The old man and the D | Sports Daily Newsletter
Brandon Graham was at the center of the Eagles’ shut out win vs. the Raiders.
Here’s how downright dominant the Eagles were Sunday at frigid Lincoln Financial Field: They held the punchless Las Vegas Raiders to 75 yards of offense. Saquon Barkley had more than that in rushing yardage by himself.
The Eagles posted their first shutout in almost seven years in a 31-0 victory. The Raiders averaged just 1.8 yards on their 42 offensive plays. They did not advance the ball past the Eagles’ 33-yard line. That’s dominance.
At the center of the defensive effort, often literally, was Brandon Graham, a 37-year-old guy who was retired two months ago. Graham became the oldest Eagles player to register a sack, and he picked up another in the game for good measure. With Jalen Carter sidelined, the longtime defensive end has filled in at tackle, and Graham is starting to get to the quarterback.
“I’m happy to be able to come back” Graham says, “because I feel like we can make another run.”
The Eagles victory snapped a three-game losing streak. Granted, the blowout win came against what could be the worst team in the NFL, but the defense came up huge across all positions, from the line to the linebackers to the secondary. Jeff McLane has his grades on the game.
The performance offered a glimpse of what might yet be the Eagles’ saving grace in their quest to win a second straight Super Bowl, Mike Sielski writes. As ragged and inconsistent as their offense has been, their defense is good enough to get them there.
More coverage from the convincing Eagles win can be found here.
— Jim Swan, @phillysport, sports.daily@inquirer.com.
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Tyrese Maxey missed his second game in a row with an illness Sunday as the Sixers visited the Atlanta Hawks, and the team could not make up for the loss of its star guard. Paul George scored a season-high 35 points, but Atlanta prevailed, 120-117, behind 27 points from Dyson Daniels and 20 from Onyeka Okongwu. Joel Embiid had 22 points and 14 rebounds.
“We’re super concerned,” Sixers coach Nick Nurse said of Maxey’s illness. “We’re concerned because he’s sick, and he wasn’t well enough to get on the floor here for a couple of games.”
The Flyers had not lost a shootout this season until the Carolina Hurricanes beat them, 4-3, Saturday night at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
They faced the same team Sunday in Raleigh, N.C., and the result was nearly identical. Andrei Svechnikov scored the winner in the shootout as Carolina prevailed, 3-2. Jamie Drysdale and Trevor Zegras scored in regulation for the Flyers, who lost their third straight but extended their point streak to four games.
Defenseman Cam York returned to the lineup for the Flyers on Sunday after missing four games with an upper body injury. Coach Rick Tocchet said York’s return goes a long way toward stabilizing the defense: “It’s huge.”
Villanova advanced to the Football Championship Subdivision semifinals for the first time since 2010 with a 26-21 comeback victory over Tarleton State on Saturday in Stephenville, Texas. Next up for the Wildcats is a home game this Saturday at 7:30 p.m. against Illinois State.
The new coach at Penn will be former New Hampshire coach and standout quarterback Rick Santos, the Quakers announced.
After Jalen Hurts had five turnovers in a Monday Night Football loss at the Chargers, Nick Sirianni was asked whether the QB should be benched if he continued to struggle. “I think that’s ridiculous,” the Eagles coach said.
The question wasn’t ridiculous. It was legitimate. It sure seems ridiculous now. Hurts rebounded from the worst game of his career with one of his best against the Raiders. He completed 12 of 15 passes for 175 yards and three touchdowns.
Hurts needs to run. Saquon Barkley needs to run. Dallas Goedert needs the ball. This is a successful formula for the Eagles, and if A.J. Brown gets some looks, great. If not, live with it.
Sports snapshot
Youth movement: The Phillies are sticking with a veteran core, but it’s time for some prospects to arrive.
Duke delivers: Villanova’s Brennan came up big as the Wildcats rolled past Pittsburgh, 79-61.
U.S. soccer: Sporting director Matt Crocker is making progress with the “U.S. Way.”
One quick game: The Eagles’ rout of the Raiders was almost accomplished in record time.
On this date
Dec. 15, 2010: Left-hander Cliff Lee agreed to a five-year, $120 million contract to return to the Phillies. The team had traded Lee to the Seattle Mariners one year earlier. He wound up going 48-34 with a 2.94 ERA in his two stints with the Phillies.
We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Olivia Reiner, Jeff Neiburg, Gabriela Carroll, Marcus Hayes, Mike Sielski, Jeff McLane, Jackie Spiegel, Keith Pompey, Scott Lauber, Jonathan Tannenwald, Katie Lewis, and Sean McKeown.
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.
Here’s hoping you have dug yourself out by now. Thank you for reading. Stay warm and I’ll see you in Tuesday’s newsletter. — Jim