Clipped wings | Sports Daily Newsletter

It’s been a chaotic past few weeks for the Eagles. The three-game skid, key players undergoing surgery, and the defensive coordinator shuffle are among the biggest stories, sure, but that’s not all. And it hasn’t been pretty.

Is this karma for Nick Sirianni taunting Chiefs fans after winning the Super Bowl rematch? A lack of commitment, maybe?

Marcus Hayes talked to NFL executives around the league about the Eagles’ recent misfortune. And one summed it up with two simple words.

— Maria McIlwain, @phillysport, sports.daily@inquirer.com.

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❓ Has any one player impressed you during the recent skid? Who is it and why? Email us for a chance to be featured in the newsletter.

The Eagles are expected to be without starting guard Landon Dickerson against the Giants after he underwent thumb surgery. With Cam Jurgens having missed recent games because of injury, that’s more uncertainty along the offensive line.

Jason Kelce also is holding himself accountable for a costly penalty as the Eagles were set up for a Tush Push.

Speaking of accountability, Nick Sirianni spoke of its importance on Wednesday. He also gave a vote of confidence to wide receiver Quez Watkins, whom Jalen Hurts targeted on his first interception.

And if you think this current stretch is rough, take a look back to the epic meltdown on Christmas Eve almost 30 years ago.

Next: The Eagles host the New York Giants on Christmas Day (4:30 p.m., Fox29).

The Eagles host the New York Giants on Monday. Join Eagles beat reporters Olivia Reiner and Jeff McLane as they dissect the hottest storylines surrounding the team on Gameday Central, live from Lincoln Financial Field.

The 76ers have “all the tools” to be one of the NBA’s top defenses, with Joel Embiid in the paint, length on the wings, and speed on the perimeter.

But while they haven’t always committed to that side of the floor, they are on a run that places them among the best in the league. Entering Tuesday, the Sixers’ defensive efficiency vaulted from the middle of the pack to a top-five unit. The Inquirer’s Gina Mizell explains how that came to be.

In the case of conveying themselves as a top team on Wednesday night, the Sixers made a good case against the Western Conference-leading Minnesota Timberwolves in a 127-113 win last night behind a 51-point, 12-rebound performance by Joel Embiid.

Oh, and guard Tyrese Maxey added 35 points. You know, for good measure.

Next: The Sixers return to the court at the Wells Fargo Center court on Friday to play the Toronto Raptors (7 p.m., NBCSP).

Hockey, like most sports, can be a game of inches. Through almost 38% of the 2023-24 season, the 18-10-3 Flyers have been winning those closely contested contests.

Currently, the Flyers are tied for third in the NHL with six wins (6-3) in either overtime or a shootout. That is a stark contrast to last season when the Flyers were just 5-13 in games that went into overtime or a shootout.

Lochlahn March looks at what has changed for the Flyers in the extra session this season.

Next: The Flyers are back in action on Thursday against the Nashville Predators at the Wells Fargo Center (7 p.m., NBCSP).

From Boston College to Wisconsin and schools big and small in between, high school football stars across the area celebrated their commitments to play college football. It was a moment for players, along with family, friends, and coaches, to celebrate their hard work over the last several years.

Eleven players at St. Joseph’s Prep participated in a ceremony. Here’s where they and their fellow class of 2024 athletes are heading next year.

Temple, which is coming off consecutive 3-9 seasons, signed 23 players on Wednesday. Meet the newest Owls.

Penn State welcomed 25 players into its new class, including these three standouts from Philly-based schools.

And here’s why Villanova coach Mark Ferrante is saying “We like what we’ve got.”

The MLS season is right around the corner, and on Wednesday, we learned which teams the Union will play — and when.

The Union will open its MLS campaign on Feb. 24 against manager Jim Curtin’s former team, the Chicago Fire, whom he played for from 2001-08. Union fans also learned when Lionel Messi and Inter Miami will come to town (June 15), although there is a pretty good chance Messi will miss out.

Here’s a look at the Union’s complete schedule.

Cats’ claw: Villanova guard Justin Moore missed the Big East opener with a knee injury, but the Wildcats found a way to secure a big overtime win against Creighton.

Owl to Owl: Former Temple star E.J. Warner is heading south after committing to Rice.

We asked you: With the playoffs looming, how far do you think the Eagles will go? Why?

One and done. This team has no imagination, nor fire, on either side of the ball. Howie needs to find some hungry players, at every position! — Jeff S.

Depending on where & how they finish, the Eagles may win their first playoff game. That’s it. I’m just hoping that when they lose, it’s not to the Dallas Antichrists. Please, please, PLEASE: anyone but Dallas. — Karl Z.

The Super Bowl is not won in December. Every team goes through losses. The Eagles have to and will get back on track. — Paul S.

I remember my mom reading me The Little Engine That Could, and I read it to my kids, so learned early to not think negatively. But, after watching that lackluster performance in Seattle you have to be very concerned. Yes the Eagles can do it, but are they up to the challenges ahead? They SHOULD win these last 3 games, and there is a good chance Dallas could lose in Miami. If the Eagles win the division and have home field over the Cowboys we could go to the Championship game against the 49ers. Once there it would be anyone’s guess. For sure I would love to see them go to the Super Bowl especially for our three greats Fletcher, Brandon, and Jason. It is very possible this will be the last season for all three. — Everett S.

The Eagles will go as far as Jalen will take them. We have always known that the defense wasn’t great but they would have won at least two of the last three if the offense would have been better. The offense used to score at least 24 points which would have better the Cowboys and the Seahawks Maybe the QB coach has something to do with Jalen’s regression. Johnson now being the OC may be why. Maybe they need to hire a better QB coach. Maybe Jalen can get it together, but he is not seeing the field and is very tentative in his approach. — Anthony B.

If the Eagles can get a wild card home game, I think they could/should win that game. After that I think they are done. The offense along with Jalen Hurts has looked discombobulated and the back seven on defense can’t stop anybody, especially since the D-line can’t seem to get any consistent pressure on the QB. So as long as they get that initial home game, they win one, then they’re done! — Bill R.

The Eagles are spiraling out of control and it appears no one is at the controls to try to stop it. The panic move to change the DC didn’t work. I know the secondary is banged up but you still can’t let a 2nd string QB take a team 92 yards with less than 2 minutes for a TD. You just can’t! Suddenly the last 3 games are no longer gimmes. They don’t have a lot of time to turn this thing right side up. If they don’t it will be 1 and done in the playoffs. — Jack H.

We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Marcus Hayes, Josh Tolentino, Jim Swan, Gina Mizell, Keith Pompey, Lochlahn March, Gustav Elvin, Jeff Neiburg, Isabella DiAmore, Max Dinenberg, and Colin Beazley.

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.

That’s all from me today! Have a great day, and Jim will be back tomorrow with all the biggest stories in Philly sports. — Maria