When will the Eagles’ new offensive click? Is the defense an elite group? Can Saquon Barkley regain his form? Is Jalen Hurts their quarterback of the future? Will the Eagles win the NFC East?

Those are some of the questions facing the Birds when they host the Commanders and begin their 2026 campaign at the Linc Sunday afternoon for their 4:25 p.m. kickoff.

For the Eagles, it was an intriguing offseason filled with some uneasiness and anxiety, and high expectations in the same sentence to many.

The Eagles’ unexpected loss to San Francisco in last year’s playoffs left a taste of a burned cheesesteak in the mouths of their fans, and doubt of this year’s team already has entered their minds.

It will be a season in which uncertainty can be expected in the beginning, while stability again is anticipated in the end.

Besides the Eagles, how does the rest of the NFC look outside of the favored Rams? In the AFC, will it be the Broncos’ ride?

Can They Make It Work? ... New offensive coordinator 34-year-old Sean Mannion has been given the keys to restart the Eagles’ offense in his first time in the role. He’ll be calling the plays from the booth.

Along with Mannion, fellow newbies — passing game coordinator Josh Grizzard, offensive line coach Chris Kuper, tight ends coach Ryan Mahaffey, and offensive analyst Jerrod Johnson — have 11 combined seasons in their positions.

A West Coast offense disciple, Mannion reportedly has blended versions of the offense to suit the Eagles needs. He does believe in the team’s running game behind Barkley and other back Tank Bigsby, who is expected to get his share of touches.

However, the Birds passing game likely will take time to develop. A.J. Brown is in New England, and his season will be shortened due to a high ankle sprain suffered in Wednesday’s opener, while top pick Makei Lemon was nagged by injuries and didn’t develop as expected during the summer.

The Birds toyed with the idea of bringing back tight end Zach Ertz to pair with Dallas Goedert as a way to jump start the offense.

DaVonta Smith, Dantayvion Wicks, and Darius Cooper are the new opening receiver trifecta.

Run Jalen Run ... Last season, Hurts had the lowest rushing total since his rookie season, with 421 yards on 105 carries for a 4.0 per average carry.

In the previous four seasons, Hurts ran for a combined 2,779 yards and averaged 4.54 yards per carry. He also scored 52 times on the ground.

It’s easy to see that his legs can be a key offensive weapon for the team. The issue will be whether Mannion has some designed plays for him, or give him the green light to scramble if the pocket breaks down. It has been proven that the Birds offense is more effective with Hurts running, but Mannion’s previous involvement in Green Bay had the quarterback running minimally.

In Mannion’s offense, Hurts will be under center more than in the past. This should generate some running plays for him as well as open things up more for Barkley.

The thoughts about this being Hurts’ last year with the Eagles has to stop. Regardless of how the season plays out, he should finish his career with the Eagles. Yet, there is still plenty of skepticism.

What baffles me is why the Eagles kept four quarterbacks on their roster?

See Saquon Run ... Along with Hurts likely benefiting from the new scheme, Barkley’s production should also increase.

Last season, Barkley generated 1,140 yards, which was a significant drop from his record-setting year of 2,005 in 2024. It was his lowest total since he had 1,003 yards with the Giants in his second year.

Barkley should be able to get outside more in Mannion’s offense, as well as being more of a receiver out of the backfield. Barkley caught 37 passes for 273 yards with a pair of scores last season. He caught 288 passes for 2,100 yards and 12 touchdowns in his six seasons with the Giants.

Barkley should also benefit from a healthy offensive line, which was banged up last season.

Getting Defensive ... A main question hanging over the defense is when newcomer edge rusher Jonathan Greenard will be ready to play. Head coach Nick Sirianni hinted he could see action Sunday.

The Birds defense has a stellar unit with defensive tackle and newly re-signed Jalen Carter, and Jordan Davis leading a deep unit.

It’s time for top 2025 pick linebacker Jihaad Campbell to have a breakout year, and he and Zack Baun and Jeremiah Trotter Jr should follow suit.

Newly added Riq Woolen will further solidify a stellar secondary.

With the Eagles new offense, defensive coordinator Vic Fangio will have his unit rise to the occasion early in the season. Fangio’s defense will be tested Friday against Jayden Daniels, who threw five touchdowns in a 36-33 victory the last time he faced them in 2024.

No Doubt ... In a recent Times News Facebook poll, Philly netted an overwhelming 70 percent to win the NFC East (101 of 145 votes). Dallas (19 percent) was second, followed by the Giants (7) and Commanders (4).

Fearless Forecasts ... In the NFC, I see the Saints going from worst to first in the NFC South. Saints quarterback Tyler Shough is the next Archie Manning or likely better.

The Eagles will win the NFC East, Chicago wins the Central, and the Rams will capture the West. Dallas, San Francisco and Seattle capture Wild Cards with Carolina, Detroit, and Tampa Bay in the hunt.

In the AFC, I like Buffalo, Cincinnati, Jacksonville, and Denver. Kansas City’s playoff run will end, as Andy Reid’s Chiefs will show their age. Los Angeles (Chargers), New England and Baltimore will win Wild Cards. Pittsburgh will be on the doorstep.

Let’s see how these pan out before I predict the postseason.

Pass The Cupcakes ... There may not be a solution, but college football began their season with traditional powers and projected conference winners and runners-up.

Take a gander at some of these opening-game scores: 51-10, 63-7, 50-0, 40-0, 66-14, 63-3, 59-7, 52-16, and 54-14 to name a few.

Another High-Flying Eagle ... Noah Eagle, son of NFL games broadcaster Ian Eagle, did a solid job paired with Luke Kuechle on the NetFlix broadcast of the Rams-49ers last night.

But it is a crime to pay to watch a game on NetFlix. Unfortunately, it is the wave of the future.

Off And Running ... It doesn’t always happen, but all of the area football teams had a win through the first two weeks.

Palmerton, Pleasant Valley, Lehighton and Northwestern were are undefeated (2-0) heading into Week Three. The Indians and Tigers remained unbeaten with wins on Thursday, Pottsville edged Pleasant Valley, 20-19.

Off And Fightin’ ... Third-ranked Notre Dame had a slow start, but the Fightin’ Irish responded with a 28-point second half to turn a close game into a 41-13 rout of Wisconsin at Lambeau Field in the opener.

Heisman Trophy favorite quarterback C.J Carr made his first stance for the award when he completed 19 of 29 passes for 239 yards with two touchdowns. Aneyas Williams, who had taken over for Jeremiyah Love, ran for 90 yards and a pair of scores.

However, the Irish had preseason Second-Team All-American safety Brauntae Johnson, as well as defensive lineman Jason Onye suffer injuries, and they both will miss the next several weeks.

Speaking of Love, the current Arizona Cardinal is listed as questionable for his team’s opener Sunday against the Chargers.

Aside from Love, keep an eye on former teammate Jadarian Price, the Seahawks’ top pick. Price ran for 52 yards on 10 carries, and caught two passes for six yards in their opener against New England. He should be their main ballcarrier, and is primed for a big year.

The Irish host Rice (1-0) Saturday.

Scrapbook ... In each column, I will retrace the steps of a former standout from the coverage area.

Dave Parsons served as Lehighton High School’s football coach for 20 seasons before he stepped down in 2001.

During his 20 seasons at Lehighton, Parsons amassed a 136-84-2 record, and guided the Indians to the 1987 District 11 Class 3A title. Parsons was also an assistant coach for nine seasons.

In his district championship season, Lehighton substituted for East Stroudsburg, who declined to participate in the playoffs. Lehighton upset undefeated 12-0 Easton in the finals.

Parsons led his final Indians team to an 8-3 record and to the postseason. He later served as an assistant coach at Muhlenberg College.

Prediction ... Surprisingly, there are plenty of scribes who believe the Commanders can upset the Eagles. Well, this isn’t one of them.

The Eagles’ offense will show some life, as Barkley will break the 100-yard mark. Hurts will have a workmanlike effort, but their defense will save the day and slow down Daniels in a 24-13 victory.

Enjoy Week One!

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