The long wait of Sean Mannion’s new offense is finally over.

The new offensive coordinator certainly received a slightly-above passing grade in the Birds’ 24-22 victory over the Commanders last week.

Those who listened closely to the Fox broadcast or were at the Linc last Sunday, heard the boos when Jalen Hurts struggled in the third and fourth quarter until he broke free on a 22-yard run. The frustrated boos verified the offense was struggling at times.

On his next series, Hurts found Dallas Goedert on a 43-yard touchdown that basically sealed the game. Hurts threw for 203 yards, and passed that mark for the first time in his last five games. Last year, he hit the mark seven times, and had a three-plus touchdown game four times last season.

It was good to see Hurts use his legs effectively, and he should have some designed runs.

The Eagles did just enough to get past Washington, and one couldn’t expect to see everything in Mannion’s bag, let alone expect everything to work.

It was passable, but most Eagles’ fans didn’t have a totally confident feeling of what they saw in the opening trial. There were some highlights and big plays, but there wasn’t a consistent flow.

The defense bent, but didn’t break. Zack Baun had a monster game, and Jihaad Campbell had a coming-out-party of sorts the team has been anticipating with the lone sack.

Fortunately, the Birds travel to Tennessee Sunday, and should be able to further execute Mannion’s plan.

Saquon Barkley should have a big game, and figures to be utilized more in the open field.

Robert Saleh proved yet again that he shouldn’t be a head coach, and the Jets totally dominated his team.

Last week, the Jets’ Breece Hall ran for 102 yards against Tennessee.

Mannion will have to get some more stability before the Birds tangle with the Bears and Rams beginning next week.

Tow The Line ... The glaring setback was the loss of tackle Landon Johnson, who wasn’t totally healthy last week, and now is ruled out the next four weeks. Overall, the line didn’t have a good day, leaving Hurts often spinning in the pocket.

With Johnson’s nagging injuries and 36-year-old Lane Johnson in his final season, one has to wonder if the Birds’ line can regain its previous form. It now falls upon second-year players Drew Kendall and Willie Lampkin, along with Micah Morris to fill the role.

Former Eagle guard Mekhi Becton, who was an integral part of the Super Bowl run, is a free agent after a poor year with the Chargers last season. Yet, there are plenty of rumors swirling about Becton’s’ overall state.

Carson’s Comeback ... Except for diehard Vikings’ fans, did anyone notice ex-Eagles’ quarterback Carson Wentz lead the Vikings to 29 unanswered points in their 39-22 victory over Green Bay?

Wentz, who took over for injured Kyler Murray, went 12-for-19 for 133 yards and three touchdowns. It was his first three-touchdown game since Sept. 18, 2022, as a member of the Commanders.

Wentz didn’t throw any touchdowns in the previous two seasons as a member of the Vikings and Chiefs.

Boomer Still Reverberates ... Does anyone still watch Chris Berman and his “fastest three minutes in television” halftime highlights? Well, the 71-year-old is still going strong, but doesn’t pack the same pizzazz as he once did in the 1980s and 1990s.

Berman became a staple for his halftime show, as well as his “NFL Primetime” show. ESPN is planning a series of shows throughout the season to highlight their Super Bowl broadcast in conjunction with ABC this season, and Berman will be a big part of it.

ESPN has lost some of its luster, especially with the emergence of local market shows like Comcast Sportsnet in Philly, and other major markets.

Berman and Booger McFarland still anchor a version of “NFL Primetime” on the ESPN app.

Green And Gold Series ... Notre Dame recently announced a set of future series with top 20 schools.

The Irish will begin a home-and-away series with Nebraska in 2032, Virginia Tech in 2027, Texas in 2028, Oklahoma in 2029, and Arizona in 2031.

Notre Dame and Nebraska played each other in the 2000s, and hadn’t met prior until the 1973 Orange Bowl. In that game, two-time defending national champion Nebraska walloped the Irish, 40-6.

This week, Notre Dame (2-0) hosts undefeated Michigan State (2-0) Saturday on NBC at 7:30 p.m., in what should be its most competitive game of the season after it routed Wisconsin, 41-13, and rattled Rice, 52-0.

Quarterback C.J. Carr continues his Heisman Trophy campaign, as he was 16 of 20 for 253 with four touchdowns against Rice. The Irish accumulated 478 yards of total offense and averaged 7.35 yards per play.

Carr, who also is aligning himself as a potential first-round draft pick, has thrown for 492 yards with six touchdowns and zero interceptions, completing 71.4 percent of passes.

It will be an interesting watch on Oct. 3, when the Irish travel to North Carolina to battle Bill Belichick and his Tarheels.

Belichick’s program is a mess, and how is he found guilty of recruiting violations in the high-profile era of NIL money?

North Carolina, which is 2-0, travels to Clemson Saturday for a noon kickoff in a game that should be a good watch.

My Buddy, My Pal ... Staying with the Irish, Jeremiah Love and Jadarian Price will face each other this weekend when the Cardinals host the Seahawks.

Love, who battled injuries in the preseason, carried 11 times for 41 yards and caught two passes for nine yards in his debut during his team’s 26-14 victory over the Chargers last week. He gave the Cardinals a 7-0 lead on a five-yard touchdown run.

Price also made his debut in the league’s opening game when the Seahawks nipped the Patriots, 13-10. Viewed as the team’s lead back due to some injuries along with his rise, Price ran for 52 yards on 10 carries and caught two passes for six yards.

What To Watch ... This week’s NFL card offers a mixed bag of games. Here are some that should prove to be absorbing:

Bengals-Texans: I like the Bengals this season, but C.J. Stroud has to prove himself.

Packers-Jets: Green Bay needs a win, however, the Jets can be a surprise and pull out a big win at home.

Vikings-Bears: This should be old-fashioned black-and blue battle, and the Bears may be a Super Bowl contender. Wentz gets another chance.

Saints-Ravens: I still like the Saints, and Tyler Shough threw for 470 yards in a loss. Lamar Jackson still has to win the big one.

Steelers-Patriots: Aaron Rodgers and the Steelers always intrigue me. This should be a close contest.

Jaguars-Broncos: Jacksonville beat up a bad Browns’ team. Is Bo Nix the real deal?

Commanders-Cowboys: Jayden Daniels looks like he can have a big year. The Cowboys have to straighten out their defense.

Giants-Rams: LA desperately needs a win, and they lost Myles Garrett. The Giants looked great, and there is hope and promise for the first time in several years.

Cardinals-Seahawks: It’s Love against Price, and the Cardinals have to prove their worth. Seattle’s defense will be dominant even with Drew Lock leading the offense at quarterback.

Don’t Bother ... For those who have the NFL ticket or a streaming service, don’t flip the channel to these games:

Browns-Bucs, Dolphins-49ers, Panthers-Falcons, and Chiefs-Colts will be yawns. Take a glimpse at the Raiders-Chargers to possibly see Fernando Mendoza.

Scrapbook ... In each column, I will recount the career of a former local standout.

Tony Caracio became a legendary head football coach at Pleasant Valley. He had two stints with the Bears that began in 1973. In his first stint, Caracio produced a 58-27-5 slate until 1981, when he stepped down for health reasons.

Watching the program flounder for the better part of a decade, Caracio returned to the sidelines in 1993. He spent the next eight years guiding the Bears until he retired in 2000.

Through his two coaching stops, Caracio compiled an overall 100-70-5 record, and captured two Eastern Conference championships.

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