Tuesday Night Lights | Sports Daily Newsletter

How can things get any better for Philly sports fans?

The Phillies open the National League Championship Series tonight with mighty Zack Wheeler on the mound against a San Diego Padres team that might be bound for a letdown after two epic upsets. What a postseason roll this has been for Rob Thomson’s Phils.

The undefeated Eagles are flying high after a Sunday night victory over the hated Cowboys. The Union are gearing up for the playoffs and even the downtrodden Flyers are in the mix after two straight wins.

Now here’s how it could get better for Philly fandom on a star-studded Tuesday night: The 76ers are beginning a season of high expectations against another hated team in these parts, the Boston Celtics.

James Harden looks trimmer and healthy, Tyrese Maxey is still on the rise, and Joel Embiid is still Joel Embiid. Daryl Morey has brought in important reinforcements in De’Anthony Melton and P.J. Tucker. Best of all for the Sixers, that 6-foot-10 soap opera, Ben Simmons, is not gumming up the works anymore.

Tonight against the Eastern Conference champions, we start finding out how good the Sixers can be.

If ever there was a case for side-by-side big-screen TVs, tonight would be it.

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

❓ What would you do if you were general manager for a day? If you could add one more player to this Sixers team, who would it be? Email us back for a chance to be featured in the newsletter: sports.daily@inquirer.com

There will be plenty of subplots when the Phillies and Padres square off in the National League Championship Series. Among the best is the story of Aaron and Austin Nola, who will become the first brothers to square off in an LCS in 25 years. Alex Coffey caught up with their mother, Stacie, who has prepared herself for a nerve-racking series.

The Padres’ catcher, Austin is three years older than Aaron, who is slated to pitch Game 2 for the Phillies on Wednesday. Former LSU coach Paul Mainieri recalls the only season the two brothers played together.

There is a chance that reliever David Robertson could return for this series, but manager Rob Thomson says Robertson would need to be fully ready for Game 1.

Here are a few things that Phillies fans should know about the Padres heading into the series.

The Phillies and Eagles are the toast of the town together, bringing back memories of another sweet season for both: 1980.

Returning to San Diego brings back memories of a bad night for the Phillies, but even the team’s owner is surprised by how well things have gone since then.

Next: Zack Wheeler takes the mound for the Phillies against San Diego’s Yu Darvish in Game 1 of the NLCS tonight at 8:03 (FS1).

The 76ers improved over the offseason, adding players who brought toughness, defensive know-how, and three-point shooting. Tyrese Maxey starts another season with high expectations, Tobias Harris has a fully fleshed-out role, and Matisse Thybulle remains one of the league’s best defenders.

But no matter what the rest of the roster looks like, the Sixers’ season hinges on the partnership of Joel Embiid and James Harden. The Inquirer’s Gina Mizell sheds light on where that relationship stands and how it must mature in order for the Sixers to succeed.

Can the team live up to its own hype? Keith Pompey writes that there are still several daunting questions about the Sixers.

Next: The Sixers’ season officially starts tonight at 7:30 with Joel Embiid, James Harden, and Co. in Boston to play the Celtics at TD Garden (TNT).

The Eagles head into their bye week at 6-0, but not all is rosy entering the break: Cornerstone right tackle Lane Johnson left Sunday’s game with a concussion. Eagles coach Nick Sirianni had no update on Johnson’s health or his possible availability for the Eagles’ next game, on Oct. 30 against the Steelers.

This is Johnson’s third reported concussion in the last five years, and Mike Sielski writes that the team should wait until he is fully recovered before thinking of bringing him back.

The Eagles have emerged as the class of a weak NFC, but they still have their concerns, Jeff McLane writes.

Among those concerns: finishing off games after they seize the lead.

A look inside the numbers shows that the Eagles’ James Bradberry has been one of the leagues’ best cornerbacks by just about any metric.

While the Phillies and Eagles dominated the headlines last weekend, the Flyers quietly started the John Tortorella era with two wins.

The team’s start is encouraging, but this week will present a bigger challenge as the Flyers hit the road to face the Tampa Bay Lightning, Florida Panthers, and Nashville Predators, all playoff teams in 2021-22.

Next: The Flyers open their road slate tonight at 7 against the reigning Eastern Conference champion Lightning (ESPN).

Players also serve the U.S. national team who patiently hone their craft, push themselves to the highest level they can reach, and await the chance to make the most of every opportunity that arises. So it is that former Union player Mark McKenzie may benefit from this past weekend’s MLS playoff games knocking two major USMNT centerback contenders from playing competitively for about a month before the World Cup, which starts in November.

Meg Swanick caught up with McKenzie to ask all about how his Union days prepared him for his move to Belgium and what he’s doing to give himself the best odds to make the World Cup roster for the USA.

Meanwhile, the Union don’t play until Thursday, but Jonathan Tannenwald is sure the club paid attention to the message from the defending MLS champions on Monday.

Which two Eagles quarterbacks share, along with five others, the NFL record with seven touchdown passes in a regular-season game? First with the correct response will be featured in the newsletter: sports.daily@inquirer.com

a) Nick Foles and Randall Cunningham

b) Nick Foles and Donovan McNabb

c) Nick Foles and Rodney Peete

d) Nick Foles and Adrian Burke

We asked you: Which Philly team will be the first to lose a game this week? Among your responses:

First to lose: Flyers — the Florida trip might get them back to .500 quickly. — Richard V.

What an incredible sports weekend, huh? As for your question and an answer. As much as a Phillies fan as I am, they will be the first Philadelphia team to have a loss this week. The Eagles are on a high but the test is in the rest of the season. They do have some opponents that will be tough to beat. After their bye it’s the Steelers which they will beat. But my eye is on the Texans, which could give our Birds some trouble. But how exciting is it? I see our Birds possibly having no more than 2 possible losses. But can they go undefeated? I cannot wait to see how it all plays out! — Lynn K.

We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Scott Lauber, Alex Coffey, Meg Swanick, Jeff McLane, EJ Smith, Josh Tolentino, Olivia Reiner, Gina Mizell, Jonathan Tannenwald, Keith Pompey, Mike Sielski, Marcus Hayes, David Murphy, and Devin Jackson.