Can Jalen Reagor overcome these dropped passes? | Sports Daily

Fresh off wins against the Denver Broncos and New Orleans Saints, the Eagles were riding high a week ago. They were almost at .500 with the lowly New York Giants next on their schedule. That good fortune was quickly turned on its ear Sunday, when Jalen Hurts played one of the worst games of his career and DeVonta Smith publicly shared his frustration over a lack of targets.

But the performance of Jalen Reagor, which included critical drops late in the game, was the topic du jour on Monday. Reagor, a former first-round pick, was a disappointment as a rookie, but many held out hope that he could turn things around in his second season. That has not come to pass, as he has continued to struggle, drawing the ire of Philly fans almost weekly. The Inquirer’s Jeff McLane explained why this weekend might have been the last straw, writing that it is hard to imagine Reagor recovering from this week’s dropped passes.

Tell us: With the Flyers sinking in the standings after six straight losses, is it time for the team to change course and trade Claude Giroux? sports.daily@inquirer.com

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Hurts threw three interceptions with zero touchdowns and finished with a quarterback rating of 17.5 on Sunday. The Eagles quarterback played one of the worst games of his career, and he also rolled his left ankle.

During the game, Hurts had his ankle retaped and didn’t miss a snap. But his status is up in the air for next week as he deals with the injury, according to coach Nick Sirianni. He woke up with discomfort Monday and will continue to be evaluated ahead of the team’s first practice Wednesday. Sirianni said the Eagles are “hopeful” Hurts will play Sunday against the Jets.

Next: The Eagles get another opportunity to play against one of the NFL’s worst teams when they visit the Jets at 1 p.m. Sunday (CBS3).

Joel Embiid returned Saturday and performed well, putting together 42 points and 14 rebounds in a double-overtime loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves. But as well as Embiid played, his performance wasn’t the headline of the night.

The Sixers star spoke to reporters about his bout with COVID-19 for the first time since missing nine games in the NBA’s health and safety protocols. He said his coronavirus experience was so dire that there were moments he didn’t believe he would come back out on the other side: “That jawn hit me hard. I really thought I wasn’t going to make it. It was that bad. So I’m just thankful to be sitting here.” Embiid was one of several players to miss time with the coronavirus, as Tobias Harris, Matisse Thybulle, and Isaiah Joe also spent time away from the team.

Embiid and the Sixers got back on the winning track Monday night in a 101-96 victory over the lowly Orlando Magic. Check out Keith Pompey’s take on how poorly the team played despite the win.

Next: The Sixers head back on the road to play the Boston Celtics on Wednesday and then set off to close a stretch that includes 10 of 12 games on the road.

Tax? What tax? That appears to be the offseason strategy of Mets owner Steve Cohen after he doled out $254.5 million to four players, including pitcher Max Scherzer, who got $130 million. The Mets’ actions since Friday revive a roster-building discussion that is relevant to the Phillies — is there an appropriate time in the life of an organization to blow past the competitive-balance tax threshold with no concern for the penalties?

For a team such as the Mets, who have a top-heavy, depth-challenged roster with a farm system lacking major-league-ready players, the tax might be the most logical choice. Sound like a familiar situation, Phillies fans? Perhaps it’s time for the Phillies to be the next team to overlook the tax.

After a promising start, the Flyers have fallen on hard times, having lost six straight games, and with injuries mounting. Sam Carchidi wonders whether the team would be best served by trading captain Claude Giroux and starting to rebuild.

The soon-to-be-34-year-old has played his entire NHL career with the Flyers (963 games) and is in the final year of his contract. GM Chuck Fletcher would need to get Giroux to sign off on any move, though, as the team’s third all-time scorer has a no-movement clause in his contract.

Next: The Flyers play the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden at 7 on Wednesday night (NBCSP+).

Oh to be young and utterly fearless, even to the point of asking for the pressure-filled honor and glory of taking a team’s penalty kick in an elimination game of the MLS playoffs. If you thought he’d hesitate to hold his hand up, then you don’t know Jack McGlynn.

Next: The Union still don’t know their opponent for the Eastern Conference final, so they’ll be watching along with the rest of us to find out if New York City FC or the New England Revolution advance.

Lamar Jackson threw 4 interceptions [Sunday] and Baltimore won because he has receivers who can catch the ball. Hurts had 2 touchdown passes not caught plus a td called back because of a penalty. Give Hurts a break and get him some receivers. — Morris W.