yards.

Pittsburgh’s “Steel Curtain” defense made it a miserable day for Roger Staubach, who completed 15 d 24 for 204 yards with a pair of touchdowns and three interceptions. But Staubach was sacked seven times.

Quick Quiz ... Who was the only player to win the Super Bowl MVP based on his special teams’ — primarily returns — performance?

Scrapbook ... In each column, I will peel back the pages to recall the career of a former local standout.

Stan Dakosty Jr., the son of legendary Marian head coach Stan Dakosty Sr., played quarterback for the Colts and produced an overall 25-6 record. He threw for 3,378 yards, and had a total of 4,475 yards in his high school career.

In turn, Dakosty Jr. led the Colts to district titles in 1998 and 2000, as well as to the state playoffs.

Dakosty Jr., a 2001 graduate, was named to the state’s third team and played in the East-West All-Star team. He also was an All-County choice as a quarterback and defensive back, and was an All-Anthracite selection as a defensive back. In addition, he was the Times News and Blue Ridge Cable-TV’s Player of the Year.

From Marian, Dakosty Jr. continued his career at Colgate University, where he played for two seasons before his career was cut short due to an injury. He then joined the coaching staff as a student assistant, beginning his coaching venture.

Dakosty Jr. spent a year at Amherst as an assistant before he came back to Colgate.

After 14 years as an assistant, Dakosty was named Colgate’s head coach in 2021 and spent four years in charge of the Raiders.

He was inducted into Marian’s Hall of Fame a year earlier in 2020.

Quick Quiz Answer ... Desmond Howard won the MVP in the 1997 Super Bowl. He set a record with 154 yards on kickoff returns — one a 99-yarder for a touchdown — and tied a record with 244 all-purpose yards.

Your thoughts are always welcomed and will be published; email them to tnsports@tnonline.com.