Missing their MVP | Sports Daily Newsletter

If absence truly does make the heart grow fonder, both Eagles fans and Eagles players adore injured quarterback Jalen Hurts more than ever now. The latest loss to the New Orleans Saints has made it clear to everyone, whether an Eagles supporter or not, how crucial Hurts had been all along to the team’s success.

As Marcus Hayes writes, there is no proof positive of Hurts’ quality more compelling than to see in a real game a quarterback with most of the same Eagles players at his disposal, unable to do all the things Hurts did in games this season to make sure the Eagles were victorious.

Gardner Minshew has proved that he’s not a bad quarterback. He’s also not Hurts. In today’s competitive NFL, Hurts was a key reason the Eagles were head and shoulders above the rest. Now they’re with the rest of the bunched group, fighting their way through the muck, and getting taken down more often than not.

— Andrea Canales, Inquirer Sports Staff, @phillysport, sports.daily@inquirer.com.

❓ In your view, did the Eagles call the right plays for Minshew’s skill set? Email us back for a chance to be featured in the newsletter.

The game took a disturbing turn in the first quarter when Eagles defensive end Josh Sweat tackled Saints fullback Adam Prentice and went down with a neck injury.

Sweat was placed on a stretcher and slowly carted off the field during the Saints’ first drive. The Eagles said that Sweat was taken to a local hospital and was expected to be released Sunday night.

“His health is more important than anything right now,” said linebacker Haason Reddick. “So I’m just praying for him. I hope he comes out on top of the situation he’s in right now.”

After an embarrassing 20-10 defeat to an underwhelming Saints team at Lincoln Financial Field, the Eagles must wait until the regular-season finale vs. the visiting New York Giants next weekend to determine their playoff destiny. The Eagles offense ushered in the new year with lousy play-calling and subpar decision-making from spot starter Gardner Minshew.

“We played a really bad game today offensively,” coach Nick Sirianni said. “We’ll just have to look and get better from it.” Jeff McLane details how the Eagles got humbled by the Saints.

There were missed throws, penalties across the offensive line, and one very costly miscommunication that sank the Eagles’ chances of a comeback.

The Eagles look to stick together after a second straight loss. “Stay tight, stay together,” defensive end Brandon Graham said. “Nobody said it was going to be easy.”

Next: The Eagles host the New York Giants in the regular-season finale, with the date and time to be announced Monday.

Tyrese Maxey returned to the basketball court — and sense of normalcy — this weekend.

Finally able to play after suffering a fractured foot on Nov. 18, Maxey played his first game in more than a month against the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday. He came off the bench and produced only nine points, one rebound, and one assist, which was not normal, but just getting back on the floor was more than enough for Maxey.

“You can’t get bored with it,” Maxey said of his recovery process. “One of my things that I was trying to do was really challenge myself.”

Next: The Sixers return home to face off against the New Orleans Pelicans at 7 p.m. Monday at the Wells Fargo Center (NBCSP+).

Winning streaks, no matter how modest, are still better than the alternative. And certainly, even two straight wins are a nice change from the numerous losing streaks the Flyers have produced this season.

Yet is the current improvement a real change indicating a new foundation, or is it merely an aberration that will subside and leave the team lapsing back into strings of losses? Time will tell.

Here’s what certain key players and John Tortorella told Olivia Reiner about the current state of the team, including how they’ve managed to generate offense from good defense.

Next: The Flyers take on the Anaheim Ducks at 10 p.m. Monday at the Honda Center.

The late, legendary soccer star Pelé was a great player, but he was also a good teammate. He understood how to use camaraderie, along with his individual brilliance, to bond a squad and produce the best results of which a team was capable.

Matt Breen has the testimonies of specific experiences from local players.

Penn State coach James Franklin could have gone with touted freshman quarterback Drew Allar after the Nittany Lions lost to Ohio State and fell out of the College Football Playoff race. He stayed with senior Sean Clifford and Penn State has not lost since. Entering the Rose Bowl on Monday against Utah, Clifford reflects on his long run with the Nittany Lions.

Penn State and Utah will square off for the first time ever, in the Rose Bowl.

🏀 Maddy Siegrist scored 35 points as the Villanova women rolled past Xavier, 77-49.

🏀 The Temple men took down Cincinnati with good defense and balanced offense.

In 1987, coach Joe Paterno was hoisted in celebration after No. 2 Penn State defeated No. 1 Miami, 14-10, in the Fiesta Bowl.

We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Marcus Hayes, Colin Beazley, Josh Tolentino, Meghann Morhardt, Olivia Reiner, Matt Breen, Mike Jensen, Gina Mizell, EJ Smith, Jeff Neiburg, Cayden Steele, and Jeff McLane.