More pain from that Eagles loss | Sports Daily Newsletter

It was bad enough for the Eagles in their Monday night loss to Washington, watching Dallas Goedert fumble away the ball as he was yanked around by the face mask.

No foul, unfortunately, but there was harm. The tight end is expected to miss significant time with a shoulder injury suffered in the game, an NFL source said.

Goedert seemingly suffered the injury during the fourth-quarter play when he was tackled by his face mask. If he goes on injured reserve, he’ll have to miss at least four games before being eligible to return.

This is a substantial loss for the Eagles. Goedert is one of their best offensive players, ranking second on the team with 544 receiving yards, behind only star receiver A.J. Brown.

How will the offense adjust to Goedert’s loss? We’ll find out starting Sunday when the Eagles visit the Colts.

— Jim Swan, Inquirer Sports Staff, @phillysport, sports.daily@inquirer.com.

❓ The Eagles will be facing some tough running backs. How can they patch the holes in their rushing defense? Email us back for a chance to be featured in the newsletter.

Goedert went down, and another troubling aspect for the Eagles in their first loss was the defense’s inability to get off the field. That’s what happens when you can’t stop the run, and teams that saw the Texans and Commanders find success in attacking a Jordan Davis-less defense are sure to continue the ground attack.

It was a sloppy, mistake-filled loss to the Commanders, yes. The Eagles committed four turnovers, with the biggest one being Quez Watkins’ game-changing fumble. But after the game, the Eagles weren’t panicking. An 8-1 record still has them in first place in the NFC East, and now they can focus on improvement and getting healthy.

Sam Brown has emerged as the leader of a high school basketball team with a storied history: Lower Merion. The 6-foot-2 guard has started since his freshman season and already has committed to Penn.

And yes, he is the son of Brett Brown, the former 76ers coach — a fact that brought him some advantages in basketball through the years. That fact created some hardships as well, and both factors helped form the young man who has emerged. Mike Sielski tells his story.

Wade Allison is the latest Flyer set for a spell on the shelf, as the team announced Tuesday that the winger will miss three weeks with a strained muscle in his side and a hip pointer.

There was good injury news though, as veteran centers Artem Anisimov (foot) and Patrick Brown (back) could be getting close to returning, as both were assigned to Lehigh Valley to begin rehab assignments.

On the ice, the scuffling Flyers dropped their fourth straight, , to John Tortorella’s former team, the Columbus Blue Jackets. The loss marked the second loss in a week for the Flyers in Columbus.

Next: The Flyers head to Boston to take on the first-place Bruins on Thursday (7 p.m., NBCSP).

The 76ers have endured their fair share of trials, with James Harden and Joel Embiid spending time on the sidelines because of injuries and losses stacking up as a result. But in that spell different players stepped up to help sustain the Sixers before Embiid’s return and their recent 3-1 stretch. One of the main players making sure the Sixers remained respectable was De’Anthony Melton, who has proved to be the most versatile member of the roster.

After being acquired in a draft-day trade as a three-and-D reserve, Melton become a secondary ballhandler and started games at shooting guard and small forward. He’s also been a menace on defense, using his long arms to provide a defensive spark the Sixers lacked to begin the season.

Next: The Sixers get to dig into practice and get healthy as they prepare for a Friday game against the Milwaukee Bucks at the Wells Fargo Center ( 7:30 p.m., ESPN).

Ahead of the U.S. facing England in the 2022 World Cup, did you know the United States men’s national team actually has a winning record against that country’s squad in the World Cup?

That’s partly because it was a Philadelphia player who sent in the assist for the goal that is still considered by many as soccer’s biggest upset in history.

Here’s more information about the current Philly connections in the World Cup.

Here’s a look back at how Philadelphians have played crucial roles for the USA men’s team in World Cups of the past.

The Phillies met Tuesday’s deadline to protect eligible players from being exposed to next month’s Rule 5 draft by selecting the contract of Johan Rojas, a center field prospect who is known for his foot speed and defense.

The 22-year-old was added to the 40-man roster, which stands at 37 players. But the question is whether Rojas will hit elite pitching.

Wilt Chamberlain, Allen Iverson, and Joel Embiid are among the Sixers who have scored 53 or more points in a game. Who is the only other Sixer who scored 53?

Answer: C: Willie Burton scored 53 points in a 105-90 victory over the Miami Heat on Dec. 13, 1994.

We asked you: What lessons can the Eagles take from this loss? Among your responses:

All phases of the team played poorly last night. (I do think A.J. Brown played hurt all night.) Defense allowed the Commanders to run and catch the ball at will, offense didn’t run the ball, receivers didn’t catch the ball, and I have no clue what special teams are doing. As it goes to show, on any given night any NFL team can beat another NFL team. These guys are all professional athletes

Oh, and the poor refereeing didn’t help, but it shouldn’t come down to that. — Bill M.

A little humility, a better ground defense for sure, and a new purpose and dedication by the coaches and the players. It must have been an awesome experience for young rookie [Brian] Robinson to be able to contribute so strongly to taking down his two more famous former teammates [at Alabama]. Another reminder that in this day of NFL parity there will never be another undefeated team like the Dolphins, especially with the longer schedule. — Everett S., Eagles fan since 1948

We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Mike Sielski, EJ Smith, Jonathan Tannenwald, Andrea Canales, Jeff McLane, Josh Tolentino, Keith Pompey, Scott Lauber, Giana Han, Isabella DiAmore, Matt Ryan, Cayden Steele, and Bridget Reilly.