🦅 The Birds are back | Sports Daily Newsletter

The first NFL Sunday feels like Christmas morning, and at least you can head into work Monday on a high note after the Eagles held off the Commanders in a 24-22 win.

First, we have to give credit to Moro Ojomo, who reminded the NFL why he is going to want a hefty pay raise when the season concludes. Ojomo denied John Bates a two-point conversion attempt to tie the game and sealed the win for the Birds.

Across the board, Jalen Hurts was solid in his debut, despite Sean Mannion’s offense bringing inconsistent results. Hurts showed he hasn’t lost his touch on the deep ball as he tossed three touchdowns. He also made plays with his legs.

And on defense, All-Pro inside linebacker Zack Baun was arguably the best Eagles defender on the field. Jeff McLane gave out high grades for the two, among other thoughts from the Eagles’ season opener.

Read the rest of The Inquirer’s Eagles coverage here!

— Isabella DiAmore, @phillysport, sports.daily@inquirer.com.

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❓What did you think of the Eagles’ win over the Commanders? Email us back for a chance to be featured in the newsletter.

Alec Bohm changed the Phillies’ fortunes and the tide of the game on Sunday, with one swing. From there, the floodgates opened, and the offense strung together six two-out hits and a walk in a 9-4 victory over the Braves.

“Finally to get to break through and put some runs up was huge,” said interim manager Don Mattingly, especially after the Phillies were stuck in neutral for the first two losses of the series.

Earlier on Sunday, the Phillies activated lefty Tanner Banks from the 60-day injured list.

👂 Hearing: The highlights of the Eagles’ win from the broadcast booth on Fox, which included Tom Brady’s return as a color commentator.

🤔 Wondering: How was the Birds’ first tailgate of the season? We captured the best moments prior to the Eagles vs. Commanders.

🙌 Praising: The journey to Temple linebacker Reggie Jones’ first tackle after three seasons playing college football.

📖 Reading: About girls’ flag football in South Jersey and the excitement around the sport becoming sanctioned by the NJSIAA.

⚽ Relishing: Cavan Sullivan scoring two goals for the Union to extend the team’s unbeaten streak to 10 games in 5-0 win over San Diego.

The Sixers are two weeks away from training camp. There’s been plenty to talk about this summer with Jaylen Brown and LeBron James coming to Philadelphia, and it very much could be a historic Sixers season.

While everyone waits for opening night on Oct. 20 at the Knicks, new Sixers beat writer Chris Hine answers the biggest issues facing the team, who the glue guys off the bench might be, and if there’s room for Justin Edwards.

Jett Luchanko is known for his high hockey IQ and speed. The knock on the Flyers’ 2024 first-round pick has been his lack of goal scoring. But the reality is that just having Luchanko on the ice is a big step.

The centerman missed development camp and rookie camp last year because of a groin injury. He also missed development camp this summer after undergoing a procedure on his core about a month prior. It’s possible that better health and more stability will help him get back on track in 2026-27.

And with several Flyers prospects converging on Allentown and Voorhees this week for rookie camp, here’s our updated top 20 prospect rankings.

Matt Campbell said that he’d know the true identity of this Penn State team when it faces adversity. That moment came against Temple on Saturday, when the Nittany Lions failed to score on their first two red zone opportunities.

However, Penn State got things rolling in the second half, thanks to tight end Ben Brahmer, who believes his position is the “heartbeat” of offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser’s offense.

And in case you missed it, Saturday’s game was the first time Temple and Penn State faced off in a decade, renewing a 95-year-old rivalry.

In their last meeting in 2016, the Owls lost by seven at Beaver Stadium. This time around, Temple suffered a similar fate, losing 27-9.

As for Penn State, the win moved the 2-0 Nittany Lions from No. 16 to No. 14 in The Associated Press Top 25 college football poll.

Stefon Diggs caught a touchdown pass, but then hopped onto the goal post and gave it a brief, full-body hug. That behavior is illegal. The Commanders trailed by 2 points, and had the Eagles on their heels. But a 15-yard penalty pushed a two-point conversion try from the 2-yard line to the 17-yard line.

It was a foolish mistake, and there were several that did happen on Sunday. This was essentially a preseason game for the Eagles starters. Though, it was not bad for a dress rehearsal, writes columnist Marcus Hayes.

We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Jeff McLane, Olivia Reiner, Jeff Neiburg, Marcus Hayes, Matt Breen, Jackie Spiegel, Lochlahn March, Mia Messina, Ariel Simpson, Lexie Linderman, Faiyaad Kamal, and Lauren Jones.

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.

Happy Monday! Thanks for getting your morning started with me, I’ll be back in your inbox tomorrow. — Bella