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  • 🦅 Changing the vibes | Sports Daily Newsletter

    🦅 Changing the vibes | Sports Daily Newsletter

    It has been 22 days since the Eagles last won a game. It has been a lot longer than that since they last felt good about their offense.

    On the positive side, at 8-4, they can move a step closer to clinching the NFC East with a road victory this evening against the Los Angeles Chargers on Monday Night Football. Still, the Eagles are struggling and the vibes on the sideline reflect a team that is trying hard to correct its issues without success, Jeff Neiburg writes.

    “Honestly I think it’s been awful,” Saquon Barkley said when asked what the sideline energy has been like. “I think if you asked anybody, if they’re being honest, we’ll all agree on that.” Maybe Barkley and the running game can lead the charge in changing those vibes.

    And maybe the offense could finally get untracked if Jalen Hurts ran the ball more. Designed runs have become rarities for Hurts in his fifth season as the Eagles’ starting quarterback. He has gotten hurt both in and out of the pocket throughout his NFL career, which has caused him to miss games. The threat of injuries figures into the equation, but the offense gets a jolt when he runs the ball.

    It’s unlikely the Eagles will suddenly have a high-powered offense at this late stage, Jeff McLane writes in his keys to the game. There is room for improvement and one way to address that is having Hurts run more.

    The defense must get the job done without Jalen Carter, who is out after undergoing a medical procedure on both shoulders. Carter’s absence figures into the predictions from our writers on how things will pan out in California. Not everyone’s picking the Eagles, either.

    How can the defense turn things around? The Eagles will need a huge game from edge rushers Nolan Smith, Jaelan Phillips, and Jalyx Hunt, David Murphy writes.

    Here’s everything you need to know before Hurts and the Birds face Justin Herbert and the Chargers for the first time since 2021.

    Maybe this completely different take on the game could calm the nerves of some Eagles fans: ESPN2 will offer a real-time animated broadcast of Eagles-Chargers set in the universe of Disney/Pixar’s Monsters, Inc. franchise. The alt-cast will use real-time player tracking data to place Barkley, Hurts, and the rest of the Eagles in the animated Monsters universe.

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

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    ❓Who is the key to a deep playoff run for the Eagles? Email us back for a chance to be featured in the newsletter.

    Upbeat in defeat

    Flyers center Trevor Zegras fires a shot during the third period against Colorado at Xfinity Mobile Arena.

    The Colorado Avalanche came into Xfinity Mobile Arena with an NHL-best 20-2-6 record, but the Flyers held their own Sunday in a 3-2 loss.

    “Some people use games as measuring sticks, and I think we don’t need to do that anymore,” Travis Konecny said. “We’ve shown we can compete with the best teams, so why not start believing that we should be right there with them?”

    ‘I’m not done yet’

    Paul George stares down Milwaukee Bucks guard Kevin Porter Jr. on Friday at Fiserv Forum.

    There was a promising Paul George sighting for the Sixers in their victory over the Bucks on Friday night. George finished with 20 points, five rebounds, and five assists in just under 30 minutes. Even after knee surgery and an injury-riddled first season as a Sixer, he has shown flashes of the player who became a perennial All-Star.

    “I feel like myself again,” George said. “I believe I’m not done yet.”

    On Sunday, George scored 12 points during the Sixers’ 112-108 loss to the Lakers. Beat reporter Keith Pompey provides his takeaways.

    Back on top

    The Villanova Wildcats celebrate defeating the Penn Quakers in the Big 5 championship at Xfinity Mobile Arena on Saturday.

    Villanova came up short in the first two iterations of the Big 5 Classic, but the Wildcats left no doubt as they closed the tournament’s tripleheader Saturday night at Xfinity Mobile Arena. They beat Penn, 90-63, in the finale and won their three Big 5 games by an average margin of 20 points.

    Now they’ll take a big step up in competition. Next up for 7-1 Villanova is a showdown with unbeaten Michigan on Tuesday night in Ann Arbor. “We have a big test Tuesday because I think, by far, they’re playing the best basketball in the country,” Wildcats coach Kevin Willard said.

    The loss to ’Nova was a costly one for Penn, as star forward Ethan Roberts was taken to the hospital after leaving the game with a injury.

    On the women’s side, Villanova earned the Big 5 championship with a 76-70 win against St. Joseph’s behind 21 points from Brynn McCurry.

    Heading for Yankee Stadium

    Penn State’s Kaytron Allen scoring a touchdown against Rutgers.

    Penn State will close a tumultuous season with a date against Clemson in the Pinstripe Bowl. The Dec. 27 game at Yankee Stadium will close a chapter on Nittany Lions football before new coach Matt Campbell takes over. Clemson (7-5, 4-4 Atlantic Coast Conference) has seen its own ups and downs this season, but the Tigers won six of their last eight games to earn bowl eligibility.

    In the Football Championship Subdivision, Villanova advanced to the quarterfinals with a 14-7 upset of Lehigh.

    Join us before kickoff

    Gameday Central: Eagles at Chargers

    Live from SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif.: Beat writers Jeff McLane and Olivia Reiner will preview tonight’s Eagles game against the Los Angeles Chargers at 6:45 p.m. Tune in to Gameday Central.

    Sports snapshot

    On this date

    Ron Hextall becomes the first NHL goalie to score a goal by shooting the puck into the opposing net as the Flyers beat Boston, 5-2, on Dec. 8, 1987.

    Dec. 8, 1987: Flyers rookie Ron Hextall became the first NHL goaltender to score a goal. Hextall scored an empty-netter in a 5-2 victory against the Boston Bruins at the Spectrum.

    Marcus Hayes’ take

    Jalen Hurts has to start playing up to his contract if the Eagles are to make another Super Bowl run.

    Now that the drop-off in Jalen Carter’s play in 2025 compared with 2024 has been explained by his deteriorating shoulders, the responsibility for a late-season surge falls more squarely on the shoulders of embattled quarterback Jalen Hurts.

    He’s got to throw better passes. He’s got to run the offense more efficiently. He’s got to start using his legs as a weapon, because the main weapon on defense is gone.

    Hurts has been a problem all season. Hurts can turn that narrative around Monday night, and beyond.

    We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Jeff Neiburg, Olivia Reiner, Jeff McLane, David Murphy, Owen Hewitt, Jackie Spiegel, Keith Pompey, Marcus Hayes, Jonathan Tannenwald, Devin Jackson, Greg Finberg, 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.

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

  • A year later than planned, Villanova wins its latest women’s Big 5 title

    A year later than planned, Villanova wins its latest women’s Big 5 title

    When Villanova hosted the first women’s Big 5 Classic tripleheader last year, the Wildcats intended to cap it off by winning the title.

    Instead, the Temple Owls spoiled the party plans and left the Main Line with the title in their hands.

    This year, the Wildcats delivered. Led by Brynn McCurry’s 21 points, they topped St. Joseph’s, 76-70, Sunday in a title game that was close throughout. It marked ’Nova’s 22nd women’s Big 5 crown, the most of any City Series team.

    For as much as rosters in college basketball change by season these days, coach Denise Dillon admitted she had kept last year’s loss in mind.

    “That’s the responsibility of myself and our staff, to explain to our players, because of so many new players on the roster, and not recognizing what Philly basketball is,” she said. “Yeah, the taste stuck with me, and I think some of the others who were playing in that game. Denae Carter and Jasmine Bascoe last year, they knew they gave something up here on our home court, and wanted to make sure we took care of business here today against St. Joe’s.”

    Villanova’s players celebrate with the Big 5 champions’ banner.

    The Hawks were more than valiant. Rhian Stokes totaled 23 points and six assists, while Gabby Casey had 19 points and eight rebounds.

    At the other end, St. Joe’s held Bascoe to 4-of-16 field-goal shooting, though she still had 13 points. McCurry, who missed all of last season with a knee injury, delivered her third straight 20-point outing.

    Villanova also reclaimed its spot atop the men’s Big 5

    “Kudos to [McCurry] and to her teammates for stepping up, because I thought we did a hell of a job on Bascoe,” Hawks coach Cindy Griffin said,

    December obviously isn’t March, but Villanova is on some national bracketologists’ early NCAA Tournament bubbles. Though the Wildcats lost at Princeton last month, they made up for it with a win at then-No. 25 West Virginia last Monday, and followed it with a win at Georgetown on Thursday to open Big East play.

    Villanova’s Jasmine Bascoe defending Rhian Stokes of St. Joe’s, who led all scorers with 23 points.

    Their next game, following exams, should be another solid barometer: home vs. Seton Hall on Dec. 19. The Pirates were picked third in the preseason conference poll, with ’Nova fourth.

    “We gave up a tough one to Seton Hall last year in this place,” Dillon said of a 56-55 defeat. “We’ll remind them [at practice] on Tuesday.”

    The rest of the day

    Drexel topped Temple in the third-place game, 59-52. With Dragons star guard Amaris Baker held to just seven points on 2-of-13 shooting, Deja Evans stepped up with 18 points on 8-of-14 shooting, plus seven rebounds and three assists.

    The AP women’s basketball poll is celebrating its 50th anniversary. Its story starts here, at The Inquirer

    “Things weren’t going our way, our scorers weren’t making shots, but they still found a way to lock in and stay focused on what we needed to do to win the game,” Drexel coach Amy Mallon said. “And to me, that’s what Drexel basketball is about, and how we find ways to win.”

    New York Liberty star Jonquel Jones, the adopted daughter of Temple women’s coach Diane Richardson, sat courtside to watch the Owls. That was a reminder of how big women’s basketball is nationally these days, though the stardust hasn’t landed on the Big 5.

    Jonquel Jones (second from left) sitting courtside during the Temple-Drexel game.

    “Well, I’d love to have her on the court, but we have already exhausted that eligibility,” the always-charismatic Richardson said. “It’s great. She loves our kids and she’s got some time off because of her [ankle] injury, so she’s been spending a lot of time with me. We’re glad to have her here, and not only just for us, but for women’s basketball — and here at the Big 5, where we want to shine a light.”

    Penn won the fifth-place game over La Salle, 65-52, led by Katie Collins’ 20 points and nine rebounds. The Quakers led by 21 points in the third quarter, but the Explorers rallied to within five at the end of the period before Penn pulled away in the fourth.

    As The Inquirer confirmed a few days ago, the women’s tripleheader will change location next season. Sunday marked Villanova’s second straight year, and the second straight year of disappointingly small crowds on the Main Line: 1,242 fans over the three games.

    Over 16,000 tickets have been sold for the Unrivaled women’s basketball doubleheader in Philly next month

    Though it’s not official yet, the Palestra is the favorite right now to host as part of the arena’s 100th birthday celebration. Penn’s coach isn’t alone in hoping that moving the games to the city’s most famous college basketball venue will draw more fans to watch them.

    “I know one thing: Penn would put on a first-class event, just like Villanova has done here,” said Mike McLaughlin, who has long championed having the women’s tripleheader at the city’s most famous venue. “This has been a great event for our athletes, and Penn will do the same if it’s at the Palestra.”

  • Saquon Barkley says the vibes on the Eagles’ sideline have been ‘awful.’ He can help change the mood.

    Saquon Barkley says the vibes on the Eagles’ sideline have been ‘awful.’ He can help change the mood.

    LOS ANGELES — The sky is falling in the city of Philadelphia, just not between Broad and 17th Streets, from Pattison Avenue to Hartranft Street. There, at the NovaCare Complex, the laws of gravitational pull and atmospheric pressure remain normal.

    The 8-4 Eagles have lost two consecutive games, their second such losing streak of the season. Their offense, under first-year coordinator Kevin Patullo, can be generously described as inconsistent and harshly described at times as incompetent. The defense, normally a steady strength, got tossed around on Black Friday against the Chicago Bears.

    “They sky’s falling outside the locker room,” Saquon Barkley said after that game.

    Not inside.

    The Eagles, Barkley included, say the energy at the practice facility reflects that. The Eagles have been attentive in the meeting room. They have had spirited practices. They feel like they have the right game plans.

    “But [you’ve] got to go out there Monday and do it,” Barkley said Saturday after the Eagles finished their final practice before their Monday night matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium. “That’s where we’re at.”

    That’s where the translation hasn’t occurred. The Eagles are struggling, and the vibes on the sideline reflect a team that is trying hard to correct its issues without success.

    “Honestly I think it’s been awful,” Barkley said when asked what the sideline energy has been like. “I think if you asked anybody, if they’re being honest, we’ll all agree on that.”

    Eagles running back Saquon Barkley is stopped by the Bears on Nov. 28.

    To be fair, who could blame them? The Eagles, with one of the highest-paid offenses in the NFL, haven’t scored more than 21 points in four consecutive games. Barkley ran for 2,000 yards last season but is finding it difficult at times to top 50 during a given game. The principals in the passing game haven’t been able to get on the same page, as evidenced by the sequence in which Jalen Hurts and DeVonta Smith didn’t have their signals down and missed a potential touchdown in the loss to the Bears.

    “We haven’t been playing well,” Barkley said. “It’s easy to come on the sideline and have great energy when you rip off a 60-yard touchdown. That’s the truth. We know that.”

    Jeff McLane’s keys to Eagles vs. Chargers in Week 14: What you need to know and a prediction

    Barkley went back to a saying he picked up from offensive line coach and running game coordinator Jeff Stoutland. “Execution fuels emotion,” Barkley said. “When you make plays and score touchdowns it’s going to get the energy going on game days. Energy has been great throughout the week of practice.

    “We got to carry that to game day.”

    There’s an argument to be made that Barkley and the running game can lead the charge in changing those vibes. The Eagles have faced defenses that have keyed in on stopping the run. Only four teams are pitted against a stacked box more often than the Eagles, who see eight or more defenders in the box 32.7% of the time.

    Patullo and Stoutland haven’t yet figured out a way to consistently break through against the opposition, and the passing game hasn’t been good enough for defenses to change their approach. Barkley’s blockers have been banged up, which has certainly affected the outcomes, but Barkley does not look like the same runner, either. He has had a nagging groin injury that hasn’t forced him to miss any time, and he has repeatedly said he is healthy.

    New wrinkles are on the way, left tackle Jordan Mailata said earlier in the practice week leading into Monday’s game vs. the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium. Barkley smiled Saturday when asked about the topic. “I don’t know what change they’re talking about,” he said.

    “I really love the game plan.”

    Barkley said he thinks positivity is important on the sideline.

    “It’s kind of been a role I’ve tried to take on ever since I came into the league,” he said. “I feel like it’s big. Sometimes it’s just the sense of having confidence and having great energy is going to help us out on the football field. I’m a believer in that.”

    A few feet away from Barkley’s locker stall as he spoke Saturday in the locker room at the NovaCare Complex was a large inflatable Easter bunny. Barkley said he didn’t know how it arrived there. Earlier in the day, though, AJ Dillon took the credit. The backup running back, who has been a healthy scratch, has anointed himself the “vibes guy.”

    “I was told that it’s a vibes bunny,” Barkley said. “And the vibes are high.”

    Gipson waived

    The Eagles on Sunday waived wide receiver and returner Xavier Gipson. They now have an open spot on the 53-man roster, which will likely go to safety Marcus Epps, who is expected to be activated from injured reserve and could start next to Reed Blankenship on Monday night.

    Gipson missed the Eagles’ Week 13 game with a shoulder injury, one he suffered during a mistake on a punt return that helped flip the result of the team’s Week 12 loss to Dallas. The team will continue to use Britain Covey as a returner.

    The Eagles also downgraded Myles Hinton (back) to out for Monday’s game. Hinton’s 21-day practice window is nearing its end. The Eagles have until Wednesday to activate their rookie offensive tackle or he will be sidelined for the rest of the season — like fellow rookie lineman Willie Lampkin, whose window expired on Nov. 27.

  • Eagles need nothing short of domination from Nolan Smith, Jaelan Phillips, and Jalyx Hunt against vulnerable Justin Herbert

    Eagles need nothing short of domination from Nolan Smith, Jaelan Phillips, and Jalyx Hunt against vulnerable Justin Herbert

    It won’t be Jalen Hurts or Saquon Barkley.

    It won’t be Nick Sirianni or Kevin Patullo.

    It won’t even be Jordan Davis or Moro Ojomo.

    All will have plenty to prove against the Chargers. But none will have more than the guys whose primary responsibility is putting the quarterback on his back. The most important players on the field Monday night will be the Eagles edge rushers.

    The pressure is on the pressure.

    Or, rather, the pressure-ers.

    Jaelan Phillips, Nolan Smith, Jalyx Hunt. These are the names you will need to hear with regularity against the Chargers. We haven’t heard them nearly enough this season.

    Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter (right) and edge rusher Jaelan Phillips stop Lions quarterback Jared Goff on Nov. 16.

    Through 12 games, the Eagles have gotten just eight sacks combined out of their edge rushers.

    True, five of them have come in the last five games, a stretch that has seen Smith return from injured reserve and Phillips arrive via trade from the Dolphins. But it still isn’t enough. Three years ago, Haason Reddick, Josh Sweat, and Brandon Graham combined for 38 sacks, an average of more than two per game. That’s the kind of output the Eagles should be expecting on Monday night.

    Eagles vs. Chargers: Predictions, odds, playoff standings, injuries, and what everyone is talking about

    Rarely have the Eagles faced an opponent so ripe for the picking. The Chargers have been a mess up front all season. In late August, they lost starting left tackle Rashawn Slater to a season-ending knee injury. A month ago, they lost All-Pro right tackle Joe Alt to a season-ending ankle injury. In the four games since Alt went down, the Chargers have allowed a remarkable 17 sacks. That included three last week against the Raiders, a game that ended with Justin Herbert nursing a broken non-throwing hand.

    Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert is expected to play against the Eagles.

    This should be a get-right game for the Eagles’ most underperforming unit. That’s true regardless of who is under center — or in shotgun, or in the pistol — on the other side of the line of scrimmage. It will be especially true if that player is Herbert, who is reportedly preparing to play despite undergoing surgery to repair a broken bone in his left hand early last week.

    The Eagles have already seen firsthand what Herbert can do when given an ample amount of time to throw. The Chargers veteran shredded them during Sirianni’s first season as coach, completing 32 of 38 passes for 356 yards and two touchdowns in a 27-24 win in Week 9. That afternoon was one of the 11 times in Herbert’s career that he was not sacked. The Chargers are 9-2 with a plus-110 point differential in those 11 games.

    It goes without saying that none of those games has occurred this season. Herbert has been sacked multiple times in 11 of 12 of his starts in 2025, with three-plus sacks in eight. Heading into Sunday, the Chargers were one of five teams in the NFL to allow five-plus sacks in at least four games. At 8-4, they are the only one of those teams with a winning record. The other four have combined to go 10-38.

    Jeff McLane’s keys to Eagles vs. Chargers in Week 14: What you need to know and a prediction

    The Eagles need to take advantage. Whatever the overall numbers say, they have more than enough talent on the edge to be a deciding factor Monday night. We’ve seen flashes of dominance from the group. Apart from maybe the cornerbacks, the Eagles’ edge rushers were the best unit on the field in back-to-back victories over the Packers and Lions. In a 10-7 win over Green Bay in Week 10, the group combined for two sacks, three tackles for losses, and five quarterback hits against Jordan Love. The following week, Phillips and Hunt combined for five hits on Lions quarterback Jared Goff, including Phillips’ first sack in an Eagles uniform. The pressure on Goff was one of the biggest reasons the veteran completed just 14 of 37 passes with an interception.

    But those two wins feel like a distant memory, don’t they? For the first time in the Vic Fangio era, the Eagles are coming off back-to-back games of 400-plus yards of total offense allowed. Two weeks ago, Dak Prescott was way too comfortable while completing 23 of 36 passes for 354 yards. Last week, the Bears gashed them for a ridiculous 281 rushing yards, with running backs D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai combining for 255 yards on 40 carries.

    The Bears gained 281 yards on the ground against the Eagles.

    The four truest words in the NFL came out of Jordan Davis’ mouth earlier this week.

    “It’s a copycat league,” the Eagles defensive tackle said.

    With Herbert ailing and the Chargers pass protection in shambles and the Eagles taking the field without All-World defensive tackle Jalen Carter, we should expect to see Greg Roman do as Sean McVay and Ben Johnson did before him.

    “We’ve got to play the run well enough to where they just don’t run it a bunch,” Fangio said. “They run it, and like most teams that run it well, they have a good play-action game, and not give up the shots in the play-action passing game, which they do a good job of.”

    The Chargers are ready for Vic Fangio’s defense — and aren’t worried about Justin Herbert’s hand injury

    But stopping the run can only carry you so far against a quarterback like Herbert. The Eagles need to put themselves in a position to pummel him as thoroughly as the rules allow. They need Smith to be the guy he was down the stretch last season, when he recorded 10½ sacks in his last 16 games, including four in the playoffs. They need Phillips to be the guy he was against the Packers.

    The best offense is a good defense. And the best defense is a great pass rush.

  • Eagles will play Chargers in a stadium full of ‘Monsters.’ That’s not the only difference on ESPN’s alt broadcast.

    Eagles will play Chargers in a stadium full of ‘Monsters.’ That’s not the only difference on ESPN’s alt broadcast.

    Dan Orlovsky has four children who are Eagles fans and Disney devotees, so he couldn’t turn this opportunity down. On Monday night, the former NFL quarterback will provide analysis for ESPN’s animated Monsters Funday Football alternate broadcast of the Birds’ matchup with the Chargers at SoFi Stadium.

    The alt-cast, which will air on ESPN2 (as well as the Disney Channel and Disney XD) and stream on Disney+ at 8 p.m., will be a real-time animated broadcast set in the universe of Disney/Pixar’s Monsters, Inc. franchise. It will be the third edition of the Football Funday series, which was set in The Simpsons’ Springfield last season and in the Toy Story franchise in 2023.

    Orlovsky was on the call for the Simpsons broadcast last season, but his children are far more excited about this year’s broadcast.

    “When I had told them I got asked to do Monsters, it was an excitement that was different,” Orlovsky said. “My wife is from Philly, and my kids are crazy Eagles fans. So, when I told them [it was] Monsters and it was an Eagles game, it was, like, to the moon.”

    The alt-cast will use real-time player tracking data to place Saquon Barkley, Jalen Hurts, and the rest of the Eagles in the animated Monsters universe, where they’ll face off against the Chargers inside the cheer factory in Monstropolis.

    The real-time animation is handled by Beyond Sports, an AI-based data analysis and visualization company owned by Sony. Using data from NFL Next Gen Stats and Hawk-Eye Innovations optical tracking, Beyond Sports’ virtual recreation engine will animate live action between the Eagles and the Chargers for viewers.

    Dan Orlovsky hasn’t been shy about the Eagles’ struggles. But he still believes they can be contenders.

    Drew Carter and Orlovsky will call the game from ESPN’s headquarters in Bristol, Conn., while wearing tracking suits that allow them to pilot characters in the Monsters universe.

    “We’re in a big studio and they set up a couple monitors where we can watch the regular live broadcast,” Carter said. “We have that synced up with our animated broadcast, which makes it easier to see what’s happening. But, for the most part, I’m looking at 22 cartoons running around and trying to decipher what’s happening.”

    A look inside the “Monsters, Inc.” stadium that will play host to the Eagles-Chargers “Funday Football” broadcast on ESPN2 and Disney+ Monday.

    Carter has done play-by-play for all three of ESPN’s Funday Football alt-casts as well as its animated Big City Greens NHL broadcast. He has high praise for the technology that makes the broadcast possible, but he is preparing for the Eagles’ signature quarterback sneak to push the system to its limits.

    “If they do the Tush Push, I don’t know what’s going to happen to the technology,” Carter said. “It’s going to be very hard to spot the ball when everyone’s animated. That’s the time where I’ll look at the live game.”

    Eagles vs. Chargers predictions: Our writers pick a winner for Week 14

    Carter also calls other live events for the network, but the animated games require an extra layer of preparation, especially when he’s unfamiliar with the source material, as he was for The Simpsons alt-cast. Fortunately for Carter, he’s already familiar with Monsters, Inc., which came out when he was a young child. Still, he circled back to the 2001 film and its 2013 prequel, Monsters University, to prepare for Monday’s broadcast.

    “It is kind of like prepping for a regular game,” Carter said. “You just don’t want to be caught off guard by anything. We have an element that rolls in and it’s, for example, the pig from Monsters University. I don’t want to be like, ‘Who the heck is that?’ because I’ve only seen Monsters, Inc.”

    ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky on the set of “First Take.”

    Orlovsky was already very familiar with the Monsters franchise. He has made 15 trips to Disney World with his children. One of his oldest boys, 13-year-old Madden, is interested in animation and drawing and is particularly drawn to the Monsters movies.

    “I’ve seen Monsters, Inc. and Monsters U a dozen times, if not more,” Orlovsky said. “I know the Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor in Disney World very well. I have a son who is autistic and his superpower is animation and creation. Obviously, that’s one of the cores of Monsters, Inc. when it comes to their characters. So I know it very well.”

    Jalen Hurts running more might be the best thing for the Eagles. Is it also hazardous to his career?

    For Orlovsky, the more difficult aspect of the broadcast will be doing less of his X’s and O’s analysis and leaning into the animated aspect of the game.

    “No one who’s watching our alt-cast is watching it for football,” Orlovsky said. “Everybody is watching it for the unique element of it. … My default is to be very football-centric, and so I have to just be very conscious of understanding [that] no one’s watching that game for the football part of it.”

    While the Funday Football broadcasts primarily target younger audiences, Carter says the broadcast can be enjoyed by anyone of any age. John Goodman and Billy Crystal will voice their characters from the film franchise, James “Sully” Sullivan and Mike Wazowski, who will explain basic football rules for young viewers in prerecorded cutaways during the broadcast. There will also be an animated short during halftime that will feature Mike and Sully battling to collect cheers from the crowd.

    “I’m an adult who’s watched football my entire life, and I find those interesting, even though I know the rule they’re explaining,” Carter said. “I just think it’s funny to hear John Goodman as Sully explaining what a football is.”

    A look inside the “Monsters, Inc.” stadium that will play host to the Eagles-Chargers “Funday Football” broadcast on ESPN2 and Disney+ Monday.

    Orlovsky hopes the broadcast can provide a different experience for football fans and the opportunity to enjoy the game as a family.

    “If you’re a family that, you know, you don’t watch the football game together, try this one together,” Orlovsky said. “If your kids and you don’t necessarily stay up late for Monday Night Football, this would be the one time to do it, because it’s just a very different way to take in the game. It’s going to be visually a very cool experience. I think it’s just a great way to share football.”

    For Eagles fans who want to check out the Funday Football broadcast but do not want to miss out on the experience of watching the regular broadcast, the animated alt-cast will be available on demand on Disney+ shortly after the game ends.

  • Sixers vs. Lakers takeaways: Tyrese Maxey’s lack of respect, Joel Embiid’s struggles, and more from loss to Lakers

    Sixers vs. Lakers takeaways: Tyrese Maxey’s lack of respect, Joel Embiid’s struggles, and more from loss to Lakers

    Tyrese Maxey needs to keep his cool, but the 76ers point guard’s frustration is justified.

    The Sixers’ three-guard lineup of VJ Edgecombe, Quentin Grimes, and Jared McCain is showing improvement and could provide a security blanket when Maxey sits on the sideline.

    Yet, the Sixers must get more out of the center position.

    Those things stood out in the Sixers’ 112-108 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday at Xfinity Mobile Arena.

    No respect for Maxey

    Maxey had another dominant performance, finishing with 28 points while making 5 of 8 three-pointers. His last three pulled the Sixers (13-10) within two points at 110-108 with 7.6 seconds left.

    But Luka Dončić responded with a pair of foul shots before LeBron James stole the inbounds pass on the Sixers’ final possession as the Lakers (17-6) escaped with the four-point victory.

    Jabari Walker is soaking up knowledge from his veteran Sixers teammates

    It was Los Angeles’ first victory in Philadelphia since Dec. 7, 2017.

    Dončić had game highs of 31 points and 11 assists, while James added 29 points, seven rebounds, and six assists. The four-time MVP scored 12 of his points on 5-for-6 shooting in the fourth quarter.

    In addition to scoring at least 28 points for the 14th time, Maxey finished with seven rebounds and nine assists.

    But you wouldn’t know he is having an All-NBA-caliber season based on the lack of calls he receives from officials. The 6-foot-2, 200-pounder routinely gets hammered on his way to the basket. But fouls are rarely called.

    Coach Nick Nurse is surprised by the lack of calls Maxey receives at this stage of his career.

    “I think as much as he’s getting held and pushed and grabbed, and all that stuff, you think there’d be some more,” Nurse said. “As much as he drove it down the lane, you think there’d be some more. But the surprising ones are when [the Lakers] were trying to foul on purpose, but then they let those go.”

    There were a couple of others where the Lakers were trying to stop Maxey in transition without committing a take foul.

    The Sixers are adapting to life without stars, and reigniting their season as a result

    “And [they] whacked him upside the head,” Nurse said, “and he’s got to try to play through it.”

    The frustration that comes with that came to a boiling point on Sunday.

    No foul was called when guard Austin Reaves hacked Maxey on the arm as the Sixer blew by him on the way to the basket. Jaxson Hayes blocked his driving finger roll with 2:53 left in the first quarter.

    A heated Maxey had to be separated from an official after he expressed his disappointment over the no-call. Maxey was called for a technical as a result.

    He downplayed the incident when asked about his frustration following the game.

    “Not frustrated at all,” he said. “I laughed.”

    You got a technical foul for laughing?

    “Nah, I’m just saying, I’m happy, I’m smiling,” Maxey said. “It happens, sometimes.”

    Philadelphia 76ers’ Tyrese Maxey, center, reacts to his three-point shot during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Los Angeles Lakers, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)

    Despite trying to downplay it, Maxey’s frustration was visible. And while his actions were out of character for the fun-loving Sixer, they were understandable considering the frequency with which these no-calls happen.

    And the no-calls didn’t stop, as Reaves got away with grabbing Maxey’s arm or hand several times afterward.

    “You know, referees are human,” he said. “Sometimes, they call it. Sometimes, they don’t. But you got to keep playing through all those calls, man.

    “I ain’t tripping off that. I think the referees do a great job.”

    Solid trio

    There was a time earlier in the season that the non-Maxey minutes were tough to watch. But they’ve gotten better as McCain has regained his rhythm and Edgecombe has healed from a calf injury.

    On Sunday, the Sixers had success with their three-guard lineup of McCain, Edgecombe, and Grimes, with the standout on the bench for the first 5:45 of the second quarter.

    With those three guards leading the way, the Sixers outscored the Lakers, 16-8, before Maxey re-entered the game. Edgecombe scored five of those points, while McCain had seven.

    The Sixers went to the same three-guard lineup at the start of the fourth quarter. But it was just for a limited time as Maxey checked back into the game with 8:35 remaining.

    More needed from centers

    On paper, the Sixers had a big advantage at the center position with 2023 MVP and seven-time All-Star Joel Embiid starting and two-time All-Star Andre Drummond as his backup. They faced a Lakers squad that started Deandre Ayton and had Hayes coming off the bench.

    However, Embiid struggled to make shots. Drummond did the same in the first half. Defensively, they both had a tough time guarding Ayton.

    Embiid finished with 16 points, seven rebounds, and two assists. However, he missed 17 of his 21 shots, including all six of his three-pointers. Most of Embiid’s points came at the foul line, where he went 8-for-8.

    Philadelphia 76ers’ Joel Embiid, left, talks with Tyrese Maxey, right, during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Los Angeles Lakers, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)

    Embiid loved the looks he got.

    “Every shot felt like it was right there,” said Embiid, who has missed 14 of the Sixers’ 23 games. “I think it all comes down to just getting back into rhythm, playing every day, and it’s hard being in and out. But I got to do it, I think every single day.

    “I like what I got tonight. I just happened to miss them. Maybe next time it’s going to go in.”

    Drummond finished with 11 points and 12 rebounds. He made five of 11 baskets, but he scored only two points on 1-for-4 shooting before intermission.

    Meanwhile, Ayton had 14 points on 7-for-7 shooting to go with 12 rebounds. Hayes put up three points and five rebounds in 16 minutes.

    The Sixers’ big men must play better for the Sixers to have any chance of beating a solid team.

  • Notre Dame, left out of playoff while Alabama and Miami get in, opts out of bowl consideration

    Notre Dame, left out of playoff while Alabama and Miami get in, opts out of bowl consideration

    Snubbed by the College Football Playoff, Notre Dame snubbed its nose at a second-tier bowl game.

    The ninth-ranked Fighting Irish responded to getting dropped in the CFP rankings for the second consecutive week by turning down an invitation to play in the Pop-Tarts Bowl in Orlando, Florida.

    “As a team, we’ve decided to withdraw our name from consideration for a bowl game following the 2025 season,” Notre Dame wrote in a statement posted to its official X account. “We appreciate all the support from our families and fans, and we’re hoping to bring the 12th national title to South Bend in 2026.”

    Alabama and Miami are in the College Football Playoff; Notre Dame is out

    Although it might be the exact reaction that many Notre Dame fans wanted, it’s far from ideal for the long-term viability of non-playoff bowl games.

    The decision also denies Notre Dame’s seniors a chance for one final game, denies underclassmen from a few extra weeks of practice and denies a legion of fans — is there a bigger brand in college football? — from watching this team play again.

    Sep 13, 2025; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman looks at the scoreboard during the second half against the Texas A&M Aggies at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Michael Caterina-Imagn Images

    Unlike Iowa State and Kansas State, which each got fined $500,000 by the Big 12 for opting out of a bowl game because of coaching changes, Notre Dame won’t get punished because it’s not a full-fledged member of the Atlantic Coast Conference.

    Despite winning every game for nearly three months, Notre Dame dropped behind Miami in the final CFP rankings and was left out of the 12-team bracket entirely.

    The Fighting Irish, who won their last 10 games by an average of nearly 30 points, watched championship weekend from afar, idle as an independent with no options to impress the selection committee one last time in a league title game.

    Athletic director Pete Bevacqua and coach Marcus Freeman had taken the high road in recent weeks, avoiding too much lobbying and believing their winning streak would be enough to earn a berth over Alabama.

    Miami (10-2) ended up knocking the Irish (10-2) out.

    With BYU losing to Texas Tech in the Big 12 title game, the committee ranked Miami and Notre Dame next to each other and turned to the head-to-head metric to determine which one would get the No. 10 seed.

    It was Miami, which beat Notre Dame 27-24 in Week 1 of the regular season.

    Hunter Yurachek, the chair of the selection committee, said members rewatched the game and were struck by Miami’s shutting down of a Notre Dame running game in a way nobody else did this season.

    “Then there was observation from the coaches in the room where Notre Dame did a lot of chasing of some of the athletic receivers, especially on the Miami side,” Yurachek said. “And it just felt like there was a little bit more athleticism on the side of Miami versus Notre Dame.”

    The Hurricanes will play at Texas A&M in the opening round of the playoff.

    No. 12 BYU, No. 13 Vanderbilt and No. 14 Texas — and, to a lesser extent, Atlantic Coast Conference champion Duke — are sure to have issues with the final CFP standings, too.

    “We are not entitled to anything and we’re not victimized by any process or any committee,” Vandy coach Clark Lea said. ”This is about ownership over what we’ve created, and the opportunity we created for ourselves is to go and know exactly when our season is going to be finished.”

    But no one has a bigger gripe than Notre Dame, which dropped one spot after beating Stanford 49-20 and then fell another while not playing.

    Fans online had demanded the Irish boycott their bowl game, cancel their scheduling agreement with the ACC and reassess future slates. Some called for Bevacqua to be fired.

    Notre Dame lost consecutive games to open the season against teams that made the playoff — Miami and Texas A&M, by a combined four points — and has been as good as anyone in the country since.

    Alabama, meanwhile, became the first three-loss team to make the CFP field. Yurachek explained the logic after the Crimson Tide lost 28-7 to Georgia in the SEC championship game.

    “Their strength of schedule was the highest in the top 11, and (it) felt like in spite of their performance yesterday in the conference championship, they deserve to stay within that nine spot,” Yurachek said.

  • Flyers give the NHL’s best team a fight in a 3-2 loss to the Avalanche

    Flyers give the NHL’s best team a fight in a 3-2 loss to the Avalanche

    Sean Couturier said it best after taking on the Colorado Avalanche.

    “I know we’re a young team, but I think we’ve got to start believing in ourselves,” Couturier said. “It’s a good proof today that we can play with anyone, and we’ve just got to bring that effort, that intensity, more consistently.”

    The Flyers did hang with the NHL’s best team for much of the Sunday matinee at Xfinity Mobile Arena, although Couturier added that it “felt that [at] times maybe we gave them a little too much respect and we watched them a little bit.”

    They had their chances but ultimately fell, 3-2. It is their second loss in the last three games, but the Flyers are 7-4-0 since losing two straight in mid-November. The Avalanche improved to 21-2-6.

    “Some people use games as measuring sticks, and I think we don’t need to do that anymore,” Travis Konecny said. “We’ve shown we can compete with the best teams, so why not start believing that we should be right there with them?”

    A rapid flow

    Trailing 3-1, the Flyers started to build some momentum when Konecny cut it to a one-goal lead with his seventh goal of the season early in the second period.

    Konecny put a hard shot on Mackenzie Blackwood and tried to knock the puck away deep but ended up falling near the net. As that happened, the Avalanche transitioned the other way.

    Sam Ersson made a kick save on a shot from the right half wall by New Jersey native Ross Colton, and Emil Andrae picked up the puck.

    The defenseman sent a stretch pass up to Konecny, who was late getting back because of being trapped deep up the ice. The pass was nicked by Brock Nelson in the neutral zone, but Konecny took it off the wall, skated in, and scored five-hole.

    “Yeah, it’s great,” said Christian Dvorak, who was given a secondary assist on Konecny’s goal, about playing with the winger lately. “High skill, high compete player [who] wins a lot of battles. Makes a lot of great plays out there and a nice goal tonight.

    “Yeah, we had plenty of chances in the third, especially to tie it up, just a little bit away from executing there.”

    Coach Rick Tocchet also had praise for Andrae after the game. Andrae was up in the play, making smart moves, and helping to lead the Flyers at both ends of the ice.

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

    “That’s what I’m looking for right there. He was very good tonight,” Tocchet said. “When he had the puck, and there was room to skate, he skated; he didn’t wait. Even on the blue line, there were times when he had it, he had a step on a guy, he took, what we call, the good ice. He wasn’t flat-footed; he wasn’t looking to defer. He was being aggressive. So it’s a good step for Emil.”

    The Flyers started to carry the game more, and in the third period, they outshot the Avalanche 13-3. According to Natural Stat Trick, the Flyers also had 26 chances to 14 against, 12 scoring chances to four for Colorado, and eight high-danger chances to one against. Their expected goals also climbed from 0.3 in the first period to 1.38 in the third.

    “It was a strong finish again,” Konecny said. “I don’t know if it was like a flat first period for us. I know, for me specifically, I didn’t have anything good going on first. But yeah, we responded well.”

    Trevor Zegras probably had the best chance when he was held up on a breakaway by Nathan MacKinnon and was awarded a penalty shot. Known for his prowess in the shootout, he was unable to bury this one.

    It was his second penalty shot this season, as he also was unable to beat Jordan Binnington in overtime in the Flyers’ 6-5 shootout win against the St. Louis Blues in November. Zegras did score in the shootout.

    Colorado center Martin Necas slides into Flyers goaltender Samuel Ersson during the second period at Xfinity Mobile Arena.

    The birthday boy

    Skating in his 900th NHL game — all with the Flyers — and on his 33rd birthday, Couturier set the tone early.

    On his first shift of the game, a tidy 35-second shift to boot, he made it 1-0 Flyers. With Couturier centering Matvei Michkov and Owen Tippett, the three forwards got to work to keep the puck on the Flyers’ sticks.

    Tippett carried the puck deep along the left boards before curling and feeding it to Noah Juulsen at the right point. The defenseman, who has three of the Flyers’ 10 hardest shots this season, according to NHL Edge, put the puck on net with Couturier tipping it in out front, even with Avalanche defenseman Sam Malinski on him.

    “It’s fitting for him to get that first one. It’s just great to see him play 900. He’s been through a lot in his career, and he’s always just put his head down and gone to work and led by example,” Konecny said.

    “And he’s a guy that you can say he doesn’t care about that goal, he’ll care about if we won or lost the game, and that speaks to why he’s our captain. He’s been doing it for a long time. He just wants to win. So it’s a good guy to have on your side, and we love him.”

    Ersson’s effort

    Starting his second straight game for just the second time this season — because Tocchet said he felt he deserved it after beating the Buffalo Sabres on Wednesday — Ersson had a tall task against the Avalanche. They entered the day leading the NHL with an average of four goals a game.

    On the first goal, Egor Zamula couldn’t handle the puck behind the net and then didn’t get to it along the boards quickly enough. It allowed Colorado forward Jack Drury to easily play the puck deep to Martin Nečas, who sent a cross-ice pass up to Brent Burns at the right point for the goal.

    “We play our best when we’re on our toes, and skating forward and be aggressive, and kind of get in their face and get their speed down,” Andrae said.

    “Maybe we had a couple of long shifts, and they keep going, and they’re coming at us, and maybe we’re backing off a little bit too much and giving too much space, so you get on your heels. But overall, I think we played a pretty good game, but we didn’t capitalize on our chances.”

    The second goal was a bit wonky as it was on a power play for Colorado — no surprise here, once again a questionable call by the referees — and happened after the puck hit the glass behind the net. The shot by Cale Makar, the reigning Norris Trophy winner, hit the glass, and MacKinnon had a swipe at it before Brock Nelson scored.

    Flyers defenseman Emil Andrae shoves Avalanche center Ross Colton during the second period.

    And the third goal came off a cross-ice pass by Victor Olofsson to Valeri Nichushkin atop the right faceoff circle. He whipped it passed Ersson to make it 3-1.

    Zamula and his partner, Juulsen, were on the ice for that goal too.

    “Yeah, I mean, listen, they’re scratching and clawing,” Tocchet said. “That’s what you’ve got to get from them. They’re trying.”

    Ersson settled down and had some key saves. With the score tied, he stopped a hard, high shot by Burns and then a Josh Manson rebound. Early in the second period, he made a save on a shot by Devon Toews with Gabriel Landeskog in front before robbing the Colorado captain on the doorstep.

    Later in the middle frame, Ersson did what he does best — stopping guys one-on-one. Facing his countryman, Olofsson, Ersson stoned him on a breakaway as he got behind Zamula.

    “He was unbelievable, like he always is. He kept us in it. And it wouldn’t have been a one-goal game without him,” Dvorak said of Ersson, who made 25 saves.

    Breakaways

    Defenseman Cam York did not play and remains day to day with an upper-body injury. Blueliner Ty Murchison, who was recalled from Lehigh Valley of the American Hockey League on Saturday, participated in warmups but did not play. … Defenseman Nick Seeler played in his 400th NHL game. … Konecny has six points (two goals, four assists) during a four-game point streak. … Andrae has seven points in 17 games this season and is plus-7.

    Sean Couturier and Nick Seeler will reach a major milestone in Sunday’s game vs. Avalanche

    Up next

    The Flyers host Macklin Celebrini, Will Smith, and the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday (7 p.m., NBCSP).

  • Eagles vs. Chargers: Predictions, odds, playoff standings, injuries, and what everyone is talking about

    Eagles vs. Chargers: Predictions, odds, playoff standings, injuries, and what everyone is talking about

    The Eagles will be back in prime time as they try to stop a two-game skid from turning into three against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium on Monday Night Football.

    Here’s everything you need to know about the team’s Week 14 matchup …

    How to watch Eagles vs. Chargers

    The Eagles kick off against the Chargers at 8:15 p.m. on ABC and ESPN, with Joe Buck and Troy Aikman on the call and Lisa Salters and Laura Rutledge on the sidelines. For fans looking for a more monstrous viewing experience, ESPN will be producing an animated Funday Football alternative cast on ESPN2, DisneyXD and Disney+ set in the Monsters, Inc. universe.

    If you prefer Merrill Reese and Mike Quick on the call, the radio broadcast can be found on 94.1 WIP-FM. And if you want to watch the game with fellow Birds fans, here are a few spots to check out.

    Eagles will play Chargers in a stadium full of ‘Monsters.’ That’s not the only difference on ESPN’s alt broadcast.
    Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter underwent a procedure on his shoulders and will miss Monday night’s game against the Chargers.

    Final injury report

    The Eagles will be without one Pro Bowl lineman on each side of the ball on Monday night. Lane Johnson remains out with the Lisfranc injury he suffered in the team’s win over the Lions. Fred Johnson will fill in at right tackle for a third game. Jalen Carter will also miss Monday’s game, as the defensive tackle underwent a procedure on both of his shoulders and is currently considered week to week.

    Jalen Carter’s absence could put rookie Ty Robinson in the spotlight

    For the Chargers, quarterback Justin Herbert is questionable after undergoing surgery to repair a fracture in his left (non-throwing) hand earlier in the week. Here’s a look at the final injury report for both sides.

    Eagles

    Out

    • DT Jalen Carter, shoulders
    • T Lane Johnson, foot

    Questionable

    • S Marcus Epps, shoulder
    • T Myles Hinton, back

    Chargers

    Out

    • TE Tucker Fisk, ankle

    Questionable

    • RB Omarion Hampton, ankle
    • QB Justin Herbert, left hand
    • DT Otito Ogbonnia, elbow

    Eagles vs. Chargers odds

    As of Saturday afternoon, the Eagles were 2.5-point favorites at FanDuel and DraftKings. Both sportsbooks have set the projected point total at 41.5.

    Marcus Epps is ready to do ‘whatever the team needs’ as Eagles could have a new starting safety
    With their win over the Eagles on Black Friday, the Bears moved ahead of the Birds in the NFC standings.

    Playoff picture

    With five games remaining in the regular season, the 8-4 Eagles hold a two-game lead over the NFC East and hold the third seed in the NFC. At 2-11, the Giants are mathematically eliminated from the playoffs, and the 3-9 Commanders can be eliminated from the divisional race with a loss or an Eagles win this week. The Cowboys, at 6-6-1, stand the best chance of taking the division lead from the Eagles, though Dallas’ loss to the Lions on Thursday night gave the Birds a bit of extra cushion.

    NFC East standings

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    NFL playoff picture: Eagles in surprisingly good shape, several teams could be eliminated

    The Bears and the Rams, both at 9-3, sit ahead of the Eagles in the NFC’s playoff seeding. The Birds have a tiebreak advantage over the Rams thanks to their 33-26 win over Los Angeles in Week 3, but the Bears hold the head-to-head advantage over the Eagles after last week’s loss.

    NFC Standings

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    Police confirmed earlier this week that offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo’s Moorestown home was vandalized after the Eagles’ loss to the Bears on Black Friday.

    Storylines to watch

    The Eagles’ struggles on the offensive side of the ball continued in back-to-back losses to the Cowboys and Bears, and fans expressed their anger in various ways, with some going too far and egging offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo’s home.

    An alternate history of 2023, and why the Eagles are preaching the right message | Marcus Hayes

    But the Birds’ defense also struggled in the team’s 24-15 loss to Chicago at Lincoln Financial Field last Friday, giving up 281 rushing yards. After holding opponents to fewer than 400 yards of offense in each of its first 10 games, Vic Fangio’s defense allowed both the Cowboys and the Bears to eclipse 400 yards of total offense in back-to-back games. Can the defense recover from back-to-back poor performances and contain the Chargers without Carter?

    Injuries will also play a part in Monday night’s game for the Chargers. Jim Harbaugh’s team is preparing for Herbert to be their starting quarterback against the Eagles after he had surgery on his fractured left hand on Monday, though his status was listed as questionable on Saturday’s injury report. Herbert’s right throwing hand is healthy, but will a recovering left hand impact Herbert’s abilities on the field? Or will the Eagles see backup Trey Lance on Monday night?

    Here are a few more storylines to follow…

    If you haven’t been paying attention to the Eagles’ troubles, let’s get you up to speed | Mike Sielski

    One number to know

    75.9% – The rate of trips to the red zone that have resulted in touchdowns for the Eagles this season.

    While the Eagles’ offensive struggles have been well documented, the Birds are leading the league in efficiency when they get inside the opponents’ 20-yard line. They have converted 22 of their 29 red-zone trips into touchdowns this season.

    Numbers and trends that could impact Monday’s Eagles-Chargers game in Los Angeles
    The Eagles and chargers last met in Nov. 2021.

    Inquirer Eagles-Chargers predictions

    Our writers are split on their predictions for Monday night. Here’s a snippet of each of what they’re thinking — but you can click their names for a more in-depth breakdown …

    Jeff McLane: I’m sure fans hate whenever I pick the Eagles. I get the joke. But I like their chances against a limited quarterback, and definitely if Lance starts. I don’t think the offense will rise from the near-dead, but I anticipate noticeable changes off the mini-bye that will aid their chances. I also like Hurts indoors. | Prediction: Eagles 25, Chargers 19

    Jeff McLane’s keys to Eagles vs. Chargers in Week 14: What you need to know and a prediction

    Jeff Neiburg: Justin Herbert is wearing a cast on his left hand, and the Chargers have a passing attack that should play into the Eagles’ hands, as long as they’re able to stop the run and get Herbert into third-and-longs. That may seem like a big ask without Carter, and it is, but the Eagles have had a solid enough run defense for most of the season to think Vic Fangio and Co. will make sure the last performance was just a one-game blip. | Prediction: Eagles 23, Chargers 20

    Olivia Reiner: On one hand, I find it hard to believe that this Eagles team, with all of its talent, will lose three straight games for the first time since 2023. On the other, these matchups aren’t exactly favorable for the Eagles, even with an injured Herbert factored into the equation. | Prediction: Chargers 27, Eagles 24

    Matt Breen: Omarion Hampton is trending to play Monday night, giving the Chargers a two-headed rushing attack against the Eagles. Does that remind you of anything? … This seems like a tough spot. | Prediction: Chargers 27, Eagles 17

    Eagles vs. Chargers predictions: Our writers pick a winner for Week 14

    National media picks

    Here’s how the national media is leaning for Monday …

    • ESPN: Eagles
    • NFL.com: Eagles
    • CBS Sports: Eagles
    • Sports Illustrated: Eagles
    • USA Today: Eagles
    • Sporting News: Chargers
    • Bleacher Report: Eagles
    Jalen Hurts and the Eagles have lost four of their last eight games.

    What we’re saying about the Eagles

    Here’s what our columnists are saying about the Eagles this week, starting with Marcus Hayes, who argues that Jalen Carter’s injury will intensify the pressure on Jalen Hurts …

    Marcus Hayes: “The Eagles can win three of their remaining games, four if they win Monday night. That would give them 12 wins and a chance at the No. 1 seed in the NFC, since they’ve beaten the Rams and Lions, and since the Bears have a much more challenging schedule left to play. But no longer can the Eagles expect their defense to win games for them, as Hurts squeezes the football and stares, mystified, into opposing secondaries.” Read more.

    David Murphy: “The reality of the NFL is that good teams struggle. It is a counterpunchers league, led by a bunch of maniac coaches who won’t rest until they figure out what you are doing and how to beat it. Andy Reid did not suddenly become a worse offensive coach over the last three seasons. Patrick Mahomes is still the same Patrick Mahomes who threw for 5,250 yards in 2022. Nobody in Kansas City or elsewhere is seriously questioning whether one of them is the problem. The Eagles made it look easy last year. But last year was an anomaly. The competitive environment this season is much closer to the norm.” Read more.

    Mike Sielski: “That narrative — that [A.J.] Brown is only about Brown and his selfishness damages the Eagles — has never held up under much scrutiny. Should he stay off social media more? Of course he should. But they have a 53-18 record (regular-season and postseason), have won a Super Bowl, and reached another since acquiring him. At least 29 other teams in the NFL would sign up for that level of damage. Read more.

    Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert broke a bone in his non-throwing hand last week against the Raiders.

    What the Chargers are saying

    At 8-4, the Chargers are in the current playoff picture in the AFC as the top wild-card team and trail the 10-2 Broncos for the lead in the AFC West. According to NFL.com’s playoff probabilities, a win against the Eagles would give the Chargers a 76% chance of making the playoffs, while a loss drops their postseason odds to 50%.

    Herbert’s status under center is still in question, but the Chargers have prepared this week as if he will be the starting quarterback. Herbert had high praise for Vic Fangio’s defense as he prepared to face the Birds this week.

    “He’s had a ton of success in this league,” Herbert said. “Back at his time with the Broncos, we saw him twice a year and we had a lot of respect for him then … The guys that they have on that side of the ball are game-wreckers and you have to be aware of those guys, and at the same time they are really well-coached, and it makes for a dangerous combination for a defense.”

    The Chargers are ready for Vic Fangio’s defense — and aren’t worried about Justin Herbert’s hand injury

    Here’s what else the Chargers had to say…

    Offensive coordinator Greg Roman on Fangio’s coverage schemes: “I was born at night, but not last night. Vic’s going to have different ways to leverage coverage to where it’s not one-on-one at all times … But as far as the matchup, I like Ladd [McConkey] against anybody.”

    Wide receiver Quentin Johnston on Herbert’s injury: “I forgot he was dealing with something the way he’s playing. But that’s just the type of guy he is. Very, very tough guy. He was still at practice, throwing very accurate, so he honestly looked like he hasn’t lost his touch. So right now, just getting him through practice and getting him through the week and prepared for Sunday.”

    Defensive end Khalil Mack on the Eagles’ offensive line without Lane Johnson: “Nameless, faceless objects. You understand who they are and what they’ve been able to accomplish and the level of football they play at, so it’s going to be a hell of a challenge.”

    Guard Tyler Steen, center Cam Jurgens, and guard Landon Dickerson make up 60% of the Eagles starting offensive line.

    What the national media is saying

    Back-to-back losses from the Birds has placed them under the microscope of national network analysts and pundits, who are trying to diagnose what’s wrong with the reigning Super Bowl champs. On his New Heights podcast, former Eagles center Jason Kelce said the team will be in better shape once his former teammate Johnson returns from injury to his spot at right tackle.

    “Lane Johnson coming back will be huge,” Jason said. “Even though [backup Fred Johnson] has done well, especially in pass [protection]. I think the run game is close, I know it hasn’t manifested yet. It’s frustrating watching because you know it can be so much better. I think with the health that is starting to come, it will only improve.”

    Here’s what else the national media had to say about the Birds…

    Travis Kelce on how pre-snap motions might help the Eagles offense: “You watch the Chiefs play, you see me moving around all the time. I move from one side of the line to the other side of the line, and what that does for the defense is it changes passing strength, it changes rules on how they’re going to pass off routes, it changes how they have to fill gaps.”

    Dan Orlovsky on the Eagles’ first-down struggles: “If you struggle as an offense on first down, it makes second down much harder, and then therefore third down much harder. Until they play better as an offensive line and play better offensively on first down, that’s not going to get fixed.”

    Dan Orlovsky hasn’t been shy about the Eagles’ struggles. But he still believes they can be contenders.

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  • How Kaytron Allen broke out of his shell to emerge as a star in Penn State’s backfield

    How Kaytron Allen broke out of his shell to emerge as a star in Penn State’s backfield

    STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — It has been a breakout 2025 season for Kaytron Allen, who etched his name into Penn State history as the program’s all-time leading rusher.

    But the senior running back’s path to stardom was bumpy.

    Allen rushed for 1,769 yards and 16 touchdowns across his first two seasons in Happy Valley. He thrived next to Nicholas Singleton, his fellow Class of 2022 running back. But he was missing a key element, the final hurdle to becoming a true No. 1 running back.

    While Allen’s runs were loud, his voice and presence within the Lasch Building were nonexistent. He attended team meetings and film sessions, but a simple head nod was the only interaction he had with most teammates and coaches.

    That was, until one kind gesture changed his demeanor.

    When Allen had nowhere to go for Thanksgiving during his sophomore year, Terry Smith, who then was Penn State’s associate head coach and cornerbacks coach, invited him to join his family for Thanksgiving in Pittsburgh. Allen got to see his coach in a different light, as a family man.

    Kaytron Allen (13) reacts after scoring a rushing touchdown against Rutgers.

    It marked the start of a bond between the shy running back and the now-interim coach known as “the truth teller” inside the program. And it marked the beginning of Allen’s ascent.

    “Kaytron is a man of very few words,” Smith said. “Up until that point, I would see him in the building and say, ‘Hey, what’s up?’ And he gave me one of those [head nods] and kept it moving. Then we had Thanksgiving with him, and he saw me in a different light. And from that day forward, Kaytron and I became [close].”

    Smith’s friendship seemed to unlock a new side of Allen, one that was more open and honest, not only with his teammates and coaches, but also with himself. And with that honesty came increased production.

    The Norfolk, Va., native rushed for 1,108 yards and eight touchdowns in his junior campaign. He saved his best football for the College Football Playoff, when he rushed 47 times for 286 yards and two touchdowns in three games as Penn State finished with a program-best 13 wins.

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    While Allen’s breakout season mirrored that of Singleton’s, who rushed for 1,099 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns, the latter remained Penn State’s prized running back. It was Singleton who made ESPN and CBS Sports’ 2025 preseason All-America teams.

    But through the first six games of the 2025 campaign, Allen’s production took center stage. While the duo split carries at 70 apiece during that stretch, Allen’s 467 rushing yards far outpaced Singleton’s 259. He ran for seven touchdowns to Singleton’s six behind the same offensive line, same blocking, and same play calls.

    James Franklin’s firing on Oct. 12 signaled a drastic shift in Penn State football. Smith took over as interim head coach and quickly made a promise to Allen: He would do everything to get his star running back the program’s rushing record.

    Penn State running back Kaytron Allen (13) celebrates with Nicholas Singleton and head coach Terry Smith after breaking the all time rushing record for Penn State.

    “It means a lot when you have a coach who believes in you. It makes you want to go hard for him, gets [me] going,” Allen said. “I appreciate [Smith] a lot for giving me that boost in confidence.”

    Smith made good on his promise in his first contest as interim head coach. Against Iowa, Allen rushed a career-high 28 times for 145 yards and two touchdowns while Singleton tallied just six carries (15 yards). And despite the Nittany Lions’ 25-24 loss, one thing was certain: Allen was the team’s RB1.

    His uptick in production didn’t stop in Iowa City, Iowa. Over the team’s next five games, Allen rushed 112 times to Singleton’s 47. His confidence was building with every carry, every broken tackle, every touchdown.

    After years of sharing a backfield but not the praise or spotlight associated with his production, it was fitting that Allen’s signature touchdown celebration — kicking down an imaginary door — encapsulated this moment in his career. And the best part: His best games were still ahead.

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    “Kaytron is my guy. We’re roommates, we’ve been through a lot, we stuck together,” Singleton said. “We made each other better. He made me better every day just by competing with him.”

    Allen rushed for 181 yards and two touchdowns in his team’s 28-10 victory over Michigan State. The next week, he had 25 carries for 160 yards against Nebraska to set the program’s all-time rushing record, surpassing Evan Royster’s mark of 3,932 yards. Allen’s total stands at 4,180.

    He could add to that total since Penn State qualified for a bowl game with its 6-6 record, but Allen has not indicated if he would play at the risk of an injury that could impact his NFL potential.

    Allen said his goal as a freshman was simply to make a difference and help his team win football games. Mission accomplished.

    “We’re just so proud of him,” center Nick Dawkins said. “We wanted to get this done for him. We knew preseason that this was an accolade that we wanted to achieve for him as an offensive line, and for him to get his flowers is amazing because he works so hard.”

    Kaytron Allen (13) runs the ball into the end zone against Nebraska.

    In a fitting end to his final college regular season game, Allen rushed 22 times for 226 yards and a touchdown in Penn State’s 40-36 win over Rutgers. He earned three consecutive Big Ten Player of the Week awards after averaging 189 rushing yards per game over his final three contests.

    Allen finished the regular season with career highs in rushing yards (1,303) and yards per carry (6.2). He rushed for more touchdowns (15) than he had in his previous two seasons combined (14). At last, his ascent to becoming Penn State’s top running back was complete.

    “There have been a lot of ups and downs, more downs than ups,” Allen said. ”The adversity I had to come through, I learned a lot off the field just trying to buy in, trying to open up and do things differently from what I’m used to. I appreciate everyone [at Penn State].”