Eagles grounded by Commanders | Sports Daily Newsletter
A team the Eagles had already beaten ruined their perfect record.
Well, the unbeaten record for the Eagles is gone and in rather humiliating fashion as well, since the Commanders waltzed into Lincoln Financial Field and walked away 32-21 winners.
For a while, a few fans might have wondered to what extent the Eagles had really improved this season, compared to what extent their rivals thus far had regressed. It’s clearly a combination, but Washington coach Ron Rivera, after pushing Carson Wentz out of the picture, has worked on his team.
The Commanders aren’t as bad as they were with Wentz. The Eagles had an off night in some areas and were victimized by a few bad calls and one really egregious one. Ultimately, it added up to a loss.
It’s a defeat that might one day yield a bigger victory if the Eagles are willing to take a hard look at what went wrong and learn from it. In the moment, however, losing the unbeaten tag simply stings.
— Andrea Canales, Inquirer Sports Staff, @phillysport, sports.daily@inquirer.com.
❓ What lessons can the Eagles take from this loss? Email us back for a chance to be featured in the newsletter.
Aside from the season’s first loss, know why this one stings more for Eagles fans? Granted, the Birds did not play very well Monday night, but two blown calls by the officials in the fourth quarter all but handed the game to Washington.
On the first, Eagles tight end Dallas Goedert was clearly the victim of a fask-mask penalty before he fumbled away the ball. No flag was thrown. On the second, Brandon Graham and Haason Reddick were called for a late hit on Washington quarterback Taylor Heinicke, but they barely made contact.
Marcus Hayes could hardly contain his outrage.
Next: The Eagles play the Colts in Indianapolis, Sunday at 1 p.m. (CBS3).
Joel Embiid’s 59-point near triple-double against the Utah Jazz on Sunday was magical for many reasons, including his loaded stat line and fourth-quarter durability. But one other factor was that his brilliance masked some of the 76ers’ biggest issues. In their 105-98 win, the Sixers needed every bucket he could muster, and he delivered by scoring 26 of his team’s 27 points in the final period.
As The Inquirer’s Mike Sielski notes, James Harden’s injury, Tyrese Maxey’s recent inconsistency, and the hole at backup center all became an afterthought as Embiid took center stage. While that didn’t change the fact that his team sinks like a stone when he goes to the bench, for one night the focus was solely on Embiid’s brilliance.
Next: The Sixers received a much-needed rest after their Sunday night win, spending four days in Philly until they play against the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday at 7:30 p.m. (ESPN).
The Flyers have lost three straight, but the five-on-five product has actually been better of late. Can the Flyers pair performances and results? Olivia Reiner examines the team’s recent play ahead of a key three-game road trip.
Next: The Flyers head back to Columbus to play the Blue Jackets for the second time in a week on Tuesday (7 p.m., ESPN+, Hulu).
The Phillies didn’t end up achieving their ultimate goal of winning the World Series this season, but there is optimism that they could get there someday. That stems in large part from pitching prospects like Mick Abel, Andrew Painter, and Griff McGarry, who could contribute to the big-league club as soon as 2023. All three are plenty motivated, but watching their team on baseball’s biggest stage provided an extra boost. And at the perfect time — ahead of 2023, when they could all get called up to the big-league club.
Arguably some of the best players in the history of the beautiful game are taking part in this year’s World Cup tournament and even if you don’t regularly follow soccer, that’s worth checking out.
The Inquirer’s Jonathan Tannenwald has a top-10 list that is an ideal cheat sheet on which players to keep track of at the world’s biggest single sport spectacle.
Worth a look
Wildcats survive: Villanova missed its first 17 three-point shots but still fought past Delaware State, 60-50.
Hawks swoop in for win: St. Joseph’s home opener was victorious, thanks in a large part to shots from distance.
Trivia Tuesday
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?
A) Charles Barkley
B) Moses Malone
C) Willie Burton
D) Julius Erving
What you’re saying about the Eagles
We asked you: Which team will hand the Eagles their first loss and why? Among your responses:
It doesn’t matter IF they lose—it only matters WHEN. NOT IN THE PLAYOFFS. And not to the Dallas [Cowboys] or the Giants. I hate those teams. So I’m guessing Tennessee. — Karl Z.
I’m fearful of the New Jersey Midgets, aka NY Giants. — Dominic S.
First loss: Titans. — Peter B.
We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Jonathan Tannenwald, Aaron Tully, Marcus Hayes, EJ Smith, Jeff Neiburg, Alex Coffey, Olivia Reiner, Mike Sielski, and Gina Mizell.