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  • Eagles news: Nakobe Dean offers injury update; Merrill Reese calls Commanders ‘cranky’ losers’; updated playoff scenarios

    Eagles news: Nakobe Dean offers injury update; Merrill Reese calls Commanders ‘cranky’ losers’; updated playoff scenarios

    // Timestamp 12/22/25 3:59pm

    A lot rides on tonight’s 49ers-Colts game

    Eagles fans will be rooting for Philip Rivers and the Colts tonight.

    Fans across the Delaware Valley will be rooting for 44-year-old Philip Rivers to lead the Indianapolis Colts to victory tonight against Brock Purdy and the San Francisco 49ers.

    Why? A Colts win preserves the Eagles’ slim hopes of ending the season as the NFC’s No. 1 seed and securing a first-round bye.

    The Eagles aren’t the only team that has a stake in tonight’s outcome. Here’s a rundown.

    If the Colts win:

    • The Eagles will remain alive in the hunt for the NFC’s No. 1 seed
    • The Colts will remain alive in the hunt for the AFC South title

    If the 49ers win:

    • The Bills, Jaguars, and Chargers will all clinch playoff berths
    • The 49ers will still be on track to land the No. 1 seed by winning their final two games against the Bears and Seahawks

    If the Colts do win tonight, here’s what needs to happen in Week 17 for the Eagles to enter Week 18 with a shot at landing the No. 1 seed and home field advantage throughout the playoffs:

    • Eagles win vs. Bills
    • Bears win vs. 49ers
    • Panthers win vs. Seahawks

    A Los Angeles Rams loss to the Atlanta Falcons would also help the Eagles, but the Birds just need the Rams to lose one of their final two games.

    Essentially, the Eagles would need to finish the season with a 12-5 record in a three-way tiebreaker with the Bears and Seahawks to nab the top playoff seed. Unlikely? Yes, but crazier things have happened.

    — Rob Tornoe

    // Timestamp 12/22/25 3:34pm

    Despite recent struggles, Eagles sticking with Jake Elliott

    Jake Elliott has made just 70% of his field goals this season.

    Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said the Eagles will not be bringing in competition for Jake Elliott as the longtime kicker has hit a rough patch late in the season.

    Sirianni on Monday reiterated his confidence that Elliott will bounce back.

    Elliott’s 70.8% success rate (17-for-24) on field goals is the lowest of his career. He missed a 43-yard field goal and a 52-yard try (as well as a 57-yard kick that was negated by a penalty) during Saturday’s win over Washington.

    Elliott has missed five field goal attempts over the last five games. He also has a missed extra point during that stretch.

    “I understand it’s a production-based business,” Elliott said Saturday when asked if he was worried the Eagles could bring in a new kicker. “You see it all the time. That’s out of my hands, that’s out of my control, all I can do is kind of put my head down and keep pushing.

    “I just got to put the ball through the uprights. That’s my job, man. That’s it. It’s not any deeper than that.”

    Jake Elliott is frustrated. Nick Sirianni says he has ‘ton of confidence’ in the Eagles kicker.

    — Jeff Neiburg

    // Timestamp 12/22/25 3:02pm

    Tyler Steen won’t be suspended after brawl with Commanders

    // Timestamp 12/22/25 3:00pm

    Nick Sirianni speaks to reporters

    // Timestamp 12/22/25 2:06pm

    ‘The championship runs through Philly’

    Jalen Hurts and the Eagles are positioned for a long playoff run.

    On The Speakeasy podcast, former Eagles running back LeSean McCoy and former Eagles linebacker Emmanuel Acho were asked the question: Are the Eagles the best team in the NFC?

    “When did we let it go,” McCoy said. “We were the defending champs last year. We were the NFC champs. See, y’all forget a lot though. I don’t forget. Last year, we won the whole NFC East. Last year we won the whole NFC. Last year we won the whole league, the Super Bowl. Why y’all forgot? Because we had a couple bad games. Because our Super Bowl quarterback had a couple of bad moments. We’re still the Eagles and we still put on a show. And the championship runs through Philly.”

    To Acho, Saturday’s game showed the complete package of what the Eagles could be. Jalen Hurts completed 22 of 30 throws for 185 yards with A.J. Brown as his favorite target, and gained 40 rushing yards on seven carries. Meanwhile, Saquon Barkley finished with 132 yards on 21 carries to contribute to the team’s 207 total rushing yards.

    “I think the Eagles are who we thought they were supposed to be all season,” Acho said. “Saquon [Barkley] really got active today. And then on top of that, A.J. Brown, he finally got active today. … This was maybe one of two or three complete games the Eagles have played all season. … The Eagles checked every single box you could hope and expect that they check.”

    After a three-game skid, the Eagles have managed to bounce back with two consecutive wins over the 2-13 Las Vegas Raiders and the 4-11 Commanders, two teams that have struggled throughout the season.

    “These games are momentum,” McCoy said. “It’s not about the opponent. It’s about getting us back in that groove. Getting us back with that motivation. Because when we get to the playoffs, we’re going to be rolling baby. … Résumés matter, playoff experience matters. And the way the offense is kind of clicking, the defense is making plays. I’m ready to roll.”

    What they’re saying: The Eagles are NFC East champs but ‘still have a lot to prove’

    — Ariel Simpson

    // Timestamp 12/22/25 1:29pm

    Nakobe Dean tells fans his injury isn’t serious

    Nakobe Dean left Saturday’s game with a hamstring injury

    During Saturday’s win against the Commanders, Eagles linebacker Nakobe Dean left the game with a hamstring injury halfway through the first quarter and didn’t return.

    After the game, teammate Jordan Davis told 94.1 WIP’s Devan Kaney Dean’s injury was minor. And on Sunday, while hosting a toy drive in Cherry Hill, Dean confirmed to fans he was doing “just fine” and only tweaked his hamstring, according to NBC Sports Philadelphia’s Ashlyn Sullivan.

    — Rob Tornoe

    // Timestamp 12/22/25 12:45pm

    How the Eagles finished in the Pro Bowl fan vote

    // Timestamp 12/22/25 12:20pm

    Merrill Reese: Commanders are being ‘cranky’ losers

    Commanders linebacker Bobby Wagner and Eagles running back Saquon Barkley exchange words during Saturday’s game.

    Washington Commanders coaches and players were upset following Saturday’s loss to the Eagles, stemming from a two-point try they viewed as the Birds running up the score.

    The conversion led to a melee, resulting in three players — including Eagles offensive lineman Tyler Steen — being booted from the game.

    “I can only answer for my side, what I would do,” Commanders head coach Dan Quinn told reporters following the game. “Hey man, if that’s how they want to get down, then all good. We’ll play them again in two weeks.”

    Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni told reporters he thought the extra point gave the Eagles a better shot at winning the game, and wasn’t because kicker Jake Elliott missed two field goal attempts.

    Regardless, Eagles announcer Merrill Reese didn’t think the Birds were trying to run up the score, pointing in part to the team’s decision to stop throwing the ball and playing their backups on defense.

    “If you’re playing at the rate the Commanders are playing, and you’re down to your third quarterback, anything’s going to make you irritable. You’re going to be angry about everything,” Reese said during an interview on 94.1 WIP Monday. “That was not running up the score. They’re just being cranky.”

    Eagles running back Saquon Barkley summed up the feelings of both teams to reporters following the game.

    “This team don’t like us, and that’s just the truth,” Barkley said. “And we don’t like them, either.”

    — Rob Tornoe

    // Timestamp 12/22/25 10:29am

    ‘We got a little fired up on the sideline’

    // Timestamp 12/22/25 9:57am

    It was a bad weekend for NFL officials

    Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell talks with officials after the final playof their loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

    It’s easy to criticize the refs, but this weekend NFL officials really gave fans and announcers a few things to complain about.

    First up is key late play during the New England Patriots’ win over the Baltimore Ravens Sunday night.

    With a little more than three minutes remaining, Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey appeared to outright tackle Patriots wide receiver Kayshon Boutte on a deep pass. Despite an official watching from yards away, no flags were thrown, to the surprise of everyone on NBC’s Sunday Night Football broadcast.

    “It’s not really hard — that’s pass interference,” NBC rules analyst and former official Terry McAulay said.

    Earlier on Sunday, during the Carolina Panthers’ win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, officials missed what appeared to be a blatant fourth-down penalty.

    With a little under five minutes remaining and the game tied, Panthers defender Princely Umanmielen hit punter Riley Dixon after he kicked the ball, which should have resulted in a penalty and a first down. Instead, officials called holding on the Buccaneers and missed the running-into-the-kicker penalty all together.

    “It’s contact to the body. I would have had running into the kicker,” Fox rules analyst and former official Mike Pereria said during the broadcast.

    That missed call proved pivotal, as the Panthers marched down the field and kicked what ultimately became the game-winning field goal.

    Then there’s the controversial ending of the Pittsburgh Steelers-Detroit Lions game, where Lions receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown lateraled to quarterback Jared Goff for what would have been the game-winning touchdown.

    On the play, St. Brown was called for pass interference, negating the touchdown. But both head official Carl Cheffers and CBS announcers Jim Nantz and Tony Romo did a poor job explaining why the Lions didn’t get another play

    “By rule, that penalty is not enforced and there is no replay. The game is over,” Cheffers said.

    NFL rules stipulate if the offense commits a foul with no time remaining, “there shall be no extension of the period. If the foul occurs on the last play of the half, a score by the offense is not counted.”

    If Goff had run into the end zone with time remaining on the clock, the Lions would have been given another play. Because of the penalty, the Lions weren’t able to review whether Goff crossed the plane of the goal line with one second remaining.

    It also wasn’t the only controversial call to end the game. With 22 seconds left, Goff hit St. Brown on a one-yard touchdown pass, which would have won the game. But officials called pass interference on Lions receiver Isaac TeSlaa, negating the go-ahead score.

    “The reporting official on that play told me that the offending player picked one of the defenders, creating an opportunity for the offensive player to make the catch,” Cheffers told pool reporter Nolan Bianch following the game.

    It was a bad weekend for NFL officials

    — Rob Tornoe

    // Timestamp 12/22/25 7:49am

    Eagles can get help for No. 1 seed tonight

    Philip Rivers and the Colts can help the Eagles tonight.

    The Eagles have already clinched the NFC East and will host a wild-card game at the Linc, but the Birds still have an unlikely shot at landing the No. 1 seed.

    Here’s how the NFC playoff picture looks after Sunday’s games, with five teams having already clinched a postseason spot:

    NFC playoff picture

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    To land the No. 1 seed, Philly would need to win their final two games against the Buffalo Bills and Washington Commanders and get a lot of help, beginning with tonight’s Monday Night Football matchup between the San Francisco 49ers and Indianapolis Colts.

    The Eagles need the Colts and 44-year-old Philip Rivers to win tonight to have any hope of landing the No. 1 seed.

    Here’s everything that needs to happen over the final two weeks of the season for the Eagles to end up with the top seed and secure a first-round bye:

    • Eagles win their final two games against the Buffalo Bills and Washington Commanders
    • San Francisco 49ers lose to the Indianapolis Colts Monday and the Bears in Week 17
    • Seattle Seahawks lose their final two games against the Carolina Panthers and 49ers
    • Chicago Bears win against the 49ers in Week 16 and lose to the Detroit Lions in Week 17
    • Los Angeles Rams lose one of their final two games against the Atlanta Falcons or Arizona Cardinals

    If all that happens, the Eagles would finish the season with a 12-5 record and would win a three-way tiebreaker with the Bears and Seahawks.

    The path to the No. 2 seed is more realistic. If the Eagles win out, all they would need is for the Bears to lose their final two games to move up to the No. 2 seed. In that case, they’d host a wild card game against the No. 7 seed, currently the Green Bay Packers.

    NFL playoff picture: Eagles scenarios, two more teams clinch

    — Rob Tornoe

    // Timestamp 12/22/25 7:45am

    Josh Allen injured ahead of Sunday’s game against Eagles

    Josh Allen injured his ankle but finished Sunday’s game for the Bills.

    There’s snow in the forecast Sunday in Buffalo, where the Eagles will take on the Bills with playoff seeding on the line for both teams.

    The Bills will officially clinch a playoff spot if the Indianapolis Colts lose tonight to the San Francisco 49ers, and they’ll enter Week 17 still in the hunt for their sixth-straight AFC East title.

    Reigning NFL MVP Josh Allen injured his ankle during Sunday’s win against the Cleveland Browns, but X-rays taken at halftime were reportedly negative and he finished the game for the Bills.

    Allen didn’t seem too concerned following the game.

    “We’re gravy, baby,” Allen told CBS sideline reporter Evan Washburn following the game.

    The last time the Eagles faced the Bills was 2023 at the Linc, with the Birds rallying to win in overtime. The celebrations didn’t last long, as the Eagles went on to lose five of their final six games and suffer an early playoff exit.

    — Rob Tornoe

    // Timestamp 12/22/25 7:40am

    The Eagles need to continue to be angry runners

    Saquon Barkley rushed for 132 yards and a touchdown Saturday.

    Saquon Barkley had rushed for just 52 yards on 14 carries when he came to the sideline late in the third quarter. The Eagles had taken a 14-10 lead after a 17-play, touchdown-scoring drive, but they did so in spite of the struggles in the running game.

    It’s been a season-long slog on the ground, but there have been glimpses of hope in recent weeks. And Barkley, who’s had to run into more stacked boxes than ever in his eighth year, felt that he wasn’t taking advantage of opportunities against a weakened Commanders defense.

    “We got a little fired up on the sideline, but it was good,” Barkley said. “It’s all out of love, let’s say that. We want to do what’s best for the team when we’re winning games and hold each other accountable. But thank God it happened for me, to be honest, because it put me in my bag, as people would say.”

    It was a 12-yard touchdown run off left tackle. The stat sheet account of the play doesn’t do Barkley’s seventh rushing score of the season justice. Jordan Mailata gave perhaps the best description.

    “That was an angry run by Say,” the Eagles left tackle said. “Kind of expected that from him by the way he was acting on the sideline. He was just very adamant, being very positive, like, ‘Hey, we’re gonna get it.’”

    Barkley’s touchdown wasn’t exactly the final nail. But he drove the last spike with a dazzling 48-yard run two drives later. And backup Tank Bigsby buried the Commanders with a 22-yard bolt into the end zone of the Eagles’ eventual 29-18 win at Northwest Stadium on Saturday.

    It may be no coincidence that the offensive improvement came after Sirianni asserted more of his authority on that side of the ball three games ago. There were bright moments in the overtime loss to the Chargers, but Hurts had five turnovers.

    Actually, there were improvements in run design the week before against the Bears. But the Eagles defense didn’t meet its usual standard and the offense couldn’t compensate. The numbers in the last four games, though, suggest that Barkley and Co. are doing something better.

    The Eagles have averaged 4.96 yards per carry over that span. In their first 11 games, they averaged only 3.91 yards.

    Saquon Barkley and the Eagles ran angry in the second half. It’s about time.

    — Jeff McLane

    // Timestamp 12/22/25 7:33am

    Former Imhotep Charter star’s catch propels Bears into the playoffs

    The Bears’ DJ Moore celebrates after his 46-yard TD catch in overtime beats the Green Bay Packers.

    After overcoming a 16-6 deficit late in the fourth quarter Saturday night, the Chicago Bears beat the Green Bay Packers, in overtime, 22-16, thanks to a 46-yard touchdown reception from Philly native DJ Moore.

    Three plays after the Bears stopped Green Bay on its drive in overtime, quarterback Caleb Williams found Moore, an Imhotep Charter graduate, off a play-action post route to score the walk-off touchdown, his sixth touchdown reception of the season.

    “I just had to run, run like I did in practice and connect like we did at practice,” Moore said of his winning reception. ”It was really a practice rep but we did it in a game. Like I said, it was just amazing that we did it against the Packers.”

    The victory moved Chicago to the NFC’s No. 2 seed and put the Bears in the driver’s seat to win the NFC North for the first time since 2018. The Bears haven’t made the playoffs since 2020.

    Moore is the Bears’ leading receiver this year with 664 yards and is tied for the team lead in touchdowns with Rome Odunze.

    Now in his eighth season in the NFL after a standout career at Maryland, Moore has scored three of his touchdowns in the last two games. This is his third year in Chicago after getting traded from the Carolina Panthers after the 2022 season and he has led the team in receiving each of the last three years.

    Philly’s DJ Moore catches game-winning touchdown to propel Bears into NFC’s No. 2 seed

    — Devin Jackson

    2025 Eagles schedule

    — Rob Tornoe

    // Timestamp 12/22/25 7:30am

  • Born to run | Sports Daily Newsletter

    Born to run | Sports Daily Newsletter

    Maybe the Eagles are getting a little of that Super Bowl feeling back from a season ago. You know the vibe: Saquon Barkley carries the offense, the defense goes into shutdown mode, and the Birds win.

    That’s exactly the formula the Eagles used Saturday night as they clinched the NFC East with a 29-18 victory against the Washington Commanders. Granted, it came against a moribund team that was down to its third-string cornerback, but Vic Fangio’s defense held the Commanders to 220 yards, some of which came during a garbage-time touchdown drive.

    Barkley’s performance might be the best sign for the Eagles, though. He rushed for 132 yards and a touchdown, breaking off a 48-yard run at one point that was reminiscent of his incredible 2024 season. The rushing numbers in the last four games suggest that Barkley and Co. are doing something better, Jeff McLane writes. The Eagles have averaged 4.96 yards per carry over that span. In their first 11 games, they averaged only 3.91 yards.

    Jalen Hurts’ legs, Barkley’s strong December, better blocking schemes, and Tank Bigsby as the second punch could be the recipe for the Eagles in the postseason.

    One of the recipes from last season might be ripped from the cookbook, though. The Eagles tried the Tush Push three times against the Commanders and failed all three times. It’s time for last rites for the Eagles’ signature sneak, Mike Sielski writes.

    That wasn’t the only slipup for the Birds, either. Jake Elliott missed three field-goal attempts, although one was negated by a penalty. Elliott is 17-for-24 on field goals this season. His success rate of 70.8% is the worst of his career.

    Nick Sirianni is standing by his kicker. “I have a ton of confidence in him that he’ll respond and rebound from this,” the coach says, ”because he’s mentally tough and a great kicker.”

    At 10-5, the Eagles are the third seed in the NFC, which is where they’ll likely land when the playoffs begin. After two wins against the dregs of the NFL, they’ll take a step up in class Sunday when they visit the 11-4 Buffalo Bills, who have won four straight.

    — Jim Swan, @phillysport, sports.daily@inquirer.com.

    If someone forwarded you this email, sign up for free here.

    ❓Should the Eagles be looking for a new kicker? Email us back for a chance to be featured in the newsletter.

    Radiant rookie

    VJ Edgecombe has been an early Christmas gift for the Sixers.

    VJ Edgecombe outperformed another flashy first-year player, No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg, on Saturday. The rookie finished with 26 points in a 121-114 victory against the Dallas Mavericks and afterward Sixers star Tyrese Maxey was asked whether Edgecombe has surprised him this season.

    “Sadly, no,” Maxey said. “I want to say yes, but, sadly, no. Like, this is who he is, you know what I mean? We realized that Game 1. Yeah, you can do what you want to do in the preseason, and all that and practice in training camp, but when the lights come on, you just never know, and the lights came on, and he came on with it.”

    Adoration for Adolis

    The Phillies signed Adolis García, left, to replace Nick Castellanos in right field.

    The Phillies plan to plug Adolis García into right field, taking over for Nick Castellanos whenever they trade or release him. It will be quite an upgrade, says former Phillie Brad Miller, who played with García when the Texas Rangers won the World Series in 2023.

    “What I would tell people is, Adolis is worth the price of admission,“ says Miller, who is now a television analyst for the Rangers. ” … It’s exciting stuff, like he’ll make diving plays, he’ll throw a guy out from the wall in right field. I can just picture that at the Bank. … He plays with a flair. And he can do everything. I’m excited for him. I think it’s going be a breath of fresh air.”

    Reliever Matt Strahm will get to breathe the fresh air in Kansas City after the Phillies traded him to the Royals for right-handed reliever Jonathan Bowlan.

    High on the Hogs

    D.J. Wagner of Arkansas guards Houston’s Milos Uzan during the first half Saturday in Newark, N.J.

    Not long ago, Camden High’s D.J. Wagner was the top-ranked high school basketball recruit in the nation. Now he’s in his third college season, not really thought of as an NBA lottery pick as he starts at guard for John Calipari at Arkansas.

    After a loss to No. 8 Houston in Newark, N.J., on Saturday, Wagner is averaging a career-low 8.4 points for the Razorbacks. His NBA star may have dimmed, but Wagner is doing just fine thanks to his NIL deals and is comfortable in his role.

    “I’m just happy to be here,” Wagner says. “Whatever I can do to help my teammates out, I’m happy to do it.”

    Reluctant to deal

    Flyers general manager Danny Brière knows it is hard to find No. 1 and No. 2 centers. But that is his task as the Flyers look to take the next step in their rebuild.

    The Flyers missed an opportunity to obtain a budding star when Vancouver traded Norris Trophy-winning defenseman Quinn Hughes to the Minnesota Wild on Dec. 12. Now it’s back to the drawing board for the Flyers, who are hesitant to deal away top prospects.

    Should the Flyers have gone harder after Hughes? What’s the next step for a team that still lacks a No. 1 center and defenseman? Gustav Elvin considers the possibilities.

    Sports snapshot

    The Bears’ DJ Moore celebrates after his 46-yard TD catch in overtime beat the Green Bay Packers.

    On this date

    Washington quarterback Mark Rypien passes under pressure from the Eagles defensive end Reggie White during a playoff game in the 1990 season.

    Dec. 22, 1991: The Eagles scored 17 points in the fourth quarter of a 24-22 victory against Washington. Reggie White sacked Washington quarterback Mark Rypien twice. Roger Ruzek’s 38-yard field goal won it for the Birds.

    Marcus Hayes’ take

    Was Eagles coach Nick Sirianni trying to run up the score by going for two points with a big lead late? The Commanders seemed to think so.

    It seems ungrateful to complain about any win, particularly a win that ensures a fifth consecutive trip to the playoffs, and the team in question won the latest Super Bowl.

    It seems doubly thankless to whine about the coach and staff that largely have been responsible for this windfall of January football, delivered with an NFC East title earned Saturday with a 29-18 win over the Commanders.

    So yes, it seems ungrateful, and even thankless, to wish for better. But we are Philadelphia, aren’t we?

    We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Jeff McLane, Mike Sielski, Jeff Neiburg, Olivia Reiner, Marcus Hayes, Scott Lauber, Keith Pompey, Gina Mizell, Gustav Elvin, Devin Jackson, Dylan Johnson, and Katie Lewis.

    By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirer’s Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.

    Thanks for reading Sports Daily. I’ll see you in Tuesday’s newsletter. — Jim

  • Should the Flyers have gone harder after Quinn Hughes? And what now for a team lacking a No. 1 center and defenseman?

    Should the Flyers have gone harder after Quinn Hughes? And what now for a team lacking a No. 1 center and defenseman?

    Stop me if this rings a bell.

    A star player was available for trade. The Flyers reportedly showed some interest. The team elected not to pony up the required assets to make the deal. The star player landed elsewhere and sent the Flyers back to the drawing board.

    I’m obviously referring to Norris Trophy-winning defenseman Quinn Hughes being traded on Dec. 12 from Vancouver to Minnesota for a package that included blue-chip prospect Zeev Buium, middle-six center Marco Rossi, prospect Liam Öhgren, and a first-round pick. Hughes, the second-best defenseman in the world, and notably a well-documented fan of Flyers coach Rick Tocchet from their time together with the Canucks, is exactly the type of needle-moving superstar the Flyers are missing on their blue line. So why no deal?

    The Flyers are playing well for the first time in what seems like forever. Let’s enjoy them and stop complaining.

    That answer is more nuanced than “the Flyers were being cheap again,” and we will address that in a minute. Nevertheless, missing out on star talent has been an all-too-familiar and frustrating pattern for Flyers fans over the past few years as the team has carried out its rebuild and focused largely on subtraction rather than addition.

    But that was all supposed to change next summer, when Danny Brière, Keith Jones, and the Flyers suggested they would pull out the checkbook and aggressively try and sign a marquee free agent. One problem: That 2026 free agent class, which was once headlined by Connor McDavid, Jack Eichel, and Kirill Kaprizov, has all but evaporated outside of soon-to-be-overpaid consolation prizes like Alex Tuch, 34-year-old Artemi Panarin, and Rasmus Andersson, none of whom play center, the gaping hole the Flyers need to address most.

    With that in my mind, could/should the Flyers have pulled the trigger on a Hughes deal? And where might the team turn from here to solve its 1C problem?

    The Flyers were right to pass on Hughes

    To start, Hughes would have fit perfectly in Philly, as he is one of only three or four genuine game-breaking defensemen who exist in the league. One of the world’s top 10 players, his dynamic skating ability, particularly his lateral movement and ability to walk the line, and playmaking prowess would have provided a seismic jolt to an anemic offense and struggling power play, and subsequently bumped the rest of the team’s defensemen back into their appropriate slots. More simply, Hughes, while a wildly different player, would have been the team’s best defenseman since Chris Pronger’s injury-shortened spell from 2009-12.

    The Flyers were interested in Quinn Hughes but reluctant to move their top two assets in Matvei Michkov and Porter Martone.

    So could the Flyers have traded for him? In short, yes.

    The Flyers boast a consensus top-10 prospect system, own several future first-round draft picks, and have players who would have intrigued Vancouver, namely Matvei Michkov and Michigan State phenom Porter Martone. Both of those players are viewed as untouchables for the Flyers, and not including them would have all but removed them from the Hughes sweepstakes. Some combination of Jett Luchanko, Jack Nesbitt, Tyson Foerster, Owen Tippett, Cam York, Oliver Bonk, and first-round picks, while nothing to sniff at, was not besting the return Vancouver ultimately landed, headlined by Buium.

    Flyers top 20 prospects: Porter Martone is No. 1, but where do Alex Bump and Jett Luchanko rank?

    What will infuriate Flyers fans is that the team had a chance to draft Buium just 18 months ago. Ranked No. 4 among North American prospects in 2024 according to NHL Central Scouting, the former University of Denver star slid directly into their laps in that draft, only for the Flyers to trade the pick to Minnesota and move down one spot and select Luchanko. While the Flyers still believe in the speedy Luchanko, the simple fact is the centerman is not as highly regarded a prospect as Buium leaguewide. Obviously, there is some revisionist history here, but if the Flyers had taken the consensus top player on the board in 2024, maybe they would have been in a better position to make this type of deal.

    While the Flyers could have potentially pulled this deal off by including Michkov or Martone, they were right not to. But wouldn’t landing a superstar be worth the price of a promising young player or a highly regarded but unproven at the NHL level prospect? Not when you consider the Flyers’ current standing and Hughes’ current contract situation.

    Hughes, 26, is only signed through the end of next season, and his agent Pat Brisson said “that under no circumstances could we guarantee a contract extension with anyone.” In other words, the Flyers, who are not ready to compete for a Stanley Cup in the next year and a half, would be rolling the dice on Hughes’ connection to Tocchet and willingness to extend beyond that point. That is far too risky for a team in their position, especially one that was already forced to punt away one high-end prospect in Cutter Gauthier, and couldn’t afford to part with another like Michkov or Martone for a one-and-a-half-year lottery ticket.

    The Flyers passed on drafting Zeev Buium with the 11th pick in 2024.

    So where do the Flyers go from here?

    While the Flyers refuse to put a hard timeline on their rebuild and have continued to preach patience, the clock is ticking for a couple of reasons.

    First, the team is 17-10-7 and more likely to earn a playoff spot than land a top-10 draft pick to select a prospective No. 1 center or No. 1 defenseman. For context, I’d count 27 players leaguewide as worthy of that true No. 1 center designation, and 15 of them were top-three picks, 19 were top-10 picks, and 24 of them were first-rounders. In other words, the Flyers either need to trade for a No. 1 center and/or hope they can uncover a gem like Robert Thomas (20th overall), Wyatt Johnston (No. 23), Tage Thompson (No. 26), Sebastian Aho (No. 35), Roope Hintz (No. 49), or Brayden Point (No. 79). Rightly or wrongly, the team is no longer constructed in a position to bottom out for that type of draft capital, and that isn’t likely to change going forward.

    Second, as we mentioned earlier, there don’t seem to be any ready-made solutions left in free agency next summer. The top unrestricted free-agent center options available are Evgeni Malkin, who will turn 40 before next season if he doesn’t retire; former Flyers captain Claude Giroux, who will be 38 and has shifted mostly to wing over the latter half of his career; Nick Schmaltz, who turns 30 in February, has never reached 65 points, and is best on the wing; and Christian Dvorak, who is already a Flyer.

    So who could be available if the Flyers are ready to deal? That conversation will always start with Thompson, who is on pace for his third 40-goal season in four years and is wasting away in Buffalo. The 28-year-old All-Star wouldn’t come cheap, but he is a unique player at 6-foot-6 and 220 pounds, and attractively, is signed for the next four years at a relative bargain price of $7.14 million.

    Tage Thompson is one of the league’s premier goal scorers and would immediately fill the Flyers’ hole at 1C. He would command a Quinn Hughes-like haul though.

    Buffalo, which changed general managers last week, still seems to think it can make the playoffs, but when that pipe dream is extinguished, which could be sooner rather than later, don’t be surprised to see Thompson push for a change of scenery. Buffalo and Philly make a lot of sense as trade partners, too, as Philly has some attractive young NHL pieces, prospects, and picks it could send back to Buffalo if the Sabres decide to tear it down … again. Thompson would be plug-and-play on the Flyers’ top line and bring a mixture of size, skill, and one of the league’s top shots to Broad Street.

    Outside of Thompson, the path to landing a 1C or even a 2C is a lot murkier, as the Flyers would seemingly be out on guys in their mid-30s like Nazem Kadri, Brayden Schenn, and Ryan O’Reilly, with most others unavailable. Elias Pettersson, another high-end center who has been shopped in recent years, is also likely off the block now and would be an odd fit given his up-and-down time under Tocchet in Vancouver, anyway.

    Matvei Michkov is playing less than many of the Flyers’ other forwards. Here’s why.

    I’ve always wondered about Seattle’s Matty Beniers, who has been solid but hasn’t truly taken off offensively since being the No. 2 overall pick in 2021. With Seattle likely stuck with 31-year-old Chandler Stephenson for five more years (yikes), and centers Berkly Catton, Shane Wright, Carson Rehkopf, and Jake O’Brien rising in the system, could the Flyers pry Beniers, 23, away from the Kraken with the right offer?

    St. Louis’ Robert Thomas and Toronto’s William Nylander are two others I could see becoming available for massive hauls if things break right. Detroit, which is under pressure to take a step and make the playoffs, and was also a leading contender for Hughes, might be tempted to move a young center like Marco Kasper or Nate Danielson for a package headlined by a proven top-six NHL winger.

    Seattle Kraken center Matty Beniers is a young player with untapped potential.

    How about a team like Minnesota, which just pushed its chips to the middle and went all-in? Would moving young Danila Yurov for immediate upgrades at wing or center, say Owen Tippett and Minnesota-born Noah Cates, make sense? Would Anaheim, which has its long-term top two centers figured out in Leo Carlsson and Mason McTavish, quickly flip 2025 No. 10 overall pick and oft-injured Roger McQueen for help at wing as it pushes for the playoffs? We know Brière and Ducks GM Pat Verbeek have each other on speed dial by now. Would Eastan Cowan, especially given his London ties, be a prospect the Flyers target if the Maple Leafs look to bolster their postseason chances?

    One way or another, the Flyers’ search for a No. 1 center goes on, and there are fewer obvious solutions than ever. It’s time to act and time to get creative. Your move, Danny Brière.

  • Villanova’s players and coach are ‘super proud’ of a season that ended in the FCS semifinals

    Villanova’s players and coach are ‘super proud’ of a season that ended in the FCS semifinals

    Villanova’s season came to an end Saturday night in a 30-14 loss to unseeded Illinois State in the semifinals of the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs at Villanova Stadium.

    Emotions were high for the Wildcats who played their last collegiate snaps, but the 12-3 team could take solace in a bounceback season that saw it reach the FCS semifinals for the first time since 2010.

    Villanova opened the season with a 1-2 record, including a blowout loss to Penn State and a 51-33 defeat to Monmouth in the Coastal Athletic Association opener. Then the Wildcats played every game like it was the last one, running off 11 wins in a row.

    “Week 3, if anyone told us we’d be here now, I think they’re a little crazy,” graduate linebacker Shane Hartzell said. “But I’m super proud of how we responded week after week. Every game after Week 3 was pretty much a playoff game for us. We took that as it was, and I was really proud of the group that we had.”

    Hartzell, who led the team with 101 total tackles and 9½ sacks, played his final collegiate game. The Perkasie native led the Wildcats in tackles in three of his five seasons with the program. In the postgame news conference, Hartzell said the end of his collegiate career had not fully set in, but earlier this season he said he could be interested if a professional football opportunity came his way.

    “Super proud of this team and the season they were able to put together this year,” Villanova coach Mark Ferrante said. “When you get to a playoff situation, unless you go all the way, it’s bittersweet, because you’re going to end it in an ‘L.’ As I said all year, [this team] gave maximum effort all the time, showed a lot of resilience, and we just came up short.”

    Villanova linebackers Omari Bursey (left) and Ayden Howard stuff Illinois State running back Victor Dawson during the first quarter Saturday.

    Even though the college football landscape has changed with name, image, and likeness opportunities and the transfer portal, Villanova prides itself on a culture that retains players for four seasons, plus graduate years in a lot of instances.

    “It was a great season, the ups and downs, but I’m super proud of these guys,” said running back Isaiah Ragland, a redshirt sophomore. “This year was very player-run, so it was very easy to mesh with the guys. And Pat McQuaide was a great leader. He came in last January and he was super hype. [We were] like, ‘Who’s this guy?’ But as time went on, we adapted to him, and we took him in. … We spent a lot of time outside of football, hanging out with each other. And I think that really helped with our successes.”

    McQuaide transferred in as a graduate student from Nicholls State last winter. He threw 25 of his 51 career touchdown passes at Villanova. In his final game, he passed for 199 yards with a touchdown and an interception.

    Villanova falls to Illinois State, gets eliminated in semifinals of FCS playoffs

    “Pat, honestly, just as an offense as a whole, we had complete trust in him,” Ragland said. “If he made a mistake, we knew he was going to go out there and make a play.”

    Ferrante is looking forward to speaking with all seniors and players with eligibility remaining in the coming days and weeks.

    “I told them I want to talk to each one of the guys who are exhausting their eligibility here within our program,” Ferrante said. “[We will] let them check it into the training room and then have a team meeting [Sunday], and then I’ll pull those guys aside, we’ll have a great conversation.”

    Ferrante was able to retain running back David Avit last offseason after he entered the transfer portal. Avit received offers from Stanford, South Florida, and others before deciding to return to the Main Line.

    Wildcats wide receiver Braden Reed runs with the ball against Illinois State.

    With the season now concluded, Ferrante and the Wildcats are planning on enjoying the holiday season. Then it will be back to business, with the coaching staff hitting the road for recruiting visits.

    “Right now, it’s bitter,” Ferrante said. “As we get further and further away from where we are right now, into the next semester, and we go on a road recruiting, there’ll be a lot of people giving us a lot of compliments on the season we had. So it’ll get a little sweeter later.

    “There’s a lot of tears, as you would imagine, especially the older guys whose careers are ending, but they have a lot to be proud of. But right now, I told them, enjoy the holidays with your families, and we’ll move forward, the sun will come up tomorrow, and we’ll be in great shape.”

    Villanova shares a resemblance to the 2009 FCS championship team. Just ask its former players.
  • D.J. Wagner, once the nation’s No. 1 recruit, embraces his role as a college basketball veteran

    D.J. Wagner, once the nation’s No. 1 recruit, embraces his role as a college basketball veteran

    NEWARK, N.J. — As the Prudential Center’s public address announcer rolled through Arkansas’ starting lineup introductions, two players remained on the bench.

    Then Darius Acuff, the Razorbacks’ leading scorer and a projected NBA lottery draft pick, was announced. D.J. Wagner was last, a distinction often reserved for a respected team leader.

    It might seem unfathomable that Wagner, the former Camden High School star and once the nation’s top-rated recruit, is now in his third college basketball season. The 6-foot-4 combo guard continues to be an interesting case study in expectations put on high school athletes, this era of name, image, and likeness in college sports, and how one defines success.

    But Wagner has embraced his role as a veteran for a Razorbacks team — which also includes fellow former Camden star Billy Richmond — that was ranked 14th in the Associated Press poll before Arkansas lost to No. 8 Houston, 94-85, Saturday night in the Never Forget Tribute Classic.

    “You could say I take a lot of pride in it,” Wagner said earlier in the week. “It’s just an honor. It’s a blessing to be able to be playing under Coach [John Calipari] for three years. …

    “I’m just happy to be here. Whatever I can do to help my teammates out, I’m happy to do it.”

    When asked before Saturday’s game how many family members and friends would be inside the arena about 80 miles from Camden, he said, “I couldn’t even tell you. I know it’s going to be a lot.” He finished the game with 11 points on 4-of-10 shooting and two assists in a season-high 34 minutes, flashing what made him an intriguing recruit who now possesses an inconsistent college body of work.

    Camden’s DJ Wagner guarding Imhotep’s Justin Edwards, now with the Sixers, during a game in 2023.

    He got past his defender for a crafty layup for Arkansas’ second bucket, then splashed a three-pointer to tie the score at 11. Early in the second half, Wagner dished a pass to Acuff for a three-pointer that cut what had been a 21-point Houston lead to 51-44. But after those two early buckets, Wagner did not score again until hitting two late three-pointers, when the game had all but been decided.

    “Even D.J.’s got to play better, make better plays,” Calipari told one local reporter in the hallway after the game. Arkansas did not hold its scheduled postgame news conference, preventing The Inquirer from asking additional questions about Wagner and Richmond.

    Wagner, who played his freshman season at Kentucky before following Calipari to Arkansas, is averaging a career-low 8.4 points this season. But he has improved his shooting from the floor (41.5%) and three-point range (34.9%). He also has totaled 33 assists against 10 turnovers while shifting more to an off-the-ball role. He is one of two players to start all 12 games, a sign of trust from Calipari as a steady presence with deep familial ties. Wagner’s father, Dajuan, played for Calipari at Memphis before being selected sixth overall in the 2002 NBA draft.

    DJ Wagner’s transition from top recruit to college fixture came with lessons: ‘Be grateful to play the game’

    “A lot of these kids get ranked, then they’re trying to live up to rankings,” Calipari told the Fort Smith (Ark.) Southwest Times Record before the season. “What does the ranking mean? You’ve got to go in and compete and take what you want, but it could be a burden.

    “I think with [Wagner], he needed to shed that and just be the player he is. Let’s see your best version. I believe his best version is being more aggressive, less dribbles, more attack. The things that he’s doing, the way he leads; he’s just matured.”

    Wagner’s Razorbacks team gained national prominence in March with a surprise run to the NCAA Tournament’s Sweet 16 as a No. 10 seed. Arkansas upset No. 7 Kansas and second-seeded St. John’s before losing an overtime heartbreaker to third-seeded Texas Tech. Wagner acknowledged he “didn’t really watch” much of the tournament after the Razorbacks were knocked out, but called Arkansas’ Dec. 13 rematch victory over Texas Tech, which was ranked 16th at the time, “definitely personal.”

    Arkansas coach John Calipari on the sideline during the second half against Houston in Newark, N.J.

    That win was part of Arkansas’ 9-3 start against an intentionally difficult schedule. The Razorbacks also already have a victory against No. 11 Louisville. Their other two losses are to No. 9 Michigan State by three points — when Wagner had 13 points on 4-of-6 shooting, three assists, and three steals in perhaps his most impressive performance of the season — and to No. 3 Duke by nine points.

    That is why Houston coach Kelvin Sampson called Arkansas the best opponent his Cougars, who advanced to the national title game last season, had faced so far. Sampson added he believes Arkansas has “as good [of] a chance as anybody” to win the loaded SEC, which included six other ranked teams in the most recent AP poll.

    Coaching Richmond star Maggie Doogan can be ‘stressful’. Aaron Roussell wouldn’t have it any other way.

    The marquee nonconference, neutral-site matchup against the Cougars added to Wagner’s growing list of college experiences in “crazy games in crazy atmospheres,” he said. He played Kansas at Chicago’s United Center as a Kentucky freshman. Last season, he faced Michigan at the legendary Madison Square Garden. And “every game in the SEC, you know you’re going to fight,” he said.

    Wagner’s calming leadership was on display Saturday when he approached Malique Ewin to say, “You got this” as Ewin uncharacteristically struggled at the free-throw line. Wagner’s biggest advice to the high-profile youngsters who enter the program is to remember that the uber-demanding Calipari “might be hard on you, but he’s just coaching you because he cares about you.” And with Acuff as the primary point guard, Wagner said he gets more opportunities to read and react to the defense.

    Arkansas guard D.J. Wagner blocks a shot by Jackson State’s Cael Jones on Nov. 21.

    “It kind of gives you more time to see what’s happening,” Wagner said. “More time to see a play before it even happens. You could be more aggressive, like attacking more, just from getting passes and not having the ball in your hands all the time.”

    Yet the former Camden star whom Sampson singled out as “dynamic” was Richmond, who totaled 12 points on 5-of-6 shooting, two rebounds, and two steals off the bench. It was a sentiment echoed by a spectator behind the basket, who hollered, “Billy Ball!” when Richmond first entered the game.

    The sophomore’s versatility fueled the Razorbacks’ rally to cut a 40-19 deficit to eight points at the break. Richmond immediately hit a baseline jumper, a skill Wagner said his teammate has refined while connecting on 57% of his shots. Then Richmond sank a three-pointer. He drove baseline for a dunk that got Razorbacks supporters on their feet, then mean-mugged after swiping a steal underneath the opposite basket and lofting a pass to Ewin for the alley-oop slam.

    “That’s who he is,” Calipari said.

    DJ Wagner gives back to Camden, and details his trust in following John Calipari to Arkansas

    Added Wagner: “He gets in the game, the energy [is] going to shift, because that’s just the type of player he is.”

    Acuff, meanwhile, amassed 27 points, seven assists, and five rebounds. He will likely join Adou Thiero, Reed Sheppard, Rob Dillingham, and the 76ers’ Justin Edwards as former teammates whom Wagner will watch reach the NBA before him.

    It is unclear whether Wagner will ever be regarded as a legitimate draft candidate again. He was not listed on last week’s top 100 prospects by ESPN, where teammates Acuff (No. 15), Maleek Thomas (No. 28), Karter Knox (No. 56), and Trevon Brazile (No. 82) were all included.

    And without a defined path to the pros, it is far more practical (and lucrative) for Wagner to stay in college. He was one of the first high schoolers to sign an NIL deal with Nike, and has also landed partnerships with Express clothing and Marathon fuel during his college career. One of the Arkansas men’s basketball program’s biggest boosters is John H. Tyson, the chairman of Tyson Foods.

    So Wagner’s third college season brought him back to his home state, where he was introduced last in Arkansas’ starting lineup. And he has embraced this unexpected role as the veteran for a Razorbacks team with aspirations of another deep March run.

    “Really just taking it one day at a time,” Wagner said. “Just stay in the gym. Just trying to get better at everything.”

  • Tyler Perkins embraces his many roles at Villanova. This year, it’s about being a leader.

    Tyler Perkins embraces his many roles at Villanova. This year, it’s about being a leader.

    Tyler Perkins has a different point of view than the rest of his Villanova teammates.

    The junior guard is one of three returning players on the Wildcats roster, and the lone returnee who played last season. Perkins has been a steady presence as the program went through a coaching transition and a total reboot entering the 2025-26 campaign.

    But adapting to a new system isn’t the biggest challenge for Perkins — he’s done it every season of his college career. He played for Penn as a freshman, then transferred to Villanova ahead of the 2024-25 season. While most of his former teammates moved on after Kyle Neptune’s firing in March, Perkins elected to stay on the Main Line as Kevin Willard took the helm.

    Perkins is focused on being a leader for Villanova (9-2), in addition to fulfilling Willard’s high expectations of his backcourt. Promoted to the starting five this season, Perkins is averaging 10.6 points and 4.3 rebounds through 11 games.

    Villanova tops Wisconsin in overtime to close out nonconference play on a high note

    “When you’re a college basketball player, you don’t really want to have three new coaches in three years,” Perkins said. “But it’s something you can’t control and have to learn from. Willard has definitely helped me understand that even on your good days and bad days, if you’re one of the leaders, you always have to keep a positive attitude. Even my teammates are holding me accountable.”

    The only returner

    The process of building camaraderie among the new Villanova squad inevitably was difficult when summer training began. The Main Line was unfamiliar to most of the team, apart from Perkins, redshirt freshman forward Matt Hodge, and walk-on senior guard Wade Chiddick. But over the summer, Perkins made a jump in his own game as he got to know his new teammates and coaching staff.

    “When you have 13 new guys, it’s hard and it takes a while, but ever since the summer, we’ve clicked, and it’s been fun,” he said.

    Perkins was a consistent contributor early in the season, scoring eight points in each of the first four games. Against Old Dominion on Nov. 25, he scored 21 points — his most in a Villanova uniform — with seven rebounds at the Finneran Pavilion.

    Tyler Perkins scored a career-high 21 points against Old Dominion on Nov. 25.

    Two games later, under the bright lights of Xfinity Mobile Arena, Villanova defeated Penn, Perkins’ former program, for the Big 5 Classic championship on Dec. 6.

    It was Perkins’ third year playing in the Big 5 Classic. But it was the first time that most of his Villanova teammates — and coaches — had competed in the annual tripleheader among the six Philadelphia teams.

    Duke Brennan’s career night displays Villanova’s inside-out game as conference play looms

    Perkins took it upon himself to emphasize the significance of the Big 5 rivalry to his teammates ahead of the event. Against Penn, he recorded six points and three rebounds as the Wildcats demolished the Quakers, 90-63, for their first Big 5 title in the revamped format.

    “[The Big 5] is all about pride, to be honest,” Perkins said. “When I was at Penn and we had Villanova on our schedule, it was like our Super Bowl. It was a game where we could show everybody who we are. Being on the other side of that now, I was just trying to tell the guys that these games mean a lot to the Big 5 schools. So being able to finally win it and bring it back to the Main Line is definitely special.”

    ‘It’s bigger than you’

    Upon arriving at Villanova, Willard noticed Perkins’ potential to fill his starting lineup as a versatile guard. In their first conversations, Perkins was eager to buy into Willard’s vision for the program.

    “I thought my playing style and [Willard’s] coaching style meshed, both offensively and defensively,” Perkins said. “He likes his guards to get deflections and get steals. And I feel like that’s something that I’m naturally good at, and just my ability to rebound and play hard. So after talking with him and seeing how those things aligned, I was happy with the decision [to stay at Villanova].”

    In Villanova’s win over Wisconsin on Friday night, Perkins was confident with the ball in his hands. He shot 6-for-17 from the field, including 4-for-10 from three, and scored a team-high 19 points in the 76-66 overtime victory.

    Villanova guard Tyler Perkins shoots a three-pointer against Wisconsin on Friday.

    “I like the fact that Perk’s looking to shoot the basketball. … He does all the little things that most people don’t see,” Willard said postgame in Wisconsin. “But when he’s aggressive out there, it gives us another scorer.”

    When grappling with uncertainty after last season, Perkins turned to some of the former teammates he looked up to as role models, including 2025 graduates Eric Dixon and Jordan Longino. Both played their full careers at Villanova and helped shape Perkins’ understanding of the school’s basketball tradition and how to represent it.

    Now, Perkins sees himself as a leader by example as the Wildcats get ready to open Big East play at Seton Hall on Tuesday (7 p.m., NBCSP, Peacock). Villanova enters the most crucial part of the season, and Perkins hopes to put the program back in the national spotlight.

    “When you walk into the Finn and see [murals of] Jalen Brunson, Collin Gillespie, and all those other greats, they built this place,” Perkins said. “Villanova is Villanova because of them. Now, it’s just our turn to keep it going and play for those guys. That’s the main thing I’ve learned, is that it’s bigger than you.”

  • NFL playoff picture: Eagles scenarios, two more teams clinch

    NFL playoff picture: Eagles scenarios, two more teams clinch

    Despite Google jumping the gun, the Eagles (10-5) clinched the NFC East and a playoffs spot thanks to their 29-18 win against the Washington Commanders (4-10) Saturday night.

    That means the Birds will host at least one playoff game at the Linc, where the Eagles haven’t lost a postseason game since the 2019 playoffs.

    It’s the first time a team has won the NFC East in back-to-back seasons since the Birds won four straight division titles from 2001 to 2004. It will also be the fifth straight postseason appearance under Birds head coach Nick Sirianni.

    Another fun fact: Since being named the Birds’ starting quarterback in 2021, Jalen Hurts has never taken a snap in a game where the Eagles have been mathematically eliminated from the playoffs. He did start four games after replacing Carson Wentz at the end of the dreadful 2020 season, where the Eagles finished 4-11-1.

    Now that the Birds locked up the division, the focus shifts to playoff seeding. The Eagles are currently the NFC’s No. 3 seed, and odds are good that’s where they’ll end the season. That would mean hosting a wild-card game against the No. 6 team, currently the San Francisco 49ers (10-4).

    The Eagles missed out on a chance to clinch No. 3 seed or better because the Carolina Panthers (8-7) defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-8) Sunday.

    If the Eagles and Panthers both end the season with a 10-7 record, Carolina would win the tiebreaker with a better record among common opponents. That would force the Birds down to the No. 4 seed.

    The good news is a win next week against the Buffalo Bills (11-4) or just one more Panthers loss will lock the Eagles into the No. 3 seed or better heading into the playoffs.

    Here’s a look at the current playoff picture for the Eagles and the rest of the NFL:

    NFC East standings, Cowboys eliminated

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    The Eagles’ win officially eliminated the Dallas Cowboys (6-7-1) from the playoffs, since winning the NFC East was their only remaining path to the postseason.

    It’s the second-straight season Dak Prescott and company have failed to advance to the postseason. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones took responsibility for the failed season earlier this week on Dallas sports talk radio.

    “I take it real serious,” Jones said, according to The Athletic. “I’ve got to live with when we’re out of money and we want to sign a player and we don’t have any money left under the [salary] cap. I have to live with that.”

    Both the Commanders and New York Giants (2-13) have been eliminated from the playoffs for weeks.

    NFC playoff picture

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    The Seattle Seahawks (12-3) clinched a playoff spot and moved into the No. 1 seed Thursday night, thanks to their thrilling overtime win against the Los Angeles Rams (11-4), who dropped down to No. 5.

    The Seahawks now control their own playoff destiny. If they win out, they’ll end the season with the No. 1 seed and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.

    The same goes for the 49ers, who clinched a playoff spot Sunday thanks to the Detroit Lions (8-7) wild loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

    Despite being one game back, San Francisco and Seattle face off in Week 18. The 49ers defeated the Vikings way back in Week 1, so a win in Week 18 would clinch a tiebreaker and send the NFC playoffs through Santa Clara, where this year’s Super Bowl is being held.

    The Lions loss also benefited the Chicago Bears (11-4), who clinched their first playoff spot since the 2020 season.

    Then there’s the NFC South, where the Panthers took over sole possession of first place thanks to their 23-20 win against the Buccaneers. Both teams will play again in Week 18 in Tampa Bay.

    AFC playoff picture

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    Bo Nix and the Denver Broncos (12-3) had a chance to clinch the AFC West, but lost to the surprising Jaguars (11-4), who have a decent chance of ending the season as the AFC’s No. 1 seed.

    The New England Patriots (12-3) clinched a playoff spot Sunday night, defeating the Baltimore Ravens (7-8) and decreasing their already-slim playoff hopes.

    Three teams will clinch a playoff spot if the Colts lose to the 49ers Monday night — the Jaguars, Chargers, and Bills.

    Can the Eagles still end up with the NFC’s No. 1 seed?

    Yes, but you’d have better odds buying a Powerball ticket.

    The Eagles have less than a 1% chance of ending the season with the NFC’s No. 1 playoff seed, according to the New York Times, but weird things have happened before.

    In 2018, the Eagles needed a host of things to happen to secure a wild-card spot down the stretch, and they all did, pushing the Birds to the postseason.

    Same thing happened in 2008, with the Chicago Bears and Tampa Bay Buccaneers losing to give the Eagles a shot at the playoffs if they defeated the Dallas Cowboys in the final game of the season, which they did in a 44-6 blowout.

    So while it is highly unlikely the Eagles get all the help they need to move up to the top playoff seed, here what would need to happen, according to Wharton professor Deniz Selman:

    • Eagles win their final two games against the Bills and Commanders
    • 49ers lose to the Colts Monday and the Bears in Week 17
    • Seahawks lose their final two games against the Panthers and 49ers
    • Bears win against the 49ers in Week 16 and lose to the Lions in Week 17
    • Rams lose one of their final two games against the Falcons or Cardinals

    If all that happens, the Eagles would finish the season with a 12-5 record and would win a three-way tiebreaker with the Bears and Seahawks.

    The path to the No. 2 seed is more realistic. If the Eagles win out, all they would need is for the Bears to lose their final two games to move up to the No. 2 seed. In that case, they’d host a wild card game against the No. 7 seed, currently the Green Bay Packers.

    When do the NFL playoffs start?

    The first playoff game will take place on wild-card weekend, beginning Jan. 10.

    Six games will take place in the first round of the playoffs, airing across Fox, CBS, NBC, and ESPN/ABC. Amazon will also exclusively stream a wild-card game on Prime Video for the second straight season.

    Full 2025 NFL playoff schedule:

    • Wild-card round: Saturday, Jan. 10, to Monday, Jan. 12
    • Divisional round: Saturday, Jan. 17, to Sunday, Jan. 18
    • AFC and NFC championship games: Sunday, Jan. 25
    • Super Bowl LX: Sunday, Feb. 8

    Where is this year’s Super Bowl?

    Super Bowl LX (or 60, for those who don’t like Roman numerals) is being held at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., home of the San Francisco 49ers. NBC will broadcast this year’s Super Bowl.

    Here are the sites announced for future Super Bowls:

    • Super Bowl LXI: Feb. 14., 2027, SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, Calif. (ESPN, ABC)
    • Super Bowl LXII: Feb. 2028, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Ga. (CBS)
  • Report: Camden native Elijah Robinson returning to Texas A&M as defensive line coach

    Report: Camden native Elijah Robinson returning to Texas A&M as defensive line coach

    After two seasons working on Camden native Fran Brown’s staff at Syracuse, Elijah Robinson is returning to Texas A&M as defensive line coach, according to a report from CBS Sports.

    Robinson, also a Camden native, spent the last two seasons at Syracuse as the defensive coordinator and assistant head coach, but after a 3-9 season in 2025 in which the defense struggled, he was demoted to co-defensive coordinator. He was still listed on Syracuse athletics’ official website as of Sunday evening.

    Elijah Robinson and Fran Brown wanted to ‘build a program together.’ The two are fulfilling that dream at Syracuse.

    Before he followed Brown to Syracuse, Robinson served as the Aggies’ defensive line coach from 2018-23, and added the title of assistant head coach and co-defensive coordinator in 2023. He was hired for Jimbo Fisher’s staff and worked under current head coach Mike Elko from 2018-21, when the Penn graduate was the program’s defensive coordinator. Elko left to be Duke’s head coach after the 2021 season and returned to the Aggies as head coach three seasons later. Now the pair will reunite in College Station.

    Robinson took over as interim coach in 2023 after Fisher was fired and went 1-2. At Syracuse, Robinson’s defense ranked 96th in scoring defense (29.2 points per game) and 78th in total defense (377.5 yards) nationally in 2024 for a team that went 10-3. Those numbers worsened in 2025 to 130th in scoring defense (34.9 points) and 127th in total defense (427.7 yards).

    Elijah Robinson during his time as Texas A&M’s interim head coach in 2023.

    The 40-year-old coach had other suitors in recent weeks, including LSU and Matt Rhule’s Nebraska. Robinson worked with Rhule at Temple (2014-16) and Baylor (2017).

    Texas A&M saw its season end in the first round of the College Football Playoff on Saturday with a 10-3 loss to Miami.

    Philly’s Tyreek Chappell overcame an injury to reach the College Football Playoff with Texas A&M
  • Philly’s DJ Moore catches game-winning touchdown to propel Bears into NFC’s No. 2 seed

    Philly’s DJ Moore catches game-winning touchdown to propel Bears into NFC’s No. 2 seed

    After overcoming a 16-6 deficit late in the fourth quarter Saturday night, the Chicago Bears beat the Green Bay Packers, in overtime, 22-16, thanks to a 46-yard touchdown reception from Philly native DJ Moore.

    Three plays after the Bears stopped Green Bay on its drive in overtime, quarterback Caleb Williams found Moore, an Imhotep Charter graduate, off a play-action post route to score the walk-off touchdown, his sixth touchdown reception of the season.

    “I just had to run, run like I did in practice and connect like we did at practice,” Moore said of his winning reception. ”It was really a practice rep but we did it in a game. Like I said, it was just amazing that we did it against the Packers.”

    The victory moved Chicago to the NFC’s No. 2 seed and put the Bears in the driver’s seat to win the NFC North for the first time since 2018. The Bears haven’t made the playoffs since 2020.

    Moore is the Bears’ leading receiver this year with 664 yards and is tied for the team lead in touchdowns with Rome Odunze.

    Eagles cornerback Quinyon Mitchell tackles the Bears’ DJ Moore on Nov. 28.

    Now in his eighth season in the NFL after a standout career at Maryland, Moore has scored three of his touchdowns in the last two games. This is his third year in Chicago after getting traded from the Carolina Panthers after the 2022 season and he has led the team in receiving each of the last three years.

    After Saturday’s game, Moore wore a cheese grater hat, a reference to the Packers’ cheesehead hats that fans are known for wearing.

    Moore and the Bears face the San Francisco 49ers next week and end the regular season by hosting the Detroit Lions. Chicago controls its destiny to win the division and clinch a playoff spot.

  • Next for the Eagles: Josh Allen plays through foot injury as Bills beat Browns

    Next for the Eagles: Josh Allen plays through foot injury as Bills beat Browns

    CLEVELAND — James Cook rushed for 117 yards and two touchdowns, Josh Allen played through a foot injury, and the Buffalo Bills drew closer to a playoff berth with a 23-20 victory over the Cleveland Browns on Sunday.

    Ty Johnson also had a rushing score for the Bills (11-4), who have won four straight and five of six.

    Allen played the second half despite injuring his right foot during the second quarter. The Bills will host the Eagles next Sunday at 4:25 p.m. (Fox29).

    The reigning NFL MVP, Allen was favoring the foot after being sacked by Cleveland’s Myles Garrett and Alex Wright for a 22-yard loss to Buffalo’s 1-yard line with 60 seconds remaining in the first half. The half-sack gave Garrett 22 on the season. He needs one more sack in the final two games for the Browns (3-12) to pass Michael Strahan and T.J. Watt for the single-season mark.

    Allen was 12 of 19 for 130 yards and also rushed for 17 yards on seven carries.

    Shedeur Sanders completed 20 of 29 passes for 157 yards and a touchdown. He also was the Browns’ leading rusher with four carries for 49 yards. The fifth-round pick also threw two interceptions, which accounted for 10 of Buffalo’s points.

    Browns running back Quinshon Judkins is tackled by Bills linebacker Dorian Williams in the first half.

    Tight end Harold Fannin Jr. scored both Browns’ touchdowns, including a 1-yard run in the third quarter to get them within 23-17.

    Raheim Sanders rushed for 42 yards on 11 carries. He was pressed into action when Quinshon Judkins was carted off with a potentially season-ending leg injury late in the second quarter. NFL Network reported that Judkins had a broken leg.

    It was the ninth 100-yard rushing game this season for Cook, tied with Thurman Thomas for second in franchise history. OJ Simpson holds the single-season mark with 11. The four-year veteran also took over the NFL rushing lead with 1,532 yards. Indianapolis’ Jonathan Taylor is second with 1,443 with the Colts facing San Francisco on Monday night.

    Cook tied it at 7 midway through the first quarter on a 44-yard run up the middle where he eluded tackle attempts by Cleveland’s Mohamoud Diabate and Adin Huntington at the line of scrimmage. Grant Delpit had a chance to make a stop at the 27, but was spun around and unable to make the tackle.

    Cook then extended Buffalo’s lead to 20-10 with 2:23 remaining on a 3-yard carry up the middle.

    Buffalo converted both of Sanders’ interceptions into points — Johnson’s 2-yard TD run early in the second quarter and a 41-yard field by Michael Badgley in the third quarter.

    Quick start for Browns

    Cleveland got the opening kickoff and scored when Sanders rolled right and connected with Fannin for a 13-yard TD. Sanders was 5 of 5 for 58 yards on the drive. It was also the first time in five starts that Sanders directed Cleveland to points on its first possession.

    It was the seventh straight game in which the Bills’ opponent opened the scoring.

    Injuries

    Bills LB Shaq Thompson (neck) was injured in the first quarter and did not return.