Daniels was shut down for the rest of the season Monday by the 4-10 Commanders. Washington’s season is basically over. A trip to the NFC championship game last season was followed up with a miserable 2025 campaign that featured injuries and a regression to the mean by the oldest team in the NFL.
But Daniels being out doesn’t change what is arguably the biggest challenge facing the Eagles defense on Saturday: the quarterback running game. Sure, Daniels is more fleet of foot than Marcus Mariota, who will continue to start with Daniels done for the season. But Mariota is an effective runner.
The Eagles know that well. Mariota was in the building in 2023 and has been in the league since 2015. The running and scrambling abilities have always been a big part of his game.
That should worry Vic Fangio as the Eagles prepare for a Commanders team that is coming off a 29-21 victory over the Giants on Sunday, Washington’s first victory since Oct. 5. Mariota was just 10-for-19 through the air, but he racked up 211 passing yards because he went 7-for-11 for 181 yards and a touchdown on throws greater than 10 air yards, according to Next Gen Stats. Couple that with his 10-carry, 43-yard performance when carrying the ball and the Eagles have plenty to worry about.
This isn’t Kenny Pickett, another backup, leading a woeful Raiders offense. The Commanders are where they are in the standings in large part because they are second in yards allowed per game and give up nearly 27 points per game on defense — only six teams allow more points per game.
Eagles quarterbacks Jalen Hurts (1) and Marcus Mariota before a game against the Miami Dolphins at Lincoln Financial Field on Oct. 22, 2023.
Mariota has started seven games for Washington this season as Daniels has dealt with multiple injuries. The Commanders are 2-5 in those games, but Mariota has had some solid individual performances.In his last start before Sunday, a 27-26 overtime loss to a Broncos team that now has 12 wins and sits atop the AFC standings, the 32-year-old went 28-for-50 for 294 yards through the air — with two touchdowns and one interception — and rushed 10 times for 55 yards.
“Marcus obviously had played a lot of football and he’s been in this league for a long time,” Nick Sirianni said Tuesday. “I have so much respect for Marcus — the person, first and foremost, the player, the teammate. Marcus was just a great pro.”
Great pros tend to know how to play their position and when to do certain things. Example A is Justin Herbert, who was under duress for most of the game vs. the Eagles in Week 14 but found a way to move his team down the field by utilizing his legs. Herbert, who rushed 10 times for 66 yards, was just the latest quarterback to hurt the Eagles in the scramble game or with designed runs.
Patrick Mahomes amassed 66 yards on seven carries in Week 2. Jaxson Dart rushed 13 times for 58 yards in Week 6, although the Eagles schemed a way to stop him two weeks later. Other opposing quarterbacks haven’t reached that type of yardage, but some of them have had impactful scrambles. Dak Prescott’s game-tying 8-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter of Week 12 was a scramble. Carson Wentz kept a Minnesota drive alive with a 16-yard scramble on a fourth-quarter third-and-10 near midfield in Week 7.
The Eagles, according to Pro Football Reference, have allowed 329 total rushing yards this season to opposing quarterbacks. Only one team, the Giants, has allowed more (357).
The Eagles are allowing more than 5 yards per carry to quarterbacks. Mariota, meanwhile, is picking up 6.1 yards per carry on his 49 rushes so far in 2025.
His legs will have an impact Saturday one way or another. Either he successfully extends drives and keeps the Commanders in the game, or the Eagles contain him.
MIAMI — FIFA slashed the price of some World Cup tickets for teams’ most loyal fans following a global backlash and some will get $60 seats for the final instead of being asked to pay $4,185.
FIFA said Tuesday that $60 tickets will be made available for every game at the tournament in North America, going to the national federations whose teams are playing. Those federations decide how to distribute them to loyal fans who have attended previous games at home and on the road.
Among the 72 World Cup group stage matches scheduled to be held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico this summer, five will take place at Lincoln Financial Field, with the Ivory Coast and Ecuador kicking off Philly’s slate of matches on June 14.
The number of $60 tickets for each game is likely to be in the hundreds, rather than thousands, in what FIFA is now calling a “Supporter Entry Tier” price category.
FIFA did not specify exactly why it so dramatically changed strategy, but said the lower prices are “designed to further support traveling fans following their national teams across the tournament.”
The World Cup in North America will be the first edition that features 48 teams — up from 32 — and is expected to earn FIFA at least $10 billion in revenue. But fans worldwide reacted with shock and anger last week on seeing FIFA’s ticketing plans that gave participating teams no tickets in the lowest-priced category.
Dan Mayk, 27, of South Philadelphia, wearing a FIFA Philadelphia 2026 scarf at the FIFA World Cup drawing at Stateside Live! on Dec. 5.
The cheapest prices ranged from $120 to $265 for group-stage games that did not involve the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
FIFA had set those prices despite the co-hosts having pledged eight years ago — when they were bidding for the tournament — that hundreds of thousands of $21 tickets would be made available.
Criticism from fans, especially in Europe, had been increasing for several months over plans for “dynamic pricing” plus extra fees on a FIFA-run resale platform — both features that are common in the U.S. entertainment industry but not to soccer fans worldwide.
Fan anger intensified last week when it became clear loyal supporters would have no access to the cheapest category tickets and that fans who wanted to reserve a ticket for all of their team’s potential games — through the final — would not get refunded until after the tournament.
In another change Tuesday, FIFA said it would waive its administrative fees when refunds are made after the July 19 final.
Sunday marked the end of a three-game skid for the Eagles, who earned a much-needed 31-0 win over the Las Vegas Raiders in the team’s first shutout since 2018.
Despite a dominant performance against a Kenny Pickett-led Raiders team, the Eagles have barely made a move in national power rankings. As the Birds prepare to head back on the road to face the Washington Commanders on Saturday, here’s where they stand in the latest batch of rankings …
Yahoo! Sports: Seventh
Although the team came out victorious on Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field, the Eagles have remained in the No. 7 spot at Yahoo! Sports. A win over the 2-12 Raiders just wasn’t enough to show what this team could be capable of.
“It’s hard to even know what Sunday’s 31-0 win meant because it came against a Raiders team that doesn’t even resemble a professional operation lately,“ Frank Schwab wrote. ”But Philly’s defense does get credit for allowing only 75 yards, the fewest allowed in any game this NFL season. The offense had its best game in a long time. The Eagles will have to repeat that against an actual professional team, but at least the win wasn’t in doubt.”
The Eagles trail the No. 5 Chicago Bears and the No. 6 Houston Texans. Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Rams top Yahoo’s list.
The Eagles moved up one spot from last week’s ESPN power rankings, behind the Buffalo Bills (No. 5), the Jacksonville Jaguars (No. 6), and the San Francisco 49ers (No. 7). ESPN also picked a player from each roster who might earn a contract extension in the offseason, and for Howie Roseman that could be one of his newest additions.
“Acquired from the Dolphins for a 2026 third-round pick in November, [Jaelan] Phillips has fortified a defensive front that looks championship-caliber in the fifth and final year of his rookie deal,” Tim McManus wrote. “Phillips has played for defensive coordinator Vic Fangio at two different stops and is a clear fit for his scheme. He is just 26 and plays a premium position, making him precisely the type of player Philadelphia’s front office would commit to long term.”
The Rams continue to hold the top spot. Meanwhile, the Seattle Seahawks (No. 2) and the Denver Broncos (No. 3) moved up one spot.
The Eagles beat the Las Vegas Raiders, 31-0, Sunday to snap their three-game losing streak.
The Ringer: Eighth
After 14 consecutive weeks as one of the top six teams, the Eagles continue to fall in power rankings — falling one spot from last week’s No. 7 ranking despite their 31-point victory. This week’s summary: “Everybody looks good against the Raiders.”
“While it wouldn’t make a difference in the race to the Super Bowl, I wish that more teams would put up style points against the Raiders,” Diante Lee wrote. “Just like Denver last week, Philadelphia was relaxed and offensively methodical against Las Vegas, shrinking the game and letting the rushing attack lead the way.
“The shutout wasn’t pretty — and I wouldn’t say that this offense is close to fixing its problems yet — but quarterback Jalen Hurts was efficient in a way that’s been missing from the offense lately. For that alone, I can begrudgingly give the Eagles a passing grade for the week.”
The Eagles follow the No. 6 New England Patriots and the No. 7 Detroit Lions. The Rams (No. 1), Broncos (No. 2), and Seahawks (No. 3) top the Ringer’s rankings.
While the Eagles didn’t drop in The Athletic’s rankings, they also didn’t move up from last week’s spot (12th). The Athletic’s MVP of the game went to cornerback Quinyon Mitchell.
“The offense finally got going Sunday, but this team is still led by its defense,” Josh Kendall and Chad Graff wrote. “That defense has a lot of stars, but none has played better this year than Mitchell. The cornerback does not have an interception, but Sunday was his seventh game of allowing 10 or fewer yards in coverage, according to Next Gen Stats. His 15 pass breakups rank fourth in the league.”
The Eagles are behind the Jaguars (No. 9), the Bears (No. 10), and the Los Angeles Chargers (No. 11).
The Eagles defense posted its first shutout since 2018.
NFL.com: 12th
After their win, the Eagles moved up one spot in NFL.com’s power rankings — slotting below the No. 10 Texans and the No. 11 Chargers.
“The Eagles needed a tension-breaker game, and they got exactly that,” Eric Edholm wrote. “Beating the Raiders won’t tell us whether the offense is truly fixed or if Philadelphia is suddenly any more playoff-ready, making this result comparable to the 2023 Eagles’ December win over a bad Giants team.
“Then again, just imagine if Philly had not had its way with an even worse Las Vegas outfit. Jalen Hurts followed his five-turnover game against the Chargers with a clean, crisp performance Sunday, and that was a positive sign. The red-zone package was a little more inspired, too, and the defense turned in a near-perfect showing, even accounting for how challenged the Raiders are offensively. The Eagles will take this and try to build on it, with Sunday’s game against the 4-10 Commanders presenting a similar assignment.”
The Eagles’ win over the Raiders wasn’t enough for the team to move up in the CBS Sports’ power rankings. Instead, the team held steady at the No. 12 spot, just below the Green Bay Packers (No. 10) and the Chargers (No. 11).
“Nothing like the Raiders to fix an ailing team,” Pete Prisco wrote. “The Eagles looked dominant in their victory, but it is the Raiders.”
The Broncos top the CBS list, above the Rams (No. 2) and Seahawks (No. 3).
USA Today moved the Eagles up one spot from last week’s No. 13 ranking. Now, the Eagles sit above the Lions (No. 13) and the Pittsburgh Steelers (No. 14).
“A.J. Brown’s three-game streak of 100-yard receiving games was snapped Sunday,” Nate Davis wrote. “Philly’s three-game losing streak was snapped Sunday. Hmmm.”
MONTREAL ― It’s been 280 days since Flyers fans have had a look at Rasmus Ristolainen in a game sweater.
It’s been more than 10 weeks since Flyers general manager Danny Brière said the defenseman would miss the first six to eight weeks of the season while recovering from triceps tendon surgery.
It’s been exactly six weeks since Brière said, “We’re hoping next month, in about a four-to-six week range, hopefully he’s back with the team.” And it’s been eight days since Ristolainen has been a full participant in practice.
Now on Tuesday, the big blueliner will finally suit up and make his season debut.
“He’s a big defenseman who can skate — they’re hard to find — [and a] great shot,” coach Rick Tocchet said after morning skate at the Bell Centre. “Just from talking to people last year, he had played well for [the Flyers] before the injury. So yeah, we’re excited.”
The 31-year-old Finn will skate alongside Nick Seeler on the third pairing against the Montreal Canadiens (7 p.m., NBCSP). According to Natural Stat Trick, since the start of the 2022-23 season, they have played 537 minutes, 37 seconds together at five-on-five.
Although the Flyers have a 46.82% Corsi For percentage with them manning the blue line, the team has outscored opponents (28-24) and generated more high-danger chances (101-82).
“We’ll see if this works. I don’t know,” said Tocchet. “They both have the [same] qualities. They’re both tough. They can stop cycles. Risto’s got a great shot. Two big guys back there; it’s tough to get to the net.”
Since being acquired from the Buffalo Sabres in July 2021, Ristolainen ranks fourth in hits — first among defensemen —on the Flyers with 545 in 234 games. Seeler is right behind him with 516 in 299 games.
“Obviously, we know Risto and how he plays. His physicality, his first touches on the puck,” said Seeler, who likes the predictability of Ristolainen’s game.
“We’re both obviously a little bit more defensive. I think that’s totally fine. I think we feed off each other,” he added. “We want to be able to shut plays down when it’s there and be above and hopefully kill a lot of plays. So that’s kind of what we’re going to hopefully do tonight, and just get some chemistry back.”
Flyers defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen is one of the team’s most physical defensemen.
The addition of Ristolainen helps to solidify the defensive corps with Cam York and Travis Sanheim as the top pair and Jamie Drysdale and Emil Andrae back together.
Drysdale and Andrae were separated during the second period of Sunday’s shootout loss to the Carolina Hurricanes, but Tocchet isn’t giving up on the duo.
“I thought they’ve been good together. I thought Emil, in the last few games, has struggled a little bit. And that’s going to happen. He’s getting some full-time minutes, he’s been playing a lot, and sometimes you hit the wall,” Tocchet said.
“Thought [breaking them up] really worked for us, too, when we did. It was a good in-game adjustment. But that doesn’t mean you stay with it; you go back to it and give the guy a chance again.”
For now, it doesn’t look like Ristolainen will be on a power-play unit, although the bench boss has hinted in the past week that he wouldn’t mind seeing the 6-foot-4, 208-pound defensman with a booming shot on the point.
But baby steps for the Finn as he gets his legs under him in his first game since March 11 after undergoing surgery on a right triceps tendon rupture 15 days later. It followed a pair of procedures in 2024, which also repaired a ruptured triceps tendon. Brière said in April 2025 that the injury was similar, although he wouldn’t confirm whether he suffered a torn tendon again.
“I talked to Todd about this,” said Tocchet, noting his conversation with assistant coach Todd Reirden, who is in charge of the defense.
“You’ve got to target — is it 15, 16, 17 minutes? I mean, I’m not sure it’s smart to play him 23 minutes, that kind of minutes, but that’s the target range you’re looking for.
“But, you know, [once] the game gets going, who knows? He’s been out nine months. I’m not sure [to] red line it the first game is the smartest thing.”
Breakaways
Dan Vladař (11-5-3, .908 SV%) will start in goal. He was in goal for the Flyers’ 5-4 shootout win in Montreal in early November. … Forward Nic Deslauriers, who hails from nearby LaSalle, Quebec, will return to the lineup after being a healthy scratch for four games and play on the fourth line. Nikita Grebenkin will draw out for the first time since Nov. 24. … Forward Carl Grundström has been moved up from the fourth line to play alongside Sean Couturier and Owen Tippett. Matvei Michkov is now alongside Noah Cates and Bobby Brink.
Controversy from the Sixers’ loss Sunday night lingered into Tuesday thanks to a salty message from NBA officials calling out NBC Sports Philadelphia’s Alaa Abdelnaby.
With less than two seconds left and the Atlanta Hawks clinging to a one-point lead, Nickeil Alexander-Walker inbounded a pass in the frontcourt and dribbled it into the backcourt before being fouled by 76ers rookie VJ Edgecombe.
Clearly a backcourt violation and Sixers ball with a chance to win the game, right? Abdelnaby certainly thought so.
“His foot’s in the frontcourt! The ball’s in the frontcourt!” Abdelnaby said during NBC Sports Philadelphia’s telecast.
Can someone explain to me how this was NOT called a backcourt violation by the Hawks?
The officials didn’t see it that way, despite protests from Joel Embiid and Sixers coach Nick Nurse. Their explanation for the no-call after the game was that Alexander-Walker’s “momentum” carried him into the backcourt, which “is legal in the last two minutes of the fourth quarter and overtime.”
Former NBA referee turned ESPN analyst Steve Javie, a Philly native and Temple grad, heard complaints about the no-call from a Sixers fan during a Christmas party Monday night. But after watching the video, Javie thinks the refs made the correct call that Alexander-Walker didn’t establish himself in the frontcourt.
“That’s an easy one. I don’t even think it’s that controversial,” Javie told The Inquirer. “That’s not the one you want to go up the mountain on.”
So instead of it being Sixers ball trailing by just one point, Alexander-Walker made both of his foul shots and increased the Hawks’ lead to three. Quentin Grimes got up a decent shot that would have tied the score as time expired, but it bounced in and out, and the Hawks walked away with the win.
That’s when things got interesting.
On Monday, the National Basketball Referees Association criticized Abdelnaby on social media and defended the officials’ no-call during Sunday’s game.
“For those calling the game, there is a responsibility to know the NBA rules and explain them correctly in order to properly educate the fans,” the association wrote, tagging Abdelnaby’s X account.
This was not a backcourt violation and has never been a backcourt violation.
For those calling the game, there is a responsibility to know the NBA rules and explain them correctly in order to properly educate the fans @alaatweets
The referees’ official X account, with more than 136,000 followers, hasn’t been historically combative and had not called out a single announcer by name this season before going after Abdelnaby.
Why now? That remains unclear. The National Basketball Referees Association did not respond to a request for comment.
“As a ref, you hear so much stuff [from announcers] year after year, game after game, you get kind of frustrated. Like, ‘Dude, this is not the right rule you’re talking about,’” Javie said, especially from hometown announcers openly rooting for their teams. “This is why they’re frustrated and gave him a shot, probably.”
Abdelnaby, a former Duke standout and NBA player in his 10th season calling Sixers games, isn’t afraid to offer strong opinions about the officials during broadcasts. He did so multiple times Sunday night, including after the game from the concourse of State Farm Arena in Atlanta, where he and play-by-play announcer Kate Scott called the game.
“Sometimes you’re told as a player on the road, you have to beat eight instead of just five,” Abdelnaby said, referring to the three officials on the court. “I thought the Sixers got a little shortchanged tonight.”
Abdelnaby declined to comment about the NBA referees’ social media post, but he wasn’t alone in thinking the officials missed a backcourt violation.
“It was a complete blunder by the referees tonight,” NBA Sports Philadelphia studio analyst and former NBA player Marc Jackson said following the game.
What do the NBA rules say?
When in doubt, go to the rule book, where there appear to be two sections invoked Sunday night.
First, the NBA rule book clearly states that the ball “shall be awarded to the opposing team” if a ball in the frontcourt or at the midcourt line passes into the backcourt.
But there is one exception:
And here’s what the rule book says about determining the frontcourt or backcourt status of a player on a throw-in:
The rule basically says a player’s position isn’t determined until he has established a “positive position” on an inbounds pass, as long as it’s under two minutes in the fourth period or in overtime.
So what does “positive position” mean? According to Javie, it basically equates to possession and stopping with the basketball.
“If [Alexander-Walker’s] momentum had stopped from going to the backcourt, and then he took a step into the backcourt, that would then be deemed a backcourt violation,” Javie said. “He didn’t establish position anywhere, really.”
“I thought it was going to be less obvious than that,” Javie added, based on the complaints over the no call.
Fans will certainly have a lot of time to debate the rules, since the Sixers won’t take the court again until Friday night against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Amazon’s Prime Video.
For a game, at least, the Eagles looked like world-beaters, not the hardest thing to do these days when facing the lowly Las Vegas Raiders. The real question, however, isn’t if the 31-0 shutout win is going to be a cure all for the issues that ailed the Eagles during their three-game losing streak; it’s whether the progress the team showed Sunday can ultimately translate to the postseason, which arrives next month. Possible? Perhaps, but with two of their final three games coming against a weakened opponent, the Eagles might not know exactly what they’re capable of until the playoffs get here. The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane and Marcus Hayes scrutinize changes that surfaced in the Eagles’ victory over Vegas, starting with the performance of none other than quarterback Jalen Hurts.
00:00 The Eagles did what they were supposed to do
01:23 Assessing schematic changes and their impact on Jalen Hurts
10:45 Getting the run game going
20:14 Can this defense get the Eagles back to the Super Bowl?
25:49 The truth about “outside noise” and human nature
unCovering the Birds is a production of The Philadelphia Inquirer and KYW Newsradio Original Podcasts. Look for new episodes throughout the season, including day-after-game reactions.
Mike Golic still remembers standing on the sideline when quarterback Randall Cunningham fell to the grass at Lambeau Field. It was Game 1 of the 1991 Eagles season. In the second quarter, Packers linebacker Bryce Paup lunged at Cunningham’s knees.
The trainers rushed to his side. Golic and his defensive teammates were stunned. This was supposed to be their year. Now, as Cunningham rolled on his back in agony, that seemed less likely.
With Cunningham out for the season, the Eagles cycled through a litany of quarterbacks in 1991. It gave the defense virtually no room for error — but instead of faltering, it rose to the occasion.
The Eagles could not rely on quarterback Randall Cunningham in 1991, after Cunningham suffered a season-ending injury in Week 1.
Over the next 16 games, the group put together one of the best defensive seasons in NFL history — if not the best — surrendering the fewest passing yards and rushing yards along with the lowest completion percentage in the NFL that season.
“I know that group all too well,” analyst Troy Aikman said on Monday Night Football on Dec. 8. “Because I played against them. Number one against the run. Number one against the pass. I could name the roster for you, on the defensive side of the ball.”
The 1991 Eagles recorded the most sacks in the league (55) and ranked third in interceptions (26). They allowed an average of 15.3 points per game.
“We knew that we were going to go as far as the defense could carry us,” linebacker Seth Joyner recalled in late November. “And that just turned the intensity up.”
The current Eagles defense is not in quite the same predicament. Their quarterback is healthy. Nevertheless, through 14 games, Jalen Hurts’ offense has not performed relative to its talent level.
And while the 2025 defense has not been as consistent as the 1991 group, it has shown flashes of the same caliber of dominance, particularly since the bye week.
If the Eagles have any hopes of returning to the Super Bowl, such a run would likely have to involve an elite defense.With that being said, here is what three members of Gang Green — Joyner, Golic, and Clyde Simmons — are seeing from Vic Fangio’s group.
Buddy Ryan was gone by 1991, but his stamp was still all over the Eagles defense.
Aggressiveness
Buddy Ryan, the defensive guru who coached the Eagles from 1986-90, had a mantra: “Score on defense.”
This meant pitching the ball from player to player if you got an interception. Or, if you got a fumble, trying to scoop and score instead of falling on the ball. Or, if you didn’t score, giving the offense a shorter field.
Ryan’s philosophy wasn’t just about preventing a team from scoring; it was about putting that team’s offense on the defensive.
That carried over to the 1991 team, even after Ryan was fired following the 1990 season. The 1991 defense, coached by coordinator Bud Carson, brought this concept to a new level.
With Cunningham out, it was unlikely the Eagles would be scoring 20-30 points a game. So, the defensive players took it upon themselves to score — or, at a minimum, make things easier for the offense.
Golic, a former defensive tackle who now hosts a show on FanDuel Sports Network, said this message was largely player-driven. It was always reiterated, either on the sidelines or in defensive meetings.
“We played aggressively anyway, but we kind of even upped that,” Golic saidin November. “And it wasn’t disparaging to the offense. It was just, like, ‘Listen, we don’t have our starting quarterback anymore. We know we do a lot on this team, but we know we now have to do more.’ So it was more of an up-tempo, upbeat, ‘Let’s do more. Let’s help out more.’”
Added Simmons, a dominant defensive end: ”We’d always prided ourselves with being a really good defense, but we knew we had to be even better to win ballgames. It started really getting tightened down. Just try to be sure to give ourselves all the opportunities in the world to win ballgames, keep people off the scoreboard, and keep the yardage down.”
Golic and Joyner see a similar aggression in the Eagles’ current group — both in the play-calling and in the players. This has been especially true with the addition of Jaelan Phillips, the return of Brandon Graham, and Nakobe Dean playing above expectations after returning from a serious knee injury.
Bud Carson (with star cornerback Eric Allen) coordinated a unit that finished No. 1 against the run and the pass in 1991.
It has freed up the pass rush, allowing Fangio to be more unpredictable — a Ryan/Carson staple. Fangio isn’t blitzing as much as those teams, but he is mixing in different looks. One example is that he favors a simulated pressure in which at least one linebacker rushes and one lineman drops into coverage.
“Bud Carson as the D coordinator, he was a very aggressive coordinator, and certainly Vic’s a very aggressive coordinator,” Golic said. “And players love playing aggressively. You’d rather be attacking than reacting. So that’s probably the biggest comparison.
“I mean, obviously I’m biased toward my 1991 team. The stats were ridiculous. But I would say overall, yeah, the aggressiveness of the two units would be comparable.”
He added: “A lot of it is just trusting the person next to you, behind you, in the secondary, and them trusting us up front that we’re going to get there. Players know when they’re going to be on an island and understand that and accept the responsibilities of it. And coaches like Fangio and Bud Carson certainly weren’t afraid to be aggressive and put people on islands.”
Those who witnessed both play see similarities between current Eagle Jalen Carter and the legendary Jerome Brown (99).
Players who would fit on Gang Green
There was only one player whose name came up repeatedly as example of someone who evoked the 1991 team — and it shouldn’t come as a surprise.
The family of Jerome Brown said in March that they see some of the late Eagles defensive tackle in current Eagles DT Jalen Carter,who has been sidelined the past two weeks with shoulder injuries. To the 1991 Eagles, the comparisons are obvious.
Simmons, the defensive line coach at Bowling Green, doesn’t have much time to keep tabs on the Eagles. But even in the limited games he has watched, Carter has stood out.
“I know they’ve got a couple good players in there, like a Jalen Carter, who is such a big man, and so explosive, and a game-controlling guy,” Simmons said last month. “He’s special. You don’t see a lot of people that big, who are that explosive.”
“He plays on the other side of the line [of scrimmage],” Golic added. “I mean, he just plays with leverage, with strength. You know, and the ends were bigger at that point. Reggie [White] was 315 pounds, Clyde was 290 pounds, Jerome was 300, I was in the 280s, 290, so was Mike Pitts.
“Jalen [Carter] is a 300-pounder who is quick off the ball and plays on the other side of the line. That’s what we always did. We always played on the other side of the line. And he would have, jeez … I mean, put him on that line, with Jerome [Brown] in the middle, would have been ridiculous.
“If there’s one player on that defense that would have fit in our defense, it definitely would have been Jalen [Carter].”
Clyde Simmons (96) draws comparisons to current Eagle Jaelan Phillips.
Joyner, a former linebacker who hosts pregame and postgame Eagles shows on YouTube, made a different comparison. In Phillips, he saw a bit of Simmons — a multifaceted player who could run different formations and be put in different spots.
“I probably would have to compare him to Clyde,” Joyner said of Phillips. “I definitely wouldn’t compare him to Reggie [White, a Hall of Famer] because there’s just no comparison to that guy. But I think when you when you think about Clyde, especially under Buddy … because under Buddy, we ran a little bit of everything. We ran 30 front and 40 front, unders, overs, swim package, with all three linebackers off the ball in an even front. We ran a little bit of everything.
“And in the 30 front, Clyde was pretty much the weakside outside linebacker. Like, we could line up in a four-man front, quarterback getting his cadence. We could shift to a 30 front, Clyde would kick his hand off the ground, and stand up as an outside linebacker. And sometimes even drop into coverage, believe it or not.
“Those are some of the intangibles that Jaelan Phillips brings to the table. Because like I said, I was shocked to see Vic actually drop him off in coverage out of that five-man front [against the Lions]. And in some of the zone blitzes where you brought a linebacker from the other side and you dropped him off into the flat. He brings a versatility.”
“It’s definitely possible” for the Eagles to win back-to-back, titles, ex-Eagles defensive tackle Mike Golic says.
A Super Bowl-caliber defense
All three former players looked at the 1991 season as a lost opportunity. They believe that if Cunningham had stayed healthy, they could have won a Super Bowl.
Instead, the 1991 Eagles went 10-6 and didn’t make the playoffs. But these Eagles are in a different spot, which leads Simmons, Joyner, and Golic to believe the outcome could be better for them.
Joyner sees the same confidence in the 2025 group that the 1991 group had. Golic sees it, too.
Now, it’s a matter of play-calling and playing with the same confidence on the offensive side of the ball.
“It’s definitely possible [for them to go back-to-back],” Golic said. “Listen, the offense, it’s tough to duplicate. The [offensive] line has not been what it was last year. They still run more than they pass. They still try and live off the run. But you can never negate a great defense. What a great defense will do will always keep you in the game, always.
“So you look at some of the top defenses, like Denver, like Houston, Philly, certainly is one of them, you’re always going to be in the game. And then you just need the offense to produce some. And certainly the Eagles offense has the ability to [do that].
“Statistically, they’re not what they were last year, but they have the ability to show it. But when you have a really good defense, you’re going to be in every game.”
ATLANTA — He was the worst free-agent acquisition in franchise history. He was going to set the team back for several seasons. He was washed up and untradable.
That was the belief. Nine months later, perhaps it’s a good time to reexamine Paul George’s 76ers reality.
Hmmm.
Even as a 35-year-old forward, he’s the best ballhandler on the team.
He’s been a great complement to Tyrese Maxey, who has replaced Joel Embiid this season as the face of the franchise.
He can adequately guard the point guard, shooting guard, small forward, and power forward positions.
He had 23 points, six rebounds, and five assists Friday in a 115-105 victory over the Indiana Pacers at Xfinity Mobile Arena. And he finished with 35 points while making seven three-pointers Sunday in a 120-117 loss to the Atlanta Hawks at State Farm Arena.
“I mean, prior to coming here, I was coming off one of my most efficient seasons,” George said of 2023-24, his final season with the Los Angeles Clippers. “All-Star that year. I didn’t see myself being washed up that fast, but I knew that this league is about what you can do now, and they tend to forget everything that I have done.
“So, it was a bit of motivation going into the summer to just get healthy and kind of let everything else take care of itself.”
Initially, there was a lot of hype surrounding George’s signing.
As the NBA’s top free-agent target that summer, his presence was encouraging for a Sixers franchise with championship aspirations.
The six-time All-NBA selection and four-time All-Defensive pick averaged 22.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.5 steals in 2023-24. He shot a career-best 41.3% on three-pointers.
Yet, George played in only 41 games last season as a Sixer, hampered by various injuries. His final contest of the season was on March 3 against the Minnesota Timberwolves. He was officially ruled out for the remainder of that season on March 17, the day he received injections in the left adductor muscle in his groin and left knee.
Paul George played in just 41 games last season for the Sixers.
George was expected to return in time for training camp. However, the nine-time All-Star had arthroscopic left knee surgery on July 11. As a result, he missed all four exhibition games and the first 12 regular-season games.
George struggled to create separation and averaged just 16.2 points, the fourth-lowest average of his 16-year NBA career, in 2024-25. George also finished with a three-point percentage of 35.8%, the third-lowest of his career.
“Oh, my God. I mean, it was rough, man,” he said of last season. “It was brutal. And when you play for Philly, it’s brutal, man. I had an expectation coming into the year, and for me, me alone, like not even the noise outside and whatever people said, you know? It was just me, the expectation I had, and my first year playing with these guys, and the expectation they had of me.
“And it was just a lot that physically, I just couldn’t do, so, yeah, mentally, man, it broke me down. It was rough and hard times just because it was like, ‘Man, I know what I’m capable of, but my body’s just not allowing it.’ So it was a rough one last year.”
But George is finding his rhythm, and he’s improved in each game he’s played this season.
With Maxey sidelined with an illness, George excelled in a point-forward role in the Sixers’ last two games.
“Obviously, the 35 [points] is great,” coach Nick Nurse said of Sunday’s game. “The seven threes are amazing, all that stuff. But to me, I like the way he’s getting by people. He’s getting by people down in the paint. He’s holding off post-ups. He’s getting to spots. He’s getting clearance on a lot of things. That’s probably the most encouraging.
“Obviously, that’s awesome that he made a bunch of shots tonight. But he looks like he’s creating a lot of opportunities. And he’s also a pretty good passer when he gets down the lane, too.”
Sixers guard Quentin Grimes, who is having his own stellar season, echoed Nurse’s praise for George.
“That’s the PG we all know and love out there,” Grimes said after Sunday’s game. “Go out there and just play the game. He’s one of the best players in the league for a reason. So just go out there, seeing him getting back to full rhythm is great to see for us, for sure.”
George has also been impressive defensively in nine of the 10 games he has played. He’s been highly active while moving well laterally and displaying a physical presence. A lot of the physicality can be attributed to his 235-pound weight after adding 15 pounds of muscle to his 6-foot-8 frame.
Sixers forward Paul George blocks the Clippers’ John Collins on Nov. 17.
George has been working on his body since his season concluded in March.
“I probably took off three weeks here and there,” he said. “So that was a lot of time for me to just work on my body. It was around the clock every day. Even on vacation, I’m lifting, I’m working out. Wherever I was at, I was working out. …
“I feel like it’s paying off. I feel stronger. My body has morphed, and it’s the reason why I think — although things are still coming back — I think it’s why I’m off to kind of a good start.”
He’s determined to spend more time contributing to the team’s success and making people forget about last season’s struggles and injuries.
“Last year,” George said, “was a lot going on.”
And George feels like he can be himself more now that he’s healthier. He’s not 100%, but he has looked more like himself than last season.
If he continues to excel, he’ll be remembered as Paul George, the elite basketball player. Not Paul George, the washed up player who made a cameo last season.
“So that’s the positive that I can take,” George said, “and everything else is with time. I’m just going to continue to get better.”
That feeling you experienced at approximately 3:35 p.m. Sunday was the earth beginning to rotate on its axis again.
The Eagles won a game for the first time in approximately a month and all is right in Philadelphia, for now. The defense remained dominant. The offense was mostly sharp and efficient. Jake Elliott didn’t miss any of his kicks for the first time since Week 11 against the Detroit Lions.
With three games remaining in the regular season, the Eagles are just one victory (or one Dallas Cowboys loss) from winning the division and becoming the first back-to-back NFC East champions in 20 seasons.
This Saturday, the Eagles’ obstacle is the 4-10 Washington Commanders, their struggling division rival that ended its eight-game losing streak on Sunday with its first win (29-21 over the New York Giants) in over two months.
Here’s what we know (and what we don’t) about the Eagles ahead of their Week 16 matchup against the Commanders:
Can Jalen Hurts stack positive performances after a strong outing against the Raiders?
The Raiders effect?
Now that the proverbial confetti has settled, how much stock can the Eagles really put in a win over the now-2-12 Las Vegas Raiders?
Time will tell if the Eagles can sustain their all-around dominance for the rest of the year. But there’s no denying that the Raiders are one of the most inferior teams of the last decade, boasting the 19th-worst points differential (-167) and the fifth-worst yards per offensive play (4.38) in that span.
Credit where credit is due, though. The Eagles could have stooped to the level of their opponent by committing the self-inflicted wounds that have plagued them throughout the season. They could have used the windy conditions as an excuse for a lack of efficiency in the passing game.
Instead, the Eagles incurred just three penalties, their lowest total in a game this season. Jalen Hurts and his receivers registered the league’s second-best single-game expected points added per pass (+.87) in 2025, a metric that measures the average points an offense adds on a passing play.
A close win would have been concerning. A blowout provides hope that the Eagles can potentially sustain this level of complementary football into the playoffs.
The Commanders won’t provide the Eagles with the best litmus test this week. They’ve been one of the NFL’s lowliest defenses this season, conceding a league-worst 7.5 yards per passing attempt and a sixth-worst 4.7 yards per carry. Their offense has experienced a sharp drop-off compared to 2024 with Jayden Daniels dealing with various injuries throughout the season.
Former Eagle Marcus Mariota will get the call for the Commanders under center on Saturday.
Another backup quarterback
For a second straight game, the Eagles are set to face off against one of their former backups. This time, it will be Marcus Mariota at the helm of the Commanders offense on Saturday.
Daniels, the NFL’s 2024 offensive rookie of the year, has missed seven games this year due to a litany of injuries, including a knee sprain, a hamstring strain, and now an elbow issue. He initially dislocated his elbow injury in the team’s Week 9 loss to the Seattle Seahawks, and while he returned to action a month later, he aggravated the injury in his first game back against the Minnesota Vikings.
After the second-year quarterback missed the Week 15 win over the Giants, Commanders coach Dan Quinn announced Monday afternoon that he is being shut down for the rest of the season.
But the injuries to Daniels aren’t the only reason behind Washington’s decline in 2025. The Commanders lack playmakers on offense, and they’re now down two more with former Eagles tight end Zach Ertz tearing his ACL two weeks ago and wide receiver Noah Brown exiting Sunday’s game with a rib injury. Laremy Tunsil, the team’s standout left tackle, also left the Giants game with an oblique injury in his side.
The defense has been rough, too, for most of the season, but we’ll get to that later.
The Eagles are well-acquainted with Mariota. Much like Daniels, the 32-year-old quarterback has the ability to extend plays with his legs, a quality that has given the Eagles defense fits at times this season.
Mariota was particularly effective on deep passes Sunday. In fact, he had almost all of his production come on downfield passes, as he went 7-for-11 for 181 yards and a touchdown on throws greater than 10 air yards, according to Next Gen Stats.
Still, the Commanders offense practically tried to lose to the worst team in the NFC East. At one point, they had a 15-point lead, then fumbled the ball away twice in the fourth quarter (once by Mariota and another time by running back Jeremy McNichols) to give the Giants a shot at a comeback. Saturday’s game shouldn’t be too difficult a test for Vic Fangio’s defense.
The previously unknown Jacory Croskey-Merritt has had a solid stretch for the Commanders.
Wild Bill
One of the lone bright spots of the Commanders’ season has been the emergence of Jacory Croskey-Merritt, the seventh-round rookie running back who goes by the nickname “Bill.”
Croskey-Merritt became the team’s featured back after Austin Ekeler went down in Week 2 with an Achilles injury. He has been efficient on the ground, averaging 4.5 yards per carry, which ranks third among rookie running backs with at least 100 attempts this season.
Sunday marked one of the best performances of Croskey-Merritt’s young career. He posted 96 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries, his second-best total output this year. But he’s also had three fumbles this season, including one that the Commanders ultimately recovered in the second quarter.
The Eagles defense had its best performance of the season against the run on Sunday, conceding just 46 yards. According to Next Gen Stats, the Eagles were the first team this year to not miss a tackle attempt in a game. The unit seems to be on the mend, even in the absence of Jalen Carter, after giving up 281 yards on the ground to the Chicago Bears in Week 13.
A.J. Brown and Dallas Goedert could be in for big days against the beleaguered Washington secondary.
Defensive dumpster fire
The Commanders defense has been the source of the majority of the team’s dysfunction this season. The rush and coverage have been poor, underscored by injuries to key pass rushers Dorance Armstrong and Deatrich Wise and the regression of cornerbacks Mike Sainristil and the injured Marshon Lattimore.
Five games into Washington’s eight-game losing streak (in which it lost by 21 points in four straight games), Quinn demoted defensive coordinator Joe Whitt and took on his responsibilities. Since the change, the Commanders are still giving up 352.5 yards per game, the ninth-highest total in the league since mid-November. Their 23.8 points allowed per game are tied for 12th-most.
But the Commanders defense bailed out the offense on Sunday. McNichols fumbled the ball away with just under three minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, the Giants down by eight points. The Commanders stopped the Giants on fourth down to force a turnover on downs to seal the win.
Antonio Hamilton, the 32-year-old journeyman cornerback, was targeted frequently on that last drive and rose to the occasion. Starting in place of the injured Jonathan Jones for the first time this season, Hamilton broke up a third-down pass intended for Giants receiver Darius Slayton. He finished the day with a team-high two pass breakups.
Still, the Eagles should be able to exploit the Commanders’ secondary. Washington particularly struggled to cover Giants tight ends Theo Johnson and Daniel Bellinger, who combined for 107 yards on six receptions. Bellinger also drew a defensive pass interference call in the red zone against Commanders safety Jeremy Reaves.
In total, the Commanders have given up 905 receiving yards (the fourth-highest total in the NFL) and nine touchdowns to tight ends this season. Dallas Goedert, who is coming off his third multi-touchdown game of the year, could feast again on Saturday.
With the holidays right around the corner, Eagles star Saquon Barkley continues to give back to the community — while playing a little Madden NFL 26 in the process.
Dozens of children gathered around one of the pods at the Chickie’s & Pete’s on Packer Avenue, as the running back joined in on a video game session. In between plays, as he signed autographs, his mother, Tonya Johnson, watched on with a bright smile.
“When you think of Christmas, you think of a time of joy, the time of putting smiles on people’s faces, and unfortunately that’s not the truth for everybody,” Barkley said. “That’s the God’s honest truth. So, we just want to make sure that we’re using our platform to try to make a change. We’re super excited for the event tonight. For everyone that donated toys, hopefully, we’re able to put smiles on kids’ faces.”
Children watched from the first floor with their cameras out and bright smiles on their faces as part of the Michael Ann & Saquon Barkley Hope Foundation toy drive, which aims to help underserved families from the Greater Philadelphia and Delaware Valley areas before the holidays.
The foundation partnered with City Council President Kenyatta Johnson’s office to host an unwrapped toy drive at Chickie’s & Pete’s during this year’s Jingle Ball pre-party. Pre-party guests donated toys that ranged from LEGO sets and Fisher-Price items to remote control cars and Lite-Brites. The table was flooded with gifts by the end of the night.
Saquon Barkley takes photo with Emmanuel Nyanue, left, holding 3-month-old Salim Davis at Barkley’s toy drive at Chickie’s & Pete’s in South Philadelphia on Monday.
“[My mother] always had dreams of me [giving back],” Barkley said. “I have a lot of siblings. So, I don’t want to sit here and make it seem like I’m the special one. But my mom always had dreams of stuff like this happening. I feel like everything happens for a reason. [My parents] instilled in me so much confidence that I can accomplish anything I want to. So, I told them since I was a little kid, this is what I wanted to do and now we’re just living the dream.”
“We all have a special place in our heart for kids,” Barkley said. “So, any time you can have an event and just try to give back and put smiles on kids’ faces, it makes it 10 times better to be completely honest. That’s what we focus on. We want to try to make an impact on our community but directly focused on children, especially the underprivileged children, underserved children, and try to make a change in their lives.”
