MNF with the Eagles | Sports Daily Newsletter
Do you have a winner picked already?
Sure, the Eagles likely have improved over last season, and it’s tempting to pick them to win, perhaps even every game. Plus, with how badly Philadelphia fans have wanted the Birds to have a good season, it’s not as if any of them can be completely objective about the team’s chances. Still, as much as any defeat stings, sometimes an early-season loss helps wake up a squad to what exactly needs to be improved.
Certainly, the Minnesota Vikings, who also appear like a solid squad this season, aren’t going to make it easy for the Eagles to claim victory in this Monday Night Football showdown.
We’ve rounded up a variety of different views and predictions from different places, so you can get a range of opinions on which team is most likely to win tonight.
— Andrea Canales, Inquirer Sports Staff, @phillysport, sports.daily@inquirer.com.
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Inquirer Eagles beat reporters EJ Smith and Josh Tolentino preview the team’s Week 2 game against the Minnesota Vikings. Watch tonight at 7 at Inquirer.com/EaglesGameday.
As a child in North Jersey, Kevin O’Connell was a fan of Randall Cunningham and the Eagles. He is flooded with memories of Veterans Stadium when he thinks about Philadelphia. He’ll be on the opposing sideline tonight at the Linc as the first-year head coach of the Vikings.
There are many more cases in which the history of the Eagles and Vikings franchises are intertwined. Go back further than the Jalen Reagor vs. Justin Jefferson draft, and you’ll find Cunningham and a whole host of others to where players and moments defined the two towns.
For Monday’s game, the wide receivers on both sides will be something to watch. And so will Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins, whose big-money contract and status as a decent quarterback gives us an idea of the value of Jalen Hurts.
The Phillies return from their six-game road trip for their final homestand of the season as losers of four straight. The Braves finished off a sweep of the Phillies on Sunday behind Spencer Strider, who took a no-hitter into the sixth inning. With 16 games remaining, the 80-66 Phillies trail the Padres by a half-game for the second wild-card spot and lead the Brewers by two games for the third.
Left-hander Bailey Falter will remain in the Phillies rotation when Zack Wheeler returns, interim manager Rob Thomson said. Noah Syndergaard will enter games behind Wheeler, who will be on a pitch count in his return from the injured list.
Next: After a day off, the Phillies will open a two-game series at home against the Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday at 6:45 p.m. (NBCSP).
Point blank saves, long distance shots punched away from the upper corners of the goal, scrum-defying catches of corner kicks and crosses — Union goalkeeper Andre Blake repelled everything thrown at him by Atlanta United.
The Five Stripes launched wave after wave of attacks at the Union goal all game long, turning the Philadelphia squad’s vaunted offensive trio, led by Dániel Gazdag, Mikael Uhre, and Julián Carranza, into deputized defenders mobilized on behalf of Blake to keep the clean sheet. Somehow, with Blake leading the way with a few eye-popping saves, the Union managed the feat.
While the scoreless result keeps the Union in pursuit of an MLS record of goals against, the Union are no longer completely in control of the Supporters’ Shield race. However, that might not be a bad thing, since traditionally, the winner of the Shield has stumbled in the playoffs.
Speaking of Union defenders, one former such player is back with the U.S. men’s national team.
Fans got a peek at the future of the Flyers over the weekend during rookie camp. Who impressed? Olivia Reiner identifies the players who stood out over the two games against the New York Rangers in Allentown.
Worth a look
Who let the Dogs win? The Waterdogs Lacrosse Club claimed the Premier Lacrosse League championship in a comeback during the title game at Subaru Park in Chester.
Kahleah Down Under: Philly native Kahleah Copper is in Australia for the FIBA World Cup.
On this date
In 1992, the demolition of JFK Stadium in Philadelphia began. The stadium was built in 1926 as Sesquicentennial Stadium and also known for a time as Municipal Stadium. It hosted the 1926 Gene Tunney-Jack Dempsey fight, 41 Army-Navy football games, the Beatles; the Rolling Stones; victory celebrations for the Flyers and Phillies; and the U.S. portion of Live-Aid. The Wells Fargo Center and adjacent parking lots now stand on the site.
We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Alex Coffey, Olivia Reiner, Jonathan Tannenwald, Jeff McLane, EJ Smith, Isabella DiAmore, Marcus Hayes, and David Murphy.