Soaring in slop | Sports Daily Newsletter
It was raining, yet the Eagles still poured in points.
The Jacksonville Jaguars, under Super Bowl-winning coach Doug Pederson, are a solid team this year. The Eagles were perhaps due for an upset, a lapse in concentration, a letdown. The excuses were all there as soon as the Jags jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter in the rainy, messy conditions.
The Eagles were resilient, even if that meant digging their cleats deep into the muddy field. The running game stepped forward to be relied upon. The defense locked down. Suddenly, the Eagles were tied, then leading the game, then posting a 29-21 victory to remain the only undefeated team in this NFL season.
Of all the crazy things the sports world has delivered of late, Marcus Hayes opines, maybe the 4-0 Eagles actually make the most sense.
— Andrea Canales, Inquirer Sports Staff, @phillysport, sports.daily@inquirer.com.
❓ After such a great start, will anything less than the Super Bowl be a disappointment for this Eagles squad? Email us back for a chance to be featured in the newsletter.
Haason Reddick had a huge game for the Eagles against the Jaguars. Reddick forced two fumbles and recovered them both, part of a five-turnover outing for the defense. “It was good to see him out there making plays,” fellow linebacker T.J. Edwards said. “He does it every day in practice. He’s a real leader for us, too. He’s been that guy since he’s got here.”
In his return to Philadelphia, Doug Pederson got the reception and recognition he deserved. Mike Sielski draws the parallels between Pederson’s Super Bowl Eagles and Nick Sirianni’s unbeaten Birds.
The Eagles rode the running of Miles Sanders like never before. The running back had a career-high 27 carries and rushed for 134 yards against Jacksonville.
James Bradberry snuffed out one Jacksonville drive by picking off a Lawrence pass.
The wet, windy conditions at the Linc made it the perfect time to concentrate on the ground game for the Eagles. Meanwhile, the defense made Trevor Lawrence’s life miserable.
Next: The Eagles visit the Arizona Cardinals at 4:25 p.m. Sunday (Fox29).
If the Phillies are going to end baseball’s longest active playoff drought, they will have to do it against the Astros, the best team in the American League. After Sunday’s rain-shortened 8-1 victory in Washington and the Brewers’ 12-inning loss at home to the Marlins, the Phillies need to win only once in Houston to clinch a playoff spot. But the 104-win Astros aren’t going to take it easy on them.
Zack Wheeler looked to be in playoff form again, tossing five scoreless innings Sunday to help cut the magic number to one.
Next: The Phillies open their final series of the regular season tonight at 8:10 (NBCSP). Aaron Nola (10-13, 3.36 ERA) will start against Astros right-hander Lance McCullers Jr. (4-1, 2.38).
Nothing like an added distraction for the 76ers as they open their preseason schedule tonight against the Nets in Brooklyn. Ben Simmons will be exactly that. We all know the history here, but this is expected to be the first time that Simmons plays against his former team.
Doc Rivers wants to turn the page. “We’re focused on the guys that want to be a Philadelphia 76er,” the Sixers coach said of facing Simmons. “We’re not going to focus on anyone that doesn’t want to be one.”
The game will be an opportunity to begin integrating the Sixers’ newcomers into the team. The new additions could make the Sixers something special on defense. Chances are some of the veterans will see limited minutes tonight.
After joining the team in February, James Harden is using this preseason to fully absorb the Sixers’ system.
Next: The Sixers open their preseason schedule tonight with a game against the Nets in Brooklyn at 7:30 (NBA TV).
Before the game against Charlotte F.C., the Union had lost only four times in the entire season. In all of those, they had never given up four goals. But with an opponent desperate to make the playoffs, and the capricious nature of bounces on an artificial turf field, the Union were tripped up badly in their race for the Supporters’ Shield, which ultimately was claimed by LAFC.
However, with the playoffs safely in hand, perhaps the more important issue was that the squad escaped free of injury. Now the Union players can regroup and prepare for what lies ahead.
Next: The Union host Toronto FC at 2:30 p.m. Sunday (PHL17)
Well, well, well. The Flyers are still looking for the right chemistry to generate wins. The new coach for this season, John Tortorella, switched up things slightly in preseason action, moving to the team bench instead of watching from a different spot in the arena.
It didn’t exactly bring the Flyers luck, however.
Worth a look
Nittany Lions roar: It wasn’t always pretty, but Penn State won and moved up in the AP top 25.
Worth a cheer: Local excellence in sporting endeavors should always be celebrated, and Philly residents didn’t disappoint.
On this date
In 1972, Steve Carlton pitched a complete game for an 11-1 Phillies victory over the Chicago Cubs that resulted in his league-leading 27th win that season.
We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Jonathan Tannenwald, Marcus Hayes, Jeff McLane, EJ Smith, Josh Tolentino, Keith Pompey, Giana Han, Gina Mizell, Mike Sielski, Scott Lauber, Alex Coffey, Olivia Reiner, and Kristen A. Graham.