The Eagles face another Jalen Hurts decision | Sports Daily
Hurts has shown flashes at quarterback, but he had an up-and-down season. Now the Eagles will be forced to make a call on their QB situation.
Jalen Hurts and the Eagles have been here before. While the young quarterback has been the starter for only a year, the team has had to decide whether to stick with him as QB1 a number of times. Hurts appeared to prove himself in the lead-up to the postseason, guiding the Eagles to three straight wins and securing a chance to showcase his skills with the entire world watching.
But things didn’t exactly go as planned against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for Hurts or the Eagles. They lost, 31-15, in their wild-card matchup, and Hurts was asked Monday if he expects to be the starter next season.
As The Inquirer’s Jeff McLane explained, the Eagles have enough tape on Hurts to make an informed decision.
— Inquirer Sports Staff, @phillysport
The Eagles will have a decision to make at quarterback next season, but what is your take? Should they stick with Jalen Hurts as the starter? Share your thoughts: sports.daily@inquirer.com
Early Birds
Defensive end Fletcher Cox wasn’t keen on addressing it Monday, but his contract was a major topic of discussion this season. That started at the beginning of the year when his camp agreed to a contract restructuring and continued when he was nearly traded. Cox also shared after the Eagles’ loss to the Las Vegas Raiders that he was unhappy with how defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon deployed him.
The tumultuous season left reporters wondering whether Cox saw himself starting next season with the Eagles. Cox said he wants to return.
“I made it clear: I’m happy where I am right now,” Cox said. “If you want to ask me a question about that, I can probably give you [agent] Todd France’s number. He probably can update you on that.”
Off the Dribble
Sixers coach Doc Rivers found it fitting that his team was in Washington to play the Wizards on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Asked by reporters about the experience of spending MLK Day where the 1963 March on Washington was staged, Rivers said, “It’s really cool being here.”
Rivers also revealed that he spent time with George Raveling, the former Villanova star, former college basketball coach, and Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame member who came to own the original copy of the iconic “I Have a Dream” speech.
The game against the Wizards did not go well for the Sixers, who started slowly and could not recover in a 117-98 loss.
Next: The Sixers return home to play the Magic at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Wells Fargo Center.
On the Fly
Another game, another defeat, as the Flyers lost their eighth straight game Monday, falling to the New York Islanders, 4-1.
This is the second time the Flyers have lost eight or more consecutive games this season, having lost 10 straight between Nov. 20 and Dec. 10.
Next: The Flyers have an immediate chance to break the losing run, as they will get a rematch with the Islanders at the Wells Fargo Center on Tuesday at 7 p.m. (NBCSP).
Fleet Street
With its attention-grabbing taxicab colors, Borussia Dortmund might not be the coolest team in Europe, but soccer fans in the know are well aware that the team features one of the sport’s hottest strikers, Erling Haaland. So if hipster fans are checking out any game this weekend, it’s probably going to be the one that features Haaland leading BVB against St. Pauli. For more on this and other matchups, check out Jonathan Tannenwald’s latest roundup of the best soccer worldwide.
What you’re saying
We asked who was responsible for the Eagles’ loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and many answered. 33% blamed some version of everyone on the team, 20% blamed Hurts, while owner Jeffrey Lurie, coach Nick Sirianni and GM Howie Roseman came in for blame at 13% each. Below is a sampling of your responses:
Lurie and Roseman: As long as Jeffrey Lurie allows Howie Roseman to run this organization (with too much help from Lurie), we are doomed. Just look at the current roster. We are still carrying Howie’s mistakes with #1 and #2 draft choices on the roster. Lurie needs to bring in an experienced football man and get the hell out of his way. — Tom G.
Everyone: I take issue with the question, where you seek a singular individual to blame for the loss. The organization, from owner to the last man on the roster, wears this loss. Period. Team had issues all year. Collectively, they all need to improve the job they do, day in, day out, to strive for excellence ... individually and collectively. Period. I thank them for a solid year and look forward to their efforts in the offseason and next year. — David M.
Trivia Tuesday
Joel Embiid registered eight straight 30-point games between Dec. 26 and Jan. 12, tying a record held by what former Sixers player?
A) Wilt Chamberlain. B) Allen Iverson. C) Both.
Without relying on an online search, tell us which is correct at sports.daily@inquirer.com
We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Jeff McLane, EJ Smith, Gina Mizell, Olivia Reiner, and Jonathan Tannenwald.