unCovering the Birds with Jeff McLane

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What about DeVonta Smith, and the partnership between two "alpha" receivers? Oct 03, 2025

Show notes

When the Eagles opened their locker room to the media this week for the first time since leaving Tampa with a victory, A.J. Brown’s latest social media-instigated saga was the focal point of the media. Reporters swarmed his locker stall, waiting for the star wideout to explain himself. One locker over, however, the team’s other stud receiver stood and smiled. Over the years, DeVonta Smith has seen this show before. While Smith has been far less outspoken than Brown, he too has experienced a dip in production through the first month of the season. How does Smith feel about it? What does he think the Eagles can do to get him more involved? The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane goes one-on-one with the Slim Reaper to find out, and takes a closer look at the dynamic between the Eagles’ dynamic pass-catching duo. 00:00 “I ain’t part of the story…” 02:38 How DeVonta Smith is handling his own slow start to the season 06:36 Can two “alpha males” co-exist? 11:37 A.J. Brown, self-explained 14:25 The state of Brown’s relationship with Jalen Hurts 17:50 What the future holds unCovering the Birds is a production of The Philadelphia Inquirer and KYW Newsradio Original Podcasts. Look for new episodes dropping each week throughout the season.

The Day After: Should the Eagles get the benefit of the doubt, and thoughts on A.J. Brown's frustrations Sep 29, 2025

Show notes

How can a team so successful continue to be the source of so many questions? This remains the state of the Eagles. They’re 4-0, and have gone 20-1 over the last 365 days. But in each game the Eagles have played this season, they've shown some concerning flaws. Following the team's 31-25 win in Tampa, The Philadelphia Inquirer's Jeff McLane and David Murphy try to make sense of what they've seen, and do some reading between the lines about A.J. Brown's latest cryptic comments. 00:00 4-0 but we still don't know: what are the Eagles? 04:54 Tale of the tape on offense 10:38 Jeff's postgame interaction with A.J. Brown 16:40 Baun, DeJean, and Mitchell: three game-changers 22:08 The final word on A.J. Brown: the Eagles need him unCovering the Birds is a production of The Philadelphia Inquirer and KYW Newsradio Original Podcasts. Look for new episodes throughout the season, including day-after-game reactions.

Heading to Tampa, nightmare city, in hopes of hacking Todd Bowles Sep 26, 2025

Show notes

Nick Sirianni hasn’t lost much in his four-plus seasons as Eagles head coach, but there’s one team that has his number: Tampa Bay. He’s 1-4 all-time against the Buccaneers. The Eagles’ two most recent defeats to the Bucs, road games in the Wild Card round of the 2023-24 playoffs and Week 4 of the 2024 regular season, were so embarrassing they threatened Sirianni’s job security. But there’s far more to the Eagles’ struggles in Tampa than heat. Sirianni’s counterpart, Bucs head coach Todd Bowles, has proven a pesky, painful thorn in the Eagles’ side. As the Eagles travel to Raymond James Stadium for the third time in two years, The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane examines how Bowles’ blitzes have posed problems for the Eagles, and what Sirianni, quarterback Jalen Hurts, and the rest of the offense can do to counter them in Sunday’s battle of unbeatens. 00:00 Welcome to Tampa: nightmare city 02:35 Why Todd Bowles has been so good vs. the Eagles 12:19 How Nick Sirianni, Kevin Patullo, and Jalen Hurts can hack Bowles’ blitzes unCovering the Birds is a production of The Philadelphia Inquirer and KYW Newsradio Original Podcasts. Look for new episodes dropping each week throughout the season.

The Day After: Is it time to take off the kid gloves? Sep 22, 2025

Show notes

The Eagles’ 3-0 start to the 2025 regular season has been full of imperfections, but the NFL is a bottom line business, and the defending Super Bowl champs have shown a remarkable knack for adapting to whatever circumstances are needed to win. Their latest victory, an epic 33-26 comeback over the LA Rams, featured a second half for the ages, capped by defensive lineman Jordan Davis blocking a would-be game-winning field goal and racing it back for a walk-off touchdown. Are the adjustments the Eagles made in erasing a 19-point deficit sustainable, or will they prove to be a flash in the pan? The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane and Marcus Hayes look at what needs to carry to Week 4’s trip to another one of the league’s unbeaten teams, Tampa Bay. 00:00 An imperfectly perfect 3-0 start 01:10 First reactions to walk-off win over Rams 03:58 The double-edged sword of Nick Sirianni’s sideline temperament 05:43 The truth to AJ Brown’s comments about letting Eagles’ “killers” do their thing 11:50 Why it might be time to take off the “kid gloves” with Jalen Hurts 17:49 Second-half changes on offense: promising or a mirage? 19:40 Will this be the year Hurts and the Eagles break Todd Bowles’ Tampa hex? unCovering the Birds is a production of The Philadelphia Inquirer and KYW Newsradio Original Podcasts. Look for new episodes throughout the season, including day-after-game reactions.

Jalen Hurts' favorite move: how he turned the "Dead Leg" into a running weapon Sep 19, 2025

Show notes

Jalen Hurts might not be the fastest. He might not be the most agile or smooth either. In spite of all that, Hurts has still established himself as one of the most dangerous running quarterbacks of all-time, and he’s done it by relying on a signature move. From his days playing football in the neighborhood just outside Houston to his ascent to Philadelphia Eagles’ star, Hurts has turned the “Dead Leg” into a serious weapon. The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane talks to the Super Bowl MVP about the origins, evolution, and effectiveness of his maneuver, while also exploring ways the Eagles could expand Hurts’ role even more in the ground game. 00:00 Meet the ‘Dead Leg’ 03:21 The origins of a signature move 10:58 How Nick Sirianni and Nick Patullo can expand Hurts’ impact on the ground game unCovering the Birds is a production of The Philadelphia Inquirer and KYW Newsradio Original Podcasts. Look for new episodes dropping each week throughout the season.

The Day After: Beating the Chiefs was big; are the offensive concerns real? Sep 15, 2025

Show notes

The Eagles’ 20-17 win over the Kansas City Chiefs was a good win. Pretty? Not so much, at least on the offensive side of the ball. The passing attack didn’t really establish a deep threat (again). There wasn’t much rhythm to the play calling. But when you go on the road and defeat an opponent hungry and motivated to avenge an embarrassing loss in the Super Bowl just seven months earlier, should style points matter? The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane and Mike Sielski debate this question, and explain why, for as much as the offense has looked disjointed through two games, Eagles fans should have plenty of confidence in the club’s defense. 00:00 “Like a home-cooked meal, but the steak was tough” 01:07 Sorting through some of the warning signs on offense 14:30 The most encouraging signs from Vic Fangio’s defense after two games 16:14 Have the Eagles’ found their new safety in Andrew Mukuba? 21:07 Enjoy the Tush Push (while it lasts…) unCovering the Birds is a production of The Philadelphia Inquirer and KYW Newsradio Original Podcasts. Look for new episodes throughout the season, including day-after-game reactions.

Kevin Patullo's debut: the successes and struggles Sep 12, 2025

Show notes

What should we make of offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo’s debut? It’s an obvious question, one that calls back directly to one of the most significant subplots of a season in which the Philadelphia Eagles are bidding for a second straight title. The answer, however, is less clear. Were there positives to pull from the offense’s performance in the Eagles’ opening night, 24-20 win over the Dallas Cowboys? Absolutely. But the group struggled as well, particularly in the second half. The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane analyzes the state of the Eagles' offense after one game, and looks ahead to key adjustments Patullo needs to make with week two's Super Bowl rematch against the Kansas City Chiefs looming. 00:00 What should we make of Kevin Patullo’s debut as offensive coordinator? 12:33 Patullo’s close relationship with head coach Nick Sirianni, and why it could prove a double-edged sword 18:09 Get A.J. Brown the ball! unCovering the Birds is a production of The Philadelphia Inquirer and KYW Newsradio Original Podcasts. Look for new episodes throughout the season.

The Day After: How could (should) the Eagles handle Jalen Carter? Sep 05, 2025

Show notes

The Eagles’ opener was a lot of things - ugly, bad, and, ultimately in terms of the outcome, good. Jalen Hurts? Nice! Jalen Carter? Yikes. Adoree’ Jackson? Is it already time to move on? It’s early, just one game. The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane isn’t ready to make any blanket statements or knee jerk reactions, but he does have some first impressions from the Eagles’ 2025 debut. Inquirer Eagles beat reporter Olivia Reiner joins the podcast to recap the 24-20 victory over the Cowboys. 00:00 What was Jalen Carter thinking? What are Jeffrey Lurie and Howie Roseman thinking? 05:47 Why Jeff was all in on Jalen Hurts’ performance 07:57 Olivia looks at A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, Saquon Barkley, and the rest of the offense 11:38 Already time to move on from Adoree’ Jackson? 15:09 It wasn’t all bad on defense… 17:04 Final thoughts on Carter, and how the spitting incident reflects on unCovering the Birds is a production of The Philadelphia Inquirer and KYW Newsradio Original Podcasts. Look for new episodes throughout the season, including day-after-game reactions.

The road to an Eagles repeat: four factors Sep 02, 2025

Show notes

It was a long preseason and, quite frankly, a pretty dull one, too. In other words, for a team like the Philadelphia Eagles, which kept its core intact and is looking to accomplish the exact same thing this year as last year, it was perfect. But don’t let the lack of drama or juicy position battles fool you. The reigning Super Bowl champions still have some big questions to answer once they start playing for keeps Thursday at Lincoln Financial Field against the Dallas Cowboys. Will Saquon Barkley, recently voted the no. 1 player in the NFL, be able to dodge the presumptive defensive target on his back? Is the secondary deep enough to withstand the offseason departures of key veterans? The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane tackles these issues and more as he sets the table for the 2025 regular season. 00:00 Time to get down to regular season business 02:45 Forget the yards - what type of season do the Eagles need Saquon Barkley to have? 08:59 Tyler Steen won a starting job. Is he ready? 17:40 True of false: we should be worried about the secondary 24:00 On edge about...EDGE unCovering the Birds is a production of The Philadelphia Inquirer and KYW Newsradio Original Podcasts. Look for new episodes throughout the season.

Joint practices: ups and downs on offense and other observations Aug 15, 2025

Show notes

The offense hasn't looked great, and the defense is still searching for answers at certain positions. But Jalen Hurts' vibes? They're all good, and noticeably different from last season. What's the reason for the change? The Philadelphia Inquirer's Jeff McLane explores this questions, while addressing other key issues that emerged during the Eagles' joint practice sessions this past week with the Cleveland Browns. 00:00 A different Jalen Hurts? 5:05 What’s up with the offense? 9:32 Jalen Hurts’ growth 14:35 DeVonta Smith up with A.J. Brown down 17:51 Landon Dickerson: short-term relief, long-term concerns? 22:15 The state of the secondary, three weeks into camp 27:43 How Jordan Davis turned his stock around unCovering the Birds is a production of The Philadelphia Inquirer and KYW Newsradio Original Podcasts. Look for new episodes throughout the season.

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