Questions before kickoff | Sports Daily Newsletter

There are so many questions surrounding the Eagles as they prepare to kick off the season in São Paulo, Brazil, of all places.

Have Jalen Hurts and the offense figured out how to handle the blitz? Will Jalen Carter emerge as a superstar now that Fletcher Cox is retired? Is Nakobe Dean ready for prime time? Will A.J. Brown get off to a flying start against the Packers?

Straight from São Paulo, EJ Smith addresses these questions and more as the Birds prepare for Friday Night Lights, Brazil style.

Of course, there are many more questions (including: Have they removed the bad vibes from last season’s collapse?), and we have all kinds of angles covered in our many stories previewing the Eagles season. You can find them here.

Happy reading while you get ready.

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

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❓ What’s your prediction for the Eagles this season? Email us back for a chance to be featured in the newsletter.

The Eagles play their season opener against the Green Bay Packers in São Paulo, Brazil. Join Eagles beat reporters Olivia Reiner and EJ Smith as they dissect the hottest storylines surrounding the team on Gameday Central, live from Corinthians Arena.

Bryce Harper took a 92.9 mph fastball to his left elbow in the first inning on Wednesday in Toronto. When he left in the third inning with a contusion, the panic among Phillies fans ran rampant on social media. Don’t worry about it, Harper said after the game. In fact, while many think he should take a few games off to deal with a growing list of ailments, he doesn’t see the point.

Without Harper, the Phillies rolled on with Kyle Schwarber going deep for the fourth time in two days and Cristopher Sánchez pitching seven strong innings to top the Blue Jays for their fourth straight win.

Phillies pitching prospect Andrew Painter threw to hitters for the first time since his Tommy John elbow surgery in July 2023, and he showed the velocity is still there.

Nick Nelson is back with the Phillies, and he has added an intriguing new pitch to his repertoire: a knuckleball.

Next: The Phillies open a four-game series in Miami at 6:40 tonight (NBCSP). Ranger Suárez (11-6, 3.02 ERA) will start for the Phillies. The Marlins have not announced their starter.

Eagles quarterback Tanner McKee is the team’s unofficial ambassador to Brazil, after serving his mission there before beginning his college career at Stanford. But McKee also brought his football with him and ended up training with the semipro Coritiba Crocodiles, who play American football. During that time, he gained newfound perspective on the game.

The Eagles should still hope that McKee doesn’t find his way into playing in the season opener, as their roster is loaded for a potential Super Bowl run with the likes of Hurts and new addition Saquon Barkley. How far can they go? Our writers make their NFL predictions and also go through the Eagles schedule game-by-game to project their win-loss record.

The defensive secondary has been remade as well, as C.J. Gardner Johnson rejoins the team, teaming up with safety Reed Blankenship in trying to stop the Packers in the opener. Returning starter Darius Slay apologized for his comments about the Brazil trip. One member of the defense who wasn’t on the trip was injured linebacker Devin White, but he has already lost the starting job to Nakobe Dean.

Next: The Eagles play the Packers in São Paulo, Brazil, on Friday at 8:15 p.m. (NBC10, Peacock).

The Sixers have made yet another offseason acquisition. But this time they’re adding to the front office, where fast riser Ariana Andonian will serve as vice president of player personnel. Like many of the Sixers’ additions on and off the court, Andonian has history with Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey. Andonian, who most recently worked for the Memphis Grizzlies, previously held a scouting coordinator position for the Houston Rockets when the front office was helmed by Morey.

Flyers fans scrolling social media Wednesday got their first on-ice look at top prospect Matvei Michkov wearing the Orange and Black. Michkov and goaltender Ivan Fedotov were in Arlington, Va., representing the Flyers at the NHL Players Association’s Rookie Showcase event. They’re expected to be at the opening of Flyers rookie camp on Sept. 12 in Voorhees.

Nick Sirianni survived the Eagles’ disastrous collapse last season — barely. At the heart of the criticism surrounding the fourth-year head coach was a sideline temperament that, at times, crossed the line from passionate to problematic. Did he suffer from a lack of composure? Were his antics undermining how the team was treated by referees? Was his enthusiasm endearing to players, or viewed as childish? As the Eagles get set to start anew in 2024, Jeff McLane asks Sirianni whether he has changed, and investigates whether other members of the organization have noticed. Listen here.

Here’s a place to access your favorite Philadelphia teams’ statistics, schedules, and standings in real time.

We asked you: What do you hope to see from this year’s Eagles defense? Among your responses:

Mr. Fangio’s defense can’t be worse than last year’s. Eagles allowed 428 points that put them just 3rd from the worst. They did OK on rushing yards against, finishing 10th from the top. However, they were next to last place in pass defense, giving up 4,296 yards, and 7th from last in total yards giving up 6,054. ... Let’s hope that his experience will help to turn this very weak group into a plus in 2024. — Everett S.

Total and complete confidence in both coordinators. Last year was last year when the head coach lost control of exactly what was happening on the field. Believe me. That will not repeat itself this year. 14-3 should take the division. Top 10 defense and top 5 offense should take us deep in the playoffs. Being the eternal optimist that I am, how does 2 parades sound with a long shot 3rd one? Looking for our Whiz Kids to knock off Baltimore in the World Series. The Eagles to beat up on Baltimore in the Super Bowl and maybe, just maybe the Sixers take care of business against Phoenix. Can you imagine what the city would be like with three parades? “The City of Champions.” — Ronald R.

We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from EJ Smith, Olivia Reiner, Jeff Neiburg, Jeff McLane, Alex Coffey, Marcus Hayes, Gustav Elvin, Gabriela Carroll, and Gina Mizell.

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.

Hoping you are feeling as powerful as Kyle Schwarber is these days. Thanks for reading. Kerith will be at the newsletter controls on Friday. — Jim