unCovering the Birds with Jeff McLane – Details, episodes & analysis

The Eagles failed to make it back to the Super Bowl this year, but, as The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane can vouch for during his trip to the Bay Area, the team is still dominating conversations around the league. That’s because in the past week, the Eagles hired a new offensive coordinator, parted ways with a revered assistant, and, much to their relief, got word from their defensive guru that he’ll be returning for another season. Jeff checks in from San Francisco to talk with The Inquirer’s Olivia Reiner, as the two sift through what they’ve been hearing and what fans can expect now that the Eagles’ coaching staff is rounding into form. 00:00 Jeff Stoutland’s exit, and its “messy” handling 14:55 With Stout out, could Lane Johnson be next? 17:11 Why Vic Fangio came back 27:30 Jeff McLane talks with Klint Kubiak about pupil Sean Mannion 30:15 What Jeff and Olivia know about Mannion and his potential impact on the offense, Jalen Hurts 44:40 How the Eagles’ coaching moves reflect on Nick Sirianni unCovering the Birds is a production of The Philadelphia Inquirer and KYW Newsradio Original Podcasts. Look for new episodes throughout the offseason, including breaking news updates and reactions.

Banged up offensive line? Underperforming star skill players? A quarterback who failed to lift his team? The 2025 edition of the Philadelphia Eagles checked all those boxes on offense. Sure, you could make a scapegoat out of the first-time offensive coordinator, but placing the blame squarely at the feet of Kevin Patullo would misrepresent the extent of the Eagles’ problems. The Athletic’s Michael Silver recently wrote an article about the Eagles’ offensive woes, and, in a conversation with The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane, framed these issues in the context of the franchise’s ongoing search for Patullo’s replacement. 00:00 Why is the Eagles' offensive coordinator search taking so long? 13:27 Factors that prompted Mike McDaniel and Brian Daboll to pass on Eagles 19:00 The Jalen Hurts effect 28:45 The national media perspective on Hurts 32:37 Could Jeff Stoutland's responsibilities be changing? unCovering the Birds is a production of The Philadelphia Inquirer and KYW Newsradio Original Podcasts. Look for new episodes throughout the offseason, including breaking news updates and reactions. And here’s a link to Mike Silver’s article: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6976115/2026/01/16/eagles-offense-jalen-hurts-nick-sirianni-aj-brown/

While cute and novel, the Positivity Bunny proved nothing short of an unceremonious bust. As soon as they could following a brutal overtime loss to the Chargers, the Eagles gave the preposterous 10-foot locker room inflatable the boot. It was not the good-luck charm they hoped for, and served as a reminder that, instead of wishing its woes away, this team will actually have to put in real work to turn the season around. With a potential soft spot in the schedule emerging this Sunday vs. the Raiders, there might not be any better time than the present for the Eagles to breathe some life back into themselves. The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane touches base with a few trusted veterans, who share their perspective on the state of the club and the direction they think it’s headed. 00:00 The swift arrival and demise of the Eagles’ “Positivity Bunny” 03:48 What’s with the “awful” sideline vibes? 07:20 Different strokes for different folks 10:18 Jordan Davis and the importance of an optimistic mindset 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.

Ten years ago, during the 2013 offseason, there was no sexier NFL head coaching hire than the Eagles landing Chip Kelly. At the college level, Kelly was considered an innovator - an uptempo offensive mastermind and sports science guru. And guess what? After orchestrating a dramatic turnaround and leading the Eagles back to the playoffs for the first time in three years, Kelly seemed worthy of the hype. In the first installment of a two-part retrospective looking back on Kelly’s brief, rollercoaster tenure with the Eagles, Philadelphia Inquirer Eagles beat reporter Jeff McLane examines the factors that fueled Kelly’s meteoric rise in the NFL, and starts to address a lingering question that’s been on his mind: is the popular narrative surrounding Kelly’s legacy with the Eagles fair?

Follow Jeff McLane on Twitter. You can also read his work at inquirer.com.

unCovering the Birds sponsored by Wawa is a production of The Philadelphia Inquirer and KYW Newsradio Original Podcasts. New episodes release every Friday.

Host: Jeff McLane
Executive Producer, Philadelphia Inquirer: Renee Ifill
Director of Podcasting, KYW Newsradio: Tom Rickert
Producer: Brian Seltzer

What’s it like to play offensive line in the NFL? According to Lane Johnson, not much fun. The Philadelphia Eagles’ right tackle is widely regarded as one of the best players at his position in the league. He’s won a Super Bowl and earned multiple All-Pro nods, but when he talks about his gig, he doesn’t paint a rosy picture. Pressure. Paranoia. Pain. Johnson feels like he’s living in his own horror movie. “It’s like Michael Myers is always [lurking] in the bushes.” Johnson just finished his 10th season. He says he doesn’t really look forward to games anymore. So why, then, did he agree to a recent one-year contract extension? Philadelphia Inquirer Eagles beat reporter Jeff McLane tries to find out what the passionate Johnson is really thinking. 

Follow Jeff McLane on Twitter. You can also read his work at inquirer.com.

Be sure to read articles Jeff referenced in this episode:

The time Howie Roseman berated Lane Johnson

How Lane Johnson draws on his mother’s strength

unCovering the Birds sponsored by Wawa is a production of The Philadelphia Inquirer and KYW Newsradio Original Podcasts, an Audacy station. New episodes release every Friday.

Host: Jeff McLane
Executive Producer, Philadelphia Inquirer: Renee Ifill
Director of Podcasting, KYW Newsradio: Tom Rickert
Producer: Brian Seltzer

You’re a former Philadelphia Eagles player with career earnings in the millions. Then, you lose 60% of your net worth. What do you do next? Roll the dice some more, of course. His tactics might change, but make no mistake about it - Evan Mathis is a gambler at heart. Heck, he probably never would have become an All-Pro offensive lineman if he didn't have this mindset. He started taking risks at a young age, and hasn’t stopped. Whether it’s dropping six figures a night at a casino, or wrangling $50,000 dice games in the Eagles' locker room, Mathis is comfortable living life on the edge, especially when it comes to money. But now, as he gets set to soft launch a pricey, brand new business venture, will Mathis cash in or cash out? Philadelphia Inquirer Eagles beat reporter Jeff McLane takes a look.

To learn more about CardSeer, click here.

Follow Jeff McLane on Twitter. You can also read his work at inquirer.com.

unCovering the Birds is sponsored by Wawa. The podcast is a co-production of The Philadelphia Inquirer and KYW Newsradio Original Podcasts, from Audacy. New episodes release every Friday beginning March 24th, 2023.

Host: Jeff McLane
Executive Producer, Philadelphia Inquirer: Renee Ifill
Director of Podcasting, KYW Newsradio: Tom Rickert
Producer: Brian Seltzer

Hosted by Jeff McLane, unCovering the Birds brings you stories you might not have heard about the football team that makes you bleed green. McLane has spent the last decade and a half breaking news, digging up scoops, and delivering readers of The Philadelphia Inquirer award-winning Philadelphia Eagles coverage. On unCovering the Birds, he’ll take you behind the scenes and into the world of the Birds beat with exclusive access and insider perspective. 

unCovering the Birds is sponsored by Wawa. The podcast is a production of The Philadelphia Inquirer and Audacy. 

You can listen to unCovering the Birds on the Audacy app, Inquirer.com/podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. 

Follow Jeff McLane on Twitter, and read more of his work at inquirer.com/author/mclane_jeff/.

The blame game on offense this season has been a constant back and forth. One week it’s the coordinator. The next, it’s the head coach and his scheme. But after Monday’s game in LA, the pendulum took a major swing, and it was impossible to ignore the direction: right at the quarterback. Jalen Hurts isn’t the only problem, but five turnovers is unacceptable. The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane and David Murphy look at the implications of a historically bad performance by Hurts, and examine how the Super Bowl MVP has sunk to this level 10 months after reaching the pinnacle of his career. 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.

Turn on sports talk radio or read coverage of the Philadelphia Eagles, and it's probably be impossible to find any analysis of the team’s recent woes that doesn’t reference the offense. The unit has been painfully disjointed and inconsistent to watch, unable to deploy a nucleus filled with all-pro talent. But to pin the Eagles’ issues on this factor alone would be misguided. Should head coach Nick Sirianni, offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo, and quarterback Jalen Hurts shoulder a chunk of the burden? Yes, but as The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane points out, there’s plenty of blame to go around, and we shouldn’t overlook the other areas where it can be found... 00:00 Yes, the offense stinks, but there’s a lot more going on 02:17 Addressing the Jalen Carter news, and the warning signs that preceded it 06:25 Where art thou, Jihaad Campbell? 13:38 Seeking solutions at safety 17:47 The one play that summed up the Eagles’ offensive plight 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.

Things aren’t getting better; they’re getting worse. The theme doesn’t just apply to the Eagles’ Black Friday loss to the Chicago Bears. It fits the narrative of the entire 2025 season. With five games to go, there’s little reason to hope or expect significant change to take place, particularly on the offensive side of the ball - unless... The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane and Olivia Reiner take a look at what the Eagles’ seemingly inherent flaws mean for the homestretch of the season, and how they could affect the fate of offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo. 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.