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R.J. Mickens feels as if the blueprint is right in front of him. Across the Chargers locker room, he sees No. 3 and immediately knows of the possibilities.

The rookie safety has played a leading role in sparking a Chargers defense that has helped lift the team to a three-game winning streak heading into Sunday's game against Jacksonville. Before getting the chance to prove himself, Mickens learned from the secondary corps around him: Tony Jefferson, Elijah Molden, Donte Jackson — and No. 3, Derwin James Jr.

“[James has been] willing to pour into me and help me get to where he's at and surpass him,” said Mickens, who secured his second-career interception against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday. “And he's willing to help me. I'm really willing to go to him."

Mickens isn’t the only Chargers rookie who has built a name for himself within the secondary, as injuries have led to opportunities for players lower on the depth chart. Nikko Reed, whom the Chargers signed as an undrafted free agent out of Oregon, got his “feet wet” two weeks ago against the Tennessee Titans before being thrust into action against Aaron Rodgers and Steelers.

During that game, Rodgers threw a pass that seemed destined to drop into the hands of wide receiver Calvin Austin III. Flying through the air, Reed stretched out his left arm toward Austin and recorded his first pass breakup, helping the Chargers hold a nine-point halftime lead en route to a 25-10 victory.

Defensive coordinator Jesse Minter, who has guided the Chargers to an NFL-best 64.5 opponent passer rating, credits Reed’s development, in part, to defending against Justin Herbert, Ladd McConkey, Keenan Allen and Quentin Johnston in practice.

“When you get out there, and it's DK Metcalf or Roman Wilson ... and it's Aaron Rodgers, you're ready for that because you've taken advantage of the opportunity and practice with the guys that we have,” Minter said of Reed, who played a career-high 40% of snaps against the Steelers.

Said Reed: “Knowing that you're going against the best players every day at practice and once you get into the game, it’s easy — it’s way easier than practice. I feel like that’s the mentality.”

It's a similar mindset that has helped Mickens hold opposing quarterbacks to an 8.3 passer rating on targeted receivers, the best mark in the NFL since Week 6, according to Pro Football Focus.

Mickens tries to keep things in perspective. The sixth-round pick recalled how he made a mistake on his first NFL play, taking a bad angle on a tackle attempt against the Miami Dolphins last month, resulting in a big gain. Still, he felt his interceptions against the Minnesota Vikings and Steelers also provided a learning experience.

Read more:Sam Darnold reflects on when his NFL odyssey became a $100-million breakthrough

His takeaway? Any NFL player can make a game-changing play, Mickens said.

James likes what he sees from his younger counterparts. Although Mickens and Reed are learning from watching James every day, the four-time Pro Bowler is also keeping a close eye on the rookies as the Chargers prepare for their playoff push.

“It’s being a sponge,” James said. “[Mickens and Reed] ask questions all day, every day. Man, they work. They work like they ain't got nothing. Every day. And it's showing.”

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Roob's Random Observations: What would a healthy offensive line mean for Eagles? originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

What would it mean for the Eagles’ offensive line to actually stay healthy the second half of the season? Can Howie Roseman keep this defense together after this season? How many head coaches have done what Nick Sirianni is about to do?

So many questions! 

And maybe we have a few answers as well.

Here’s this week’s 10 Random Eagles Observations as we get ready for the Lions to come to town for another prime-time showdown. The Eagles are 4-1 this year against winning teams and 23-7 since 2022. That’s truly remarkable.

1A. Landon Dickerson left the opener vs. the Cowboys early in the fourth quarter with a back injury (after getting his right knee scoped in August) and was replaced by Brett Toth. Lane Johnson missed all but 10 snaps of the Rams game with a stinger and was replaced by Matt Pryor at first and then Fred Johnson. Lane Johnson and Tyler Steen both missed part of the Bucs game, Steen with an oblique in the second quarter and Johnson with a shoulder injury in the third quarter. Matt Pryor replaced Steen at right guard and Fred Johnson at right tackle. Toth replaced Dickerson for missed most of the Broncos game and all of the first Giants game because of an ankle injury. And center Cam Jurgens missed most of the Vikings game and all of the second Giants game and Packers, with Toth again the replacement. And then Lane missed 27 snaps Monday night in Green Bay with that scary ankle injury, although he did return. Jordan Mailata has played every snap, but the Eagles’ offensive line has been decimated this year. Eagles o-linemen have missed significant snaps in every game but the Chiefs, with Jurgens missing 157 snaps, Dickerson 121 and Lane Johnson 101. Including a handful of snaps Steen missed, that’s 384 missed snaps in nine games. The good news is that all five linemen practiced on Friday and should be OK to start against the Lions Sunday. But it’s definitely concerning that these guys keep getting banged up. There are a lot of issues with the offense, but if this o-line can stay healthy the rest of the season  – or at least relatively healthy – it will at least give this offense a chance to play up to the standard we all expect.

1B. Big shout out to Toth, who has played awfully well filling in at various times in various spots. He’s played 270 snaps – more than he played in his first six years combined. Toth is a classic Jeff Stoutland project. A 29-year-old undrafted free agent who’s been released eight teams in his career and never pass blocked at Army and started just one meaningful game in his life before last month. He’s been huge.

2. Howie Roseman is going to have some real challenges trying to keep this defense together beyond this year. Reed Blankenship, Nakobe Dean and Jaelan Phillips are unsigned for 2026, Moro Ojomo and Jordan Davis are unsigned beyond 2026, and Jalen Carter and Nolan Smith will be eligible for extensions after this season. Can Howie find a way to keep the three interior linemen – Carter, Davis and Ojomo? Can he find a way to keep the three inside linebackers – Zack Baun (already signed through 2027), Jihaad Campbell (rookie contract through 2028) and Dean? I just don’t see how. Obviously, Carter is the top priority, but the Eagles can’t let Ojomo go so Davis could very well be the odd man out. And Baun and Campbell aren’t going anywhere, so Dean – who is playing lights out – just might be unsignable. Howie is essentially a victim of his own tremendous drafting. There are just too many talented young defensive players to get under the cap. You can’t keep everybody and there’s going to have to be some difficult decisions, just like there were last year when the Eagles had to let Milton Williams and Josh Sweat go. If Roseman keeps drafting defensive players at such a high level, he’ll be able to replenish the roster, but it also means saying good-bye to some guys that are going to be very difficult to say goodbye to.

3A. I really thought their performance vs. the Vikings and Giants signaled a real breakthrough for the Eagles’ offense – 28 points and a season-high 361 yards in Minnesota and a season-high 38 points and another season-high 427 yards in the Giants rematch. It felt like maybe Kevin Patullo was in a play-calling groove, Jalen Hurts was playing his best football ever, the running game had finally materialized and even A.J. Brown was getting the ball. That’s why the Packers performance was so disappointing. Yeah, it was cold and windy. Yeah, it’s Lambeau Field. Yeah, that’s a good defense. But come on. Ten points? Fewer than 300 yards? No trips inside the red zone? Under 3 ½ yards per rush? Only three drives of at least 25 yards? This was an offensive disaster and the Eagles only won because of a massive performance by their defense. The offense’s inability to show any sort of consistency from week to week is alarming, and this sort of regression raises even more concern about Kevin Patullo’s ability to get this thing turned around, not just for a week or two weeks but for the second half of the season and into the playoffs. We’re in Week 11 now and the Eagles haven’t scored more than 20 points in three straight games. They haven’t averaged 3 ½ yards per rush in three straight games. They haven’t had more than 16 first downs in three straight games. Every number is down from last year with essentially the same personnel, just a new right guard. This is statistically the Eagles’ worst nine-game offensive start in more than 20 years. With this talent? That’s inexcusable. Yeah, they’re 7-2, but this team’s only goal is winning a championship and this is not a championship offense. If things don’t get better soon, something has to change.

3B. I don’t want to go too deep with A.J. because that’s been done to death all week and really all year. But I do appreciate that his latest remarks were clear, direct and straightforward. There were no cryptic Bible verses, no vague hints, no enigmatic tweets. It was just A.J. speaking his mind. And everything he said was true. He’s too good for this to be happening.

4. John Metchie, who the Eagles traded to the Jets as part of the deal that sent Michael Carter to the Eagles, had more yards for the Jets Thursday night against the Patriots than A.J. has had in five of his eight games so far this year. Metchie caught three passes for 45 yards and a touchdown in his second game with the Jets. He caught four passes for 18 yards in seven games with the Eagles. 

5. Jalen Hurts has 11 completions of at least 35 yards, tied with Sam Darnold for most in the league. That’s already as many as he had all last year. His most in a full season is 16 in 2022. Since 2021, his 61 completions of at least 35 yards are 2^nd-most in the NFL, behind only Patrick Mahomes with 68. Of those 61, A.J. Brown has 25, DeVonta Smith 21, Quez Watkins and Dallas Goedert seven each, Saquon Barkley and Jahan Dotson three apiece and Grant Calcaterra one. 

6. The Eagles will be facing one of the NFL’s better tight ends Sunday night in Sam LaPorta, a Pro Bowler in 2023. The only tight end with a 100-yard game against the Eagles since Nick Sirianni became head coach is Zach Ertz, who had 11 catches for 104 yards last year in the NFC Championship Game. The last tight end with 100 yards in a regular-season game against the Eagles was George Kittle, with 15 for 183 in the Eagles’ 25-20 win over the 49ers in Santa Clara in October 2020. The last opposing tight end with a 100-yard game at the Linc in the regular season was Washington’s Jordan Reed, who had 9-for-129 in Washington’s 38-24 win in Week 16 of the 2015 season. Head coach Chip Kelly was fired two days later.

7A. The impact Jaelan Phillips made in his first game with the Eagles was reminiscent of the last player the Eagles acquired from the Dolphins at the trade deadline, Jay Ajayi back in 2017. Ajayi was having a pedestrian season in Miami, averaging 3.4 yards on 138 carries when the Eagles snagged him for a 4^th-round pick. Five days after the trade, in his first game in an Eagles uniform, Ajayi ran nine times for 77 yards and a touchdown in a win over the Broncos, and he wound up with 408 yards and a 5.8 average in just seven regular-season games and then had a big postseason, with 184 yards and a 4.4 average in the Eagles’ wins over the Falcons, Vikings and Patriots. He ran nine times for 57 yards and a 6.3 average in the Super Bowl and teamed up with LeGarrette Blount and Corey Clement to pile up 255 scrimmage yards in the Eagles’ historic 41-33 win over the Patriots in Minneapolis. Ajayi had some shaky knees when he arrived in Philly and he only played seven more games in his career after the 2017 postseason. But he was huge down the stretch and in the playoffs when the Eagles won it all.

7B. The Eagles have never had a 100-yard rusher in a Super Bowl. Blount’s 90 yards in Super Bowl LII remain the franchise record. Jalen Hurts had 70 in his first Super Bowl and 72 in his second. Ajayi in 2017 and Saquon Barkley last year both had 57 and nobody else has had over 50 in the Eagles’ five Super Bowls. Blount, who was 31 in 2017, is also the 3^rd-oldest player to rush for 90 or more yards in a Super Bowl. Ottis Anderson was 34 when he rushed for 102 in the Giants’ win over the Bills in Super Bowl XXV in Tampa, and Washington’s John Riggins was 33 when he ran for 166 against the Dolphins in Super Bowl XVII in Pasadena.

8A. DeVonta Smith’s efficiency is astounding. Among 43 wide receivers who’ve been targeted at least 50 times this year, his 77.4 catch percentage – 48 catches on 62 targets – is 5^th-highest. And his 13.7 yards per catch is by far the highest of any of the top guys. Stathead tracks catch percentage back to 1978 and only three WRs have been over 75 percent and over 13 yards per catch in a full season during that span, including Pennsauken’s John Taylor with the 49ers in 1989. On an offense that’s sputtered for much of the last 2 ½ months, Smith has been a model of efficiency and consistency. 

9. The Eagles lead the NFL in red-zone touchdown percentage, with 16 TDs on 18 drives inside the opposing 20 for 88.9 percent. Great, right? Sure. The problem is 18 red-zone possessions through nine games is only two per game. That’s the 2^nd-fewest in the league – the 1-8 Titans have had 16. Not the kind of company you want to keep. It’s also the Eagles’ fewest red-zone drives through nine games as far back as Stathead tracks them, which is 2001. Their previous fewest through nine games on record was 22 in 2003. Last year they had 33 after nine games and the year before they had 38 – more than twice as many as this year. If they could get inside the 20 three or four times per game instead of twice and keep that 89 percent TD rate? This offense would actually be hard to stop.

10B. With a career 70.8 catch percentage and 13.1 yards per catch, Smith is one of only two WRs over 70 percent and 13 yards per catch with 250 career targets. The other is Puka Nacua (72.5, 13.0). 

10C. The next-highest catch percentage on record by an Eagles WR is Jordan Matthew’s 64.5. A.J. Brown (64.3), Jason Avant (62.9) and Jeremy Maclin (60.5) are also over 60 percent. (Lowest is former 1^st-round pick Kenny Jackson’s 43.0)

BONUS OB 1A. If the Eagles reach the playoffs – and their magic number to win the NFC East is down to five – Nick Sirianni will become only the fourth head coach to take his first five teams to the postseason. The first to do it was Paul Brown with the Browns 10 years in a row from 1946 through 1955, although the Browns were in the old AAFC until joining the NFL in 1950. Chuck Knox reached the postseason his first five seasons coaching the Rams – 1973 through 1977 – and two head coaches with Eagles ties also did it. Bill Cowher, who played for the Eagles in 1983 and 1984, went to the playoffs his first six years with the Steelers, 1992 through 1997, and long-time Eagles special teams coach John Harbaugh got to the postseason his first five years with the Ravens, from 2008 through 2012. 

BONUS OB 1B. The Eagles are 24-14 against winning teams under Nick Sirianni, the highest winning percentage of any NFL team during that 4 ½-year span. That’s a .632 winning percentage and the only other teams over .500 are the Chiefs (24-16, .600) and Bills (19-14, .576). If you include the postseason, the Eagles improve to .638 on 30-17 (although including postseason also bumps the Chiefs ahead of them at .660). 

BONUS OB 1C. Since the loss in Tampa last year in Week 4, the Eagles are 13-2 vs. winning teams, with the two losses coming in Washington last year and at home vs. the Broncos last month. 

Eagles vs. Lions predictions for Week 11 of the NFL season originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Eagles (7-2) are hosting the Detroit Lions (6-3) at Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday Night Football.

Let’s get to the predictions:

Reuben Frank (6-3)

I’m not sure how good the Lions really are. They’re 6-3, but four of their wins are over the 4-5 Ravens, 2-7 Browns, 3-6 Bengals and 3-7 Commanders. Their two quality wins are over the Bears and Bucs, both at home. They’ve lost in Kansas City and Green Bay – two places the Eagles have won – and they lost at home to the Vikings, who the Eagles beat in Minneapolis. Since 2022 – the second year as head coach for both Dan Campbell and Nick Sirianni – the Lions are 18-16 vs. winning teams and the Eagles are 28-9. Now, none of this guarantees anything this weekend. The Eagles have really just played one game – the second Giants game – where they were clicking in all phases. And that’s a team that fired its coach a few weeks later. The Lions have won games by 31, 24, 22 and 15 points. The Eagles have one win by more than seven points. That Lions offense is loaded and their defense is exceptional. They’re one of only three teams – along with the Chiefs and Seahawks – ranked in the top 10 in the NFL in both offense and defense. For the record, the Eagles are 23rd on offense and 18th on defense. How can they even compete with the Lions? Do they even belong on the same field as the Lions? How can they beat this team? I have no idea. But they always find a way and I figure they will Sunday night as well.

Eagles 28, Lions 27

Dave Zangaro (7-2)

This was the hardest game for me to pick all season and it got even harder when the final injury reports were released. Because the Eagles are at full strength, while the Lions are missing several key players. The Eagles absolutely have the ability to be the Lions and getting this game at home should be a huge boost. I just don’t have enough confidence in the Eagles’ offense to pick them in this game. So for the first time all season, I’m picking an Eagles loss.

Is there a chance the Eagles finally turn it on offensively and keep pace against a team that features one of the best offenses in the NFL? Sure, there’s a chance. But I need to see it. They were able to win with 10 points last week but that won’t get it done in this game. I don’t think the Eagles are going to win out so it’s about trying to find where the losses might come. This is a really tough game between two NFC opponents. So if the Eagles lose this one, there’s a good chance they’ll get another crack at the Lions down the road.

Lions 30, Eagles 26

Barrett Brooks (7-2)

This is truly the game I have been anticipating since the schedule came in April. The Lions were the team I thought would challenge the Birds last year in the NFC Championship Game. This should be the clash of the titans. We have two of the best coaches in the NFL with Nick Sirianni and Dan Campbell. I played with Dan a year with the Giants. He was a coach back then, helping the Giants staff keep rookie TE Jeremy Shockey on the straight path.

The potential of the Lions’ offense is so explosive. This will be Vic Fangio’s hardest test this year. The Eagles must stop a Lions’ rushing attack that features two really explosive backs in Jahmyr Gibbs and Davis Montgomery. Stopping the run will be No. 1. The defense’s biggest priority then will be to make Jared Goff uncomfortable. If you rattle him in the pocket, you can get him out of his game. Offensively, I don’t know what team will show up. If this becomes a scoring frenzy, I don’t know if we can keep up. We don’t run the ball well and we don’t throw the ball well. The offense must step up to have a chance to continue to try to get the bye week with the No. 1 seed. Yes, we won by scoring 10 points in Week 10, but we can’t sustain that type of offensive production.

Lions 24, Eagles 21

Mike Mulhern (7-2)

It sure doesn’t feel like the Eagles are 7-2 and atop the NFC. Especially after A.J. Brown’s latest comments, though the star wideout made some valid points about the offense’s struggles. Yes they’re winning, but that can’t mask everything. He’s backed up by history, too. Since 2009, only three teams that finished outside the top 10 in total offense won the Super Bowl and none were lower than 17th. The Eagles are currently 23rd. They’ve got a long way to go on that side of the ball to be Super Bowl caliber. The good news is they face a slate of defenses down the stretch that can be had, beginning with the Lions on Sunday night.

With no Terrion Arnold, Detroit will be hard pressed to try to man up against the Eagles receivers. Jalen Hurts has been super cautious, but he’s going to have to let it rip in this game to match points with the Lions prolific offense. Coming off a short week win in Lambeau, this isn’t a great spot for the Eagles. The Lions are a physical team out to prove they’re the top dogs in the NFC. In the end, Vic Fangio will do just enough to force Jared Goff into a costly mistake that will prove to be the difference.

Eagles 31 Lions 30

Ashlyn Sullivan (6-3) 

My prediction is this will be a close, incredibly competitive, and aggressive game from both teams. The Eagles’ defense has become reliable and makes the biggest play when it is needed most in the game – Vic Fangio has this unit playing at a high level with a lot of surprise and options to throw at an opposing offense. All that to say, I don’t think this Eagles defense is going to be able to slow down a Lions offense that is averaging 31 points per game, the best in the league. Lions quarterback Jared Goff is playing out of his mind this season, leading the league in completion percentage and second in the league in passing touchdowns. The Lions are going to get their points. The Eagles offense (gulp) is going to have to play at the level we saw them play against the Vikings and Giants this season, their best offensive performances of the year. I think this game comes down to the wire and home field advantage will come into play. Eagles win a close one and improve to eight wins on the season.

Eagles 33, Lions 31