Let the questions begin | Sports Daily Newsletter

I think I wrote the same thing the day after the Dodgers bounced the Phillies from the playoffs: There’s a lot to unpack here.

Coincidentally, Monday was the day for the Eagles to pack up their things and clean out their lockers at the NovaCare Complex after their Super Bowl dream was snuffed out by the 49ers.

There are questions galore for a talented team that somehow produced a boring offense that could not get the job done. Among them: What happens to Kevin Patullo? And A.J. Brown … and free-agent Dallas Goedert, for that matter? Which free agents will return? How are the Eagles stocked for the draft? And is the Tush Push on the way out? Staff writers Jeff Neiburg and Olivia Reiner answer those questions and much more. If you read one Eagles story today, make it this one.

More from locker cleanout day:

— Jim Swan, @phillysport, sports.daily@inquirer.com.

If someone forwarded you this email, sign up for free here.

❓What do you think about the prospects of the Eagles trading A.J. Brown? Email us back for a chance to be featured in the newsletter.

Kyle Lowry returned to Toronto for what could be his final visit to Scotiabank Arena as a Sixers player, the arena where the North Philly native and Cardinal Dougherty and Villanova star became a Raptors franchise legend and NBA champion.

Lowry’s return to town prompted the 20-year veteran to reminisce on his career, which includes the 2019 Game 7 win over the Sixers. He started his career as a journeyman but found a home in Toronto, where he plans to retire as a Raptor when his playing days are done.

The Sixers had Paul George and Joel Embiid in the lineup on Monday against Toronto and their additions proved vital in a blowout win against the Raptors. The trio of George, Embiid, and Tyrese Maxey helped the Sixers score 80 first-half points.

Two nights after being on the receiving end of one of their worst defeats of the year — a 7-2 drubbing at the hands of the red-hot Tampa Bay Lightning — the Flyers had revenge on their minds.

Bouncing back has been a trademark of the Flyers this season under first-year coach Rick Tocchet, as the Orange and Black entered Monday 9-1-2 in games following a regulation loss.

But were the resilient Flyers able to respond once again? They did not and lost their second straight to Tampa and third overall in a 5-1 defeat.

While Justin Crawford has the inside track on being the Phillies’ opening-day center fielder, many observers are nervous about the team turning over the keys to a 22-year-old rookie.

It felt timely, then, to invite Crawford’s triple-A hitting coach as a guest on Phillies Extra, The Inquirer’s baseball podcast. Adam Lind discussed Crawford’s approach at the plate, which has yielded a .322 batting average in the minor leagues but also a high ground ball rate that leaves critics wondering about his ability to hit major league pitching. He also discussed two other touted hitting prospects, and being teammates with a 24-year-old Bryce Harper.

From Nick Sirianni to Kevin Patullo to Jalen Hurts, the Eagles spent too much of this season acting as if being daring was taboo for them. Sirianni preached the importance of minimizing turnovers, citing the Eagles’ marvelous record during his tenure as head coach when they protected the football better than their opponents. But it turned out that a Super Bowl champion cannot defend its title on caution alone.

The 49ers, a team that played like it had nothing to lose, committed two turnovers. The Eagles didn’t commit any. And the final score was the final score. More from Mike Sielski.

Who has the most wins in the playoffs as coach of the Eagles? First with the correct answer here will be featured in the newsletter.

A) Nick Sirianni

B) Dick Vermeil

C) Andy Reid

D) Doug Pederson

We asked: Who should shoulder the blame for the Eagles’ playoff exit? Among your responses:

The head coach is ultimately responsible. I saw no determination in his team, from missed extra points to missed catches, errant throws, failed running plays repeated for no gains. Too many penalties. … They gave the game away, Niners had more heart and determination. — Jim E.

This was a total team effort. The play calling was horrendous. Jalen Hurts leaves the pocket too soon, missing open receivers. AJ Brown clearly does not want to be here. Saquon Barkley was inconsistent. The defense gave up too many “explosive plays.” — Bob C.

The blame for the Eagles loss is clearly where it has been all season — Hurts and Brown. They have both regressed all through the year. The final game was a microcosm of those performances. — Tom E.

The blame for this team goes to Nick. He hired his buddy to the OC position. He watched the offense sputter week after week and although he said he’d help KP after the 9th week of the season, nothing changed. With all of the offensive weapons on this team, the coaches never figured out how to use them properly in order to be successful. — Mitch B.

This season is all on Sirianni. In 2023 he proved that he was incapable of hiring coordinators when he brought in Sean Desai and promoted Brian Johnson. The Eagles won last year because Howie got him Kellen Moore and Fangio. Let’s face it, somehow he wins but it is not because he a competent judge of assistant coaching talent. — Mike D.

Sirianni is the Captain and when the ship hits an iceberg the Captain goes down with the ship. Patullo’s play calling was pathetic and he should be fired, but Sirianni has to shoulder the responsibility. Vic’s defense gave it their all, but failed when it counted the most. Put big offensive lineman #1 on Howie’s draft list and hire a new play caller and look forward to next season. — Everett S.

Kevin Patullo, for the season and the last play. He never put the offense in a position to win. There was no Philly Special, not even a reverse and go like the one that gave the 49ers a TD. Sirianni for not dumping him when his shortcomings became clear. — Joel G.

Who should be fired from the Eagles? First and foremost, Kevin Patullo. The offense has been ineffective and offensive all year. 2. A.J. (no effort) Brown. How many drops did this multi-million dollar receiver make on Sunday? 3. Tight end Grant (let me miss this block) Calcaterra. The worst blocking tight-end in the league. 4. Kicker Jake (did I actually make one?) Elliott. 5. Cornerback Kelee (oops) Ringo. Got lit up every time he was on the field. — Dave I.

Obviously, the Offensive Coordinator. He sent Barkley running into the line too many times this season. And Hurts seldom looked at Barkley to dump a pass to him. — John B.

The entire organization is at fault. They allow Hurts to do what he wants to do on offense. What’s with that? Oh, I’m not comfortable running that type offense. Get rid of his butt. I actually slept well after they lost. It’s what I expected. — Tom G.

Nick had the burden of recognizing whether the talents and strengths of an assistant would make him the right choice for this team at the next level. For all the good Nick has done, his own weakness at accurately gauging assistant readiness has cost him again. Nick appears to be willing to seek wisdom from others outstanding in their fields. He needs to seek some of that feedback from others before he fills the next opening in his front line staff. — Len K.

It must be Patullo. Replace him with a known OC with a track record. There will be good candidates as many teams are cleaning house now. But don’t delay; the best are already going to new teams. — John W.

I’m reminded of a famous quote often attributed to President Harry Truman “The Buck Stops Here.” Head Coach Nick Sirianni needs to take the blame. — Dave S.

The more I think about it, the more I think that Siriani needs to bear much more blame than he has been getting. He’s made some really bad coaching decisions in the area of clock management that have cost the Eagles some games. He has handled some player relationships badly. His hiring of coordinators and coaches has left a lot to be desired. — Doug R.

For starters the OC needs to be on the first bus, train or plane out of here. Followed by our super embarrassment wide receiver. 10x worse than T.O. ever was. A.J. needs to go. … Seems our QB1 was throwing into triple coverage most of the game. For whatever reason why is a good question. … At least they were well rested. How’d that one work out for ya, Nick? — Ronald R.

We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Jeff Neiburg, Olivia Reiner, Jeff McLane, Ariel Simpson, Scott Lauber, Jackie Spiegel, Gina Mizell, Keith Pompey, Jonathan Tannenwald, Mike Sielski, Henry Savage, and Colin Schofield.

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.

Thank you for reading and thanks to our many commenters. Bella will bring you Sports Daily on Wednesday. — Jim