Sunday’s Eagles’ game at the Linc against the Rams is looming as one of the premier and attractive ones in this stage of the NFL season. Even though the Eagles are favored by six points, it appears that this will be much closer.

Along with the Eagles-Rams, the other must-watch battle involves the Raven and Bills in Buffalo, a contest that has the odds makers favoring the Bills by a point. Yet, it arguably is a tossup.

Detroit-Washington should also be an interesting clash, and the Kansas City-Houston skirmish may be closer than anticipated if the Texans can play as well as they did last week.

It should be another good watch this weekend, but there will be plenty of anticipation and anxiety in the raucous Eagles’ crowd.

How confident are you this Sunday? Will the Eagles’ offense again be reliant on its defense? Can Jalen Hurts regain his touch in time?

In this week’s version of my “Inside the Huddle” column, I’ll take a look at Hurts and Barkley, as well as Notre Dame’s chances in the national championship game, and the possible departure of a respected coach and the possible addition of a high-profile one.

Making It Hurt(s) ... Last week against the Rams, quarterback Jalen Hurts looked like he had been out of the lineup for a few weeks.

Hurts had a pedestrian afternoon, completing 13-of-21 passes for 131 yards with two touchdowns. It was recorded that he was in the pocket for nearly seven seconds before he found Nazareth High grad Johan Dotson in the back of the end zone for an 11-yard touchdown pass.

But Hurts was sacked twice, hit five times, and pressured numerous times, and that was against a Packers’ defense that isn’t as good as the Rams’ unit.

The Rams shut down Minnesota’s running game and sacked quarterback Sam Darnold nine times as well as notching 12 hits.

Saquon Barkley ran for a game-high 119 yards on 25 carries, and it proved to be the difference in their 22-10 win over the Packers. Barkley ran for a franchise-record 255 yards against the Rams in the regular-season meeting won by the Eagles, 37-20, on Nov. 24.

Unless the Rams can slow him early, Barkley likely will have his share of yards. Hurts will need to have a more consistent game, especially if the Birds’ defense has trouble containing threats Puka Nacua, Kyren Williams, and Cooper Kupp. With Barkley’s banner season continuing and the Birds’ smothering and attacking defense in tow, Hurts again will be at a crossroads.

Two seasons ago, Hurts was the key to the Eagles’ Super Bowl run with effective and efficient performances in the postseason with his arm and his legs, despite being bothered by a nagging shoulder. In the big game, Hurts threw for a touchdown and ran for three others, accumulating 374 total yards.

With expectations as high as they have ever been, and the Birds’ final home game, Hurts will be in the spotlight.

Plenty of Smiling Irish Eyes ... Notre Dame will play Monday night for its first national championship since 1988, while Ohio State is seeking its first crown since 2014.

There has been plenty of speculation whether the Irish’s season can culminate with a win and be labeled as their greatest season ever in the fabled football annals.

The Irish are riding an incredible 13-game winning streak since they lost to Northern Illinois, 16-14, on Sept. 7. They also have the nation’s largest takeaway ratio at 32.

Quarterback Riley Leonard has some impressive numbers that are often overlooked.

Leonard has thrown for 2,606 yards with 19 touchdowns and eight interceptions, and the Duke transfer has also run for 866 yards and rushed for 16 touchdowns.

Originally viewed as a second or third round pick, Leonard’s stock has significantly risen as a low first-rounder, and will shoot higher if the Irish win Monday.

Ohio State has won the last six meetings, one last season in a 17-14 victory, and the Irish have not won since 1936.

Do you think the signs are there for a resounding Irish roar throughout the area around midnight Monday night?

Solid As Steel? ... With Baltimore’s dominating win over Pittsburgh last Saturday night, there has been plenty of chatter about the future of Steelers’ head coach Mike Tomlin.

Tomlin just completed his 18th season at the helm, and is the longest tenured coach in the league with a stellar 183-108 regular season mark.

However, Tomlin hasn’t won a playoff game since 2016 and has dropped six straight, getting past the first round just once during the span.

Over the past six years, Tomlin has gone through several offensive and defensive coordinators trying to get past the opening round. Still, Tomlin has averaged 10 wins in a season since 2014, and hasn’t had a consistent quarterback since Ben Roethlisberger retired after 2021.

But the Steelers dropped five of their seven regular-season games since their 8-2 start, including the last four with their defense being the downfall. The team allowed an average of 14.8 points and 306 yards in the first eight games and then allowed 25.6 points and 353.6 yards in the last 10, including the postseason.

Revitalized quarterback Russell Wilson also began to lose his magic down the stretch.

It’s likely Tomlin will be back, as he is one of the most respected coaches in the league. Many believe GM Omar Kahn should be under fire because of his failure to provide enough depth.

Many of you Steelers’ fans are also Penn State fans, and it’s another frustrating offseason.

Primetime in Dallas Time? ... When Dallas owner Jerry Jones and head coach Mike McCarthy decided to part ways, there was immediately speculation that Deion “Prime Time” Sanders would bring his coaching show to the Cowboys.

Jones was instrumental in bringing Sanders to “Big D” during his playing days, and the longtime owner apparently sees some magic from Sanders to get his team to the next level.

However, Sanders has been linked with his son, Shedeur, to possibly be headed to the Giants as a package deal in some capacity.

Apparently, the elder Sanders wants his son to play in a high-profile market such as New York, instead of Tennessee or Cleveland, where he could land in the draft.

There also is the rumor coming out of New York that the Giants could send their pick to Dallas for quarterback Dak Prescott, and the Cowboys in turn would draft Sanders’ son and hire him as their next head coach.

Dallas currently has the 12th overall choice in the 2025 draft. Sanders was on Dallas’ last Super Bowl team in 1995 and gained All-Pro honors in four of his five years in Dallas from 1995-99.

Sanders temporarily finished his career with Washington in 2000, but came out of retirement four years later in 2004 with Baltimore. At age 37, he played 25 games over his final two years with the Ravens.

Your thoughts are always welcomed; email them to tnsports@tnonline.com