One tough tackle | Sports Daily Newsletter

This is what we know about Lane Johnson, the Eagles’ Pro Bowl right tackle: He has a torn abductor muscle that requires surgery.

This is what Lane Johnson plans to do: He’ll sit out the last two regular-season games, put off that surgery, and play through his injury in the postseason.

This is one tough dude, no one would dispute that. From 2018-20, Johnson fought off the pain and played on a damaged ankle that required several surgeries.

But this is what we can ascertain about Johnson’s latest injury: The abductors are muscles that sit around the side of the hip. Imagine the amount of strain the 325-pound Johnson would put on his core, where a muscle is torn, as he fends off the Demarcus Lawrences of the world.

That will be a huge, painful task. Coach Nick Sirianni praised his player’s toughness but said the Eagles, based on medical advice, ultimately will make the final decision on the offensive lineman’s availability.

Center Jason Kelce knows the mountain his teammate will attempt to climb. “... Everything starts with your core,” Kelce says. “... It’s a huge part of anybody’s job, but offensive line, for sure. The ability to anchor, the ability to generate power starts at your feet and your core.

“It’s a major injury. It’s not anything to take lightly.”

You may already know why Johnson is so important: The Eagles are 72-44-1 (.620 winning percentage) when he is in the lineup and 12-21 (.364) when he is not.

— Jim Swan, Inquirer Sports Staff, @phillysport, sports.daily@inquirer.com.

❓ Do you expect the Eagles to cover the 6.5-point spread against New Orleans? Why or why not? Email us back for a chance to be featured in the newsletter.

Jalen Hurts was listed by the Eagles as a non-participant in a walk-through on Wednesday. Coach Nick Sirianni still is playing coy about Hurts’ status for Sunday against the Saints. We’ll have to wait to see if Hurts does hit the practice field later this week, but there was a sign that his recovery process will take some time. His press conference that’s scheduled for most Tuesdays wasn’t scheduled this week, and as the quarterback position officially remains unclear, Gardner Minshew didn’t address the media, either.

The 76ers were in the midst of their longest winning streak of the season, knocking down eight opponents in a row and looking like they had righted the ship after dealing with a number of injuries and absences. Then came Tuesday night’s game against the Washington Wizards. On the road after an undefeated seven-game homestand, the Sixers lost to an inferior team.

Now, after falling to a franchise that exists in the doldrums, the Sixers are hoping they can get back on track to end the year.

Next: The Sixers visit the New Orleans Pelicans at 8:30 p.m. Friday (NBCSP).

With Disney on Ice making its annual sweep through the Wells Fargo Center, the Flyers are headed west to play three games in California.

Having lost 19 of 23, the Flyers hope the trip will be a chance to bond and start a “new chapter” entering the second half of the season.

One player who will not be available for the opening game of the trip is goaltender Carter Hart, who practiced Wednesday but remains in concussion protocol. Hart will travel with the team and, if cleared, would play Saturday against the Los Angeles Kings.

Next: The Flyers begin their trip tonight in San Jose against former Flyer Oskar Lindblom and the Sharks (10:30, NBCSP).

On Monday, Penn State will culminate its season with a trip to the Rose Bowl to face Utah (5 p.m., ESPN). If you know anything about the Rose Bowl, it’s a stadium that has served as the venue for a number of memorable moments in sports.

Our colleague Mike Jensen has witnessed some of those moments firsthand. In his latest, Jensen takes a trip down memory lane at some of the biggest games he’s seen in Pasadena.

In case you were wondering, he’ll also be in-house for this year’s Rose Bowl game, delivering a bird’s-eye view from an iconic venue. So follow us at inquirer.com, on Twitter @phillysport, or Mike at @mikejensen for the latest before, during, and after the game.

Also in colleges:

🏀 Despite falling short, Villanova made it really hard for No. 2 UConn to remain undefeated.

🏀 Temple kicked off conference play with a 59-57 win over East Carolina powered by 18 points off the bench from Khalif Battle.

🏀 In women’s action, Villanova outlasted Marquette, 54-52, behind 21 points from Maddy Siegrist.

Who deserves to be in the Baseball Hall of Fame? And who is Marcus Hayes to choose? The writers’ Hall of Fame votes will be announced on Jan. 24, and Hayes weighs in with his ballot.

Alex Rodriguez is tops on his list to get in, even after his admitted use of steroids. “Yes, I’m voting for players connected with the performance enhancers,” Hayes explains “Why? Because hundreds of players got away with it, so the playing field was nowhere near as skewed as purists will have you believe.” Learn his top 10 picks here.

Fifty years after Roberto Clemente’s death, Matt Breen tells the tale of Roberto Clemente Jr. The former Phillies minor leaguer endured the tragedy and more trauma as a child and emerged to follow another of his father’s callings: helping others.

We asked you: Which injury worries you the most? Jalen Hurts’? Avonte Maddox’s? Or Lane Johnson’s? Among your responses:

I suggest Lane Johnson’s absence from the lineup is the most unnerving. Let’s face it: He and Jason Kelce are twin anchors of a solid offensive line that provides the necessary foundation for either Hurts or [Gardner] Minshew to do what quarterbacks do best, or blast holes for any of the running backs. To be sure, the offense will function in Johnson’s absence, but either 1 or 10 will have to hurry a bit more, and the backs will have to be quicker and sharper in hitting the holes, making cuts, and the like. While an offensive lineman may play one of the least glorious positions, it’s indisputable he plays one of the most essential for success. Thus: get well soon, Lane. The Eagles need you for the drive to the Super Bowl. — John B.

The Maddox loss will cause the most harm to the Eagles, in this upcoming game. Johnson has had a great year, but can be replaced for one game, since four-fifths of the best line in the NFL is still available. And Jack Driscoll can do adequately for one game. I should say Hurts absence hurts the most, but the Minshew-led offense gained 452 yards last week, and moved pretty much at will against a decent defense.

More than anything else, the Eagles got burned in the air by the Cowboys. It seems that the Eagles can deal with one first-string defensive back out, but not two. When Josiah Scott and Reed Blankenship have been called to service together, bad things happen, like the third-and-30 deep pass last week. ... And please play the returning Gardner-Johnson in Maddox’s slot CB spot, Blankenship at safety, and Josiah Scott on the bench. ... We really need to nail down the top seed this week, and not let it slide until the Giants game. The Giants will be playing very hard for a playoff spot. — John W.

It’s Lane Johnson. Check out the won-loss differential when he plays vs. when he doesn’t; it’s practically mirrored (72-44-1; vs. 12-20)! Think back to the [Donovan] McNabb era when he was once asked who was the team MVP and he said the center’s name, Jamaal Jackson; then the center got injured in the last game of the season (2009) and they didn’t make it past the first round of the playoffs. Calling other players skilled positions but not the linemen is a pure misnomer. Linemen ARE skilled! — DJ F.

Lane Johnson — Michael S., Karl R.

Jalen Hurts He sets the tone for a winning game — and he’s super as a QB. — Mark R.

Every one of them are important. Just read that Lane will rehab and put off surgery to be in the playoffs. No surprise to me because he’s an absolute warrior! Bad news with Avonte’s injury and his shoes will be hard to fill. But the player who has me most concerned is Hurts. You want to be careful with his shoulder so he doesn’t injure it further. A precise timetable for his return is tricky. However, he has led us this far and I’m afraid if he doesn’t return, we won’t go any further. I am a huge supporter of what [Nick] Foles did in 2018, but we never would have gotten to the promised land without [Carson] Wentz. Same situation here. I hope they all have a safe and speedy recovery. — Kathy T.

Inquirer Eagles beat reporters EJ Smith and Josh Tolentino preview the team’s Week 17 game against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday at 11:30 a.m. Watch at Inquirer.com/EaglesGameday

We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Jeff McLane, EJ Smith, Keith Pompey, Olivia Reiver, Jeff Neiburg, Marcus Hayes, Matt Breen, Mike Jensen, Javon Edmonds, Meghann Morhardt, and Matt Ryan.