After 12 games on the shelf recovering from offseason knee surgery, Paul George finally made his season debut Monday night against the Clippers.
Nick Nurse doesn’t expect George to play both legs of the Sixers’ upcoming back-to-back against the Raptors and the Bucks, but he said his star forward exited the game feeling healthy.
“He was good,” Nurse said Tuesday. “Came out good. Felt good. Feels good. Today he was a full participant in practice.”
George, who signed a four-year max contract ahead of last season, played 21 minutes and scored nine points against his former team. Nurse said before George’s season debut that the forward would be on a minutes restriction but did not get into specifics.
Although George shot 2-for-9 from the field, including 1-for-4 from three-point range, the Sixers are already feeling his impact on both ends of the floor.
“We all know [what] he can do as far as on-ball defending, but he’s also a great off-ball defender, being there for us, being able to help, being loud,” Trendon Watford said. “I think that’s what we’ve been missing. With Kelly [Oubre Jr.] going out, Kelly being the vocal guy on defense, and obviously the guy who takes the toughest matchups, Paul can fill that void for us.”
Sixers forward Paul George had nine points, seven rebounds and three assists in his season debut on Monday.
Dominick Barlow, who played his second game since returning from an elbow laceration, idolized George growing up. He said the spacing George brings on the floor helped open up the game for the entire team.
“It’s going to make our lineups a lot more interesting, and it’s going to be fun,” Barlow said.
Barlow’s return
Speaking of injuries, Barlow said he’s at full strength and not restricted in any way after a procedure to repair the cut in his elbow. He is working with the medical team to prevent the cut from reopening but said he’s not overly concerned about it.
Barlow believes his vision on the court already is improving.
“Seeing driving angles, I had a couple of straight line drives that I was able to attack, so I’d probably say that was the biggest thing,” Barlow said. “I’m just trying to get some more pop back in my legs.”
The Sixers did not have updates on the health status of Oubre or Joel Embiid, Nurse said. Embiid was a full participant in practice Tuesday but has missed four consecutive games because of soreness in his right knee.
“He’s OK, I would say,” Nurse said ahead of Monday’s game. “Just not quite pain-free. Still day to day. I think it’s getting better. I don’t think he’s far away from playing.”
Oubre missed Monday’s game with a lateral collateral ligament injury in his left knee, which he suffered Friday in a loss to the Detroit Pistons. Nurse said the team is still waiting for an update on his status.
The defense shut down one of the NFL’s best offenses, but the game wasn’t without a few minor controversies. Here’s what the national media is saying about the Birds after their 16-9 win …
An ‘absolute garbage’ penalty
A defensive pass interference call on Rock Ya-Sin ultimately iced the game for the Eagles, but was it fair?
On the broadcast, Cris Collinsworth immediately called it out as a “terrible” penalty, which should arguably have been on A.J. Brown, instead of Ya-Sin.
The morning was not any kinder to referee Alex Kemp, who told a pool reporter that “the official observed the receiver’s arm getting grabbed and restricting him from going up to make the catch.”
Many members of national media were not buying that justification.
“That is absolute garbage right here,” Rex Ryan said on Get Up. “You’re making it worse by coming up with that B.S. Here’s the problem, NFL. The entire country saw this, and everybody knows, except the guy that throws the flag here. I don’t know what the hell he’s thinking … You can’t cover a guy any better than this.”
Rex Ryan reacts to the questionable defensive pass interference call to seal the Lions-Eagles game ✍️ pic.twitter.com/7Dz2sJ4xO7
“As you see this type of game unfold, you know it’s going to come down to an epic finish,” Cam Newton said. “We were robbed of that, because, what happened to physicality and letting them play, ref? We didn’t see that. The ref made it about himself. Was it touchy-touchy? Yes, but was it that type of game? Absolutely.”
Cam Newton shares his thoughts on the questionable pass interference call at the end of the Lions-Eagles SNF matchup ✍️ pic.twitter.com/pVVOGNFYAJ
After the win, the Birds now sit at 8-2, firmly in control of the NFC East, with games against the Dallas Cowboys, Chicago Bears, Los Angeles Chargers, Las Vegas Raiders, Buffalo Bills, and Washington Commanders left to play.
So do the Eagles, winners of four straight, have another loss in them with the schedule as it stands? Kay Adams doesn’t think so.
“This was not my favorite game to watch, cinematically, but who the hell cares, because a win’s a win,” Adams said. “… I don’t see anyone beating them the rest of the year. I don’t see a loss on their schedule the rest of the way. I can’t remember seeing anyone make Jared Goff look this uncomfortable.”
"I don't think anyone's beating them for the rest of the year." 👀
For all the hand-wringing about the offense’s struggles, Vic Fangio’s defense continues to perform at an elite level week after week. On First Take, Stephen A. Smith said the defense was far more impressive than the offense was weak.
“You’ve got the second-ranked offense in the NFL coming into the game, averaging 31 points a game,” Smith said. “You didn’t just beat them, you beat them down.”
The Birds forced what may have been the worst performance of Jared Goff’s career. Goff, who was leading the NFL in completion percentage coming into the game, completed just 14 of 37 passes, the worst completion percentage of his NFL career. The Lions went 3-for-13 on third down and were 0-for-5 on fourth down conversion attempts.
Dan Orlovsky said the Eagles’ improved pass rush — thanks to the trade deadline acquisition of Jaelan Phillips from Miami — is reestablishing the defense as the class of the NFL.
“I’m praising Howie Roseman,” Orlovsky said. “This Jaelan Phillips addition feels like it’s going to be the Von Miller addition to the Rams from several years ago. This defense is the best defense in football along with the Rams and Seattle Seahawks.”
Two weeks ago, the Eagles went into MetLife Stadium and suffered their worst loss of the season at the hands of rookies Jaxson Dart and Cam Skattebo.
On Sunday, the Eagles have their opportunity for revenge at the Linc, with an improved passing game that showed its full potential against Minnesota. But they’ll have to do it without receiver A.J. Brown, who is out with a hamstring injury.
Here’s our viewer’s guide to get you ready for kickoff, with everything you need to know about the team’s Week 8 matchup …
How to watch Eagles vs. Giants
The Eagles vs. Giants game will air live on Fox at 1 p.m. Kevin Burkhardt and Tom Brady will call the game from the booth, with Erin Andrews and Tom Rinaldi on the sideline.
If you’d rather listen to Merrill Reese and Mike Quick call the game, the radio broadcast can be found on 94.1 WIP, and if you’re not heading to the Linc, but want to watch the game with your fellow Birds fans, here are a few spots to check out.
As of Friday afternoon, the Eagles are 7.5-point favorites on FanDuel and DraftKings. The projected point total for Sunday is 43.5 for both sportsbooks.
Check out passing yard prop bets for Jalen Hurts and Jaxson Dart, and more here.
Story lines to watch
Brandon Graham goes through his first practice Wednesday after coming out of retirement to rejoin the Eagles.
Brandon Graham is officially back with the Birds, after initially deciding to retire in the offseason following the Super Bowl LIX victory. Is he ready to play Sunday’s game?
“We’re going to see, man,” Graham said. “I’m going to let coach do that. Honestly, I’m just here to continue to keep affirming everybody with what they are and their ability.”
But whether the Eagles’ longtime veteran edge rusher gets on the field this week or not, he’s already improving the team’s energy from the sidelines.
Here’s more from Graham’s return:
Graham brought the same old ‘juice’ in his first practice back with the Eagles.
What to expect from Graham? Here’s how other NFL players who unretired fared.
Graham said he didn’t want to retire — and this isn’t the first time the Eagles tried to bring him back.
One number to know
206 — Graham’s franchise record number of games played in an Eagles uniform. With his return, he retakes the mantle of longest-tenured Philly athlete from Flyers captain Sean Couturier.
Our Eagles-Giants predictions
Here are our writers’ predictions for Sunday:
Jeff McLane: It’s hard to win twice within the division, especially within a 17-day span. The Giants may be reeling from an epic choke against the Broncos. It’s not like they have much to fall back on. Dart and Skattebo have brought energy to a floundering franchise, but I like the odds that Fangio won’t have another hiccup against an inferior opponent. Eagles 26, Giants 19
Jeff Neiburg: What we know is that the Giants have been a much different offense since they handed the reins to Dart and Skattebo. The Eagles struggle with scrambling quarterbacks, and few this season have had as much success as Dart has when he’s on the move. Contain those players, which is easier said than done, and you’ll likely win the game. Eagles 30, Giants 18
Olivia Reiner: It seems unlikely that the Eagles will lose to the Giants twice. While their offensive issues are by no means fixed after one game, the Eagles showed some encouraging signs of evolution against the Vikings with their uptick in under-center runs and the play-action passes that were set up off them. Eagles 31, Giants 24
Matt Breen: The Giants limited Barkley two weeks ago to 58 rushing yards, but it’s hard to see them doing it again. The Eagles finally figured out their passing attack last week. This week is a chance to get their running game right. A big game for Barkley would be the perfect way to enter the bye week. Eagles 31, Giants 21
National media predictions
What we’re saying about the Eagles
Here’s a look at what our columnists are saying about the Eagles, starting with Marcus Hayes, who thinks the Eagles never managed to properly replace what Graham brought to the Birds, on or off the field …
Hayes: “Graham was a playmaker who loved to play, loved the game, and loved Philly. That guy does not exist today in the Eagles locker room. That guy will exist [again] in the Eagles locker room, in his cubicle stuffed with shoes and bobbleheads and an outrageous number of colognes. For the next 12 weeks and beyond, he will fill the void he left.” Read more.
Hayes: “Maybe the Giants weren’t so bad, and, clearly, the Eagles weren’t as deep as they needed to be. A lot has changed in two weeks. That should make all the difference come Sunday afternoon.” Read more.
What the Giants are saying
Rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart led the Giants to a 34-17 victory over the Eagles in Week 6.
The Giants haven’t won a game on the road in 2025, and Sunday will be rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart’s first time facing the same opponent more than once in his NFL career.
The environment should be raucous.
“It’s going to be intense, for sure,” said Dart, a first-round pick out of Ole Miss. “I can’t wait to go out there and compete and feel the hostility in the air and the rivalry between the two organizations. I kind of compare it to an SEC rivalry.”
Darius Slayton on the environment: “I mean, if [Dart] didn’t have any haters, he’ll find out where they all live. He’s about to get introduced to all of them.”
Daniel Bellinger on his advice for Dart: “You’ve got to stick close to your brothers in the locker room, just stay tight as one group, because that team and that fan base, they’re going to get a little gritty on the sidelines. I would tell him, ‘Listen, focus on you, focus on the team and stick together and not worry about the outside noise.’”
Brian Daboll on playing the Eagles again so soon: “I just know that [Vic Fangio is] a challenging coordinator to game plan against. Again, Jaxson’s played a good amount of football in his career. These last four weeks, he’s got a routine down, and we do everything we can do to get him ready to play.”
What the national media is saying
Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown had four catches for 121 yards and two touchdowns against the Vikings in Week 7. He’s been ruled out for Sunday with a hamstring injury.
Even a perfect passing day from Jalen Hurts wasn’t enough to silence the A.J. Brown trade speculation, this time from ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky, after Brown posted on his Instagram with the caption ‘using me but not using me.’
“I believe A.J. Brown prefers to be traded,” Orlovsky said. ”There’s been this consistent disconnect, whether it’s the lack of production, they don’t throw the ball enough, or they go on the road, he has [four catches for 121 yards], the game-sealer, and he’s still tweeting that out. I’m not trying to read too much into it, this is a Super Bowl-contending team, but for that to continuously happen, I do think there’s parts of A.J. Brown that would prefer to be traded.”
Here’s what else the national media is saying …
Mina Kimes on DeVonta Smith: “Because of all the attention on A.J. Brown, because of the drama, DeVonta’s kind of being overlooked as top-ten receiver in the NFL. I think he’s capable of that.”
Orlovsky on the run game: “This team can’t win a Super Bowl the way they’re running the football. They can win games, they can beat good teams, but they can’t run the football. My question is, is what we saw offensively last week going to be who you’re going to be for the rest of the season?”
Manti Te’o on the Giants recovering from their collapse: “When I see a team fall off like that, that’s just situational. Let’s be honest, I don’t think the Giants even anticipated they would be up that much. There’s a way to play the game, and there’s so much youth there that it may have slipped by them. I am buying that they will respond and build off it.”
What we’re reading
🚇 What’s the fastest way out of the Linc? Our reporters tried Uber, SEPTA, a car, and a bike to see who could get out of the sports complex the fastest after an Eagles game.
🏈 Grieving Roman Catholic coach Rick Prete and his family find solace in their football community.
VJ Edgecombe hasn’t seen the fan reaction to his breakout performance against Boston. He’s barely even left his house.
“Nobody’s really seen me,” Edgecombe said jokingly. “I’ve been in my house. I go to my car, and my windows are tinted, so you can’t see if that’s me.”
But after an NBA debut that ranked among the all-time greats, Edgecombe is quickly winning over a fan base that came into the year with low expectations.
After his 34-point performance in the 117-116 win over Boston in the opener at TD Garden, Edgecombe will play his first regular season home game at Xfinity Mobile Arena on Saturday against the Hornets. He’s expecting a rowdy fan environment — but he was expecting that even before his breakout debut.
“I know Philly fans are passionate, so I’m expecting every game to be like that. If I had a good game or not, I was expecting it to be like that,” Edgecombe said. “Credit to the fans for just showing love to the city, showing love to the sports teams. That’s the main thing. We all just try to have a connection with the fans. We’re regular people, so having a connection with the fans means a lot.”
Sixers guards VJ Edgecombe and Tyrese Maxey combined to score 74 points in their team’s second opener.
If the expectations for the No. 3 overall pick weren’t high enough, his first game — the third-highest scoring debut in NBA history behind Wilt Chamberlain’s 43 points on Oct. 24, 1959, and Frank Selvy’s 35 on Nov. 30, 1954 — sent them through the stratosphere. But Edgecombe is keeping a cool head and taking it one game at a time.
“Building blocks, just trying to take steps in the right direction, learn from film,” Edgecombe said. “I was watching film just now, learning, knowing team tendencies, know what they do. It’s just a steady progression. I’ve played one NBA game. That doesn’t determine who I am as a player.”
Embiid’s minutes restrictions
To defend the slim lead over the Celtics in the game’s final minutes, Nick Nurse turned to Dominick Barlow at center because Joel Embiid had already hit his 20-minute limit. Nurse expects that limit to be in place for the foreseeable future.
“We knew going in what [Embiid’s minutes restriction] was,” Nurse said. “It was very similar to what it was in the preseason game. We had a plan of what we were going to do with it, and we pretty much stuck to that plan. Wasn’t a whole lot of variation.”
The Celtics had a relatively small lineup, which matched up well with the Sixers’ guards and allowed Nurse to use the 6-foot-9 Barlow to close in that spot. Nurse also said he expects to use Jabari Walker a bit at the five with Embiid off the court.
Sixers center Joel Embiid is still working his way back to form after undergoing knee surgery this offseason.
Embiid scored just four points and grabbed six rebounds in his 20 minutes, 18 seconds of game action. The Sixers were minus-16 in his minutes. He’s still working his way back from the knee injury that kept him out for most of 2024-25, and Nurse said he’s working to find ways to fit into what the Sixers are doing well, which, on Wednesday, was letting Edgecombe and Maxey, who combined for 74 of the Sixers’ 117 points on Wednesday, handle the ball and play off one another.
“I’m just trying to encourage the speedy guys to be speedy either way,” Nurse said. “I think there’s a chance to push, push, push, push, but we don’t have to rush, and if we pushed ahead and we have some opportunities, we should take them, and then we’ll settle in. I think that’s probably my ideal version, if we can get to that.”
The Eagles suffered their worst loss of the season at MetLife Stadium against the Giants just two weeks ago. One week later, the Giants suffered their worst loss of the season, a fourth-quarter collapse against Denver.
New York is winless on the road in 2025, and headed into the NFL’s most hostile environment with a rookie quarterback. Can the Birds get their revenge?
Here’s what the national media is saying about Sunday’s game …
How good are the Eagles?
The Giants’ star rookies gained a confidence boost after blowing out the Eagles two weeks ago. But a total collapse in Denver may have stalled that progress, NFL analyst Dan Orlovsky said on Get Up, so he still expects an Eagles win.
Though the Eagles might win, Orlovsky isn’t bullish on the Birds’ chances in the long term, although he’s “intrigued” by what Jalen Hurts showed in the passing game against Minnesota.
“This team can’t win a Super Bowl the way they’re running the football,” Orlovsky said. “They can win games, they can beat good teams, but they can’t run the football. My question is, is what we saw offensively last week going to be who you’re going to be for the rest of the season?”
Can the Giants rebound?
The Giants’ collapse against Denver is the type of loss that can cause a team to emotionally spiral. But Manti Te’o said on NFL Network that he doesn’t expect that to linger for New York on Sunday.
“When I see a team fall off like that, that’s just situational,” Te’o said. “Let’s be honest, I don’t think the Giants even anticipated they would be up that much. There’s a way to play the game, and there’s so much youth there that it may have slipped by them. I am buying that they will respond and build off of it.”
Manti Te'o thinks the Giants will bounce back this week from their tough loss against the Broncos. pic.twitter.com/RiHpSyQUmZ
Even after Jalen Hurts, DeVonta Smith, and A.J. Brown dominated in the passing game in Sunday’s win, there’s still drama with Brown’s social media posts.
On Instagram following Sunday’s game, Brown posted a photo with the caption, “using me but not using me.” Brown caught two touchdowns on four catches for 121 yards, his best game of the season. So what exactly does he mean by that caption? On First Take, Orlovsky said he believes Brown is indicating he still wants to be traded.
“I believe A.J. Brown prefers to be traded,” Orlovsky said. ”There’s been this consistent disconnect, whether it’s the lack of production, they don’t throw the ball enough, or they go on the road, he has [four catches for 121 yards], the game-sealer, and he’s still tweeting that out. I’m not trying to read too much into it, this is a Super Bowl-contending team, but for that to continuously happen, I do think there’s parts of A.J. Brown that would prefer to be traded.”
Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown stiff arms Minnesota’s Isaiah Rodgers during Sunday’s game.
Ryan Clark didn’t go that far, but said that Brown was opening himself up to those rumors with his actions.
“He also has to understand the consequences of his actions,” Clark said. “When you tweet out ”using me but not using me,” read books on the sidelines, said certain things you’ve said in postgame interviews, people are going to try to connect the tea leaves and come to their own conclusions. It could honestly be, finally in this game they used me.”
For all the attention on Brown, Smith also had his best game of the year against the Vikings, with a 79-yard touchdown as the highlight among his nine catches for 183 yards.
“Because of all the attention on A.J. Brown, because of the drama, DeVonta’s kind of being overlooked as a top-10 receiver in the NFL,” Mina Kimes said. “I think he’s capable of that.”
Rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart has quickly become a fan favorite in New York, leading the Giants to a 34-17 win over the Eagles in Week 6 and flashing potential for the future.
But he will get his first experience with the environment in Philadelphia on Sunday. Here’s what the Giants are saying about their second matchup in three weeks with the Birds:
Dart and the Giants are 2-1 at home, including that win over the Eagles, but haven’t won a road game this season (0-4).
Lincoln Financial Field is one of the toughest stadiums for a road team to play at in the NFL — especially for division rivals.
“It’s going to be intense, for sure,” said Dart, a first-round pick out of Mississippi. “I can’t wait to go out there and compete and feel the hostility in the air and the rivalry between the two organizations. I kind of compare it to an SEC rivalry.”
Former Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart is anticipating the environment at Lincoln Financial Field being similar to an SEC rivalry game.
‘Stick close to your brothers’
Dart’s teammates are trying to prepare him for the environment at the Linc. Eagles fans certainly will be out to give Dart and fellow rookie Cam Skattebo a warm Philly welcome.
“I mean, if he didn’t have any haters, he’ll find out where they all live,” Giants receiver Darius Slayton said Wednesday. “He’s about to get introduced to all of them.”
“You’ve got to stick close to your brothers in the locker room, just stay tight as one group, because that team and that fan base, they’re going to get a little gritty on the sidelines,” tight end Daniel Bellinger told the New York Post. “I would tell him, ‘Listen, focus on you, focus on the team, and stick together and not worry about the outside noise.’”
Facing Dart again
The Eagles and Giants played just two weeks ago. Before that Thursday night showdown, Dart had started just two games, so the Birds had minimal NFL tape on which to evaluate him.
The Eagles and Vic Fangio now have firsthand experience. Dart said this is the first time in his career that he’s played the same team twice in such a small window of time. How will the Giants respond to that challenge?
“[Fangio’s] done a great job in this league for a long time,” Giants coach Brian Daboll said. “I can’t answer what he would do or what he wouldn’t do. You watch your game, you see how they played you. [Jalen] Carter’s back. Does that make a difference relative to the scheme and what they want to do? I don’t know.
“I just know that Vic’s a challenging coordinator to game plan against. Again, Jaxson’s played a good amount of football in his career. These last four weeks, he’s got a routine down, and we do everything we can do to get him ready to play.”
Joel Embiid says he did not start playing basketball until age 16. A young Embiid had dreams of being a footballer until the 7-footer grew too tall for that to be in the cards.
Even though he can’t play anymore, he’s still a passionate fan of Real Madrid and, of course, the Cameroonian national team. With the World Cup set to come to Philadelphia in 2026, there might not be anyone more excited than Embiid.
Soccer “is already huge, but having a World Cup here, it’s going to be even bigger,” Embiid said on the Switch the Play podcast with Roger Bennett of Men in Blazers. “I’m excited. I’m going to be all over the place. I’ve never been to a World Cup game before, so I’m going to go to a lot of them, especially to follow some of the best teams. Hopefully Cameroon makes it. Right now it doesn’t look likely.”
Cameroon is in second place in its qualifying group and is tied for fourth in points for a group runner-up spot. The top four runners-up advance to a playoff that gives them a second chance to qualify for the World Cup. If Cameroon can’t make it, Embiid is also intrigued to follow England, but he expects that team to “choke again.”
Embiid said he thinks his experience playing soccer growing up helped improve his footwork for basketball.
“Hakeem [Olajuwon] was another one that started so late and made it into basketball, and he credits his football skills to be able to get better so fast. I think there’s a lot of similarities where — I’ve always been a type of guy to observe, and then you show me one thing, and I’m able to do it after one or two tries, and just pick stuff up so fast. If you’re not coordinated enough, or if you don’t have good footwork, that’s not going to be possible, and that goes back to football, using your feet and having soft feet.”
His experiences growing up playing other sports before getting into basketball have him encouraging his young son to do the same. So Embiid won’t push him to specialize in any one sport — except for soccer, which he plays every Sunday. But Arthur is already enjoying following in his father’s footsteps.
“He seems to be in love with basketball, but that’s where I struggle,” Embiid said. “I started at 16, and maybe I was lucky. It takes a lot of work to be able to make it to the NBA within three years of starting playing basketball, maybe a little bit of luck, but it took a lot of work. That’s where you’re like, if I started at 16, why should any kid start playing basketball at 6 years old? That’s where you’ve got to find that balance.”
The 76ers might be Philly’s most unpredictable team.
Given their consistent injury struggles, the Sixers’ fate this year is nearly impossible to project. That didn’t stop the national media from making an attempt.
Here’s what they’re saying about the Sixers ahead of the opener tonight against Boston …
It’s complicated
Are the Sixers built to win now or win later? ESPN says it’s complicated, ranking them 13th in its season-opening power rankings.
Before last year, the Sixers thought they were in their championship window, and signed Paul George to a maximum contract to help get them to the next level. But after last season’s injury disaster, the Sixers now have a new, younger core of VJ Edgecombe, Tyrese Maxey, and Jared McCain to help them contend potentially for years to come.
“Last season’s 24-58 record suggests this isn’t the right time for any all-in moves from GM Daryl Morey, which might explain why Philadelphia still has several future picks in its cupboard,” Zack Kram wrote. “But as long as [Joel] Embiid is on the roster and even theoretically at full strength, the 76ers have to at least consider trying to maximize his remaining competitive window.”
The health of center Joel Embiid will once again be a key for the Sixers.
Ranked 13th again
In 2024-25, Embiid and George played in just 60 games combined. With compounding injuries to Maxey and McCain, that was enough to sink their season. This year, though, the Sixers are hoping they have enough talent to be consistent and competitive even without Embiid on the court.
“The Sixers have enough offensive talent even if their stars don’t play (just ask Quentin Grimes) and Nick Nurse is going to sell out and get his team to approach 10 steals per game even if it costs the rest of Philadelphia’s defense,” Law Murray wrote for The Athletic, also ranking them 13th in the season-opening power rankings.
“There is too much on the line for everyone involved in Philadelphia, with the possible exception of Tyrese Maxey, so don’t be shocked if the 76ers rebound to their usual results of getting to the playoffs and not doing much while they’re there.”
‘Why not them?’
For all the warranted conversations about the Sixers’ struggles with injuries, they’re not the only team in the East that’s missing players to start the year. Jayson Tatum and Tyrese Haliburton are both expected to miss most, if not all, of the year. Karl-Anthony Towns, Mitchell Robinson, and Josh Hart are all missing the Knicks’ opener, and Jaylen Brown may do the same for the Celtics.
ESPN’s Brian Windhorst dared to suggest that the Sixers may be the healthiest contender on the board, and their potential could be underrated leaguewide because of their perennial injury struggles.
“Is it possible that the contender with the healthiest roster to start the season could end up being Philly?” Windhorst said. “ … If you’re Philly, I know you have to live day-to-day, you can’t be thinking, you almost don’t have the burden of worrying about the playoffs because you don’t know who’s going to be standing by Thanksgiving. Why not them?”
The Eagles snapped a two-game losing streak with a win on the road over the Carson Wentz and the Minnesota Vikings — but in some cases, that wasn’t enough for them to climb this week’s NFL power rankings. Here’s where they landed after improving to 5-2 on the season …
ESPN: Third
ESPN moved the Birds up two spots, to third, after the win. And Tim McManus shouted out Moro Ojomo as the Eagles’ most underrated player so far this year. Ojomo had two tackles, including a third-down sack, in the 28-22 win over the Vikings.
“A seventh-round pick in the 2023 draft out of Texas, Ojomo tends to get second billing at defensive tackle behind the Georgia duo of Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis. But Ojomo has been key in making up for the departure of Milton Williams to the Patriots this offseason.”
The Birds are up one spot following Sunday’s win, which proved to the Ringer’s Diante Lee that the Birds can still be unstoppable when they want to be.
“A string of three-and-outs in the first half against Minnesota made me nervous that Philadelphia’s offense was going to melt down again, but halftime seemed to awaken an aggression in the passing game that Eagles fans have been begging for. Quarterback Jalen Hurts finished the game with a perfect passer rating thanks to deep throws on play action and trusting his receivers in one-on-one matchups.
“If Philadelphia can actually play this well for more than a half at a time, they will be the best team in the NFC again.”
Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni smiles during the fourth quarter of his team’s win over the Vikings.
Fox Sports: Sixth
Fox Sports’ Ralph Vacciano kept the Birds at sixth after their win over Minnesota, but he’s not too confident in them staying there over the rest of the season.
“Jalen Hurts rediscovered his arm and his receivers, but this Eagles team still can’t run and struggles on defense,” Vacciano wrote. “It’s getting harder to justify having them way up here, but they’re still sixth for now.”
The Birds stayed steady at sixth, nestled in between the Packers and the Rams for the second week in a row.
“This was the kind of offensive game we really hadn’t seen from the Eagles this season,” Eric Edholm wrote. “Jalen Hurts was dealing, especially with downfield shots, and getting the ball to his best playmakers. A.J. Brown had two TDs and the dagger catch to end it, while DeVonta Smith had more than half the Eagles’ net yardage. Things still aren’t churning up front in the run game behind a remixed offensive line, but when the aerial attack hums like this, it’s not as critical. Defensively, the Eagles had a few slip-ups and didn’t defend the perimeter of the field well enough, but they forced two INTs of Carson Wentz (including a Jalyx Hunt pick-six) and held Minnesota to 1-for-6 in the red zone. Job well done.”
The Eagles defense celebrates after linebacker Jalyx Hunt’s pick-six against the Vikings.
Pro Football Talk: Sixth
The Birds are up two spots to sixth in Pro Football Talk’s power rankings, just behind the Denver Broncos, thanks to their strong offensive performance in Minnesota.
“The mini-bye turned the offense around,” Mike Florio wrote.
The lowest ranking for the Eagles is at CBS Sports. They moved the Birds up just one spot, to 11th, after the win over the Vikings. But they’re still the highest-ranked team in the NFC East.
“Jalen Hurts showed against the Vikings that he can still throw it for big plays when needed,” Pete Prisco wrote. “But they do need to get the running game going.”
After six weeks of inconsistency and discord on offense, the Eagles’ passing game finally showed what it’s capable of — but the rushing attack remained stagnant. Here’s what national media had to say about the win and what it means moving forward …
A ‘definite step in the right direction’ but …
While one former defensive end, Brandon Graham, mulls a comeback from retirement, another, Chris Long, is still hesitant about the Birds despite the win, even as an improved offense had to leg it out against backup quarterback Wentz.
“This is a definite step in the right direction when it comes to the big-play ability of the offense,” Long said. “You’d love to see them play with more rhythm. I’m not sitting up here hating on a win on the road, but I would like to see a little bit more consistency. If you play like that against a major league quarterback, it might not go that way.”
Wentz finished with 313 passing yards, a pair of interceptions, and another 28 yards on the ground.
Despite the too-close-for-comfort win, the offensive line was “fantastic” and Jalen Hurts was “perfect,” so it was still a big improvement over the Birds’ two previous losses, Long said.
Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts threw three touchdowns in Sunday’s win over the Vikings.
A reminder from Hurts
After an offseason full of discourse about where Hurts ranked among the best NFL quarterbacks and the offense’s inconsistency to start the year, Sunday was a reminder of Hurts’ passing ability.
Hurts put up a perfect passer rating in Minnesota, throwing for 326 yards and three touchdowns and competing 19 of 23 pass attempts.
“This is a sign not just for the fans, or the people that hate on us, but really for our coaching staff,” LeSean McCoy said. “I think he has to remind you that he can throw the ball. … Jalen Hurts has a really good deep ball, and when you threaten the defense that you’ll throw the deep ball, that’s what happens. Why would we have a guy like A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, if we’re not going to use him?
“Jalen Hurts can play the quarterback position. It was time that we finally get to see him really play it.”
The Birds were aggressive with the deep ball, even on fourth down, taking advantage of their elite receivers and finding explosive plays that eluded them before Sunday.
“The Eagles are so talented that it kind of makes them conservative,” former quarterback Alex Smith said Monday on ESPN’s Get Up. “That’s been the biggest complaint in the passing game and running game by the entire NFL world. Here we are, at Minnesota, against a Brian Flores defense, which is as exotic and aggressive as it gets, and you have to match that aggressiveness. … This team needs to play with their foot on the gas.”
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