Welcome to another edition of “As the Eagles Turn.”

You might use a second reference to “MASH” or “General Hospital.” You certainly can’t imply the title “Happy Days.”

How about “Dark Shadows?” (Remember that one?) There is a dark cloud lingering over South Philadelphia besides the anticipated Tropical Storm Isaias belting the area this weekend.

Suddenly, the season is resembling more of a soap opera or a TV show or drama with a rash of injuries, drama involving the head coach and quarterback, anxiety about the new offensive coordinator, doubts about the venerable defensive coordinator, and fear over the state of the offensive line.

At 2-2 and facing the upstart Jaguars across the pond Sunday morning, the sense of panic among Eagles fans has reached the same intensity of a playoff game.

There are plenty of issues to create a state of building apprehension and hysteria. At this rate, one would have to look deeply at a roster to tell who is on the field.

Somewhere, former offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo is smiling. Kellen Moore, his predecessor, has the Saints on a march.

The last dominoes to fall were the anticipated retirement of lineman Lane Johnson. Yet, the timing of it was definitely a bit surprising.

Then GM wizard Howie Roseman stunned the football world by trading former center and transplanted guard Cam Jurgens to Baltimore for a fifth-round pick in 2027, and a second-round pick in 2028. That should be a good deal for Roseman.

That was within a few hours of the team announcing that wide receiver DeVonta Smith, running back Saquon Barkley, linebacker Jihaad Campbell, safety Marcus Epps, linebacker Jonathan Greenard, and center Drew Kendall are initially listed as doubtful for Sunday morning’s game in London.

Running back Tank Bigsby will be out for the next few weeks.

What began as an anticipated Super Bowl run season with an elite defense and a promising offense has turned into a plodding, mediocre one.

The pessimist will believe the season is over, and a transition will be in the works. The optimist can point to 13 regular-season weeks left in a division that is mediocre at best. Those first-place Giants are playing confidently under John Harbaugh and without Jaxson Dart, and they have taken advantage of playing the Titans and Cardinals.

There’s plenty of football left and plenty of questions to ponder, and hopefully, answer.

Tow the Line ... Since the summer, the state of the Birds’ offensive line has been in question. Former offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland’s dismissal stunned the linemen and the rest of the NFL community. Considering their injuries and inconsistent play last year, this was viewed as a potential season breaker.

With Johnson and Landon Dickerson sideline, Jurgens made the move to left guard, and it wasn’t successful. Now, with only Tyler Steen and Jordan Mailata left, their continuity is gone.

Kendall, Will Lampkin, and rookie fourth-round pick Markel Bell are the new faces up front. Veteran Fred Johnson has been battling injuries. Fortunately, Kendall and Bell have received high marks.

The burning question is whether they can find rhythm and chemistry together soon.

Time to Be Offensive ... Patullo’s offense last season ranked 19th in scoring, and 24th in total yards. Their passing offense was 23rd (194.3), and their rushing offense was 17th (116.9).

Through four games, the offense is ranked 25th, 31st in passing (160.75) and 13th in rushing (110.7). We’ve all been reminded of the 0-for-12 third down, and 68 yards passing stats against the Rams plenty in the past week.

Jalen Hurts is ranked 21st among his peers with 713 yards and seven touchdowns and two interceptions, but only has a 59.6 completion percentage.

New OC Sean Mannion apparently is feeling the heat already, as he reportedly was one of the first players/coaches to bolt the locker room after last Sunday’s loss to the Rams.

Before playing with his nearly depleted offensive arsenal, Mannion wasn’t able to get the offense in gear. But it was predicted to take some time, and it certainly has.

Until Barkley and Bigsby return, the running game currently is in the hands of longtime reserve Will Shipley, and Texans castoff Damien Pierce, who was activated off the practice squad. Ex-Eagle Miles Sanders, Kareem Hunt and Raheem Mostert could be free-agent options.

The good news is that tight end Dallas Goedert could return Sunday, and his presence is more important than initially believed.

Hurts may also have found a new connection with Darius Cooper, and top pick Makei Lemon is beginning to surface.

Philly could also catch a break Sunday, as the Jaguars’ pass defense is ranked 31st (280.4), but their run defense is second (74.1).

Time To Be Defensive ... A main problem with the Birds’ defense has been an extended time on the field. They had 84 snaps against the Rams last week and looked tired. They did manage to record their first takeaways when Cooper DeJean and Anthony Mukaba both swiped interceptions in a well-played first half.

Like the offense, unfortunately, Fangio’s unit has had breakdowns after halftime. They also have been plagued with the majority of 20 total penalties in the past two games.

The Birds’ defense is ranked 21st overall, 17th against the pass (222) and 23rd against the run (122). Nolan Smith has two of their four sacks.

Fangio needs to find a spark, and it should start this week.

Keep Those Eyes Smilin’ ... Don’t look now, but third-ranked Notre Dame (5-0) has won 15 straight games. The Fightin’ Irish are two wins away from Miami’s mark of 17 straight in 2000-01.

The Irish did struggle and have some lapses in their 37-26 victory over North Carolina in Chapel Hill last Saturday. In their previous four games, Notre Dame allowed 33 points.

Freshman running back Jonaz Walton had another big game with a team-high 120 yards on 23 carries. He has emerged as a lead back in their past two games, and has 238 yards on 39 carries for a 5.8 average.

Quarterback C.J. Carr had another strong game, going 21-of-29 for 234 yards with four touchdowns. Carr has seven touchdowns, and has thrown for 571 yards in his last two games. He has 13 touchdowns and one interception with 1,197 yards on the season. A Jets source told me that they are looking heavily at him for the 2027 draft.

The Irish will host Stanford (2-3) Saturday at 3:30 on NBC. Wake Forest pummeled Stanford, 57-3, last week. They will have a sterner test when they travel to eighth-ranked BYU next week.

Who’s No 1? ... In any given year, there’s usually a pretty good idea on who could win the Super Bowl. So far, this year is an exception.

Since the summer, the Rams (2-2) were the prohibitive favorite, but they have struggled.

San Francisco, Minnesota, and Kansas City all enter this week 4-0, and the Chiefs are likely the best of the lot. Kenneth Walker has drastically helped their running game, and Patrick Mahomes has been heating up.

Buffalo, the Giants, Seattle, and Jacksonville are all 3-1, but each have some blemishes. Buffalo is the Super Bowl contender here.

On the other end, the Chargers, Houston, Tennessee and Tampa Bay were winless. The Chargers are a surprise, and they may begin cleaning house. Tampa Bay lost Baker Mayfield, and it hasn’t recovered.

In a refreshing way, it’s good to see more parity, and it should make for a lot of must-watch games down the stretch.

Scrapbook ... In each column, I will look back at a former standout from our area.

Northwestern’s Ken Ralston had a stellar career as a lineman. Ralston was a first-team all-Colonial League offense choice and second team defense. He was an Associated Press all-state selection. He also excelled in baseball for the Tigers.

The 6-5, 260-pound Ralston went on to play as an offensive lineman at the University of Richmond. He redshirted his freshman year of 2000, and was a reserve his first two seasons.

In his junior year, Ralston started six games at left tackle, and in all 13 games his final season.

Final Thoughts ... If patience is truly a virtue, the Eagles will test the proverb. Hurts can have a bounce-back week, and the Birds have to hold the ball longer. Their defense, primarily the secondary, needs to tighten. It will be a tight game Sunday, and the Birds will need a stiff cup of tea ... Jaguars, 27-24

It will be another episode of “As The Eagles Turn”...

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