Special D-livery | Sports Daily Newsletter
Jalen Carter and Eagles defense come through in a close one against the Bills.
The Eagles won their third straight game with a 13-12 victory against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, but frankly it was not a sweet victory on the offensive side of the ball. Jalen Hurts and the offense failed to complete a pass in the second half in Orchard Park, N.Y., which is astounding.
Fortunately for them, Vic Fangio’s defense came out snarling. Jalen Carter is back, and the Eagles once again have a defense that can win a Super Bowl on its own, David Murphy writes. Carter returned after a three-game absence following a medical procedure on both shoulders. All he did was clog the middle, post a sack, and block a crucial extra point in the fourth quarter.
“You guys see what he does for us,” said defensive end Jaelan Phillips, who added a sack of his own for an Eagles defense that racked up five. “He had a blocked extra point that basically won us the game, if you think about it. I thought that in his absence we did a great job, but having him back is key. It’s huge.”
Of course, the narrative might have been different if Josh Allen’s two-point conversion pass to Khalil Shakir had not sailed wide with five seconds left. The Eagles punted on all five of their possessions in the second half, routinely putting their defense in difficult situations.
That defense surrendered touchdowns on the last two Bills drives, but Zack Baun also stopped Allen just short of the goal line on a fourth-down run in the third quarter. The linebackers came through, as did the defensive line, buoyed by a breakout performance by Jalyx Hunt, Jeff McLane writes in his grades for the game.
The Eagles bent but didn’t break. It was why they won Sunday. It’s also why they won’t be a desirable opponent in January, Jeff Neiburg writes. They allowed 120 rushing yards to the top rushing offense in the NFL, but they were good enough when it mattered. Buffalo was just 6-for-15 on third down.
The offense did not score a touchdown after the first quarter in the rain at Highmark Stadium, but it was that kind of day on that side of the ball. It began when tackle Fred Johnson took the field without his helmet, which Fox captured in its coverage of the game.
More coverage from Sunday’s Eagles victory can be found here.
— Jim Swan, @phillysport, sports.daily@inquirer.com.
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The Sixers are riding their first three-game losing streak of the season. But for a half, they appeared capable of beating the defending NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday. The third quarter was a different story as host OKC outscored them, 38-24, by keeping the ball out of the hands of Tyrese Maxey. After a 129-104 loss, the Sixers will take their longest losing streak of the season into a road matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday.
Guard VJ Edgecombe took an average of 15.8 points into the defeat. He knows the pecking order as an NBA rookie. “We have three prolific scorers. I don’t have to score the ball,” he says. “I have to pick my times, but I must stay aggressive also. But I’m also a player that just wants to win."
Selected sixth overall by the Flyers in the 2025 NHL draft, Porter Martone is lighting up college hockey at Michigan State. Martone’s 11 goals are tied for second among NCAA freshmen. While he is focused on helping the Spartans win their first national championship since 2007, he is open to swapping green for orange in April.
In the meantime, Martone is serving as Canada’s captain at the World Junior Championship in Minnesota.
The Flyers avoided a shut out in Seattle but could not take advantage of the NHL’s worst penalty kill in a 4-1 loss to the Kraken.
Terry Smith ended his stint as Penn State’s interim coach with four straight victories, including a 22-10 triumph over Clemson in the Pinstripe Bowl. “It was a great ride,” Smith said. “I’m ready for the next chapter.”
It actually was a bumpy ride in the bowl game at Yankee Stadium, though, as 16 Nittany Lions players opted out of the contest. Quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer passed for 262 yards and Quinton Martin Jr. rushed for 101 more. Now we’ll see if new coach Matt Campbell can keep them in the program.
Sports snapshot
Temple hoops: The Owls ride a four-game winning streak into their conference opener at Charlotte.
Former Wildcat: Adam Fisher’s staff at Temple includes Dhamir Cosby-Roundtree, who played for Villanova.
On this date
Dec. 29, 2009: UCLA beat Temple, 30-21, in the EagleBank Bowl at RFK Stadium in Washington. Fourth-year coach Al Golden directed the Owls to their first winning season since 1990 as Temple played in its first bowl game since 1979.
Our best sports 📸 of the year
From the Eagles’ triumph in Super Bowl LIX to the victory parade to the Phillies’ run to the NL East title to the Broad Street Run and much more, Inquirer photo editors selected our best photos of the year.
We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Olivia Reiner, Jeff McLane, Jeff Neiburg, Gabriela Carroll, David Murphy, Jackie Spiegel, Keith Pompey, Christian Red, Colin Schofield, Ryan Mack, and Inquirer Staff Photographers.
By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirer’s Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.
Welcome back to Sports Daily after our Christmas break. Hoping your holidays have been great. I’ll see you in Tuesday’s newsletter. — Jim