Fumbling for answers | Sports Daily Newsletter
The Eagles cough one up at Dallas.
Eagles fans can find some solace by checking one thing this morning: the team’s remaining schedule. There’s a Monday night game with the 6-7 Seahawks, two meetings with the 4-8 Giants, and one with the 3-10 Cardinals.
The fact remains though: After a 33-13 loss to the Dallas Cowboys, the Eagles find themselves in a three-team tie atop the NFC, with the 49ers holding the tiebreaker. The Birds offense fumbled the ball away three times against Dallas and could not find the end zone. The defense dug another early hole for the Eagles, although Jalen Carter’s fumble-recovery touchdown felt like a game-changer in the third quarter.
It was not. After a second straight lopsided loss, the Eagles look like a penalty-plagued team that sputters in the red zone and simply cannot secure the ball or stop the opposing offense.
Those last four games don’t seem like such a lock anymore.
The Eagles like to say “hungry dogs run faster,” but they’re not hungry dogs anymore, Marcus Hayes writes. They’re tired dogs ... and they’re playing like dogs.
A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith committed costly fumbles in the defeat. Jeff McLane grades the receivers and all of the Eagles for their performance.
Next: The Eagles visit the Seattle Seahawks next Monday at 8:15 p.m. (ESPN, 6ABC).
— Jim Swan, @phillysport, sports.daily@inquirer.com.
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Tyrese Maxey and De’Anthony Melton have built a friendship over the last two years. They serve in the starting lineup together for a surprising 76ers team and their lockers are always next to each other at home and on the road. Their bond has grown so strong that when an illness spread through the Sixers locker room, Melton knew exactly where it came from. “It’s tough when the person next to you is sick,” said Melton, referring to Maxey. “We’re brothers!” Maxey sang, to the tune of the Wayans Bros. theme song.
Next: The Sixers host the Washington Wizards at 7 p.m. Monday (NBCSP).
The 2023-24 season was supposed to be one of “rebuilding” with the Flyers taking their fair share of lumps. The only problem is that no one told the Flyers.
The Orange and Black won their fourth straight on Saturday night and continue to surprise, with the young Flyers leading the way. Of the eight Flyers to hit the score sheet, five — Bobby Brink (two assists), Tippett (one goal, one assist), Morgan Frost (one assist), Joel Farabee (one goal), and Tyson Foerster (one assist) — are under the age of 25.
Next: The Flyers wrap up their three-game road trip on Tuesday in Nashville against the Predators (8 p.m., NBCSP).
The Atlanta Braves have churned their 40-man roster this offseason, trading nine players and non-tendering seven. They’ve added to the bullpen with Reynaldo López, Aaron Bummer, and Penn Murfee; traded for young left fielder Jarred Kelenic; and continued to explore the market for starting pitching, Scott Lauber writes.
The Phillies, meanwhile, are patiently working to improve the margins of the roster, comfortable with returning the vast majority of last season’s team. So how close are they to overtaking the Braves in the regular season? And does it even matter?
Temple hounded Penn into 28 turnovers en route to a 61-47 women’s basketball victory at the Liacouras Center. Ines Piper had 16 points and 10 rebounds, her seventh double-double of the season for the Owls.
Hysier Miller scored 28 points as Temple’s men held off Albany, 78-73, at the Barclays Center in New York.
The St. Joseph’s men handed Princeton its first loss, 74-70, at Hagan Arena. Erik Reynolds II paced the Hawks with 21 points.
St. Joseph’s has been firing up three-pointers with regularity. Jeff Neiburg has a closer look at coach Billy Lange’s approach.
Worth a look
Titans great: Frank Wycheck, a former Archbishop Ryan star, died at age 52 after an apparent fall at his home.
Champions again: St. Joseph’s Prep routed North Allegheny, 45-23, in the Class 6A football championship.
On this date
Dec. 11, 2011: DeSean Jackson scored a touchdown on a 34-yard pass from Michael Vick as the Eagles beat the Miami Dolphins, 26-10. LeSean McCoy rushed for two touchdowns for the Eagles.
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.
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We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from EJ Smith, Mike Sielski, Scott Lauber, Jeff McLane, Gina Mizell, Mia Messina, Jackie Spiegel, Max Dinenburg, and Rymir Vaughn.
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Take a deep breath, Eagles fans. I’ll see you on Tuesday morning. — Jim