Scoop City: Inside The NFL
Episode: Will the Eagles offense doom their Super Bowl repeat?
Date: December 29, 2025
Hosts: Dianna Russini (The Athletic Senior NFL Insider), James Palmer (NFL Insider), (Chase Daniel not present in transcript)
Overview
In this episode, Dianna Russini and James Palmer break down the pivotal outcomes of NFL Week 17 as teams battle for playoff contention. The centerpiece is the Philadelphia Eagles: is their offense a fatal flaw in their Super Bowl repeat hopes, or can their surging defense carry them? The hosts also dive into risers and disappointments across the league—Chicago’s surprising competence, angst in Carolina and Tampa, the underappreciated Texans, and late-season turmoil for the Steelers and Ravens. Heavy with analysis, insider scoops, and trademark banter, the episode highlights which teams could be contenders or pretenders and what questions loom heading into the final regular season week.
Main Themes
- Philadelphia Eagles: Defensive resurgence vs. offensive stagnation—will it derail their title defense?
- League-wide playoff picture: Key battles, rising threats (Chicago, Houston), and underwhelming favorites (Detroit, NFC South teams).
- Contender Check-In: 49ers, Bears, Ravens, Steelers, and more.
- Coaching awards debate—who deserves Coach of the Year?
- Real-life behind-the-scenes: Halftime shows, sideline stories, and the hosts’ family lives in the holiday grind.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Eagles: Defensive Power, Offensive Power Outage
[09:10–13:35]
- Dianna is clear: Philadelphia’s “becoming the team whose identity is their defense.”
- “Notice I did not say the Eagles, period. It is the Eagles defense.” (Dianna, 09:10)
- Despite heavy investment on offense, the team “couldn’t do anything” against Buffalo; offense sputtered in the second half with only 16 yards.
- Philly’s run game had previously improved (“most consistent our run game has been,” [22:08]), but regressed against Buffalo.
- James on Nick Sirianni’s postgame comments about needing more influence in playcalling:
- “I thought it was interesting post game for Nick Sirianni to say, I need to have more input in the second half about the things I want to run.” (James, 22:20)
- Dianna admits even body language is concerning:
- “Did you see that clip of A.J. Brown walking in the tunnel in Buffalo next to Sirianni? ... Not a lot of love there. Jeez, it was cold. And I'm not talking about the weather.” (22:39)
2. Playoff Races & Big Picture
[05:26–09:10, 26:02–30:16]
- NFC West will be decided between Seahawks and 49ers; short rest hurts Seattle (“kind of a bummer for the Seahawks” [05:26]).
- NFC South is a tossup—“nobody wants to win this division” (James, 19:18).
- AFC North drama: Ravens and Steelers each have key flaws—can either seize the moment?
- Raiders news: Maxx Crosby’s future uncertain after late-season shutdown over injury—raising questions about his long-term fit and Raiders’ direction. (06:50–08:29)
3. Teams Impressing and Disappointing
Most Impressed:
- Eagles defense (Dianna, 09:10)
- Chicago Bears’ offense and Caleb Williams (James, 13:43):
- “I don’t know how many quarterbacks in the postseason that I’m going to trust more than Caleb Williams with the ball in his hands.”
- “This young offensive core is in just year one with Ben Johnson ... scary.” (14:02)
- Dianna: “They’ve got the right ingredients here ... they just need a couple breaks.” (15:24)
Most Disappointed:
- Fans doubting the Texans (Dianna, 16:19):
- “They’ve got the best defensive unit ... they are dangerous. This is the type of team you don’t want to face in the playoffs.”
- NFC South teams (Panthers, Bucs) (James, 19:18): negative point differential, repeated missed chances.
- “Apparently nobody wants to win this division at all.” (James, 19:18)
- Eagles offense (James, 20:53; see above for detailed critique)
- Detroit Lions’ collapse (Dianna, 23:00):
- “They turned the ball over six times. It was disgusting.”
- “I am surprised Dan Campbell didn’t have those guys more prepared.” (24:18)
Most Surprised:
- 49ers as a 1-seed contender, despite injuries and defensive issues. (Dianna, 26:02)
- “They were like, my cute team ... they won again. They're so cute. ... Now they have the best offense since [Brock Purdy]’s returned.”
- Brock Purdy’s leap into elite status (James, 26:34):
- “He has shown everybody over the last three starts that he is one of the elite quarterbacks in football and capable of carrying an entire team.”
- “He's accounted for five total touchdowns in each of the last two games, 11 total touchdowns over these three games.” (27:16)
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
The Eagles’ Dilemma
- “This team, which has a lot of skilled, highly paid players on offense, are becoming the team whose identity is their defense.”
—Dianna Rossini (09:18) - “Philadelphia couldn’t do anything, like, anything at all offensively.”
—James Palmer (10:15) - “Did you see that clip of A.J. Brown walking in the tunnel in Buffalo next to Sirianni? ... Not a lot of love there. Jeez, it was cold. And I'm not talking about the weather.”
—Dianna Rossini (22:39)
Chicago’s Rise
- “I don’t know how many quarterbacks in the postseason that I’m going to trust more than Caleb Williams with the ball in his hands.”
—James Palmer (13:45) - “They just need a couple breaks ... they just need a couple more additions this offseason ... just the fact that they've done this in the first year. I'm with you. I'm being impressed.”
—Dianna Rossini (15:24)
Texans Overlooked
- “They basically been in playoff mode since October. They started 0-3. They're the first team to make the playoffs after starting 0-3 since 2018.”
—Dianna Rossini (16:46) - “I love the Texans ... they know how to slow down powerful, high powered offenses and good quarterbacks ... and the other part that I love about them is in the fourth quarter, they just win.”
—James Palmer (17:48)
NFC South Apathy
- “Apparently nobody wants to win this division at all.”
—James Palmer (19:18)
49ers & Brock Purdy’s Leap
- “I think he has shown everybody over the last three starts that he is one of the elite quarterbacks in football and capable of carrying an entire team.”
—James Palmer (26:34) - “His spatial awareness, his vision, what he sees is always like three steps ahead of where he’s going.”
—James Palmer quoting Kyle Juszczyk on Purdy (28:45) - “If you can do it [the Dougie], well, do it. Don’t change it up ... I can watch it over and over.”
—Dianna Rossini (29:53)
Coach of the Year Frustration
- “I can't stand this race. I hate it. ... I change my mind every week.”
—Dianna Rossini (30:17) - (On next episode:) “Maybe we play like Scoop Court ... you plead a case and then I'll be the judge and that will be my vote.”
—Dianna Rossini (30:41)
Steelers & Ravens: Missed Chances and Key Questions
- “They’re going to regret this. The Steelers played down their competition a lot and they did it again.”
—Dianna Rossini (35:45) - “Both these head coaches ... everyone’s kind of split ... I think in Pittsburgh, [some] are ready to move on from Mike Tomlin ... The same thing with Baltimore ... [but] both those head coaches, another organization would love an opportunity to have.”
—Dianna Rossini (38:47) - “Are you going to let Lamar Jackson into the postseason like an MVP caliber quarterback? ... I don’t want him, I don’t want to play him.”
—James Palmer (40:19)
Personal/Holiday Highlights
- “We could probably do a podcast about this. Like, a whole show about the letdown of Christmas morning as a parent, because you're so excited for them.”
—Dianna Rossini (47:47) - “Football has taken everything over ... you just have to get through the holidays.”
—James Palmer (48:21)
Segment Timestamps (MM:SS)
- 05:26 — NFC Playoff Picture Update
- 06:50 — Maxx Crosby/Raiders Situation
- 09:10 — Eagles Defense Praised
- 09:56 — Eagles Offensive Struggles Examined
- 13:43 — Bears’ Offense & Caleb Williams: A Threat Emerges
- 15:24 — Chicago’s First-Year Transformation
- 16:19 — Texans Not Getting National Love
- 19:18 — NFC South Catastrophe
- 20:53 — Eagles’ Disappointing Offense Analyzed
- 22:39 — A.J. Brown/Sirianni Sideline Moment
- 23:00 — Detroit Lions’ Turnover Meltdown
- 26:02 — 49ers Surprise: From “Cute” to Contending
- 26:34 — Brock Purdy’s Transformation
- 30:17 — Coach of the Year Debate
- 34:37–43:46 — Ravens-Steelers Showdown: Injuries, Coaching Pressure, Playoff Stakes
- 46:34+ — Holidays, Parenting, and Behind-the-Scenes Family Chaos
Conclusion
This lively, insider-packed episode tackles one burning question: will Philadelphia’s suddenly sluggish offense undermine their Super Bowl defense despite a lights-out D, or can they right the ship in time? Elsewhere, the hosts explore the Bears’ meteoric rise, Texans’ quiet dominance, 49ers’ resilience, and the perpetual mess in the NFC South. Sharp opinions, real-time scoops, and honest banter make this an essential listen for understanding where elite teams stand entering the regular season’s dramatic conclusion.
Listen if you want:
- A real-time assessment of NFL playoff positioning and potential.
- A frank, informed breakdown of the Eagles’ predicament.
- Why some emerging teams pose playoff threats—and why favorites might flop.
- Entertaining sideline, family, and industry stories that humanize the high-stakes action.
(Discussion skips all ads and non-content sections; see timestamps for key moments.)