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  • What a rush! | Sports Daily Newsletter

    What a rush! | Sports Daily Newsletter

    The Eagles picked the perfect way to head into the bye week, unleashing a running attack that looked a lot like the one from the Super Bowl season. Saquon Barkley ran for 150 yards, Tank Bigsby added 104 more, and the Birds flattened a Giants team that had manhandled them two weeks ago.

    “I think the O-line did a really good job of dominating up front,” Barkley said after the 38-20 victory. “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.”

    Barkley added: “For sure, we definitely saw how they celebrated when they beat us last time.” It is never wise to poke the bear, but it is especially unwise to poke the bear when you know you will be seeing the bear again in 17 days, David Murphy writes.

    The Eagles head for a week off with a 6-2 record, but games against the Packers and Lions await after that. At least the offense finally seems to be rolling under coordinator Kevin Patullo, Marcus Hayes writes.

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

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    Getting physical

    Eagles edge rusher Jalyx Hunt sacks Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart on a third-down play Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field.

    The Giants were the more physical team when they battered the Eagles, 34-17, on Oct. 9. The Birds made sure that did not happen again on their home turf. They sacked Jaxson Dart five times Sunday as the defensive line came through with an especially strong game.

    “We were more physical than them today,” linebacker Zack Baun said. “That was the mentality we wanted to come out with. We came out with it and we sustained it throughout the whole game.”

    Defensive tackle Jalen Carter, who was held out of the first game vs. the Giants, picked up his first sack of the season. Outside linebacker Jalyx Hunt brought energy off the edge from the jump, Jeff McLane writes in his grades on the game.

    The game was not the smoothest on the officiating end, and Fox’s broadcast crew made note of a few blown calls.

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

    A dramatic playoff win

    Union midfielder Jesús Bueno celebrates his penalty-kick goal with goalkeeper Andre Blake (right) on Sunday night in Chester.

    The Union saw a 2-0 lead against the Chicago Fire disappear in short order Sunday night. Luckily for them, they had Andre Blake in goal. When the 2-2 game went to penalty kicks, Blake stopped a shot by the Fire’s Jack Elliott, then got a break when Joel Waterman’s shot bounced off the top of the goal. Penalty-kick goals by Frankie Westfield, Milan Iloski, Tai Baribo, and Jesús Bueno lifted the Union to a playoff-opening victory at Subaru Park.

    The Union’s principal owner, Jay Sugarman, says, “Our goal right now is to win a Cup.”

    Back on track

    Sixers center Andre Drummond dunks against the Hornets on Saturday.

    Like many of his Sixers teammates, Andre Drummond had a lost season in 2024-25. The 32-year-old center is fully recovered from a turf toe injury now, though. Drummond pulled in 13 rebounds in 16 minutes of action Saturday night as the Sixers improved to 2-0 by beating the Charlotte Hornets.

    “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.”

    Rookie VJ Edgecombe is off to a flying start for the Sixers, and back home in the Bahamas, his friends and former coaches are following every move.

    Edgecombe already has made an impression on Joel Embiid, who says: “Whether shots are going in or not, [he] always plays the right way, makes the right plays.”

    The Sixers struggled to stop the Hornets’ dribble penetration, something Nick Nurse is sure to address in practice this week.

    Getting his chance

    Missouri quarterback Matt Zollers rolls out to pass during the second half against Vanderbilt.

    Former Spring-Ford High star Matt Zollers got an opportunity to play Saturday after Missouri quarterback Beau Pribula went down with a dislocated left ankle. Zollers completed 14 of 23 passes for 138 yards and a touchdown in a 17-10 loss to No. 10 Vanderbilt.

    Evan Simon completed 24 of 35 passes for 265 yards and five touchdowns as Temple outlasted host Tulsa, 38-37, in overtime.

    Luke Colella scored two TDs in Villanova’s 29-16 win against Albany.

    Penn suffered its first Ivy League loss as Yale prevailed, 35-13.

    Penn State is still looking for its first Big Ten victory with a trip to No. 1 Ohio State on tap this Saturday.

    Sports snapshot

    Trevor Zegras (right) celebrates his game-tying goal in the third period against the Islanders on Saturday.

    On this date

    A Phillies fan waits during a rain delay in Game 5 of the 2008 World Series. The game was suspended for two days.

    Oct. 27, 2008: The Phillies and Tampa Bay Rays battled to a 2-2 tie in Game 5 of the World Series before a storm prompted a rain delay that lasted two days. The game resumed on Oct. 29, when Brad Lidge struck out Eric Hinske to seal a 4-3 victory, clinching the second world championship in Phillies history.

    We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Jeff McLane, Olivia Reiner, Jeff Neiburg, Marcus Hayes, David Murphy, Jackie Spiegel, Keith Pompey, Gina Mizell, Jonathan Tannenwald, Owen Hewitt, Colin Schofield, Dylan Johnson, and Sean McKeown.

    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.

    Have a great Monday. Thanks for reading and I’ll see you in Tuesday’s newsletter. — Jim

  • Union cough up late lead to Chicago Fire but win Game 1 of playoff series in a shootout

    Union cough up late lead to Chicago Fire but win Game 1 of playoff series in a shootout

    After playing to a 2-2 draw in regulation, the Union claimed a 1-0 series lead in their first-round playoff matchup against the Chicago Fire with a 4-2 penalty-shootout win Sunday night at Subaru Park. Jesús Bueno scored the decisive attempt in the five-round shootout.

    Indiana Vassilev and Milan Iloski scored second-half goals in quick succession to open the scoring. Vassilev scored from a Mikael Uhre cross in the 70th minute, and Iloski added a second goal in the 75th minute off a feed from Tai Baribo. The Union struggled to place shots on target throughout the first half.

    The long-term vision for Union captain Alejandro Bedoya? Return to the MLS Cup final. Full stop.

    Chicago answered the Union with its own pair of goals in the final 15 minutes of the match. Jonathan Bamba bested Andre Blake in the 84th minute to cut the Union’s lead to one, and former Union player Jack Elliott scored in the 93rd minute to level the score at 2.

    The Union had scoring chances during the remaining portion of stoppage time, but could not find the back of the net again in regulation.

    Union goalkeeper Andre Blake lies on the ground after the Chicago Fire’s Jack Elliott tied the game in the 93rd minute.

    In playoff matches before the MLS Cup Final, the league’s rule book opts to decide tied games through a penalty shootout, rather than extra time.

    Chicago goalie Chris Brady saved the Union’s first penalty kick, diving to his right to stop Uhre’s shot. Blake responded with a save of his own, denying Elliott.

    “Jack [Elliott] takes great penalties,” Blake said. “I happened to guess right, and I was there to make the save. I’m just grateful for that.”

    Frankie Westfield converted his attempt to get the Union on the board, but Brian Gutierrez brought the Fire even with a shootout goal of his own. Iloski made the Union’s third attempt, and Hugo Cuypers answered after scoring past Blake to level the shootout at 2. Baribo made the Union’s fourth penalty kick and Joel Waterman hit the Fire’s fourth shot off the crossbar, leaving the Union up, 3-2, after four rounds.

    The Union’s return to the playoffs is a milestone moment for Bradley Carnell

    Bueno stepped up and converted the decisive penalty to give the Union a 4-2 shootout win.

    “I was a little nervous for the penalty kick,” Bueno said through a translator. “But when Blake gave me the ball, I just looked at him in the eye and we laughed. We knew that everything was going to be OK.”

    The Union’s pair of goals in regulation came shortly after Bradley Carnell made substitutions in the 64th minute. Carnell sent Westfield for Nathan Harriel and Uhre for Bruno Damiani. The Union outshot Chicago, 16-13, but Vassilev’s 70th-minute goal was the first shot on target for the Union.

    “We worked in transition,” Carnell said. “We showed what we can do. We created chaos moments. We took the opportunities when they came. Just unfortunate the way we give up two moments. … We were excited about the full game.”

    The match was physical, with 20 fouls issued between the two teams. The Fire’s Sergio Oregel was issued a red card in the 94th minute, and will be unavailable for Game 2.

    “They got what they wanted — penalties,” Carnell added. “I’m glad that we came through on the other side.”

    Playoff push

    With their win over the Fire, the Union can advance to the semifinals by winning Game 2 at SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview, Ill., on Saturday (5:30 p.m., Apple TV+). The Union claimed a 1-0 win over the Fire in their lone regular-season trip to Chicago. If the Fire win on Saturday, the two teams will play a decisive Game 3 at Subaru Park on Nov. 8.

  • Sad-sack Giants lost this one before it started. Next time, don’t poke the bear (or Saquon)

    Sad-sack Giants lost this one before it started. Next time, don’t poke the bear (or Saquon)

    Two weeks ago, Brian Daboll stood in front of his locker room and labeled a blowout win over the Eagles as “The Standard.”

    Since then, the Giants head coach has become reacquainted with The Usual.

    The Eagles accomplished their biggest objective on Sunday afternoon. It was to leave no doubt. Jaxson Dart would not be high-fiving any referees. Kayvon Thibodeaux would not be telling anybody to “[bleep] the Eagles.” And the Giants social media team most definitely would not be sharing any victorious videos of Daboll making grandiose proclamations to his players.

    Eagles grades: Saquon Barkley leads revived running game and defensive line dominates Giants in blowout win

    “For sure, we definitely saw how they celebrated when they beat us last time,” running back Saquon Barkley said after his 65-yard touchdown run on the second play from scrimmage catapulted the Eagles to a 38-20 win on Sunday.

    It is never wise to poke the bear, but it is especially unwise to poke the bear when you know you will be seeing the bear again in 17 days. If you are going to do it, you’d better pack some extra whistles. Or, failing that, some A.1.

    What the Giants seem to have forgotten is that they are not a good football team. In fact, they are the kind of football team that makes a sport of their not being good. Ten days after they stunned the Eagles with a 34-17 rout on Thursday Night Football, they raced out to a 19-point lead over the Broncos and then allowed 25 points in the last six minutes to lose, 33-32. It takes a special team to lose a game in that fashion. But, then, the Giants are a special team. They lose games the way Bob Ross painted pictures. With breathtaking creativity and speed.

    On Sunday, the movable object met the unstoppable force. The Eagles came out in their kelly green uniforms and they did it in vintage fashion. On their second play of the game, the offensive line opened up a weakside lane so wide that Barkley and Tank Bigsby both could have run through it. Never has a 65-yard touchdown looked so inevitable. Nor did the 189 yards that followed from Barkley and Bigsby. After the game, more than one Eagles offensive lineman noted how good the Giants’ front four was. You got the sense that they were noting it with glee.

    ‘KP was just dying on the cross for us.’ Kevin Patullo’s offense is finally rolling as Eagles head into bye week

    “We came in, we made the adjustments based off of what they gave us the last game, and we called plays to win,” guard Landon Dickerson said.

    The rest of the NFC can blame the Giants if this was the game in which the Eagles truly got their groove back. They entered Week 8 having gone five straight weeks without breaking 90 yards rushing. Not once had they reached 400 total yards of offense. On Sunday, they finished with 276 and 427. Barkley and Bigsby both cracked 100 yards and averaged 10-plus yards per carry. This, on an afternoon when Jalen Hurts threw four touchdown passes.

    “For us, it wasn’t about a weight being lifted off our shoulders,” said left tackle Jordan Mailata. “We just wanted to be the more physical team. It didn’t matter what it looked like.”

    It shouldn’t surprise anybody at this point.

    The Eagles have won a lot of games over the last four years by rag-dolling opponents, often saving their best for teams that have previously offended their sensibilities. We saw it in last year’s NFC championship game, when they road-graded the Commanders for 229 yards on the ground one month after Washington handed them one of their three regular-season losses. We saw it in last year’s Super Bowl, when they avenged their last-second loss two years earlier, to an extent that was almost uncomfortable.

    Give the Giants credit. They are a more competitive team than they have been throughout most of Daboll’s tenure at the helm. For all of Dart’s weird Gen-Z energy, he clearly has the touch and poise that can win behind a competent offensive line. Rival NFL general managers should take notice if Act I ends up going the way of Baker Mayfield in Cleveland. He has a keen sort of talent that cannot be measured or quantified, although it probably cannot make up for wholesale dysfunction around him. You saw it even on Sunday, when he kept the Giants within striking distance despite relentless pressure and a no-name receiving corps and a gruesome injury to running back Cam Skattebo.

    Eagles defense shows ‘sense of pride’ and wins physicality battle this time vs. Giants

    But the Eagles are operating on a different level. It is easy to lose sight of that fact given that they are operating on a lesser level than last season. The last couple of weeks have left little doubt, though. At 6-2 headed into the bye, they remain the most complete team in the NFC.

    More than anything, Sunday’s win was a reminder that rumors of Barkley’s demise have been greatly exaggerated. Even after his 65-yard touchdown run, the veteran running back gained 85 yards on his last 13 carries before leaving the game with what was labeled a groin injury but mostly was precaution.

    “I wasn’t worried about it,” Barkley said. “I came off, but I’ve dealt with this before. Nothing crazy. It’s a long season. I try my best to listen to the trainers, listen to the coaches.”

    Did he fight to go back in?

    “I went out swinging,” he said. “Let’s say that.”

    With these Eagles, you wouldn’t expect anything else.

  • USWNT bounces back from rare loss with 3-1 win over Portugal

    USWNT bounces back from rare loss with 3-1 win over Portugal

    EAST HARTFORD, Conn. — Olivia Moultrie scored two goals and the U.S. women’s national team bounced back against Portugal with a 3-1 victory on Sunday after honoring former goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher.

    The United States was coming off a 2-1 loss to Portugal in the first game of the international window on Thursday in Chester. It was Portugal’s first victory over the U.S. and just the third loss for the national team under coach Emma Hayes.

    Moultrie scored just 45 seconds into the game to give the USWNT the early lead. Portugal leveled in the fifth minute on Jessica Silva’s header off a cross from Beatriz Fonseca.

    Moultrie added her second in the 10th to put the Americans back in front. The 20-year-old has a pair of two-goal games in 10 international appearances.

    Sam Coffey, who came into the game as a substitute in the 77th minute, put the game away with a goal in the 82nd. Coffey and Moultrie are teammates on the Portland Thorns in the National Women’s Soccer League.

    Hayes made eight changes to the starting lineup from the group she started on Thursday.

    An unusual loss shows the USWNT might not have its new No. 1 goalkeeper yet

    Before the match at Pratt & Whitney Stadium, the United States honored Naeher, a Connecticut native, who retired from the national team late last year after winning a gold medal at the Paris Olympics.

    Naeher was the starting goalkeeper for the U.S. team that won the Women’s World Cup in 2019 and the 2024 Olympics. She’s the only U.S. goalkeeper to earn a shutout in both a World Cup and an Olympic final.

    Alyssa Naeher waves to the crowd in her home state during her retirement ceremony.

    The team was without some of its star players. Trinity Rodman was nursing an MCL sprain in her right knee that she sustained Oct. 15 during a CONCACAF W Champions Cup match with her club team, the Washington Spirit.

    Defender Naomi Girma remained sidelined with a calf injury that occurred before the start of Chelsea’s season in September.

    The U.S. launches a continent-wide bid for the 2031 women’s World Cup, and Philadelphia wants in

    Forward Lynn Biyendolo, who was left off the U.S. roster because of a knee injury, announced on Saturday that she and her husband are expecting their first child. Other prominent national team players who have taken maternity time off this year include Sophia Wilson and Mallory Swanson.

    Hayes said that U.S. Soccer was developing more comprehensive “pre- and postpregnancy” protocols to be announced in the future.

    The United States has one more match during the current international window, against New Zealand on Wednesday at CPKC Stadium in Kansas City, Mo.

  • Joel Embiid ruled out of Sixers’ game against Orlando Magic

    Joel Embiid ruled out of Sixers’ game against Orlando Magic

    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.

    As Joel Embiid adapts to his new reality, can he help the Sixers be competitive?

    Embiid’s absence against the Magic (1-2) isn’t surprising, considering the Sixers (2-0) are facing the Wizards (1-2) the following night.

    The 2023 MVP and seven-time All-Star won’t play on both nights of the back-to-back. And the Sixers said they would take a cautious approach with him.

    Embiid played in just 19 games last season before undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his left knee on April 11. It was his second left knee surgery in 14 months and third in nine years.

    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.

    Sixers takeaways: A will to win, Joel Embiid’s bounce-back game, poor defense, and more

    Embiid scored four points on 1-for-9 shooting in Wednesday’s season-opening 117-116 victory over the Boston Celtics at TD Garden.

    Barlow averaged 7.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 2.5 assists as the starting power forward in the first two games.

  • Eagles defense shows ‘sense of pride’ and wins physicality battle this time vs. Giants

    Eagles defense shows ‘sense of pride’ and wins physicality battle this time vs. Giants

    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.”

    Eagles grades: Saquon Barkley leads revived running game and defensive line dominates Giants in blowout win

    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.”

    Kevin Patullo used Saquon Barkley and the running game properly and now the Eagles offense is clicking

    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.

    Jaxson Dart get his flowers, Tom Brady’s flub, and more from the Eagles-Giants broadcast

    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.”

  • Jaxson Dart get his flowers, Tom Brady’s flub, and more from the Eagles-Giants broadcast

    Jaxson Dart get his flowers, Tom Brady’s flub, and more from the Eagles-Giants broadcast

    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.

    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.

    Kevin Patullo used Saquon Barkley and the running game properly | Marcus Hayes

    Rookie mistake

    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.

    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.

    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.

    Grading the Eagles’ win over the New York Giants

    Lots to like from Jaxson Dart

    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.

    “Not many,” Brady said.

  • Eagles grades: Saquon Barkley leads revived running game and defensive line dominates Giants in blowout win

    Eagles grades: Saquon Barkley leads revived running game and defensive line dominates Giants in blowout win

    Instant grades on the Eagles’ performance in their 38-20 win over the New York Giants:

    Quarterback: A

    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.

    Hayes: Kevin Patullo used Saquon Barkley and the running game properly and now the Eagles offense is clicking

    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.

    Saquon Barkley and the Eagles run all over the Giants to head into the bye 6-2

    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’s rush 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.

    Eagles defense shows ‘sense of pride’ and wins physicality battle

    Linebacker: B+

    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.

    Jaxson Dart get his flowers, Tom Brady’s flub, and more from the Eagles-Giants broadcast

    Coaching: A-

    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.

  • ‘KP was just dying on the cross for us.’ Kevin Patullo’s offense is finally rolling as Eagles head into bye week

    ‘KP was just dying on the cross for us.’ Kevin Patullo’s offense is finally rolling as Eagles head into bye week

    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.

    Grading the Eagles’ win over the New York Giants

    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.)

    Eagles defense shows ‘sense of pride’ and wins physicality battle this time vs. Giants

    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.

    Jaxson Dart get his flowers, Tom Brady’s flub, and more from the Eagles-Giants broadcast

    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.

    Can the return of Brandon Graham fill the leadership void on the Eagles defense?

    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.

    How’d ya’ll do it, Jalen?

    Same as every year:

    “Just got to be persistent.”

  • Saquon Barkley and the Eagles run all over the Giants to head into the bye at 6-2

    Saquon Barkley and the Eagles run all over the Giants to head into the bye at 6-2

    No A.J. Brown, no Cam Jurgens, no problem.

    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.

    Kevin Patullo used Saquon Barkley and the running game properly | Marcus Hayes

    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.

    Grading the Eagles’ win over the Giants

    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.”