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  • Eagles news: A.J. Brown’s comments caught by Fox; Brandon Graham returning to the Birds

    Eagles news: A.J. Brown’s comments caught by Fox; Brandon Graham returning to the Birds

    // Timestamp 10/20/25 8:19pm

    Brandon Graham set to come out of retirement to rejoin Eagles

    Brandon Graham appears ready to come back to the Birds.

    Seven months after he gave a tear-filled speech announcing his retirement following 15 seasons with the Eagles, Brandon Graham is set rejoin the team, league sources told The Inquirer.

    Momentum toward a deal was building over the weekend, and league sources confirmed to The Inquirer Sunday that the wheels were on motion for Graham’s return to football.

    Graham on Monday night posted on social media a teaser to a Tuesday morning announcement that he’ll make on his podcast, Brandon Graham Unblocked. PHLY Sports, which hosts Graham’s podcast, said a deal was agreed to Monday.

    Graham, 37, is the Eagles’ all-time leader in games played with 206, a number he will add to, and is third with 76½ sacks. He returns to the Eagles at a time when they desperately need help at his position.

    An already thin group of edge rushers took a hit last week when Za’Darius Smith abruptly retired from football. Then Azeez Ojulari went down with a hamstring injury during the first quarter Sunday in Minneapolis. Nolan Smith and Ogbo Okoronkwo are both on injured reserve with triceps injuries. Smith is due back, likely after the Week 9 bye week, but Okoronkwo’s season is over.

    A reunion with the Eagles became more of a possibility as the injuries mounted, and Graham is a low-cost addition that adds depth and leadership to the defense. They still might need to make a move for another pass rusher. The rush had a stronger performance Sunday, with Joshua Uche earning his first sack of the season, but they have not consistently gotten to quarterbacks for impact plays.

    The Eagles had an open spot on the 53-man roster and do not have to make a corresponding move after adding Graham.

    Brandon Graham set to come out of retirement to rejoin the Eagles

    — Jeff Neiburg

    // Timestamp 10/20/25 4:39pm

    The Vikings tried a new way to stop the Tush Push

    Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts lines up for a Tush Push during the first quarter against the Minnesota Vikings.

    When the Eagles lined up for their first Tush Push Sunday, the Vikings showed a new wrinkle the Eagles hadn’t yet seen as NFL teams try to stop the play the Eagles are so good at.

    The Vikings had linebacker Tyler Batty lie down in front of Cam Jurgens.

    The Eagles’ first attempt was a successful push, though it was close. They lined up to run the play once more, and the Vikings did the same thing, but A.J. Brown jumped offsides and the Eagles were forced to back up.

    “We ran it one time and we got it one time,” Sirianni said.

    “We’re always going to see new and unique ways. That’s not new to us. When you run something the amount of times that we’ve ran that play, you’re going to see everything. You’re going to see unique ways. You’re going to see teams working on that all offseason to try to figure out how to stop it. We’ve seen a ton, but then they threw something a little bit different at us.

    “We’re ready for that. We’re ready to account for that and we’re expecting those different things. We’ll have little wrinkles based on how they’re lining up to counter some of those things.”

    — Jeff Neiburg

    // Timestamp 10/20/25 4:13pm

    A ‘unique’ matchup against the Giants

    New York Giants cornerback Cordale Flott intercepts a pass intended for Eagles wide receiver Jahan Dotson during their Week 6 matchup on “Thursday Night Football.”

    Nick Sirianni said the Eagles will treat this game week like it’s any other game, though he did say it was a “unique” game week for the Eagles considering they played the Giants 12 days before game planning for them was again due to begin.

    “It’s a unique game in that you play a team a second time, and it’s even more unique that it’s been one game of games since then,” Sirianni said.

    “You have things that you look at because it’s slightly different, but nothing changes in respect to your process. You still have a week to prepare. All the things, business as usual. But we’ll have some things that we look at as coaches knowing that we just played them and we know they will as well.”

    The Eagles will have plenty to study from their 34-17 loss at MetLife Stadium in Week 6, but they’ve already poured over that film plenty during the mini-bye that followed that Thursday night game.

    The Giants, meanwhile, suffered a heartbreaking defeat and blew a late lead Sunday in Denver.

    — Jeff Neiburg

    // Timestamp 10/20/25 3:58pm

    Nick Sirianni on Cam Jurgens’ status: ‘We’ll see’

    Eagles center Cam Jurgens was injured on the first play against the Vikings.

    Nick Sirianni said he hadn’t yet met with the Eagles’ medical team when he spoke via Zoom with reporters late Monday afternoon but planned to later in the day — not that the Eagles’ head coach would have revealed much about the status of center Cam Jurgens a day after Jurgens left the Eagles’ 28-22 win in Minneapolis with a right knee injury.

    Jurgens appeared to suffer the injury on the first play of the game and wore a brace during the team’s second offensive possession. By the third drive, Brett Toth was in at center.

    Toth said after the game that Jurgens would have an MRI.

    Jurgens had back surgery after the Super Bowl and has not played like the Jurgens of last season at times through seven games this season.

    The Eagles play the Giants Sunday and then have their bye week, which will be welcomed timing for an offensive line that has been banged up.

    “We’ll see,” Sirianni said when asked about Jurgens’ status. “I know he’ll do everything he can do to be ready as soon as he possibly can.”

    — Jeff Neiburg

    // Timestamp 10/20/25 3:18pm

    Nick Sirianni speaks to reporters

    // Timestamp 10/20/25 1:41pm

    A first for Andy Reid, and other NFL odds and ends

    The Chiefs’ win against the Raiders was a first for Andy Reid.

    Before Sunday, former Eagles coach Andy Reid had 304 NFL wins, including playoffs. He’d won three Super Bowls and he’d coached in three more.

    But he’d never had a shutout.

    Then on Sunday he faced Pete Carroll and the injury-depleted Raiders in Kansas City and won, 31-0.

    This is remarkable, considering the four coaches near Reid’s win total — Don Shula, George Halas, Bill Belichick, who are ahead of him, and Tom Landry, whom he passed two years ago — all have at least a dozen shutouts.

    Granted, Shula, Halas, and Landry coached in an era in which scoring was less prolific, but Belichick is a contemporary. And anyway, when you coach teams as successful as the Eagles and Chiefs, you’d expect more than one shutout among 305 wins.

    More from across the NFL

    Green Bay Packers defensive end Micah Parsons.
    • Packers edge Micah Parsons, the biggest offseason name to change teams, finally went off Sunday. He delivered the last of his career-high three sacks with 27 seconds to play in Arizona. He’d had just 2½ sacks in his first five games since being traded by the Cowboys just after preseason, then signing a four-year, $186 million extension. 
    • At this point, Shane Steichen is the runaway leader in the Coach of the Year race. The Colts are 6-1, and while all of their wins aren’t impressive — Titans, Raiders, Cardinals, Dolphins — they beat Justin Herbert’s 420-yard effort on the road Sunday against the L.A. Chargers. Steichen also has turned Giants bust Daniel Jones into an MVP candidate.
    • The craziest scene among the crazy scenes during the Giants’ mile-high collapse at Denver was, just before the New York’s last touchdown, the spectacle of coach Sean Payton losing his mind and running into the middle of the field at the goal line to protest a pass interference penalty on his defense. Like, all the way to the 2-yard line. Right in the middle of the action. It was like something out of an awful Oliver Stone football movie.
    Eagles’ Jalen Hurts again roasts Carson Wentz; A.J. Brown says ‘Just throw me the bleeping ball’

    — Marcus Hayes

    // Timestamp 10/20/25 1:08pm

    Eagles film: Jalyx Hunt and Cooper DeJean

    // Timestamp 10/20/25 12:02pm

    Former Eagles defender wants more ‘consistency’ after Birds’ win

    While one former defensive end, Brandon Graham, mulls a comeback, another, Chris Long, is still hesitant about the Birds despite the win, after even an improved offense had to leg it out against a backup quarterback in Wentz.

    “This is a definite step in the right direction when it comes to the big-play ability of the offense,” Long said. “You’d love to see them play with more rhythm. I’m not sitting up here hating on a win on the road, but I would like to see a little bit more consistency. If you play like that against a major league quarterback, it might not go that way.”

    Wentz finished 313 yards and a pair of interceptions through the air, and another 28 yards on the ground.

    Despite the too-close-for-comfort win, the offensive line was “fantastic” and Jalen Hurts was “perfect,” so it was still a big improvement over the Birds’ two previous losses, according to Long.

    Eagles lucky they weren’t facing ‘a major league quarterback,’ Jalen Hurts balled out, and what else they’re saying

    — Gabriela Carroll

    // Timestamp 10/20/25 11:16am

    Eagles open as favorites against the Giants

    A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith celebrate during Sunday’s win against the Vikings.

    The Eagles and the New York Giants have already met this season in a Week 6 matchup that resulted in a 34-17 loss for the Eagles.

    Heading into their last matchup, the Birds were coming off of their first loss of the season to the Denver Broncos. Four days later, in a quick turnaround, they traveled to MetLife Stadium to compete against the Giants on Thursday Night Football.

    After two consecutive losses, the Eagles have returned to the win column with a win over the Minnesota Vikings in a game that saw Hurts throw for 326 yards and three touchdowns in a fantastic performance with his two star receivers, who each exceeded 100 yards.

    Meanwhile, the Giants are coming off an embarrassing 33-32 loss to the Broncos, giving up a 19-0 lead heading into the fourth quarter.

    Ahead of their Week 8 matchup, the sportsbooks are favoring Philadelphia as they open as 7-point favorites.

    FanDuel:

    • Spread: Giants +7 (-112), Eagles -7 (-108)
    • Moneyline: Giants (+290), Eagles (-360)
    • Total: Over 43.5 (-105) / Under 43.5 (-115)

    DraftKings:

    • Spread: Giants +7 (-110), Eagles -7 (-110)
    • Moneyline: Giants (+280), Eagles (-335)
    • Total: Over 44.5 (-105) / Under 44.5 (-115)

    — Ariel Simpson

    // Timestamp 10/20/25 10:43am

    ‘I think we miss his vibe in the locker room’: Eagles players on Brandon Graham’s potential return

    Brandon Graham may pause his budding media career to rejoin the Eagles.

    Jalyx Hunt was unaware, or at least acted like he was, that Brandon Graham may be nearing a return to the Eagles. Perhaps the edge rusher was locked in before the game and didn’t see the social media reports.

    But after the Eagles won on Sunday — a victory Hunt had a big role in — Hunt was asked if he had seen the reports that “BG is considering a return to football, a return to the Eagles.”

    “Brandon Graham?” Hunt replied. “Shout out BG. Shout out BG.”

    What would Graham’s return mean?

    “Appreciate the heads up … anything in the room is added. He’s got years of experience. … We’re just going to use him as a well and excited to have him back. That’s the guy.”

    Zack Baun was similarly surprised.

    “Oh, really? Oh, [expletive],” Baun said when asked about the topic.

    What could Graham bring?

    “The juice, the energy, the vibe,” Baun said. “He just lives his life with so much to give. Obviously his play as well. I thought last year, him retiring, he was at the point where he could still do a lot and still go out there and play and play well. But I think we miss his vibe in the locker room.”

    Edge rusher Patrick Johnson said he’d seen the rumors on social media. If Graham does return, Johnson said he’d be a welcomed presence to his position group.

    “He’s going to bring that spark that we need for sure and that leadership,” Johnson said.

    Graham’s former locker stall was given to Za’Darius Smith, but now it’s open, a fact pointed out by Moro Ojomo.

    “BG is BG, man,” Ojomo said. “He’s just an amazing guy. I love to be around that guy.

    “Jeffrey Lurie said it last year, said it perfectly, that there are people that are energy takers and energy givers and BG is an energy giver and I think we all feel that.”

    Brandon Graham ‘strongly considering’ coming out of retirement to rejoin Eagles

    — Jeff Neiburg

    // Timestamp 10/20/25 9:28am

    Jalen Hurts: We ain’t ‘losers no more’

    Jalen Hurts had a perfect passer rating against the Vikings.

    The Eagles wanted to run the ball. They wanted to emerge from the mini-bye — just like they had after breaks in previous seasons — with a ground-focused offensive attack.

    They just couldn’t.

    But it didn’t matter, ultimately, at least on this day. Jalen Hurts and the drop-back pass game delivered the kind of explosive performance that has mostly been lacking from the offense this season, the kind needed after a two-game losing streak had even the Eagles doubting themselves.

    “We ain’t [bleeping] losers no more,” Hurts said as he headed into Eagles’ postgame locker room after they skirted past the Minnesota Vikings, 28-22, on Sunday.

    The Eagles quarterback confirmed his quote that was videoed and posted on social media by an NBC Sports reporter.

    “That’s all I could think about throughout these last two weeks,” Hurts said. “Having opportunities to finish the game, to finish the fourth quarter. I really think this is the first time we’ve finished the fourth quarter and then finished in the second half. …

    “There was some fire there, but within that fire you have to be the calm.”

    Hurts sparked a dormant offense with a career-best statistical outing in which he completed 19 of 23 throws for 326 yards and three touchdowns. And he was a steely eyed presence against a Vikings pass defense that entered first in expected points added (EPA) per dropback.

    Eagles still can’t run the ball, but Jalen Hurts, DeVonta Smith, and A.J. Brown made sure it didn’t matter

    — Jeff McLane

    // Timestamp 10/20/25 8:29am

    Eagles snap counts: Jalen Carter back to being a workhorse

    Jalen Carter pressures Carson Wentz during the Eagles win over the Vikings Sunday.

    Here are some notes and thoughts from Sunday’s Eagles snap counts vs. the Minnesota Vikings:

    • With AJ Dillon as a healthy scratch, Tank Bigsby saw his first work of the season with the offense. He was on the field for four offensive snaps and carried once for 11 yards while hauling in one pass for a one-yard loss. Will Shipley, meanwhile, was on the field for eight snaps while Saquon Barkley (39 snaps) saw 78% of the action.
    • Cam Jurgens was on the field for 15 plays before Brett Toth (35 snaps) came on in relief. Jurgens’ injury will be one to monitor as the Eagles prepare for their final game before a Week 9 bye.
    • The Eagles used a heavy package a few times, bringing backup tackle Fred Jackson onto the field. They went heavy on DeVonta Smith’s 79-yard touchdown score. Jalen Hurts took an under-center snap, faked to Barkley, and hit Smith for the longest reception of Smith’s career.
    • The Eagles did not use a fourth wide receiver. John Metchie dressed but didn’t see the field.
    • Tight end EJ Jenkins dressed for the first time this season after being elevated from the practice squad. He saw five snaps.
    • On defense, the Eagles worked Nakobe Dean back into a role with the defense one week after he was activated from the PUP list to make his season debut vs. the Giants. Dean played 31 snaps. Jihaad Campbell’s workload didn’t decrease much, as he got plenty of work on the edge and finished with 60 snaps (87%).
    • Cooper DeJean played the entire game on defense (69 snaps) while also adding five special teams snaps and one on offense (he is the deep “safety” when the Eagles are in victory formation).
    • Azeez Ojulari was on the field for the Eagles’ first defensive play, but he only played four snaps before a hamstring injury knocked him from the contest. An already thin group of edge rushers took another hit. Patrick Johnson saw his largest workload of the season with 26 snaps. Jalyx Hunt, meanwhile, saw 52 snaps while Joshua Uche played 33.
    • A few weeks after Vic Fangio questioned his fitness level, Jalen Carter was back to being a workhorse once again. Carter was on the field for 67 of a possible 69 snaps.
    • Adoree’ Jackson got the start at cornerback opposite Quinyon Mitchell but ended up with nearly an equal share of snaps to Kelee Ringo (22 snaps), who came on for Jackson (23 snaps) after Jackson suffered a concussion.
    • Kick returner Xavier Gipson dressed for the first time. He was on the field for seven special teams plays. He returned five kicks for 128 yards (25.6 yards per return).

    Full snap counts are here.

    — Jeff Neiburg

    // Timestamp 10/20/25 7:32am

    Eagles injury report

    Jeremiah Trotter Jr. walks off the field at the end of the first quarter.

    Three Eagles players exited the game due to injury in the first quarter — center Cam Jurgens (knee), edge rusher Azeez Ojulari (hamstring), and linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Jr. (ankle).

    All three players were ruled out in the third quarter.

    Jurgens played just two drives in the first quarter, then Brett Toth took over at center for the rest of the game. His status for next week’s Giants game is uncertain.

    Adoree’ Jackson went down in the third quarter after he appeared to hit his head while colliding with T.J. Hockenson. He was quickly ruled out with a concussion.

    Ojomo was also evaluated for a concussion in the fourth quarter when he collided head-first with Kelee Ringo, who had entered the game in relief of Jackson.

    Eagles center Cam Jurgens suffers right knee injury, status uncertain for Giants game

    — Olivia Reiner

    // Timestamp 10/20/25 7:25am

    Eagles numbers: Sirianni remains perfect, Hurts matches Birds history

    Nick Sirianni is a perfect 9-0 against NFC North teams.

    The Eagles are 5-2 or better through seven games for the fourth consecutive season, which is tied for the longest stretch in franchise history, a record that dates back to the 1950 season. The last time the Eagles got off to 5-2 starts or better in consecutive seasons was a three-year stretch from 1979 to 81.

    Here are some other historical numbers from Sunday courtesy of the Eagles:

    • King of the North: Nick Sirianni is 9-0 against NFC North teams. That’s the most wins without a loss by a team against any division since 2021.
    • Jalen Hurts is the third passer in Eagles history to have a perfect passer rating (158.3), joining Nick Foles (Nov. 3, 2013 at Oakland) and Donovan McNabb (Sept. 23, 2007 vs. Detroit). Hurts logged his most passing yards (326) since Dec. 4, 2022 vs. Tennessee (380).
    • DeVonta Smith posted a career-high 183 yards and A.J. Brown had a season-high 121. They combined for 304 yards and three touchdowns on 13 receptions Sunday. It was the first time both receivers had 100-plus yards in the same game since Dec. 12, 2024 vs. Pittsburgh.
    • Smith’s 183 yards are the most by a player so far during the 2025 season.
    • The Eagles held the Vikings to one touchdown and five field goals in the red zone. The 16.7% opponent red zone touchdown efficiency tied for the Eagles’ best mark since 2000 in games in which they faced 6-plus opponent red zone drives (Sept. 19, 2013 vs. Kansas City).

    — Jeff Neiburg

    // Timestamp 10/20/25 7:20am

    A.J. Brown’s comments after TD catch caught by Fox

    A.J. Brown celebrates during Sunday’s win against the Vikings.

    Comments made by A.J. Brown are making the rounds again, but this time they’re cloaked in an Eagles’ victory.

    After Brown scored his second touchdown during Sunday’s win against the Minnesota Vikings, Fox’s camera picked up the star wide receiver venting a bit about his last of production in recent weeks.

    “Just throw me the f— ball!” Brown shouted.

    A lot has been written about the Eagles’ offensive struggles in recent weeks. None of that was apparent Sunday, with Hurts throwing for 326 yards and three touchdowns, ending the day with a perfect passer rating.

    “Jalen Hurts was fantastic,” The Inquirer’s Jeff McLane wrote. “He seems to always play his best when doubt seeps in about his abilities.”

    Brown hauled in four of those passes for 121 yards and two touchdowns, including a 45-yard catch late in the fourth quarter that sealed the win. It’s just the second time he’s eclipsed 100 receiving yards all season, and comes after the star let his frustrations with the offense go public.

    — Rob Tornoe

    // Timestamp 10/20/25 7:15am

    Eagles to face the Giants in kelly green before heading into bye week

    The Giants and rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart will be headed to Philly Sunday.

    The Eagles (5-3) will face the New York Giants (2-5) for the second time in three weeks Sunday, this time at the Linc.

    The Giants easily handled the Eagles in Week 6 on a Thursday night game (on the same night the Phillies were eliminated from the playoffs). This time around, New York is coming off a last-second loss to the Denver Broncos, who scored 33 points in the fourth quarter after being held scoreless through three quarters.

    “This is going to haunt us for a long time,” Giants tight end Daniel Bellinger told reporters after the game.

    The Eagles hope so. The Birds opened up as early favorites against a Giants defense that’s fourth-worst in the NFL in yards allowed (376 yards per game).

    Saquon Barkley was wearing kelly green during his “reverse hurdle” against the Jaguars last season.

    The Birds will be decked out in their kelly green uniforms for the first time this season. It’s the first of three games 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.

    So far, the throwbacks have been good luck. Since bringing them back in 2023, the Birds are an undefeated 4-0 while wearing kelly green.

    — Rob Tornoe

    // Timestamp 10/20/25 7:10am

    NFC East Standings: Eagles remain on top

    Jalen Hurts claps after the Eagles beat the Vikings Sunday.

    The Eagles grew their lead in the NFC East Sunday, thanks to the Birds’ win against the Vikings and the Dallas Cowboys’ blowout of the Washington Commanders.

    The Birds are one and a half games up on the Cowboys thanks to their tie against the Green Bay Packers in Week 4. Meanwhile, the New York Giants slid further down the standings with their wild loss against the Denver Broncos on Sunday.

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    — Rob Tornoe

    // Timestamp 10/20/25 7:05am

    Photos from Eagles’ win against the Vikings

    2025 Eagles schedule

    • Week 1: Eagles 24, Cowboys 20
    • Week 2: Eagles 20, Chiefs 17
    • Week 3: Eagles 33, Rams 26
    • Week 4: Eagles 31, Buccaneers 25
    • Week 5: Broncos 21, Eagles 17
    • Week 6: Giants 34, Eagles 17
    • Week 7: Eagles 28, Vikings 22
    • Week 8: Giants at Eagles, Sunday, Oct. 26, 1 p.m. (Fox 29)
    • Week 9: Bye week
    • Week 10: Eagles at Packers, Monday, Nov. 10, 8:15 p.m. (6ABC, ESPN)
    • Week 11: Lions at Eagles, Sunday, Nov. 16, 8:20 p.m. (NBC10)
    • Week 12: Eagles at Cowboys, Sunday, Nov. 23, 4:25 p.m. (Fox 29)
    • Week 13: Bears at Eagles, Friday, Nov. 28, 3 p.m. (Amazon Prime Video)
    • Week 14: Eagles at Chargers, Monday, Dec. 8, 8:15 p.m. (6ABC, ESPN)
    • Week 15: Raiders at Eagles, Sunday, Dec. 14, 1 p.m. (Fox 29)
    • Week 16: Eagles at Commanders, Saturday, Dec. 20, TBD (Fox 29)
    • Week 17: Eagles at Bills, Sunday, Dec. 28, 4:29 p.m. (Fox 29)
    • Week 18: Commanders at Eagles, TBD (TBD)

    — Rob Tornoe

    // Timestamp 10/20/25 7:00am

  • Perfection from Hurts | Sports Daily Newsletter

    Perfection from Hurts | Sports Daily Newsletter

    Once again, the Eagles could not get their running game going yesterday against the Minnesota Vikings. Jalen Hurts and his wide receivers made sure that did not matter. Hurts threw for 326 yards, compiled a perfect passer rating of 158.3, and threw three long touchdown passes in a 28-22 victory.

    DeVonta Smith caught nine passes for a career-high 183 yards and a touchdown. And we likely will get no complaints this week from A.J. Brown, who had 121 receiving yards and two scores. Saquon Barkley managed only 44 yards on 18 carries, but the passing game picked up the slack.

    “Saquon is the best,” Hurts said. “I don’t want him to feel like he’s carrying that by himself. It is a group effort. Everyone is involved in that. Everyone has to look inward and say, ‘Well, how can we help get something going the way it needs to go?’ Offensively as a unit, as a team, it doesn’t matter how it looks. In hindsight, it’s about finding ways to win games. But we want to make sure all areas of our yard are green and in a good place.” Jeff McLane has his grades on the game.

    Whatever the Eagles needed against the Vikings, Hurts gave it to them, Mike Sielski writes. And they needed a lot.

    In a bit of concerning news for the offense, center Cam Jurgens left the game in the first quarter with a right knee injury.

    Against a Vikings offense that seemed to keep shooting itself in the foot, Vic Fangio’s defense bent but did not break. It helped to get a huge play from linebacker Jalyx Hunt, who picked off Carson Wentz and returned the ball 42 yards for a touchdown. Moro Ojomo and Joshua Uche sacked Wentz in two more big plays for the Birds.

    The Vikings had a unique way of trying to stop the Tush Push, which came to light during Fox’s broadcast.

    More coverage from Sunday’s Eagles win can be found here

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

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    Back for more?

    Brandon Graham’s March retirement might only last seven months.

    The Eagles’ corps of edge rushers took another hit Sunday when Azeez Ojulari went down with a hamstring injury in the first half and never returned. Perhaps help is on the way, though. Defensive end Brandon Graham, 37, is considering ending his retirement after seven months and rejoining the Eagles, league sources told The Inquirer. An ESPN report said Graham was “strongly considering” it.

    He can handle it

    Sixers rookie VJ Edgecombe poured in 26 points and even played on the ball some in the Sixers preseason finale.

    The 76ers figured they were getting an athletic wing with elite defensive skills when they drafted VJ Edgecombe third overall in the NBA draft. Turns out, they might have picked up a more complete package.

    The Sixers entrusted Edgecombe with handling the ball Friday in a preseason victory against Minnesota and the rookie looked good in that role. “He makes good decisions,” says Tyrese Maxey, who was freed up to score with Edgecombe on the ball.

    Maybe Paul George will be in the mix for the Sixers soon, too. Coming back from knee surgery in July, George “looked good” in a full practice yesterday, coach Nick Nurse said.

    Tippett’s flying start

    Owen Tippett leads the Flyers with three goals this season.

    Noah Cates scored the decisive goal for the Flyers on Saturday in a 2-1 overtime victory against the Minnesota Wild. Afterward, Cates raved about teammate Owen Tippett. “He can be a one-man show with his speed,” Cates said. Tippett showed his speed and more as he scored his third goal of the season. Goalie Dan Vladař also made a big impression, Jackie Spiegel writes in her takeaways from the game.

    Meanwhile, 20-year-old star Matvei Michkov played only 12 minutes, 7 seconds against the Wild, sitting out the end of regulation and all of overtime. Coach Rick Tocchet explains why Michkov wound up on the bench.

    Starting over

    Penn State tailback Kaytron Allen rushed for 145 yards and two touchdowns in the loss to Iowa.

    Penn State’s comeback effort ran out of gas Saturday in a 25-24 loss to Iowa, dropping the Nittany Lions to 0-4 in the Big Ten. The Nittany Lions showed fight under interim coach Terry Smith, though.

    “I think our guys played hard. I think our guys left it out there,” Smith said. “They gave everything they had. There was no one who didn’t give great effort. We just have to execute.”

    Meanwhile, in a 49-14 rout of Charlotte, Temple posted its first conference road win since 2019.

    Penn remained unbeaten in the Ivy League by beating Columbia, 35-21.

    Sports snapshot

    Union manager Bradley Carnell raises the Supporters’ Shield after his team’s clinching win on Oct. 4.

    On this date

    Eagles quarterback Ron Jaworski with coach Dick Vermeil.

    Oct. 20, 1985: Kenny Jackson scored on a 36-yard touchdown pass from Ron Jaworski in the fourth quarter to lift the Eagles past the Dallas Cowboys, 16-14, at Veterans Stadium.

    Who said it?

    Brandon Graham

    Brandon Graham is weighing a possible return to the Eagles after a seven-month retirement. One member of the Eagles defense talked about how much he misses the veteran defensive end. Can you tell who said the above? Check your answer here.

    We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Olivia Reiner, Jeff McLane, Jeff Neiburg, Gabriela Carroll, Mike Sielski, Keith Pompey, Jackie Spiegel, Jonathan Tannenwald, Sean McKeown, Greg Finberg, and Ryan Mack.

    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, as always. I’ll see you in Tuesday’s newsletter. — Jim Swan

  • VJ Edgecombe outpacing Sixers expectations — and bringing his lofty goals into view

    VJ Edgecombe outpacing Sixers expectations — and bringing his lofty goals into view

    VJ Edgecombe can do even more than the 76ers envisioned.

    So on Friday, they took the ball out of Tyrese Maxey’s hands and made Edgecombe the primary ballhandler in an exhibition game, even though dribbling was a supposed weakness for the rookie.

    “I think we thought, ‘OK, maybe he could play on the ball some,’ and we were talking about, ‘Let’s do it at summer league,’” coach Nick Nurse said after a 126-110 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves in the preseason finale. “But where we’re at, I think he’s way ahead of where we thought he might be, being able to do that.”

    Sixers takeaways: Joel Embiid’s versatility, VJ Edgecombe’s development, and Tyrese Maxey’s scoring

    Edgecombe’s ability to bring the ball up the court created easy off-ball scoring opportunities for Maxey — ones he hadn’t seen since he played alongside James Harden two seasons ago. And it has people thinking that the Sixers may have found the perfect backcourt pairing for Maxey.

    Edgecombe finished the game with 26 points, one behind Maxey’s game-high total. The third pick in June’s NBA draft also had six rebounds, three assists, and a game-high five steals in 34 minutes. Eleven of his points came in the fourth quarter on 4-for-6 shooting. His final eight points came on a personal 8-0 run to put the game out of reach.

    He started the run with back-to-back rolls to the basket. Then the 20-year-old added a pair of foul shots. And after stealing the ball, Edgecombe scored on a running dunk to put the Sixers up 18 with 9 minutes, 8 seconds remaining. Having seen enough, Nurse subbed him out for good with 8:43 left.

    VJ Edgecombe’s ball-handling ability enabled the Sixers to move Tyrese Maxey (left) off the ball Friday.

    So what stood out the most to Edgecombe about his home debut?

    The five steals? Playing point guard? Scoring 11 fourth-quarter points?

    “Probably the steals,” he said. “I’d say just being in the lanes, getting as much deflections as I can, being in the right spot defensively. That’s something I pride myself on. I wouldn’t say stood out, but that’s probably the best part.”

    Can Nick Nurse work his magic to overcome the Sixers’ injuries and lack of on-court chemistry?

    Edgecombe showed he was an athletic wing with elite defensive skills last season as a freshman at Baylor.

    He was a highlight waiting to happen during his lone college season. The 6-foot-4, 195-pounder was known for his scoring ability — especially in transition and at the rim. The Bahamian also possessed solid playmaking skills and defensive instincts.

    Sixers guard VJ Edgecombe went on a personal 8-0 run in the fourth quarter to put away Friday’s exhibition finale against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

    He averaged 15 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 3.2 assists last season. If there was a weakness, his struggles with shot creation stood out. The thought was that if Edgecombe developed a shot and worked on his ballhandling, he could be a solid NBA combo guard.

    But Maxey was far from surprised by Edgecombe’s ability to handle the ball on Friday. He’s been “extremely” impressed with his backcourt mate’s comfort with the ball against NBA defenders.

    “He makes good decisions,” Maxey said. “He doesn’t let people speed him up. I think he plays extremely mature for being a rookie. He’s good. He’s good at basketball.”

    Barring any setback, Edgecombe will remain in the starting lineup when the Sixers open the season Wednesday against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden.

    Sixers waive five players ahead of Monday’s deadline to trim NBA opening-day rosters

    He’ll be a part of a young backcourt rotation this season that will include Quentin Grimes and Jared McCain, who’s sidelined after right thumb surgery. And Edgecombe has lofty goals, which include winning Rookie of the Year, making the All-Defensive and All-Rookie teams, and helping the Sixers contend for a title.

    “I know I worked hard to be in this position,” he said. “If I wasn’t ready for it, I wouldn’t have been here. I feel as though I just have a lot of confidence. My teammates instill confidence in me also. So, I won’t say it’s easy, but it’s basketball at the end of the day. I’m trying not to overthink it.

    “I love this game so much. … It just flows naturally, man. I’m just out there having fun.”

    The Sixers hope VJ Edgecombe (77) and Tyrese Maxey will lead a young guard rotation.
  • Eagles center Cam Jurgens suffers right knee injury, status uncertain for Giants game

    Eagles center Cam Jurgens suffers right knee injury, status uncertain for Giants game

    MINNEAPOLIS — Eagles center Cam Jurgens exited Sunday’s 28-22 win over the Minnesota Vikings in the first quarter with a right knee injury, bringing his status for next Sunday’s rematch against the New York Giants into question.

    Jurgens, who is in his second season as the starting center, appeared to sustain the injury on the first play of the game. Vikings defensive lineman Jonathan Allen fell on the back of Jurgens’ right leg on a Saquon Barkley run play. Jurgens immediately grabbed his knee.

    But Jurgens stayed in for the rest of the scoring drive, which lasted 8 minutes, 1 second and included a Tush Push conversion on a fourth down. Jurgens returned for the Eagles’ second possession with a brace on his right knee. For the third drive, though, Brett Toth entered at center.

    Grading the Eagles’ win over the Vikings

    After the game, Toth said Jurgens is going to undergo an MRI to determine the extent of his injury.

    “Obviously, he’s a fighter,” Toth said. “Tried going back out there, fighting with a brace on as well. And then just couldn’t keep fighting. It’s unfortunate. Things happen.”

    With Landon Dickerson playing his first game in two weeks following an ankle injury, Toth had almost exclusively taken snaps at left guard in practice in the week before the Vikings game. He said he only took three reps at center in a walk-through.

    Toth was critical of his play after the game. He acknowledged that he gave up a couple of tackles for loss in the run game and had close calls in pass protection, too. Toth also said Dickerson “saved my a—” at times throughout the afternoon.

    “I’m very thankful for having Landon next to me as well,” Toth said. “He’s definitely the smartest guy in the room. Can help me as well because I had a lot of bad plays and a lot of mispointed plays that I need to work on. I think the biggest thing is as a unit, we stick together, find a way, get through it. I’m thankful for the guys that were around me.”

    Jalen Hurts has never been better in saving the Eagles against the Vikings | Mike Sielski

    The Eagles offensive line has been hit throughout the season by injuries. Dickerson has been hobbled by meniscus and back injuries in addition to the ankle issue that forced him to drop out of the loss to the Denver Broncos two weeks ago and sidelined him last week. Lane Johnson left the Week 3 game against the Los Angeles Rams with a stinger and the Week 4 contest against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with a shoulder injury.

    Jurgens underwent back surgery in the offseason, an issue he acknowledged following the Broncos loss was “getting a little better” with every game. Still, Toth didn’t make excuses for the offensive line.

    “It’s football,” Toth said. ”You look around the league as well, everyone handles injuries. You harp on the cohesion of the unit as a whole. Again, I can only speak for my part into how that reflected on a unit as a whole. I wasn’t good enough today and just got to keep getting better.”

    Highlights from the Eagles-Vikings broadcast
  • Jalyx Hunt’s pick-six and timely sacks help Eagles defense deliver in win over Vikings

    Jalyx Hunt’s pick-six and timely sacks help Eagles defense deliver in win over Vikings

    MINNEAPOLIS — Jalyx Hunt dropped an interception last week and there were repercussions, even if he claimed that he never saw the ball. First came the teasing teammates, who wondered why the former college safety couldn’t catch the ball. Then came the coaching adjustment.

    Eagles edge rushers don’t normally go through the full catch circuit drills during practices. They spend more time during individual drill sessions working on pass-rushing techniques. But after Hunt failed to pull in an interception in an embarrassing loss to the New York Giants, Nick Sirianni made the edge rushers go through the catch circuit during practice last week.

    It paid off Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings when Hunt dropped into coverage early in the second quarter, picked off Carson Wentz, and returned the interception 42 yards to give the Eagles a 14-3 lead in a game they never trailed at U.S. Bank Stadium.

    “I didn’t see last week’s,” Hunt said later. “Everybody made fun of me. I’ll take that to the chin. Can’t say nothing now.”

    The spin through the catch circuit may be here to stay, Hunt said.

    Hunt’s touchdown was the signature play for an Eagles defense that needed a bounce-back performance after it was bullied at times last week vs. the Giants. The Eagles weren’t perfect defensively Sunday, but they made impact plays when it mattered. They bent — the Vikings took six trips to the red zone — but they did not break. The Vikings kicked five field goals in those six trips.

    Eagles grades: Jalen Hurts a perfect passer, DeVonta Smith and A.J. Brown soar in victory against Vikings

    Hunt is part of a maligned pass-rush unit that hasn’t gotten home consistently. After Za’Darius Smith’s surprise retirement last Monday following the mini-bye, Patrick Johnson was the lone healthy Eagles edge rusher with a sack this season. The Eagles entered Sunday with just nine sacks, and only six teams had fewer. They got key contributions in that regard from Moro Ojomo and Joshua Uche at pivotal points.

    Minnesota Vikings quarterback Carson Wentz tries to scramble away from the Eagles’ Moro Ojomo during the second quarter.

    First up was Ojomo, an interior rusher. The Vikings were threatening to take the lead four minutes into the fourth quarter when Ojomo sacked Wentz for a 7-yard loss on a third-and-5 from the Eagles’ 10-yard line, forcing a field goal that kept the Eagles in front, 21-19. Then came Uche’s sack off the edge, again on a play from the 10-yard line, this time on a first-and-goal inside three minutes to play. Uche dropped Wentz for an 8-yard loss, and the Vikings eventually were forced to kick another field goal.

    The Eagles entered Sunday ranked eighth in the NFL in red zone defense, having allowed touchdowns on only 52.9% of their opponents’ red zone trips.

    “Everything gets tighter down there,” linebacker Zack Baun said. “It makes it hard to score, especially when you’re playing good defense.”

    The Eagles had other key plays besides the sacks, like when Cooper DeJean broke up a sure touchdown from Wentz to Justin Jefferson in the end zone, another play that resulted in the Vikings eventually kicking a field goal — a four-point swing.

    There were moving parts for much of Sunday, too. The Eagles inserted Nakobe Dean back into an off-ball linebacker role and moved rookie Jihaad Campbell to the edge for more snaps. Their edge rushing plans took a hit, too, when Azeez Ojulari went down with a hamstring injury in the first half and never returned. Baun said Campbell still saw a similar amount of edge work as planned, but the Eagles were down to three regular edge rushers for most of the game.

    “It’s plug-and-play,” Baun said of all the moving parts. “All of us can play multiple different positions. Just let us know and we’ll go out there and do it.”

    Jalen Hurts has never been better in saving the Eagles against the Vikings

    Hunt’s big play came in a non-rushing role, and showed that Vic Fangio, despite his defense’s mounting injuries, can still scheme ways to make a big impact. The Eagles showed a blitz and sent Baun from the linebacker spot. But they dropped Hunt and rushed four. The Vikings had Jefferson matched up with rookie safety Drew Mukuba — who also had a second-quarter interception — in the slot. Jefferson unsurprisingly beat Mukuba badly, but Wentz never saw Hunt.

    The simulated pressure the Eagles showed also allowed Jalen Carter to not be doubled, and he was in Wentz’s face almost instantly and crushed the quarterback as he released the ball.

    Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter pressures Vikings quarterback Carson Wentz during the second quarter.

    Hunt started his college career at Cornell as a safety and said those skills help him in those spots.

    “I’m way more comfortable than, I’d say, a lot of outside linebackers, especially in space,” he said. “I understand what routes might be going on behind me.” Hunt said he didn’t notice Jefferson matched up with Mukuba one-on-one in the slot. “I just know where I needed to be,” he said.

    News broke before the game that Brandon Graham is considering ending his seven-month-long retirement and rejoining the Eagles, and while Ojulari’s status is unknown, his injury underscored the Eagles’ needs at that position, especially as Nolan Smith (triceps) remains on injured reserve.

    But even an undermanned pass rush found a way when it mattered to get to Wentz and help preserve an Eagles win.

    Much has been made about the pass rush’s inability to get home at times. “Yeah, y’all have,” Hunt said when that fact was mentioned to him Sunday after the game.

    “Not to listen to y’all and just to keep working,” he said when asked what Sunday showed. “We know it’s hard to get sacks in this league. They get paid, we get paid, and sacks take a lot of effort, a lot of scheming. You’ve got to be rushing the right way when your time comes, and the time came, Uche great rush off the edge, Mo with his brainpower.”

    Players like to say sacks come in bunches, and time will tell if Sunday was the start of something more for a defense that needs to get going.

    “They’re hungry,” Baun said. “They know where they’re at right now, the rush, and the linebackers as well, too, we haven’t gotten home too much either. We know where we’re at in that department and it just makes you hungrier to do it.”

    There’s still a lot to improve on, Uche said.

    “But it’s just great to have that spark,” he said. “Once you get a spark on it turns into a big fire, so we just got to keep rolling.”

  • Here’s why Matvei Michkov found himself on the bench late in the Flyers’ latest victory

    Here’s why Matvei Michkov found himself on the bench late in the Flyers’ latest victory

    Five games into the season, Matvei Michkov has one goal, which he scored Thursday against the Winnipeg Jets.

    But more significant isn’t necessarily the goal, it’s that he played 18 minutes, 48 seconds. In the first three games of the season, Michkov ranked ninth in average minutes (14:26) among Flyers forwards who skated in all three, with only Garnet Hathaway below him.

    On Saturday against the Minnesota Wild, Michkov was on the ice for 12:07, his lowest total since Jan. 30. Across his 80 games as a rookie, Michkov played fewer minutes four times. He was benched in the third period for the third game this season.

    The 20-year-old winger did not play in the final 1:56 of regulation or in overtime in the loss to the Carolina Hurricanes. He did not play the final 7:43 against the Florida Panthers in the Flyers’ win on Monday. And on Saturday, he did not play the final 11:48 of regulation or in overtime.

    The Flyers’ gifted Matvei Michkov overcame pressure as a rookie. Now he’s out to avoid the sophomore slump.

    “I know he’s the lightning rod for everybody around here,” said coach Rick Tocchet, who previously said that some of Michkov’s drop in ice time has been related to the Flyers taking so many penalties — and the winger is not on the penalty kill. “Just got to relax. He’s got to get himself into shape.”

    Tocchet said last week that the Russian suffered an ankle injury this offseason. Michkov confirmed Wednesday through a team translator that he “was training in the summer, got a little injury, minor injury in the ankle,” and now is getting back into playing form.

    Flyers right wing Matvei Michkov (center) celebrates his goal against the Jets with Owen Tippett (left) and Noah Juulsen.

    Just over a week into the season, Tocchet is starting to sound like former coach John Tortorella, who would often stress that Michkov needed to be accountable on the ice and be a pro.

    Under Tocchet’s defensive-zone system, wingers have a setup in which “the wingers really have your quadrant, and that’s kind of your job … Just got to make sure you’re in the slot, covering certain people, because you don’t want those slot shots.” But it is becoming clear that while Michkov is a high-end hockey player who sometimes sees the play two steps ahead, he often puts his team at a disadvantage by leaving the zone early.

    “He’s been in video sessions asking the right questions, and he’ll tell you, ‘Yeah, no, I’m in the wrong spot.’ He’s just got to know when is the time to cheat and when not,” said Tocchet, who added that Michkov has gotten better at it and is working hard on supporting the puck.

    “We don’t have the puck, you can’t be at center ice. That’s the rules of hockey. It’s black and white for me.”

    Tocchet wants his players to go north and not dawdle. He clearly also wants Michkov to stop cherry-picking, hoping for an outlet pass that could spring him alone on the goalie. Saturday night, the Wild’s only goal was a clear example of the youngster misreading the play.

    Earlier on the shift, when it was a 50-50 battle along the wall, Michkov cheated a little and drifted into the neutral zone — when it’s a 50-50 puck, it’s not as terrible — and he did come right back into the Flyers’ end. But the issue is that as Vladimir Tarasenko put his shot on goal from the blue line, Michkov was skating backward in the neutral zone. There was no clear indication the Flyers would get the puck back — and they didn’t.

    “I’m not trying to change his whole game,” Tocchet stressed. “But he has to support the puck. That’s all. You can’t go away from the puck. You have to go to the puck, right? And there’s a lot of support issues. … He likes to play on the outside and kind of, he skates backward a lot when he gets the puck. I want him to skate forward. That’s the gift of him and he can make his plays.”

    Thinking about transitioning to offense isn’t a bad thing, it just has to be at the proper time and place. Regardless of whether the Flyers would get the puck back on the shot by Tarasenko, it was sent too deep to make that read in that situation.

    It happened again in the third period when Michkov misread the play as three Flyers went to Wild forward Ryan Hartman after a shot was blocked again by Jamie Drysdale. It was not a great read overall by the Flyers on the ice, but Michkov disappears off screen and, had he not, he would have been in a good spot for the errant pass by Hartman. Instead, it allowed Minnesota’s Jake Middleton to pinch in and keep the puck in the zone.

    “We talk about everybody wants to win around here, and everybody wants to build a culture, and you’ve got to do that first, right? I’m a big believer in that,” Tocchet said. “And, yeah, not everybody’s a system guy. Now, you don’t want robots out there, and I don’t want them to be a robot, but there’s also things you have to participate on the team part.

    “Everyone has to have somewhat the same standard. You can’t let people do what they want — then you’ll lose all the time. So that’s just we have to do. And there’s growing pains with it.”

    Breakaways

    Practice on Sunday had Owen Tippett on the top line with Sean Couturier and Travis Konecny. The trio finished the game against the Wild together when Tippett was elevated after scoring the tying goal. Michov was moved to the wing with Trevor Zegras and Christian Dvorak. Zegras and Michkov showed offensive chemistry in the preseason and Dvorak, a noted defensive-minded forward who has been playing center on the line, could provide needed support for the two creative forwards.

  • A close call for Pam Oliver, echoes of Brandon Graham, and more from the Eagles-Vikings broadcast

    A close call for Pam Oliver, echoes of Brandon Graham, and more from the Eagles-Vikings broadcast

    The Eagles finally are back in the win column, snapping a two-game losing streak with a 28-22 victory on the road in Minnesota, against former Birds quarterback Carson Wentz.

    Here’s what you might have missed from the broadcast of the Eagles’ big win:

    Tush Push

    Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores has a new strategy to stop the Tush Push — have a defender lie down and roll into the center.

    Greg Olsen, noted Tush Push fan, said rookie linebacker Tyler Batty was playing in his first NFL game after being activated from injured reserve this week. What an assignment for your NFL debut.

    “Making his NFL debut, the rookie out of BYU, Brian Flores says, ‘Hey, I’ve got a very interesting job for you today,’” play-by-play man Adam Amin said jokingly.

    “Quite the meeting on Wednesday when you’re setting your Tush Push defense,” Olsen, the analyst, said.

    Grading the Eagles’ win over the Minnesota Vikings

    BG

    Could Brandon Graham unretire and return to the Eagles? The Inquirer reported just before kickoff Sunday that Graham is “strongly considering” returning to help the Eagles’ depleted pass rusher room.

    Just before kickoff, Graham’s Firstrust Bank commercial aired in the Philadelphia area. Is this a sign?

    OK, the commercial airs all the time. But it definitely felt a little different after seeing the news.

    Olsen’s drop

    Olsen usually is great to listen to, but even the good ones have some bad misses. Greg, come on, this is not a drop by Justin Jefferson.

    “Justin Jefferson, I’m going to call it a drop, for a guy as good as him,” Olsen said.

    That said, he did give credit to Cooper DeJean for the pass breakup earlier in his analysis.

    “Nine out of 10 times, Justin Jefferson comes down with it,” Olsen said. “They teach defensive backs, continue to fight through the hands all the way to the ground, Justin takes that left hand off the ball, and it’s just enough for DeJean to knock that ball loose.”

    Jalen Hurts has never been better in saving the Eagles against the Vikings | Mike Sielski

    Oliver’s close call

    Getting knocked over on the sideline is an occupational hazard for any photographer or sideline reporter. This week’s victim? Fox’s Pam Oliver, who nearly got bowled over by Jefferson early in the third quarter.

    Oliver managed to maneuver herself out of Jefferson’s way, and he profusely apologized getting up.

    “If there’s one person on that sideline who cannot be run over, it’s Pam Oliver,” Olsen said.

    “He was so polite, he said, ‘Are you OK?’” Oliver said. “I patted him on the helmet. I was glad I didn’t go down.”

    “He’s one of the nicest guys,” Olsen said.

  • Eagles grades: Jalen Hurts a perfect passer, DeVonta Smith and A.J. Brown soar in victory against Vikings

    Eagles grades: Jalen Hurts a perfect passer, DeVonta Smith and A.J. Brown soar in victory against Vikings

    MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — Instant grades on the Eagles’ performance in their 28-22 win over the Vikings:

    Quarterback: A

    Jalen Hurts was fantastic. He seems to always play his best when doubt seeps in about his abilities. He completed 19 of 23 passes for 326 yards and three touchdowns and iced the game when he lofted a 45-yard strike to A.J. Brown. Hurts finished with a perfect 158.3 passer rating.

    He may not always be great within structure, but he killed the Vikings when forced to extend plays in the second half. Hurts found receiver DeVonta Smith once for 28 yards, later for 21 yards, and Brown for 13 in between. The first two completions came on long third downs.

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    Hurts followed the last scramble drill completion with a dart to Brown for a 26-yard touchdown. He hooked up with him to open the game on another scramble drill that resulted in a 37-yard score. There was a lull after that, but Hurts did what he does best with a 79-yard touchdown bomb to Smith to open the second half.

    Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts completed 19 of 23 passes for 326 yards and three touchdowns against Minnesota.

    Running back: B

    It was another tough day on the ground for Saquon Barkley, but he ran hard. He finished with 44 yards on 18 carries. Barkley had a couple of shifty moves on a 7-yard rush in the second quarter. He also had his longest rush of 13 yards brought back by a holding penalty.

    Barkley’s blitz pickup remained a problem. He got run over by Vikings linebacker Eric Wilson — and still held him — before Hurts got sacked in the second quarter. Will Shipley did better a series later, and Hurts was able to throw for a first down. Tank Bigsby had a carry on the Eagles’ first series that went 11 yards off tackle. AJ Dillon, a game after he fumbled, was inactive for the first time this season.

    Cameron Latu was the lead blocker on a Barkley 5-yard run in the third quarter.

    Jalen Hurts outduels predecessor Carson Wentz as Eagles hold off Vikings, 28-22

    Receiver / tight end: A-

    DeVonta Smith produced his second 100-yard receiving game of the season. He caught nine passes for a career-high 183 yards and a touchdown. He toasted former Eagles cornerback Isaiah Rodgers with a double move on the 79-yard touchdown.

    Earlier, Smith failed to pull in a third-down jump ball over Rodgers in the first quarter, but it was high on the scale of difficulty.

    A.J. Brown’s early touchdown was his lone target until the third quarter. He took advantage of great pass protection and released up field beyond man coverage for a 37-yard touchdown on the game’s first possession. Brown caught a 26-yard touchdown on an in-breaking route in the fourth quarter. His 45-yard grab at the end put him over 100 yards for the second time this season.

    Tight end Dallas Goedert had a relatively quiet day as a receiver, catching three passes for 18 yards. With Grant Calcaterra (oblique) out, Kylen Granson, EJ Jenkins, and Latu handled second and third tight end blocking.

    Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown catches the ball on his first-quarter touchdown reception.

    Offensive line: B

    Center Cam Jurgens was sidelined in the second quarter with a knee injury and was replaced by Brett Toth. Rookie center Drew Kendall was inactive as he has been for most of the season. Toth got bowled over on one of his first snaps and Barkley was dropped in the backfield. He couldn’t hold his block on a Barkley third-down run in the fourth quarter.

    Landon Dickerson was back at left guard after missing the New York Giants game with an ankle injury. He had a clear-out lead block on an early Barkley carry and held up despite multiple nagging injuries. Right guard Tyler Steen’s holding penalty in the third quarter brought back a Barkley 13-yard run.

    Jalen Hurts has never been better in saving the Eagles against the Vikings | Mike Sielski

    Tackles Jordan Mailata and Lane Johnson didn’t allow much edge pressure in pass protection. Mailata did appear to get beaten on the blind side once in the fourth quarter. He also committed an early first-half holding penalty.

    The O-line led the way on a successful fourth-down Tush Push on the opening drive, despite the Vikings laying a defender on the ground behind the ball. Brown’s false start denied a second try a drive later.

    Fred Johnson was the sixth O-lineman on a couple of early runs, later setting up the bomb to Smith.

    Defensive line: B+

    The Eagles held Vikings running backs to just 3.2 yards a carry. The defense allowed running back Jordan Mason to rush five times for 34 yards to open the second half, but the group tightened the hatches down the stretch. The pass rush was effective early, then not-so-much for a period, until Moro Ojomo‘s third-down sack early in the fourth quarter forced the Vikings to settle for a field goal.

    Jalyx Hunt had the early defensive play of the game with a second-quarter pick-six. The outside linebacker dropped into coverage and Vikings quarterback Carson Wentz threw it right to him. Hunt didn’t do as well the next time he was targeted in coverage, when some Minnesota trickery resulted in him committing pass interference.

    The Eagles celebrates Jalyx Hunt’s interception return for a touchdown in the second quarter.

    Jalen Carter, who returned to the lineup after a one-game absence, hurried Wentz on the interception with an inside rush. He was credited with another hit just before the half. He broke through and forced Wentz out of the pocket before he threw his second pick in as many drives. Jordan Davis held up Vikings blockers before making two run stops near the line in the second quarter.

    Brandon Graham ‘strongly considering’ coming out of retirement to rejoin Eagles

    Azeez Ojulari went inside early with a hamstring injury, which forced an already-depleted edge rush corps to lean on Hunt, Joshua Uche, and Patrick Johnson. Uche delivered with a late sack.

    Linebacker: A-

    Rookie Jihaad Campbell played some outside linebacker for the first time this season. It allowed Nakobe Dean to take his first defensive snaps of the season at off-ball linebacker. Campbell had some edge-rush chances but didn’t get home. He finished with three tackles.

    Dean finished with six tackles, including a run tackle for loss in the third quarter. He was behind only Zack Baun (10) in tackles. Baun was all over the field. He made a tough open-field tackle on a pass to the flat in the second quarter.

    Jeremiah Trotter Jr. injured an ankle on punt duty and never returned.

    Eagles cornerback Cooper DeJean (left) and linebacker Zack Baun stop Minnesota tight end T.J. Hockenson during the third quarter.

    Cornerback: B

    Adoree’ Jackson got the nod ahead of the benched Kelee Ringo. He didn’t allow much until Vikings receiver Jalen Nailor converted a third down in the third quarter. Jackson got up slowly and a play later suffered a game-ending concussion. That forced the embattled Ringo into action. A drive later, Vikings receiver Jordan Addison toasted Ringo on a 25-yard crossing route.

    Quinyon Mitchell didn’t follow elite receiver Justin Jefferson. He wasn’t targeted much by Wentz, but his soft coverage in the fourth quarter allowed Addison a relatively easy 20-yard reception.

    Cooper DeJean was up and down. He had tight coverage on Addison in the end zone on a Wentz my-guy-or-no-one overthrow in the first quarter. Playing on the outside, DeJean gave Jefferson too much space on an 18-yard slant route. He let Nailor get behind him for a 26-yard gain in the second quarter. He rebounded later in the possession, though, and broke up an end-zone corner fade to Jefferson.

    Jefferson was held to five catches for 79 yards.

    Highlights from the broadcast of the Eagles’ win over the Vikings

    Safety: B

    Drew Mukuba notched his second career interception — another Wentz gift — when he played center field on an ill-advised, up-for-grabs toss. He later whiffed on a sideline tackle attempt and Jefferson turned what should have been a short catch into a 40-yard pickup.

    Reed Blankenship played well. He got beaten by Addison on a third-down conversion in the red zone in the third quarter, but he kept the deep middle secure and chipped in with four run stops. The Eagles had a busted coverage when Addison got behind Mitchell in zone coverage for a 37-yard completion in the first quarter.

    Eagles safety Andrew Mukuba picks off a pass by Minnesota’s Carson Wentz in the second quarter.

    Special teams: B-

    Xavier Gipson was active for the first time since he was acquired last month. He had five kick returns for a 25.6-yard average, while Shipley averaged 29 yards on two returns.

    Kicker Jake Elliott was wide right on a 42-yard field-goal attempt for his first miss of the season. He made all of his extra points. Punter Braden Mann averaged 40 net yards on three boots. The Eagles didn’t have a single punt return.

    Latu was flagged for an illegal combo block on a third-quarter Eagles kick return. The Eagles’ kick coverage unit allowed a 38-yard return to open the second half. Elliott’s next kickoff landed short of the landing zone and the Vikings had good field position at the 40.

    Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown with coach Nick Sirianni late in the fourth quarter against the Vikings.

    Coaching: B+

    Coach Nick Sirianni has his team back in the winner’s circle after a two-game losing streak. It wasn’t pretty, but Eagles football during the Sirianni era rarely is. And that’s OK for now as the 5-2 Eagles continue their search for an offensive identity. It may just be relying on Hurts and the passing game.

    Offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo dialed up a strong opening script, with plays under center and a fourth-down dagger vs. single high man coverage that resulted in Brown’s 37-yard touchdown. But after that 12-play, 75-yard drive, the offense did very little before the half. The Eagles went three-and-out on their next three possessions, and Hurts was sacked twice before the break came.

    Patullo had one of his better moments when he set up the Vikings with six O-linemen and used under-center play action to free up Smith on his 79-yard connection with Hurts. And he just let Hurts roll with it down the stretch and it worked, especially in crunch time.

    Vic Fangio’s defense did a lot of bending and benefited from Wentz’s miscues. But the Eagles were great in the red zone and forced the Vikings to kick five field goals on six possessions inside the 20.

  • Jalen Hurts has never been better in saving the Eagles against the Vikings

    Jalen Hurts has never been better in saving the Eagles against the Vikings

    MINNEAPOLIS — Jalen Hurts was rolling to his right, and he continued that way until the slice of available space for him to keep rolling got precariously thin. It was third-and-13 midway through the fourth quarter Sunday, the Eagles leading by two and one failed play away from handing the ball — and maybe the game — back to the Vikings. Two Minnesota defenders, tackle Javon Hargrave and linebacker Dallas Turner, were chasing Hurts, right at his heels, when he zipped a pass to A.J. Brown right at the marker. Thirteen yards. A first down. Just what the Eagles needed, just when they needed it.

    That was Hurts all day, all throughout the Eagles’ 28-22 victory. Whatever they needed, he gave them. And they needed a lot.

    They had lost their previous two games. One team leader, Lane Johnson, had called the offense predictable. Another, Brown, was pleading publicly for change, for improvement. Their offensive line is as leaky and damaged as the Titanic post-iceberg. Center Cam Jurgens, who already was playing through pain while still recovering from offseason back surgery, left Sunday’s game with a knee injury. Brett Toth replaced him, and the line, which was rarely opening holes for Saquon Barkley as it was, pretty much stopped generating push on any run plays. Those struggles have done more than just render Barkley mortal. They have made him practically a nonfactor. That ought to be impossible, and it certainly ought to be impossible for the Eagles to win when it happens.

    Grading the Eagles’ win over the Vikings

    But it did, and they won anyway. They won because Vic Fangio’s defense kept holding the Vikings to field goals in the red zone, and because Carson Wentz — as anyone who remembers his Eagles career knows — remains a maddeningly inconsistent quarterback: glorious individual plays one moment, inexplicable mistakes the next. He threw two interceptions, one of which edge rusher Jalyx Hunt (who played safety in college) returned for a touchdown.

    Mostly, though, the Eagles won because their quarterback was as good as he’s ever been for them. Hurts was 19-of-23 for 326 yards, three touchdowns, and a perfect passer rating of 158.3. When has he been better? Perhaps in Super Bowl LIX. This one was a close second, though, at least. A championship wasn’t at stake Sunday, of course, but given the current state of this team, this was as meaningful as a regular-season game gets, and Hurts met the moment.

    “Definitely, there was some fire there,” he said. “But within that fire, you have to be the calm.”

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    He did it by feeding his two playmakers on the outside often. Brown and DeVonta Smith combined for 304 receiving yards and all three of those scores, the first of which came when Hurts and Brown improvised on a fourth-and-4 play on the Eagles’ first possession. Brown was supposed to go short. But when Hurts pointed downfield for Brown to go long, their old teammate Isaiah Rodgers, charged with covering Brown, never had a chance.

    “He’s got so much swag, a swagginess to him,” tackle Jordan Mailata said. “When he’s in control, you can see the look in his eye … that sharpness to his eye.”

    Offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo even broke from what had been par for his play-calling course over the season’s first six weeks by putting Hurts under center and having him throw, and throw deep, from that formation, including on Smith’s 79-yard TD catch in the third quarter. The play marked, according to the research firm Tru Media, the first passing yards that the Eagles had gained all season on a play-action pass in which Hurts had been under center.

    “It frees up the passing game a lot more,” Mailata said. “You don’t know if it’s going to be a run. You don’t know if it’s going to be play-action. And you don’t know if it’s going to be a shot play. It gives us versatility.”

    Hurts’ final completion again was to Brown — and just as vital as his previous one. Third-and-9 with 1 minute, 45 seconds to go, the sound rising inside U.S. Bank Stadium, the Eagles needing a first down to force the Vikings to burn their timeouts, and Hurts lofted a rainbow to Brown for 45 yards, for that all-important first down, for a chance to finish the Vikings off, finally.

    “He’s always clutch in those moments,” coach Nick Sirianni said. “It’s why I have the confidence to go for it on the first drive, on a fourth-and-4, because you know the guys will make plays. Sometimes you watch a game, and it’s like, ‘Analytics say you should go for it here.’ Do you trust your players in those moments? That’s what you lean on.”

    It’s maybe the most reliable aspect of Hurts’ game and career. He can be inconsistent. His passing numbers can be sickly. Yet he seems to save his best games for the biggest games. Stability restored, back-to-back losses now buried, he sauntered through the stadium back to the visiting locker room and said, loud enough to be heard but to no one in particular, “We ain’t [obscenity] losers no more.” The Eagles can thank him for that.

  • Jalen Hurts outduels predecessor Carson Wentz as Eagles hold off Vikings, 28-22

    Jalen Hurts outduels predecessor Carson Wentz as Eagles hold off Vikings, 28-22

    MINNEAPOLIS — Eagles 2, Carson Wentz 0.

    In facing their former quarterback Carson Wentz for a second time, the Eagles emerged victorious again, defeating the Minnesota Vikings, 28-22, on Sunday afternoon.

    Jalen Hurts, the player who replaced him permanently in Philadelphia in 2021, was the better quarterback in the duel. He went 19 for 23 for 326 yards and three touchdowns, earning a perfect quarterback rating of 158.3.

    Wentz went 26 for 42 for 313 yards and two interceptions. He did not have a passing touchdown. His QB rating was 64.9.

    Here’s our instant analysis from the Eagles’ Week 7 win that snapped their two-game skid:

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    Hurts hurts the Vikings

    Hurts may not be using his legs much on designed quarterback runs — aside from the Tush Push — but he certainly had a knack for using them to extend plays on Sunday afternoon.

    His first touchdown came on a scramble drill, even though it didn’t require him to flee the pocket. The Eagles had decided to go for it on fourth-and-4 from the Vikings’ 37-yard line on their opening drive. Hurts first looked to his right for DeVonta Smith, who was covered by former Eagles cornerback Isaiah Rodgers.

    Hurts then looked to his left for A.J. Brown. Vikings safety Josh Metellus had him covered at the sticks, but Hurts pointed his way, directing him to keep running upfield. Brown breezed past Metellus and snared Hurts’ 37-yard pass for a touchdown to put the Eagles up, 7-0.

    After going three-and-out on three consecutive drives and failing to get into field goal position on the fourth just before the end of the first half, the Eagles offense woke up in the third quarter. They had been handed less-than-ideal field position when tight end Cameron Latu was called for an illegal double-team block on the kickoff.

    Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith had a career-high 183 yards on Sunday.

    But that didn’t matter to Hurts. On second-and-5 from his own 21, Hurts dropped back for a rare under-center play-action pass (behind a sixth offensive lineman in Fred Johnson), a formation and a play type that the Eagles utilized more frequently on Sunday. With plenty of time in the pocket, Hurts unleashed a deep ball for Smith, who had beaten Rodgers on a vertical route.

    Rodgers dived after Smith at the Vikings’ 10-yard line, but he couldn’t catch the wide receiver as he dashed into the end zone to make it 21-9, Eagles. Smith’s 79-yard touchdown reception was the longest of his career. It was the second-longest touchdown pass for Hurts.

    Smith said in the locker room afterward that they had the play in their back pocket “the whole game.” They got the right look to execute it — left tackle Jordan Mailata said left guard Landon Dickerson had noticed that the Vikings were bringing a safety down to the box when the Eagles were in their jumbo package, assuming it was going to be a run play.

    “We came back in here during halftime,” Smith said. “That’s all I was saying was, ‘Call this play,’ ‘cause they’re playing this, playing that. So when they called it, I was just happy. I was like, ‘OK, it’s here. I know it’s going to hit.’ It’s just a matter of us going out there and executing.”

    Hurts hit Smith again halfway through the fourth quarter on a scramble-drill hookup. Smith found a soft spot in the Vikings’ secondary, settling down and hauling in a 21-yard pass. The play set up a 26-yard touchdown throw to Brown, giving the Eagles a 28-19 lead.

    Smith had a career-high day, finishing the game with nine receptions for 183 yards and a touchdown. Brown was productive, too, adding four receptions for 121 yards and two touchdowns, including a third-and-9 conversion with a 45-yard reception to seal the win late in the fourth quarter.

    Eagles grades: Jalen Hurts a perfect passer, DeVonta Smith and A.J. Brown soar in victory against Vikings

    Wentz down the drain

    The Eagles defense saw a familiar face under center in Wentz, who made his second career appearance in a game against his former team on Sunday (in 2022, he lost, 24-8, to the Eagles while at quarterback for the Washington Commanders).

    Wentz didn’t fare well for the most part. He tossed back-to-back interceptions in the second quarter, with one returned for a touchdown. On third-and-5 from the Vikings’ 39-yard line, Vic Fangio channeled his inner Brian Flores and called a simulated pressure.

    Five Eagles defenders were at the line of scrimmage before the snap. Afterward, though, Jalyx Hunt dropped into coverage in the middle of the field to replace Zack Baun, who blitzed from the second level. Wentz never saw Hunt and lobbed a pass over the middle intended for Justin Jefferson, which the Eagles’ 2024 third-rounder out of Houston Christian easily corralled.

    Hunt turned upfield and returned the intercepted pass 42 yards for a touchdown to put the Eagles up, 14-3.

    Wentz gave the Eagles a freebie again on the ensuing drive. Back-to-back negative plays (an offensive holding on first down and a Wentz backward pass out of bounds on second down) brought the Vikings to second-and-27 from their own 9.

    Feeling the pressure from Moro Ojomo, Wentz rolled out to his right and heaved the ball downfield, this time looking for Jordan Addison. But Drew Mukuba jumped the pass from underneath for his second career interception.

    Eagles linebacker Jalyx Hunt (58) celebrates after his pick-six of Carson Wentz.

    The blunders continued in the second half. As Wentz attempted to avoid a sack on second down in the red zone, he tossed the ball on the turf with no intended receiver in the area and was flagged for intentional grounding. The play proved costly, as the following third-and-18 pass to tight end T.J. Hockenson was short of the sticks, forcing the Vikings to settle for a third field goal and bringing the score to 14-9, Eagles.

    The Vikings’ lone touchdown came from the Wildcat formation, with running back Jordan Mason taking the direct snap at the Philadelphia 1-yard line for the touchdown. The play cut the Eagles’ lead to 21-16 late in the third quarter.

    Jalen Hurts has never been better in saving the Eagles against the Vikings

    Wentz took his first sack of the game at the worst possible time. In the fourth quarter, Ojomo brought down the Vikings quarterback on third down in the red zone, forcing them to settle for another field goal.

    After a Hockenson touchdown was waved off in the fourth quarter as the Vikings were driving in the red zone, Joshua Uche added a sack, marking the first of his Eagles career.

    Run game still shaky

    Mailata remarked on Wednesday that establishing the run game would “take care of everything” for an Eagles offense still in search of its identity.

    The Eagles failed to do so. Barkley finished the game with 18 carries for 44 yards, averaging just 2.4 yards per carry.

    The run game’s woes were highlighted late in the third quarter and early in the fourth when the Eagles were just outside of the red zone. With 5 yards to the sticks, Barkley failed to pick up yardage on back-to-back carries on second and third down. Elliott missed the 42-yard field goal attempt.

    It was another frustrating day for Eagles running back Saquon Barkley.

    Barkley was injured on a carry halfway through the fourth quarter. However, he returned after just one play on the sideline. The Eagles announced that he was evaluated for a concussion and he was cleared to return.

    “Saquon is the best,” Hurts said. “I don’t want him to feel like he’s carrying that by himself. It is a group effort. Everyone is involved in that. Everyone has to look inward and say, ‘Well, how can we help get something going the way it needs to go?’

    “Offensively as a unit, as a team, it doesn’t matter how it looks. In hindsight, it’s about finding ways to win games. But we want to make sure all areas of our yard are green and in a good place.”

    Injury report

    Three Eagles players exited the game due to injury in the first quarter — center Cam Jurgens (knee), edge rusher Azeez Ojulari (hamstring), and linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Jr. (ankle).

    Jurgens played just two drives in the first quarter, then Brett Toth took over at center for the rest of the game. All three players were ruled out in the third quarter.

    Adoree’ Jackson went down in the third quarter after he appeared to hit his head while colliding with Hockenson. He was quickly ruled out with a concussion.

    Ojomo was also evaluated for a concussion in the fourth quarter when he collided head-first with Kelee Ringo, who had entered the game in relief of Jackson.