Defenseless | Sports Daily Newsletter
The Eagles get roughed up by the 49ers.
It’s pretty bad when Big Dom DiSandro provides the highlight of the game for the Eagles.
The Eagles’ security chief got ejected from the sideline after a tussle with San Francisco’s Dre Greenlaw and things seemed to go downhill from there for the Birds. Now they’re 10-2 after a 42-19 undressing by the 49ers with a showdown at Dallas looming. The Cowboys and 49ers are both 9-3 and suddenly things have gotten mighty interesting when it comes to potential playoff seeding in the NFC.
Defense was the downfall for the Eagles in this one: The Brock Purdy-led 49ers scored touchdowns on six straight drives.
How will the Birds bounce back? “We have to be self-critical and analyze everything as it’s supposed to be,” Jalen Hurts said. “It’s about how we respond, how we approach it, how bad we want to grow, how bad we want to better ourselves. That has to be done together as a unit.”
— Jim Swan, @phillysport, sports.daily@inquirer.com.
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Jalen Hurts got waffled on a hit by San Francisco’s Fred Warner and Oren Burks late in the third quarter and left the game to be checked for a concussion. He missed all of five plays before he returned to a game that quickly got away from the Eagles.
“Me, honestly, I didn’t want him to come back in,” A.J. Brown said. Mike Sielski wondered whether that was the right move for the Eagles.
Linebackers Christian Elliss and Nicholas Morrow had an especially rough game in a rotten day for the defense. Check out Jeff McLane’s Eagles grades.
Who is Dom DiSandro? Here is a closer look at the Eagles’ chief security officer.
Next: The Eagles visit the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday at 8:20 p.m. (NBC10).
The Flyers have turned into a force on the penalty kill. They are ranked eighth in the NHL this season at 84.8% effectiveness after Saturday night’s 4-3 shootout win against Pittsburgh. The Flyers also sit at the top of the league with the Dallas Stars, Carolina Hurricanes, and St. Louis Blues with six shorthanded goals. Jackie Spiegel explains why the team’s penalty-killing unit has found success.
Next: The Flyers host the Pittsburgh Penguins on Monday at 7 p.m. (NBCSP).
The Phillies probably won’t make the biggest move of baseball’s winter meetings. But there’s still offseason business to take care of, even if the to-do list is shorter than normal after Aaron Nola came back for $172 million over seven years. As the meetings start on Monday, here are three Phillies storylines to watch.
In his second stint with the Sixers, Robert Covington has played his best basketball in his last two games, averaging 15.0 points and 2.5 steals. It doesn’t always show up in the box score, but he is having impactful minutes as a Sixer.
Next: The Sixers visit the Washington Wizards on Wednesday at 7 p.m. (NBCSP).
Florida State, had done everything a team was supposed to do. The College Football Playoff committee considered that and bounced the Seminoles out of the four-team playoff anyway, David Murphy writes.
Michigan will face Alabama in the Rose Bowl and Washington will play Texas in the Sugar Bowl in the Jan. 1 CFP semifinals. The national championship will be decided Jan. 8 in Houston.
Penn State is ticketed for the Peach Bowl and a meeting with 10-2 Mississippi.
Worth a look
A success: The inaugural Big Five Classic produced real drama all over town, from the Palestra to North Philly to the Main Line, and ultimately at the Wells Fargo Center.
Too tall: Virginia’s women controlled the boards in a 94-73 victory against La Salle.
On this date
Dec. 4, 2009: Kobe Bryant hit a three-pointer at the buzzer to lift the Los Angeles Lakers past the Miami Heat, 108-107. Bryant finished with 33 points, seven rebounds, and three steals.
Adapt or Die: Eagles offensive coordinator Brian Johnson has been a bit of a lightning rod among fans this season. As his first year in the gig begins to wind down, how is Johnson really doing? Does he deserve to be the target of so much criticism? What do Jalen Hurts, Nick Sirianni, and other football experts think? Listen here.
Listen to all episodes here or wherever you get your podcasts.
We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Jeff McLane, Josh Tolentino, Marcus Hayes, Mike Sielski, David Murphy, Jackie Spiegel, Keith Pompey, Jonathan Tannenwald, Scott Lauber, Mia Messina, Diamond Leung, and Seth Engle.
Don’t wallow in this loss too long, Eagles fans. A big game against the Cowboys awaits this week. See you Tuesday morning. — Jim
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