Joel Embiid will miss the 76ers’ Monday night game against the Orlando Magic at Xfinity Mobile Arena due to left knee injury management.
Meanwhile, Sixers forward Dominick Barlow will also miss the Magic game and Tuesday’s contest at the Washington Wizards while undergoing a procedure on Monday to address a right elbow laceration. He will be re-evaluated later on this week.
Embiid played in the first two games of the season and the exhibition finale. Those matchups were Embiid’s first games since facing the Brooklyn Nets in a 105-103 regular-season home loss on Feb. 22.
Meanwhile, Barlow suffered the laceration in the first half of Saturday’s 125-121 home-opening victory over the Charlotte Hornets and didn’t return after intermission.
Sixers forward Dominick Barlow will miss the next two games while undergoing to procedure after suffering a right elbow laceration.
Paul George (left knee surgery recovery), Trendon Watford (left hamstring tightness), and Jared McCain (right thumb surgery) will remain sidelined.
Embiid’s game of rest comes after he finished with 20 points on 7-for-11 shooting, including making 3 of 6 three-pointers, to go with two rebounds, four assists, and two steals against the Hornets. He logged just 20 minutes, 7 seconds while on a minute restriction.
The instant reaction in the visitors’ locker room at MetLife Stadium two weeks ago was that the Eagles didn’t match the physicality of the New York Giants during a 34-17 defeat that sent the Eagles into their mini-bye with a bad taste and a lot to work on.
What changed Sunday, 17 days later?
Zack Baun had a simple response: “We were more physical than them today. That was the mentality we wanted to come out with. We came out with it and we sustained it throughout the whole game.”
Reed Blankenship said the Eagles “gave it to ’em a little bit.”
There was more to it, of course. You can start with the fact that the Eagles had two of their most important defensive pieces on the field in Jalen Carter and Quinyon Mitchell — Carter missed the Week 6 game and Mitchell left in the first half with an injury. But the Eagles also played with a “sense of pride,” defensive tackle Moro Ojomo said. It was Jalen Hurts’ message when he broke the team down before the game.
The defensive front took it to heart. Two weeks after rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart tormented them with his arm and his legs, the Eagles held him in check. Dart rushed 13 times for 58 yards two weeks ago, several of those runs coming on scrambles off broken pass plays. He rushed six times for 17 yards Sunday. The Eagles contained him and, more important, got after him. They sacked him five times in the 38-20 win.
Eagles linebacker Jalyx Hunt sacks Jaxson Dart, one of five on the Giants quarterback on Sunday.
“You get to play 10 on 11,” Blankenship said of containing a quarterback with Dart’s scrambling ability. “Obviously when you add that extra flavor with the quarterback scrambling and stuff, it gets tough. At the end of the day you start playing backyard football.”
There was little of that Sunday in part because of how quickly Dart was under duress. The Eagles entered Sunday with just 11 sacks this season. Only four teams had fewer. Five Eagles registered a sack on Sunday: Baun, Ojomo, Carter, Jordan Davis, and Jalyx Hunt. The Eagles signed Brandon Graham out of retirement last week, and more help is on the way when Nolan Smith returns from injury, but the Eagles showed their pass rush can still have some teeth.
Baun said the Eagles’ game plan focused on that pass rush and also containing Dart. They did their best to keep him in the pocket and wanted to “hawk him down” when he got out of it. They also tailored coverages that were “more attuned to having eyes on the quarterback.”
The Carter factor helps, too. The Eagles missed him greatly in the first matchup. Sunday’s sack was his first of the season, but Carter’s impact can rarely be measured by box scores.
“It changes the dynamic,” Ojomo said. “Similar to A.J. Brown on the offense. He’s a guy that requires a different level of attention, and when you have that attention, it changes the dynamic for everything. Things become predictable. Offenses have to account for him and it’s great to play next to him.”
It was Dart and fellow rookie Cam Skattebo who crushed the Eagles two weeks ago. Skattebo scored a touchdown catching the ball out of the backfield in the first quarter, but the running back was knocked out of the game with a gruesome ankle injury near the midpoint of the second quarter. He was on the field for an extended period before being carted off.
“It’s heartbreaking,” said Baun, who was in coverage on the intended pass to Skattebo when he was injured. “I don’t care if he’s the one whooping our [butt] or not. Player to player, it definitely hurts.
“When a play like that happens, it’s just refocusing the team and understanding that there’s more ball to be played.”
The Eagles had a 14-7 lead when Skattebo exited, and the Giants scored just 13 total points while the game was still in the balance.
The Eagles later pulled their starters with six minutes to play and Dart led a garbage-time touchdown drive.
“You love to see your guys off the field when you got four or five minutes left on the clock,” Blankenship said. “It’s always good going into the bye week like that.”
The defense is hitting the bye with a little bit of momentum. It responded to that disastrous performance two weeks ago with two of its better performances, and the run defense, which has been an issue at times, has improved. The Eagles defense was stingy in the red zone last week in Minnesota and put together a more well-rounded game Sunday.
From left, the Eagles’ Jalyx Hunt, Moro Ojomo, and Jalen Carter celebrate after a sack of Jaxson Dart in the fourth quarter against the Giants.
“You get your [butt] kicked and it’s a little motivation to me, personally, and I know to a lot of the guys,” Blankenship said.
Tougher tests await. The Eagles will use the bye week to get healthy and get some rest, but they return from the break to face Green Bay, Detroit, and then a Dallas offense that has started to put things together.
“I think we’re really close to where we want to be,” Baun said. “There’s still things to clean up, but I think we’re getting there. I really do.”
The Eagles took the field in their kelly green jerseys on Sunday, changing things up for a rematch against the New York Giants. Look good, feel good, play good rang true as the Birds soared to a 38-20 victory.
The broadcast team of Tom Brady and Kevin Burkhardt found plenty to complain about in the win, however. Here’s everything you might have missed from the Fox broadcast:
Barkley’s back
Week after week, everyone has been asking, “Where’s Saquon Barkley?”
Barkley answered in explosive fashion, ripping a 65-yard touchdown run on the second play from scrimmage. He broke out of his funk, surpassing his rushing total in each of the last five games on one play.
SAQUON TAKES IT 65 YARDS FOR THE TD ON THE SECOND PLAY OF THE GAME 🔥
Brady felt the release with the fans as Barkley crossed the goal line — while providing some insight into how the Eagles have flipped the script
“It feels so good,” Brady said. “This entire offensive line has been waiting for this, to find that mojo. They were under center much more last week, and that’s how they kind of want this offense to go. Keep that defensive line guessing a little bit. Is it run or pass?”
Barkley finished with 150 yards and a touchdown on the ground. The Penn State product said postgame that he’s good to go despite being pulled late in the game with a groin injury.
Brady made a mistake we all make in the living room with our family watching the game — the only problem was that he was live on air for Fox.
After an early scramble by Jalen Hurts to escape a Brian Burns tackle in the first quarter, Brady took a moment to compliment the Eagles starter.
While describing Hurts’ ability to escape the pocket, Brady dropped an obscenity before quickly finishing his sentence in hopes no one noticed … but we noticed.
“Whenever I watch him play it’s like the D-line is almost there to get him,” Brady said. “And then nope, he just squirts away, and they can’t f— …”
Cue awkwardness.
Flag frustration
The announcers had plenty to complain about this week with flags, erroneously blown whistles, and questionable fumbles called or not.
First on the docket was an accidentally blown whistle during a missed 58-yard field-goal attempt by Jake Elliott in the first quarter — which rules analyst Dean Blandino said should have resulted in a redo of the play.
If you think you were mad about the missed chance to pad what then was a 7-0 lead, you should have seen Nick Sirianni on the sideline in a shouting match with three officials.
Nick Sirianni furious heated discussion with the refs
Due to the erroneous whistle, the Eagles should’ve had another chance to attempt this field goal per FOX Rules Expert @DeanBlandinopic.twitter.com/CFI3kD7ByG
Not to be outdone, Giants coach Brian Daboll had a similar meltdown after the Giants seemingly stopped a Tush Push attempt by Hurts with a strip and recovery by Kayvon Thibodeaux. Luckily for the Birds, the refs blew the play dead early — much to the chagrin of Daboll.
Brian Daboll is livid on the sideline. The #Giants felt it should’ve been a fumble. (And I think Daboll is right.)
One positive of the mistakes and chatter around the Tush Push disrupting the game was a rare moment in which the announcers could say they agreed with both coaches about the refs.
“Sirianni was hot because the whistle blew on the Eagles field-goal miss, which the play should have been blown dead and done again,” play-by-play man Burkhardt said. “And now Daboll has got one that should be a fumble, and I think they both were right.”
By the time dust settled, there were a few more missed calls and blowups by each coach. Postgame, Hall of Famer Michael Strahan, a former Giant who’s now a studio analyst for Fox, had harsh words for the officials.
“That may be the worst-officiated game we saw all season,” Strahan said.
The last thing the Eagles want is another good quarterback in the NFC East, which already features the Dallas Cowboys’ Dak Prescott and the Washington Commanders’ Jayden Daniels.
So of course, the greatest quarterback of all time had to give his stamp of approval to the Giants’ Jaxson Dart. Brady took time to compliment the young quarterback’s ability, comparing him to a young Josh Allen, the 2024 NFL MVP.
Brady took an extra moment to compliment the “mental and emotional part of his game” in reference to the former Ole Miss quarterback’s ability to change play calls — leading to the most outrageous comparison of the day.
“That autonomy allows quarterbacks to elevate the game a lot, like [Peyton] Manning, [Drew] Brees, myself, some of these guys have played for a long time,” Brady said. “They’re very successful.”
“How many rookies, if any quarterbacks, have that autonomy?” Burkhardt replied.
Jalen Hurts was efficient through the air, but also with his pre-snap reads in managing the return of the Eagles’ potent running game. He completed 15 of 20 passes for 179 yards and four touchdowns. The exclamation point came on a 40-yard jump ball that wide receiver Jahan Dotson pulled in for a fourth-quarter score.
Hurts’ first touchdown pass came vs. a Giants blitz. He got his “hot” route — an uncovered Saquon Barkley — and the running back sashayed into the end zone for a 9-yard score. Hurts struggled vs. a third-down blitz a drive later, though, and was sacked.
The Eagles stayed committed to having Hurts under center, and he continued his success off play-action with a 26-yard hookup with DeVonta Smith in the first quarter. After a few weeks in which he didn’t run or scramble much, Hurts had his running shoes on. He converted a fourth down and nearly a long third down with scrambles in the first half.
Backup Tanner McKee took snaps in mop-up duty.
Running back: A
The return of the running game led to both Saquon Barkley and Tank Bigsby rushing for over 100 yards in a game — the first time an Eagles running back duo did so since LeSean McCoy and Bryce Brown in Week 16 of the 2013 season against the Chicago Bears.
Barkley went over the century mark for the first time this season with 14 carries for 150 yards. Barkley finally broke through for one of his patented home runs on his first touch of the game. He cut back against the grain, zipped through a hole, and took it to the house for a 65-yard touchdown.
A greater variety of run calls helped Barkley. The outside runs were effective, particularly on gap scheme blocking. He picked up 10 and 28 yards on two such examples. Barkley injured his groin on a 28-yard rush late in the third quarter and didn’t return, likely out of precaution. He also caught four passes for 24 yards, including what felt like his first screen pass in ages and, later, a 9-yard touchdown.
Bigsby was second up again, and on his first carry, he bounced an under-center handoff outside for an 18-yard rush. With Barkley sidelined, he converted a second-and-26 with a 29-yard gain in which he broke a tackle. All told, Bigsby rushed nine times for 104 yards.
Will Shipley was held to 2 yards on three totes. AJ Dillon was active but didn’t play on offense. His spot on the 53-man roster could be in jeopardy.
Receiver/tight end: B+
Don’t let anyone fool you, the Eagles are better with A.J. Brown than without. With the No. 1 receiver out with a hamstring injury, others aside from DeVonta Smith needed to step up.
On “National Tight Ends Day,” Dallas Goedert beat a safety on a 6-yard slant before the break for a career-best sixth touchdown of the season. Goedert grabbed his seventh in the fourth quarter on an option play in which Smith’s rub route freed the tight end for a walk-in 17-yard touchdown.
Jahan Dotson was targeted only twice, but he made the best on Hurts’ 40-yard heave. Darius Cooper, activated after a stint on injured reserve, often was the third blocking receiver on running downs in 11 personnel. He drew a pass interference penalty in the third quarter.
Smith was Hurts’ favorite target, as he’s been over the last month. He caught 6 of 9 targets for 84 yards.
Offensive line: A-
The much maligned and banged up O-line delivered the type of performance it is known for with great run blocking and solid pass protection. Center Brett Toth got the job done in place of the injured Cam Jurgens (knee). Toth had a kick-out block on an outside gap scheme run that sprung Barkley for 10 yards. The Eagles went back to it late in the third quarter and Toth led the way on Barkley’s 28-yard run.
Toth’s false start in the first quarter ruled out a fourth down go-for-it try. The additional 5 yards also tacked yardage onto the field-goal attempt, which was missed.
Guards Tyler Steen and Landon Dickerson opened various lanes on inside runs but also got to the edge and helped on outside rushes. Dickerson had some rumbling, bumbling blocks on outside runs. The same could be said for tackles Lane Johnson and Jordan Mailata. Johnson’s holding penalty brought back a 15-yard pass over the middle to Smith in the first quarter.
The O-line has struggled vs. five- and six-man fronts all season. But with Fred Johnson lined up at tight end, the Eagles had six blockers vs. the Giants’ five, and each one handled his one-on-one on Barkley’s house call.
Eagles linebacker Jalyx Hunt sacks Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart, his first of the season.
Defensive line: A
The Eagles’ pass rush showed teeth and kept the elusive Jaxson Dart in the pocket, especially once the trailing Giants were forced to drop back their rookie quarterback. They finished with a season-high five sacks.
Defensive tackle Jalen Carter, who was held out of the first game vs. the Giants, picked up his first sack of the season. He received assistance from good man coverage downfield.
Outside linebacker Jalyx Hunt brought energy off the edge from the jump. He notched an early run stop and dropped Dart from behind on a scramble that netted just a yard. Hunt picked up his first sack of the season on a third down in the red zone in the third quarter. Defensive tackle Jordan Davis cleaned up for a sack on a failed run-pass option play in the second quarter. Moro Ojomo was credited with a sack.
The Giants were dealt a blow when rookie running back Cam Skattebo suffered a gruesome ankle injury in the second quarter. The Eagles were more stout against the run than they were in the first meeting, as New York running backs averaged 3.4 rushing yards.
Patrick Johnson’srush off the edge forced Dart to step up into the waiting arms of Hunt. Johnson slipped when he dropped to cover Skattebo out of the backfield, and the running back caught an 18-yard touchdown pass for the Giants’ first points.
Nakobe Dean played most of the snaps at inside linebacker ahead of rookie Jihaad Campbell. He had a run stop near the line of scrimmage in the second quarter. Dean trailed Devin Singletary on a wheel route that went for a 28-yard completion on a third down in the third quarter.
The return of Dean has allowed Zack Baun to play to his freelancing strengths. He led the Eagles with six tackles and had a sack and another tackle for loss. Baun was late to account for Tyrone Tracy out of the backfield on a third-down conversion in the second quarter. But a few plays later, he broke up the pass to Skattebo on the play on which the running back got hurt.
Campbell played on the edge in base sets. He finished with a relatively quiet two tackles.
Cornerback: A-
Kelee Ringo was the outside cornerback opposite Quinyon Mitchell in nickel personnel. Adoree’ Jackson was out with a concussion. Ringo didn’t allow his man to break free after Dart escaped out of the pocket on a third down in the third quarter. Mitchell locked down his side of the field and had a pass breakup on a deep shot.
Cooper DeJean was outstanding in coverage and run support. He slashed into the backfield and dropped Tracy for a loss in the third quarter. DeJean was in coverage when Darius Slayton caught a short pass and turned upfield untouched for an 18-yard gain. DeJean blitzed off the edge and thwarted a run-pass option attempt in the second quarter.
Eagles cornerback Quinyon Mitchell breaks up a pass intended for Giants wide receiver Darius Slayton during the second quarter.
Safety: B+
Drew Mukuba had a solid bounce-back outing and didn’t allow Dart to beat him over the top. He had a couple of stops. Reed Blankenship struggled at times. He got beat by tight end Daniel Bellinger for a 21-yard reception in the second quarter. Blankenship appeared a touch late on a third-down throw over the middle in the third quarter.
Special teams: B+
The Eagles entered the game last in the NFL in defense-adjusted value over average on kick returns. But Will Shipley had a 41-yard kickoff return — the team’s longest of the season — in the first quarter. He had a 32-yard return after dodging a few would-be tacklers a quarter later.
Xavier Gipson handled punt-return duties for the first time with Dotson’s increased role on offense and had a 17-yard return. Punter Braden Mann booted a 57-yarder with no return and flipped the field in the second quarter.
Kicker Jake Elliott missed his second straight field goal dating back to last week when he doinked a 58-yard try off the right upright in the first quarter. He otherwise was perfect, connecting on a 40-yard field goal and five extra points.
Coach Nick Sirianni has the Eagles 6-2 heading into the bye. It’s been an occasional slog, and it’s not as if the Giants are, well, giants, but he has his team playing its best football.
Offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo dialed up perhaps his best game since becoming the play-caller. His excellent play calling in the red zone continued. The Eagles have converted 17 of 20 (85%) possessions inside the 20 this season.
Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts talks to Nick Sirianni (center) and Kevin Patullo during the second quarter of Sunday’s game.
He opened the drive before the half with a dollop of outside runs — the first to the right, the second to the left, and then lastly one up the middle — which opened up the pass.
The Eagles still had issues against the blitz and simulated pressures.
Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio‘s unit contained Dart and until a late, meaningless touchdown held the Giants to 13 points. His simulated blitz call — which put Patrick Johnson in a tough spot — resulted in Skattebo’s 18-yard touchdown catch.
It took a few weeks with the new coordinator, but he figured it out, and the offense started producing.
A few months later, the Eagles won Super Bowl LIX.
That was last year.
Kellen Moore introduced a radically new scheme. It took five weeks, give or take, for the Eagles to work out the kinks, and Moore was criticized the entire time. That was with a relatively stable roster, especially along the offensive line. The offense developed a run-first personality, emphasized ball security, beat the Chiefs in the Super Bowl, and earned Moore the head coaching job in New Orleans.
Fast-forward a few months, and no one in the Eagles organization took more heat over the first seven weeks than Kevin Patullo, Moore’s successor and head coach Nick Sirianni’s longtime majordomo.
Patullo has never been a coordinator before and inherited much of Moore’s simple scheme and elite personnel, but that personnel did not practice together even once for the entirety of training camp. Eight games into the season, the same five offensive linemen have not started and finished two games in a row.
“You need continuity,” left tackle Jordan Mailata insisted.
Excuses? Maybe.
Explanations? Definitely.
Eagles running back Saquon Barkley scores a touchdown on a 65-yard run in the first quarter against the Giants.
At any rate, Patullo’s offense averaged 23.6 points in the first six games of the season. After Sunday’s 38-20 win against the Giants, it is averaging 33.0 points in the last two games.
Moore’s offense averaged just 21.2 points through the first five games last season. It takes offenses time to synchronize.
“There’s always a period of trying to figure things out,” said quarterback Jalen Hurts, who has now had five offensive coordinators in six NFL seasons.
“Yeah,” said left guard Landon Dickerson, “remember last year, our start, and everyone wanted Kellen Moore fired?”
Then, Moore’s offense synchronized.
With the Eagles entering the bye week with a 6-2 record, consider Patullo’s offense synchronized. The guys finally get it. He’s a bit scarred, but he’s still standing.
“What Kevin’s done a really good job of is being able to block out anything that can be a distraction to him and working like crazy to put himself in the best position to call the best game that he can each week, regardless of what’s going on,” said Sirianni, himself a weary recipient of the fury of this impatient fan base.
“We knew KP was getting a chunk of the blame, but we knew, as a locker room, it was us,” Mailata said. “KP was just dying on the cross for us.”
He’s been resurrected.
This looks like an offense with a plan and a direction.
Even more significantly, over the last two weeks, incorporating under-center snaps, play-action, and run-pass option, it looks like an unpredictable, diverse offense.
Perhaps most significantly, it scored 38 points and produced four touchdown passes without the services of perpetual malcontent A.J. Brown, the best and least mollified receiver in franchise history. Brown missed the game with a mysterious hamstring injury. (Also, on social media, he repeatedly has hinted that he would like to be traded. The Eagles have a bye next week. The trade deadline is Nov. 4, which means missing Sunday’s game ensured that Brown would not incur further(?) injury by sitting out. But that’s a different discussion.)
It’s foolish to think the offense, despite Sunday’s success, would be better without Brown. It’s wiser to admit that, with Brown, Sunday would have been even better, after seven weeks of twists and tweaks.
“You realize what you’re bad at, what you’re good at, and where you need to help,” Mailata said. “Kevin’s doing a great job of adapting play calling to, you know, guys we have available and teams we’re playing.”
He pointed to the plays on which Fred Johnson reported as an extra tackle, the first two of which resulted in a 65-yard touchdown run for Saquon Barkley, then an 18-yard run for Tank Bigsby. Patullo also called passing plays on two of Johnson’s insertions.
Tight end Dallas Goedert celebrates with Eagles fans after his second touchdown catch of the game on Sunday.
The Eagles also increased their league lead in red-zone efficiency, now at 85% after scoring touchdowns on all three trips inside the Giants’ 20-yard line.
Sunday proved that the offense can be dominant; at least, it can be dominant against a plucky, inconsistent Giants team that fell to 2-6. It clearly built on a similarly competent performance in Minneapolis the previous week against a Vikings club that was 3-2 entering the game.
In that game, Hurts compiled a perfect 158.3 passer rating, with 326 yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions. It was the best game of his career as a passer.
Sunday, Hurts’ rating was 141.5, with 179 yards, four touchdowns, and no interceptions. It was the second-best day of his career as a passer.
Two weeks ago, the Eagles were concerned that Patullo’s offense might never jell. Now they can breathe easier during their week off.
“Sense of relief, yeah,” Mailata said. “I think it does help with the confidence going into the bye week, that we’ve strung along two great games — one game dominant passing, and then the next game dominant in the run game.”
On Sunday the passing was easier partly because the Giants’ secondary was thinned by injury and partly because the Eagles’ running game erupted.
Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts talks with Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart (left) after the game at the Linc.
Barkley’s first touch, the second play of the game, was that 65-yard touchdown run. He finished with 150 rushing yards, more than any other two games combined this season. Barkley suffered a minor groin injury, which gave more touches to Bigsby, who gained 104 yards, the second-best total of his career.
The running game produced a total of 276 yards, almost 120 more yards than the Eagles’ previous season high and the first time in five weeks they broke the 100-yard mark.
Again, they did it without Brown, one of their more potent weapons in history. They did it with Brett Toth starting his first NFL game at center, where he is replacing Pro Bowler Cam Jurgens. They did it against a Giants team that dominated them in East Rutherford just over two weeks ago.
The Eagles avenged their blowout loss to the New York Giants on Oct. 9, handing their NFC East foes a 38-20 defeat on Sunday afternoon. Even though Philadelphia was missing two of its top players on offense, it still was dominant on the ground and through the air, finishing with a season-high 427 total yards.
Jalen Hurts excelled again in the passing game, finishing with 15 completions on 20 attempts for 179 yards and four touchdowns.
Here’s our instant analysis from the Eagles’ second straight win as they head into the bye week with a 6-2 record:
Barkley, Bigsby get busy
Saquon Barkley rushed for more than 100 yards for the first time since the NFC championship game. Before his third-quarter exit because of a groin injury, he rushed for 150 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries. He also had 24 receiving yards and another score.
He reintroduced himself to his former Giants teammates on the second play of the game, using a familiar wrinkle the Eagles leaned on last week against the Minnesota Vikings. Fred Johnson was on the field as the sixth offensive lineman and Hurts was lined up under center, but the Giants seemed to anticipate a pass, as both safeties stayed deep.
On second-and-10 from the Eagles’ 35-yard line, Barkley burst through a hole on the left side of the offensive line opened up by Jordan Mailata, Landon Dickerson, and Brett Toth, who started at center in place of Jurgens. DeVonta Smith chipped in, too, with a block down the field on cornerback Cor’Dale Flott. Barkley took off untouched down the left sideline for a 65-yard touchdown to put the Eagles up, 7-0.
Eagles running back Saquon Barkley gets pushed out of bounds by Giants linebacker Bobby Okereke after he picks up a first down on Sunday.
Barkley found the end zone again in the second quarter. With the score tied at 7, the Eagles took advantage of a failed challenge from the Giants on a fourth-down Tush Push conversion. The Giants disputed that Hurts’ forward progress had been stopped before the ball came out of his grasp, but officials ruled in the Eagles’ favor.
Two plays later, Barkley scored on a wide-open wheel route in the red zone. Hurts got the 9-yard pass off in time before an unblocked Kayvon Thibodeaux could hit him, pulling the Eagles ahead, 14-7.
Barkley had success running outside. He exploded for a 28-yarder at the end of the third quarter when he followed a pulling Toth to the right side. Barkley visited the medical tent briefly after the run, and while he came back to the sideline with his helmet, he was deemed questionable to return and did not see the field again.
The 28-year-old running back said postgame that he isn’t worried about the injury, which is something he’s dealt with before.
Tank Bigsby spelled Barkley occasionally — and then permanently following his injury — and found success. In the fourth quarter while Barkley was in the tent, the Eagles fell well behind the sticks when Hurts took a 16-yard sack by outside linebacker Brian Burns.
Tank Bigsby rushed for 104 yards on nine carries.
On second-and-26, Bigsby took a handoff and picked up the first down on a 29-yard run as inside linebacker Darius Muasau whiffed on a tackle. Bigsby finished with 104 rushing yards on nine carries. Barkley and Bigsby are the first Eagles running back duo to each rush for over 100 yards since LeSean McCoy and Bryce Brown in 2013 (Week 16 against the Chicago Bears).
“I think the O-line did a really good job of dominating up front,” Barkley said. “Creating space for us. It’s cool to see Tank get out there and make some big plays. I’ve never been part of a game, I don’t think so, of having two 100-yard backs. So it was great to see him go out there and make plays, especially to see him finish the game for us.”
Receivers step up
The Eagles were missing Brown on Sunday as the star receiver had been sidelined all week with a hamstring injury.
That didn’t stop their passing game. Smith was the centerpiece for a second straight week, collecting 84 yards on six receptions. With Brown out, Smith was aligned out wide for each of his receptions instead of the slot.
Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith had six catches for 84 yards on Sunday.
Dallas Goedert got involved in the red zone, scoring his sixth and seventh touchdowns of the season, a career high. The Eagles opted for an empty set to spread out the defense on second-and-2 from the Giants’ 6-yard line. Goedert was matched up on the outside with safety Tyler Nubin, an advantageous matchup.
Goedert ran a slant and Hurts threaded a pass for the tight end between Nubin and Muasau. While Nubin wrapped Goedert up short of the goal line, he refused to go down, driving his legs into the end zone and dragging the safety with him. His first touchdown put the Eagles up, 21-10, late in the second quarter.
Goedert wasn’t finished. In the fourth quarter, he capitalized on Bigsby’s explosive run that brought the Eagles to the red zone for a third time on Sunday. On a run-pass option, Hurts rolled out to his right and connected with Goedert for a 17-yard touchdown reception.
Inside linebacker Bobby Okereke was supposed to be covering Goedert, but he appeared to trip over the feet of Smith, who was blocking cornerback Deonte Banks. Goedert’s second touchdown gave the Eagles a 31-13 lead.
“They’ve been letting me get the ball and use my big body to fall into the end zone,” Goedert said. “Did that on the first touchdown today. But it’s cool. We can score in many different ways. We’ve got a lot of different people. I’ve just been trying to do the most with my opportunities.”
The Eagles earned other favorable matchups in the passing game, as the Giants went into the game without starting cornerback Paulson Adebo and top safety Jevon Holland. Flott, who had often aligned across from Smith, went down in the second quarter with a concussion.
Hurts took advantage of rookie cornerback Korie Black, who had recently been signed to the Giants’ active roster from the New York Jets’ practice squad. Late in the fourth quarter, Jahan Dotson caught a leaping, 40-yard touchdown pass from Hurts with Black in single coverage. The touchdown pass marked the 100th of Hurts’ career.
Giants running back Cam Skattebo waves to the crowd after he suffered a severe ankle injury in the second quarter.
Skattebo goes down
The Giants offense suffered a major loss in the second quarter when rookie running back Cam Skattebo went down with a dislocated ankle. He had been the heartbeat of their offense and contributed a receiving touchdown before he exited the game.
It was tough sledding for Jaxson Dart before his garbage-time rushing touchdown with less than three minutes remaining in the game. Dart was under duress for most of the game, taking sacks from Zack Baun, Jalyx Hunt, Moro Ojomo, Jalen Carter, and Jordan Davis.
Dart completed 14 of 24 passes for 193 and the passing touchdown to Skattebo. The Eagles fared much better at containing Dart on the ground than they did two weeks ago, in part because the Giants fell behind quickly. Dart finished with six carries for 17 yards.
“We had a really good plan,” Baun said of the defense’s effort to keep Dart at bay. “I think the rush did a really good job, and when the rush is containing him like that, it’s eliminating explosives down the field as well, helping out the coverage.”
Andre Drummond secured the rebound off Tyrese Maxey’s missed free throw, then fought through contact to convert underneath the basket. The big man pounded his chest with both hands near the 76ers’ bench, a fire lit under himself and his team in the midst of another double-digit rally.
“That’s what I’ve been paid for my entire career,” Drummond said. “It doesn’t take much for me to get to that point where I want to get every rebound.”
Drummond grabbed 13 boards in 15 consecutive minutes to end the game — and added seven points, two assists, and two steals — in the Sixers’ 125-121 comeback victory over the Charlotte Hornets in Saturday night’s home opener. The vintage performance rescued the Sixers on a night when former MVP Joel Embiid remained on a strict minutes restriction, backup Adem Bona struggled, and forward Dominick Barlow exited the game with an injury.
And though Drummond entered this season mostly viewed by outsiders as a rotation afterthought — at least partially due to a turf toe injury that sapped much of a disappointing 2024-25 season — the effort signaled that the 32-year-old may still be a viable option while Embiid works his way back.
“I felt normal. I felt like myself,” Drummond said at his locker after the game. “I was able to move the way I wanted to move. Reaction time was there, just the spring in my jumps and how fast I was moving. Felt good to feel like myself again.”
Embiid (20 points, four assists, two steals) was significantly more effective against the Hornets than in Wednesday’s opener at the Boston Celtics — but burned through 15 of his 20 allotted minutes in the first half. That left him with only one third-quarter stint before he emerged during the final period wearing a hoodie and an ice pack on his surgically repaired left knee.
Joel Embiid and Andre Drummond embrace after the Sixers beat the Hornets, 125-121, on Saturday.
Against the Celtics, coach Nick Nurse chose a small-ball lineup featuring Barlow and Jabari Walker to finish off their first win. But that was not an option Saturday, when Barlow did not return after halftime because of an elbow laceration. Bona, meanwhile, played 12 minutes but recorded only one point with no rebounds.
So Nurse turned to Drummond, who played less than three minutes in Boston, with 3 minutes, 50 seconds remaining in the third quarter and the Sixers trailing by eight points. He had four rebounds before the end of that frame.
Early in the fourth, Drummond swiped the ball from Charlotte rookie Kon Knueppel and quickly dished the pass ahead to Kelly Oubre Jr. for a dunk, prompting teammate VJ Edgecombe to chest-bump Drummond heading into a timeout. Drummond later found Oubre again for a three-pointer that cut the Hornets’ lead to 112-105 with 5:23 to play, then sank a difficult turnaround hook shot about a minute later. He pulled down nine more rebounds during the period, including six on the offensive glass.
And when Drummond flew in to clean up Maxey’s driving miss with a two-handed, rim-rocking slam — which gave the Sixers a 117-116 lead with 2:13 remaining — the Xfinity Mobile Arena crowd exploded.
“You’re wondering why you didn’t use him earlier, to be honest,” Nurse said of Drummond. “ … I just thought it was time to try to find some spark of energy, and he certainly provided it. Because, all of a sudden, the rebounding got a lot easier and [got us] some offensive extra possessions.”
It was reminiscent of the prime version of Drummond, who was a two-time All-Star and four-time league rebounding leader. He also was once the backup center Embiid called the best he has ever had, before being traded to the Brooklyn Nets as part of the 2022 package in the Ben Simmons-James Harden blockbuster.
Rejoining the Sixers during 2024 free agency was a celebrated complementary move. But, like so many aspects of the Sixers’ woeful 2024-25 season, Drummond’s role never materialized. He missed 42 games, mostly with that nagging toe injury, and largely did not look like the same player whenever he was on the floor.
Drummond said on media day that he felt like he let down himself, his team, and the city — and “took that personal.” During his offseason reflection, he concluded that he spent too much time last season overthinking and “worried about manipulating the game in a way that I wanted it to work for me.” He shifted his focus to rediscovering his joy while playing the sport.
“I’m in a place now where I’m just happier,” Drummond said following the Sixers’ Oct. 10 preseason game against the Orlando Magic. “I’m excited to be here. I told my team — I told the coaching staff, too — whatever it is they need from me to help this team win, I’m more than willing to do it. And I think they’re seeing that. I’ll continue to put my best foot forward.”
Another offseason goal: getting into better physical shape to be ready to play stretches like Friday’s. He cut back on cheat meals — the Asian fusion restaurant Nobu is his guilty pleasure — and spent more time running. To help heal his injury, he adopted “toe yoga.” During his pregame routine, he rolls out an acupuncture mat at his locker and stands on the tiny spikes to relieve any stiffness in his feet.
“That’s what helped me speed the [recovery] process up,” Drummond said.
Drummond has learned to adopt the “stay ready” mindset in recent seasons, as his playing time began fluctuating.
From the bench, he watches the game flow and nuances recognizable to his veteran eye, such as defensive communication lapses or moments to set (or not set) screens. He is not shy about passing advice on to Bona, if the second-year big man receives the initial reserve minutes. And regularly sitting next to Drummond is second-year wing Justin Edwards, who is in a similar fringe rotation spot and now a beneficiary of the big man’s encouragement.
Sixers forward Justin Edwards had nine points in 12 minutes against the Hornets on Saturday.
“Bro, don’t lose yourself in this,” Drummond tells Edwards, who finished Saturday with nine points in 12 key second-half minutes. “It’s a game of runs. It’s a game that changes often.”
Saturday, it did. Drummond emphasized that he was not the only player who fueled the Sixers’ second consecutive comeback win. Quentin Grimes hit the go-ahead three-pointer with 15 seconds left, and finished with 24 points off the bench. Maxey (28 points, nine assists) and Edgecombe (15 points, eight assists) continue to form a dynamic guard tandem. Oubre (19 points on 7-of-10 shooting) was a team-high plus-18.
But after the Hornets’ Tre Mann missed a potential game-tying three-pointer with 12.1 seconds to play, Drummond grabbed the game-sealing rebound.
It was — again — vintage Drummond.
“Wouldn’t have won that game without him,” Embiid said. “… That’s the Drummond that we wanted back two years ago.”
Next week is the Eagles’ bye, and when the Birds come back they’ll play five straight national games — three in prime time, one in the late afternoon window on Fox, and one on Black Friday.
They won’t have another 1 p.m. kickoff until Week 15, when they host the Las Vegas Raiders (2-5) at the Linc on Dec. 14. That could also be their last, with two games against the Washington Commanders (3-4) yet to be scheduled.
In Week 16, the Birds will play the Commanders on Saturday, Dec. 20, which will be either a 4:30 p.m. or an 8 p.m. kickoff. They’ll also face the Commanders in Week 18, a game that could be elevated to late afternoon or even prime time, depending on what’s at stake.
So why did the NFL lump the Eagles’ two Commanders games into a three-week span at the end of the season? Onnie Bose, the NFL’s vice president of broadcasting (and a Lower Merion High School grad), said the league tries to schedule as many divisional games late in the season as possible, and it just rolled out this way for the Eagles.
“Division games late in the season matter,” Bose told The Inquirer in May. “Playing a team in the division twice in three weeks might feel like a lot, but it does happen.”
The remaining schedule also means it’s not likely you’ll see the Eagles flexed into Sunday Night Football or Monday Night Football this season, unless the Raiders somehow become a compelling story over the next eight weeks.
Tom Brady is back to call his third Eagles game. It won’t be his last.
Tom Brady ahead of the Eagles’ Week 4 game against the Buccaneers on Sept. 28.
Eagles fans will hear a familiar voice Sunday.
Super Bowl LII loser Tom Brady will be in the booth for Fox, calling his third Birds game this season. If that seems like a lot, that’s because it is — last year Brady called just two Eagles games during the regular season (though he added three playoff games, including the Super Bowl).
And it won’t be Brady’s last Birds game — he’s slated to call the Eagles’ Week 12 matchup against the Dallas Cowboys on Nov. 23 and Philly’s trip to Buffalo to face the Bills in Week 17 on Dec. 28.
Joining Brady will be play-by-play partner Kevin Burkhardt, who is also hosting Fox’s pre- and postgame World Series coverage. Erin Andrews and Tom Rinaldi will report from the Linc.
The last time Fox’s No. 1 crew called at least five Eagles games in one regular season was back in 2014, when Joe Buck and Troy Aikman were still at the network.
Traditionally, Fox broadcast NFC games and interconference games where the NFC team was on the road. In 2023, the league loosened up those restrictions, but Fox is still guaranteed a certain number of Eagles games every season (including at least one Birds game against each divisional opponent).
How to stream Eagles-Giants
Eagles-Giants will stream on Fox One, Fox’s new subscription streaming service. It will also stream on the Fox Sports app, though you need to log in with your cable provider.
If you’re looking to stream the game for free and you live in or around Philadelphia, your best option is to use a digital antenna, since the game will air on broadcast television on Fox 29.
Eagles-Giants will also air on the radio on 94.1 WIP, with Merrill Reese and former Eagles receiver Mike Quick on the call. WIP host Devan Kaney will report from the sidelines.
Rickie Ricardo, Oscar Budejen, and Dave Gerhardt will call the game in Spanish on La Mega 105.7 FM in Philadelphia, 93.9 FM in Atlantic City, and 103.3 FM in Vineland/Millville.
Both radio broadcasts can be streamed from anywhere on the Eagles’ website, while fans in Philly can also stream them on the Eagles app.
Eagles look to remain undefeated in kelly green
Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts warms up next to the Kelly green logo before a game against the Miami Dolphins at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia on Sunday, Oct. 22, 2023.
When the Birds take the field Sunday afternoon, they’ll be decked out in their throwback kelly green uniforms.
It’s the first of three games in which the Eagles will wear their classic, fan-favorite jerseys, which they’ll also don in Week 12 against the Dallas Cowboys and Week 18 against the Washington Commanders.
Despite that, the classic jerseys have been good luck for the current Eagles squad. Since bringing them back in 2023, the Birds are 4-0 while wearing kelly green.
The Eagles were technically wearing kelly green throwbacks during a 2010 loss to the Green Bay Packers, but those were replicas of the Birds’ 1960-era jerseys.
Eagles will remain in first place through the bye
Nick Sirianni has the third-best coaching record (53-22, 0.707 pct.) in the Super Bowl era (minimum 50 games).
NFC East standings
The Eagles enter Week 8 atop the NFC East and will remain there through next week’s bye, regardless of what happens Sunday against the Giants.
If the Eagles lose and the Cowboys defeat the Denver Broncos, the Birds will still have a higher winning percentage. Even if they had the same record, the Eagles defeated the Cowboys in Week 1, so the Birds hold the tiebreaker. They’ll play again in Dallas in Week 12 on Nov. 23.
The Commanders are two games back of the Eagles, so win or lose against the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday Night Football, there’s no way for Washington to overtake the Birds anytime soon.
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NFC standings
It’s crowded at the top of the NFC.
Thanks to their tie against the Cowboys, the Green Bay Packers currently sit in first place because of their higher winning percentage.
The Eagles are one of six teams with a 5-2 record heading into Week 8, but they find themselves in third place behind the 49ers because San Francisco has a better conference record (5-1 vs. 4-1).
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Other NFL Week 8 games on TV in Philly
Aaron Rodgers will face the Packers for the first time since being traded away in 2023.
The most significant uncertainty surrounding the 76ers is how Joel Embiid continues to adapt.
He could be a major X factor in the Sixers’ hopes for a successful season. Embiid was far from his usual dominant self in Wednesday’s season opener against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden. But he bounced back in a big way in Saturday’s 125-121 home-opening victory over the Charlotte Hornets at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
Two distinctly different regular-season results aren’t a large enough sample size to determine how good Embiid will be this season.
In the 117-116 victory over the Celtics, he had the look of someone who had lost his quickness and explosion. But on Saturday, he frustrated Ryan Kalkbrenner and just about everyone else who guarded him.
He finished with 20 points on 7-for-11 shooting, including making 3 of 6 three-pointers, to go with two rebounds, four assists, and two steals in 20 minutes, 7 seconds. He scored five of the Sixers’ first seven points and nine of their first 18.
Embiid played only five minutes after intermission because he had reached his minutes limit.
Sixers center Joel Embiid returned to the team bench late in the fourth quarter against Charlotte after an evaluation following his minutes restriction.
He said he was trying to work his way back in his first regular-season game since February on Wednesday and figure out how to maneuver the minute restriction.
“The first game, it was more like getting in the game slowly,” he said.
But he was more aggressive while being on the court for longer stretches against the Hornets (1-1).
“Longer stints, you’ll actually be able to let the game come to you,” he said. “But then again, longer stints also mean you might be done by halftime.
“But I can’t sit for too long… being in shape is one thing, but being in basketball shape is another thing. You need to play, and you need to play a lot.”
The question is, can Embiid repeat Sunday’s performance against elite competition? If not, can the 2023 MVP and seven-time All-Star adapt his game like many great players have late in their careers?
Hall of Famers like Magic Johnson, Jason Kidd, and David Robinson adapted the way they played their game after losing athleticism and/or a skill set.
On the other hand, Sixers Hall of Famer Allen Iverson never really adapted after losing his quickness, which contributed to his decline.
Embiid was a shell of his former self in Wednesday’s 117-116 victory over the Celtics. He finished with four points and six rebounds in a little over 20 minutes. Embiid missed his first four shots en route to shooting just 1-for-9.
The 31-year-old also didn’t show a lot of lateral movement on defense and rarely jumped to contest shots or go after rebounds.
Despite that, Embiid’s teammates praised him for just being on the court with them. He had arthroscopic surgery in his left knee on April 11, marking his second left knee surgery in 14 months and third in nine seasons. He played in only 58 games over the last two seasons.
Sixers center Joel Embiid struggled through 1-for-9 shooting against the Boston Celtics.
“Having Joel on the court is extremely important for us,” said guard Tyrese Maxey. “We appreciate him. He has done a lot for this organization … his family, and everything. So shoutout for him, man. He played good tonight, and he’ll always play better. We know that.”
But not everyone gave Embiid credit for just being out there.
The Sixers center spent most of his time on the perimeter instead of down low, where his size advantage would have been a matchup problem.
Hall of Famer Kevin Garnett wasn’t impressed with that tactic and felt Embiid should have been able to do more.
“We just had a summer,“ Garnett said on the Ticket and the Truth podcast with Paul Pierce. “What’d you do in the summer, bro? What’d you do in the summer? Bro had enough time to recover and just develop. Come on, bro.
“Real talk. If you get [from] April to September, that should be enough time. … He’s supposed to be ready for [the] season.”
We’ll find out in time whether Embiid’s lackluster season-opening performance is the result of a perceived lack of offseason preparation, of being cautious with banging down, or of him not being able to do it with the same impact as past seasons.
But his playing mostly from the elbow isn’t surprising. Embiid did that in the team’s intrasquad scrimmage and in the exhibition game against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
And to his credit, Embiid, a two-time league scoring champion, has embraced his new reality and a potentially new role for the Sixers. He sounds content to serve as a supporting actor who uplifts his teammates.
But he was the first one off the bench to celebrate his teammate’s accomplishment. And with him on the bench, Embiid watched the Sixers battle back from a double-digit, fourth-quarter deficit to win both of this season’s games.
Winning a game without Embiid on the floor was a major problem last season.
“It’s been 12 years,” Embiid said, correcting a reporter. “I’d take it. Keep it going. Obviously, the most important games are the best teams and the playoffs. That’s the effort we are going to have when I’m not on the floor, Amen. It’s been a long time.”
In addition to being a great teammate, Embiid is focused on being a versatile player until he returns to form.
“There’s still so much more I can contribute to other than scoring,” Embiid said. “So just using myself as a decoy to allow all these guys to do whatever they have to do to win.”
But what if Embiid doesn’t return to his old form? How could he make an impact while Maxey and VJ Edgecombe provide the scoring?
Embiid can do that by being a defensive anchor, playing a more power-oriented game, and becoming a great three-point shooter. That shouldn’t be a problem for Embiid, who has always had a good touch with the elbow jumper and shot a career-best 38.8% on three-pointers two seasons ago.
Sixers center Joel Embiid had four points and was a minus-16 in Wednesday’s season-opener against the Boston Celtics.
He may not be able to beat guys off the dribble with his quickness like he used to. But with his knowledge of the game, he may be able to help the team.
It’s a two-way street. It’s not only how he adapts his game, but also how his teammates and coaches adapt to him. It’s still too soon to gauge his level of play. Even though he made more shots on Saturday, he still settled for a lot of jumpers.
We’ll have to wait a couple of games to see how he does. And if nothing gets better, pay close attention to his ability to alter his game.
Don’t talk to him about the next five years; he doesn’t want to discuss them. Will his contract get extended with the Union next season? He says he has no clue.
In fact, as he arrived for an interview to discuss his career and where it’s going from here, he joked that he didn’t even know where he was supposed to go after this meeting for a scheduled team-bonding activity — one that apparently involved barbecue.
Bedoya is an enigma. Right now, he might be one of the few people whose off-the-field portfolio, at first glance, shows many avenues. But on this day, as captain of the No. 1 team in MLS’s Eastern Conference … no plans.
Well, except for one: Get back to the MLS Cup final. That’s it.
“Five years from now? I don’t know. I couldn’t tell you,” Bedoya said as he leaned back in his cushioned chair inside the Union’s film room. “What I can tell you? This team is special, and we’ve been special since preseason. We knew this team was special that long ago. I want to be a part of the team that brings an MLS Cup to this club and home to Philly.
Alejandro Bedoya (right) celebrates scoring a goal in the first half of the Union’s win against the Houston Dynamo on July 29.
“So, to be honest, I’m not thinking about [anything past that]. I made it a point this season, especially now that we’ve been so successful, to be focused on the team. I don’t want to think too far down the line and cause any disruptions to talk about this or that or what may happen or might not.”
It’s been an interesting 10-year run in Philly for Bedoya. He’s been the team’s leader since arriving from FC Nantes of the French first division in 2016. He’s been a vocal ambassador for ending gun violence. He’s been a staunch advocate for growing the youth game from a grassroots level.
However, this season, he’s mainly been the utilityman that first-year manager Bradley Carnell needs.
Things get real now for the Union. Coming off a high two weeks earlier after the club captured its second Supporters’ Shield, given to the team that finishes with the best regular-season record, Bedoya now leads the Union into the playoffs with every opponent looking to beat the best.
Alejandro Bedoya raises the Supporters’ Shield after beating New York City FC at Subaru Park on Saturday, Oct. 4.
First up is Chicago in Game 1 of a best-of-three series on Sunday (5:55 p.m., FS1, Apple TV+).
“He’s our leader. He’s one of the guys who holds us together,” Carnell said earlier this season of Bedoya. “That’s why he’s here. He’s committed to doing what he has to for the club. And from a leadership standpoint, there’s no one better. He’s great with the young guys, he’s great with the guys [who] have been here, and he knows what it takes to get to where we’re trying to go.”
Taste for more
It was 2022, and the rays of a sunny Los Angeles afternoon beamed onto Banc of California Stadium (now known as BMO Stadium), the site of the MLS Cup final. Led by then-manager Jim Curtin, Bedoya, clad in the Union’s unmistakable lightning bolt kit, took the field for warmups. He didn’t start that day, but his impact to that point was immeasurable.
That season, at age 36, he’d played in 30 regular-season games for the club and started 27 of them. He played nearly 2,500 minutes and scored six goals along with six assists, highlighted by two goals against D.C. United on July 8, which made him just the third player in club history to join the 20-20 club.
The fruits of his labor culminated in an Eastern Conference title and a trip to MLS’s final. But as team captain, his leadership guided the Union to its first MLS Cup appearance — and arguably one of the greatest MLS Cup finals ever.
So what’s changed in his roles and responsibilities from that moment with that coach to this moment with this coach?
“To be honest? Not much,” Bedoya said. “I’m still one of the captains, whether it’s me, [goalkeeper Andre] Blake or [defender] Jakob [Glesnes]. I, more so maybe than others, act as like that intermediary between the coaching staff, the technical staff, and the locker room. … I’ve been more of a glue guy, if you will. And this year, more than ever.”
The glue-guy approach has been the case on the field too. Each year, Bedoya’s minutes have dwindled from everyday starter to strategic, none more than this season, when he was used in situations to which he’s unaccustomed, like in the Union’s 7-0 loss to Vancouver on Sept. 13, when he started at right back following the suspension of defender Olwethu Makhanya.
In that match, the decision — and result — spoke for itself. Bedoya even acknowledged as much. But in the same breath, he noted that ebbs and flows happen in a club-first mindset.
I’ll be the first to apologize for my personal performance tonight and accept responsibility for the result tonight. Simply not good enough or anywhere near our standards and expectations. One thing is for sure. One result/game will NOT define us this season. On to the next one!
“We had to rotate a little bit, obviously,” Bedoya said. “Maybe I’m not the best right back. So I took that on the chin there, but we’re all about the collective here … and you have to be an unselfish guy. I think in Bradley [Carnell’s] system this year, I’ve been playing more even on the left side of midfield, which typically I haven’t played in years past. But as I said before, man, whatever it takes, I’m ready to step up and help the team out in any way.”
A plan for now
Despite a refusal to look into crystal balls right now, Bedoya’s future does have a number of paths. He has a certification from Harvard Business School and has become an entrepreneur and investor across several ventures.
He has diversified, but not necessarily in a way where all roads leads back to soccer. Instead, it’s in a way that when he’s not on the field, he can spend more time doing things with his family, namely his children, Santino, age 10, and Milena, 8.
Bedoya says the two, along with his wife, Bea Hilland, are his biggest supporters. He said he loves doing dad things, like taking them to soccer, dance, and doing school pickups when he’s not on the road.
But in true dad fashion, sometimes he wants to just sit on the couch and watch football. He says they’re cool with that, too.
Alejandro Bedoya (left) and his wife Beatrice Hilland (right) were on hand at the White House in 2022 for a celebration of then-President Joe Biden signing new federal gun control legislation.
“My wife will be the first one to tell you that she plays a major role in the house, with the kids, especially as much as we travel to games,” he said. “And as an old guy myself, you feel more pain, you get more sore the day after games. And you know those Sundays when maybe we have the days off, the younger guys can come in and do even more work, but I just want to sit on a Sunday and watch [NFL] RedZone all day, you know?
“I make it a routine to make sure every time I’m home, I do a drop off at school and pick up at school. I make sure that even when I do want to be lazy or try to recover on the sofa, that I got both of them next to me on my side … I get emotional sometimes thinking about after we won a Supporters’ Shield, like how happy they were. They’re FaceTiming friends saying, ‘We won the Shield,’ not just ‘Dad won the Shield.’ What I do matters to them, and to me, that’s everything.”
So how does he juggle a portfolio that doesn’t seem to stop?
“It’s finding the right balance with them,” Bedoya said. “My kids are at the age where they’re playing sports now. They’re in soccer. They’re in dance; they’re in baseball. I like being part of those special moments. I think part of the beauty of being a father and still being a player is being able to share these moments with them.”
“Let’s go finish this thing”
Over the course of his 15-minute interview, the only times Bedoya wasn’t stoic was when he discussed his family and what’s next for the Union. The latter only has a handful of more games before it could be bringing home MLS’s biggest prize.
And after 10 seasons in the same league with the same team on the same mission, Bedoya knows he’s not getting any younger. There are no more long-term contracts. His playing career has become a year-over-year proposition with a goal that has been the same since Day 1.
Bring an MLS Cup back to the Chester waterfront.
Union captain Alejandro Bedoya is ready to be the leader the team needs as it enters into the 2025 postseason as the No. 1 team in the Eastern Conference.
This is the year he truly feels offers the best chance to do that. Whatever happens after that, Bedoya has already affirmed is wait-and-see.
“I can tell you from that first week [of preseason training] in Marbella [Spain], I could sense that there was something brewing,” Bedoya said. “We already had a basic kind of philosophy, philosophical model of how we want to play, but Bradley and the staff came in and amped that up to another level, to another notch.
“As far as my place? Like I said, I’m maybe not a starter anymore, but I’ve shown even this year that even when I do start, I can still impact the game in a positive way.”
He paused and added:
“This team is special, I think our record and our run to this point reflects that. The standard in training and in games is high, every day. We’re the team to beat and now it’s about going out there and being dominant. Let’s go finish this thing.”
