Desperate measure? | Sports Daily Newsletter
Eagles quickly change who’s running the defense.
It’s anything but boring being an Eagles fan these days. Even on Sundays when they don’t play, they still manage to make big news.
So Sean Desai is out and Matt Patricia is in as the team’s play caller on defense. The news is not that surprising after a 42-19 loss to the San Francisco 49ers followed by a 33-13 defeat to the Dallas Cowboys.
Still, the timing might raise some eyebrows. A sudden switch after Nick Sirianni spent all week saying he wasn’t making drastic changes on the coaching staff suggests panic at the NovaCare Complex, Jeff McLane writes.
Mike Sielski’s take: From the hollow defense of his coaching staff that Sirianni offered earlier this week to the hushed-up way that the franchise made this change, the whole situation is enough to make you want to stick a No. 2 pencil in your ear.
— Jim Swan, @phillysport, sports.daily@inquirer.com.
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The Eagles will visit the Seattle Seahawks in a Monday Night Football showdown. Join Eagles beat reporters Olivia Reiner and EJ Smith as they dissect the hottest storylines surrounding the team on Gameday Central, live from Lumen Field in Seattle.
Remember, at 10-3, the Eagles still stand a good chance of finishing the regular season as the NFC’s top playoff seed. But for the first time in Nick Sirianni’s tenure, there is a whiff of dysfunction in the air, David Murphy writes. The best way to respond in the crucial game against the Seahawks: Keep it simple. Impose your will. Show everyone why they should take a deep breath and settle down. Run the ball.
Among other things for the Eagles to be concerned about tonight: Jalen Hurts has been downgraded to questionable for the game because of an illness.
The Eagles clinched a playoff spot yesterday. They also moved ahead of the Cowboys in the NFC East after Dallas got smoked in Buffalo.
On the opposing side tonight will be future Hall of Famer Jason Peters, a tackle whose impact is still felt along the Eagles’ offensive line.
Rookie cornerback Kelee Ringo is likely to be called into service to fill in for Darius Slay, who underwent arthroscopic knee surgery. Josh Tolentino has Ringo’s story.
So who wins tonight? Our Eagles writers make their predictions.
Next: The Eagles visit the Seattle Seahawks tonight at 8:15 (ESPN, 6ABC).
The Sixers have run roughshod over four straight overmatched opponents, and even players at the end of their bench are getting into the act. During a 135-82 thumping of the Charlotte Hornets on Saturday, the starters sat out the fourth quarter and the Sixers still outscored their hosts, 35-23.
“When they come in the game, there’s no messing around,” Joel Embiid says. “They’re still playing defense hard and, offensively, attacking the basket.”
Next: The Sixers host the Chicago Bulls tonight at 7 (NBCSP).
In some ways, this season has already been a gift for Flyers fans with the team sitting at 17-10-3. Here are three things the Flyers should be asking for as a perfectly wrapped present this time of year. Padding makes the list.
Next: The Flyers visit the New Jersey Devils at 7 p.m. Tuesday. (NBCSP).
With one season left on his five-year contract, Zack Wheeler ranks among the best free-agent signings in Phillies history. President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski has said he wants to hammer out an extension with Wheeler. There are two questions, though: What is the pitcher’s value? And how many more years can he remain elite? Scott Lauber offers his analysis.
Worth a look
Closing in: Penn State reportedly is finalizing a deal to bring in former Indiana coach Tom Allen as its next defensive coordinator.
Syracuse-bound: QB Kyle McCord, formerly of Ohio State and St. Joseph’s Prep, is joining the Orange.
On this date
Dec. 18, 1949: Steve Van Buren rushed for 196 yards as the Eagles beat the Rams, 14-0, for the NFL championship at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
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 Jeff McLane, Mike Sielski, David Murphy, Josh Tolentino, EJ Smith, Olivia Reiner, Jackie Spiegel, Gina Mizell, and Seth Engle.
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