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  • Indiana’s football run has made Kyle Schwarber ‘super fan out’ and helps him appreciate passion of Phillies fans

    Indiana’s football run has made Kyle Schwarber ‘super fan out’ and helps him appreciate passion of Phillies fans

    Kyle Schwarber will be in the stands Friday night, allowing his feelings to be controlled by the college football players in front of him the same way he often dictates people’s nights with one swing during the summer. He’ll be a fan, riding the emotional roller coaster with Indiana’s football team in Atlanta as the Hoosiers try to reach the national championship game with a victory over Oregon.

    “You’re living and dying with it and you’re like, ‘Man, this is what Phillies fans do for 162 games? That’s impressive,’” said Schwarber, the Phillies slugger who hit 56 home runs last season. “It brings back the super fan in you. It brings back that aspect. You’re in it and now you get to go super fan out on someone else.”

    Schwarber, 32, grew up near Cincinnati as an Ohio State fanatic but traded the Buckeyes for the Hoosiers after playing baseball for three seasons at Indiana. The school’s baseball team transformed during that time from an afterthought to a national power. The football team — which until November had the worst winning percentage in college football history — is now doing the same. And it’s allowing Schwarber to know what it feels like to be a fan in South Philly.

    Kyle Schwarber found his way back to the Phillies, and he hopes J.T. Realmuto does the same

    “We have people who show up and care,” Schwarber said. “How many times have we gone to a weekend series and it wasn’t sold out for any of those games? A Monday night or Tuesday night or a Wednesday afternoon, we have 40,000-plus. That’s awesome. Now you get to see that for these kids in college. This is so awesome and it’s such an awesome experience for me to be able to fan out.”

    Schwarber will be IU’s honorary captain for Friday’s Peach Bowl against Oregon. He narrated the team’s hype video before its Big Ten championship win over Ohio State and sat next to Lee Corso in 2024 when College GameDay came to Indiana. It might be harder to find a bigger IU football fan than the Phillies slugger, who was elected to the school’s Hall of Fame last year.

    A linebacker in high school, Schwarber had football tickets as a freshman, but the Hoosiers won just one game. The football program did little while Schwarber was there — “There wasn’t much winning going on,” he said — and it was hard to imagine the sport ever catching on at a basketball school.

    “It was like the tailgate fields were filled and then everyone vanished when it was game time,” Schwarber said.

    Now he’s wearing Indiana gear on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday — “You have to wear it the day before game day, on game day, the day after they win,” Schwarber said — and texting his old buddies about the football team. Schwarber said people call him a bandwagon fan. Nope, he said. This is his school. Schwarber drove to Notre Dame last winter to tailgate at IU’s playoff game with his old baseball teammates and is flying to Friday’s Peach Bowl.

    Here are the Philly-area connections to know in the College Football Playoff semifinals

    “It’s so much fun now,” Schwarber said. “Now that they’re good, it takes away that Ohio State in you. You were there. You went to school there. It just revamps you — that’s my team, that’s my school. It brings back the super fan in you.”

    The turnaround started in November 2023 with the arrival of head coach Curt Cignetti, who was the quarterbacks coach at Temple under Jerry Berndt from 1989-92 and coached Indiana University of Pennsylvania from 2011-16. The Hoosiers reached the College Football Playoff last season, and became the nation’s No. 1 team in December a week before their quarterback, Fernando Mendoza, won the Heisman Trophy. The doormats rapidly became a powerhouse.

    “I need a documentary,” Schwarber said. “I need to meet Cig and see how in the heck does this guy come in from having one of the worst winning percentages in college football history to taking it in two years to a College Football Playoff team and then being No. 1 in the country the next year and being a win away from the national championship. It’s surreal.

    Kyle Schwarber played three seasons at Indiana on his way to being a first-round pick by the Cubs in 2014.

    “It’s so awesome to watch. It gives you goose bumps when you can sit back and realize that, ‘Man, Indiana is getting some really cool recognition.’ I wish I could go back all the time. It’s such a beautiful campus. It feels like the perfect college town with nothing around it. Just cornfields around it and it’s beautiful. To have a place like that get recognition because our football team is doing amazing things.”

    Schwarber started hitting earlier this month as he prepares for the first year of his newly signed five-year, $150 million contract. He could have gone elsewhere in free agency but said he often thought about the atmosphere at Citizens Bank Park on a Tuesday in May or a Friday in October. He knows now how it feels to sit in the stands.

    Kyle Schwarber hit 56 home runs in an epic 2025 season. Here’s what to know about each one.

    “I’m not the outrageous, screaming, yelling guy,” Schwarber said. “That was the younger me watching the Bengals, screaming at the TV. Now being professional and understanding, you just understand a little more and not screaming, ‘How the hell did that dude not catch the ball?’ No, the guy is trying to catch the ball. He just didn’t. But I’ll be the first one to let you know that Indiana scored or Indiana stopped them on a fourth down or didn’t jump on a fake punt on fourth down. I’ll be the first one to let you know.

    “I’m going to be screaming and yelling and losing my mind Friday and then come home the next day and my wife will be like, ‘What the hell happened?’ That’s what this is about. It’s the escape and it brings you back to being the fan.”

  • 🦅 Roll the tape | Sports Daily Newsletter

    🦅 Roll the tape | Sports Daily Newsletter

    Ahead of Sunday’s Eagles wild-card playoff game against San Francisco (4:30 p.m., Fox 29), the question of “how good is this 49ers team, really?” is a fair one.

    Unless you’re a fan of the team, or really like watching game highlights or have multiple games up on your screen on Sunday, you’re like a lot of Eagles fans wondering the same thing. Sure, the team is coming off a season-ending loss, but the Niners lost to the Seattle Seahawks, the No. 1 team in the NFC this season.

    But how effective is Brock Purdy or how elusive is Christian McCaffrey, or how did a 49ers defensive unit get this far, being this banged-up and without one of the best linebackers in the game in Fred Warner? Well, today we’re leading off with the latest from The Inquirer’s Devin Jackson, who for a large part of this season has been analyzing game film on Eagles opponents, pointing out the warning signs alongside the spots the Birds can exploit.

    If you’re reading this as early as we’re dropping it, then grab a cup of coffee, tea, or whatever your go-to morning beverage is and breakdown some game film with us.

    It should be another nice day across the region, with temperatures in the high 40s under partly sunny skies. Perfect.

    — Kerith Gabriel, @phillysport, sports.daily@inquirer.com.

    If someone forwarded you this email, sign up for free here.

    ❓What have you noticed about this 49ers team coming on Sunday? Email us back for a chance to be featured in the newsletter.

    Walker and Barlow’s dwindling days

    Jabari Walker, who previously played on a standard deal in Portland, has outplayed his two-way contract.

    The 76ers loaded up their frontcourt in advance of an uncertain Joel Embiid season. He’s been available more than anyone expected, creating a logjam at center and power forward. One major cause of that is the performance of two-way acquisitions Jabari Walker and Dom Barlow, who have performed more like members of the rotation.

    Because of that, they’ve spent extended time up with the Sixers and their available days on the roster could be dwindling unless their contracts are converted to standard deals. It’s something Walker tries not to focus on.

    “Every now and then, it will pop up in my mind, but just putting my energy toward what I can control right now,” Walker said. “And whatever happens, just knowing that I left an impact on my teammates and left an impact in the game. I think that’s the biggest truth.”

    What we’re …

    👀 Watching: The status of Flyers Jamie Drysdale and Bobby Brink after sustaining injuries from a pair of blindside hits in Tuesday’s game against the Ducks.

    🦾 Introducing: Villanova’s Brynn McCurry, the “bionic” presence on the Wildcats’ women’s basketball team.

    📖 Reading: The latest shenanigans coming off the most recent episode of the Kelce brothers’ New Heights podcast.

    🏀 Sharing: The good news is that, ahead of the Sixers’ win over the Wizards, both Trendon Watford and Kelly Oubre Jr., who were nursing injuries, were full participants at shootaround and played vs. Washington.

    🤔 Wondering: Is Bo Bichette really a possibility for the Phillies? Let’s explore.

    Helping Harper

    In Don Mattingly, right, Bryce Harper now has a former superstar player on the Phillies coaching staff.

    Although Bryce Harper met Don Mattingly only briefly at the 2017 All-Star Game in Miami and may not be able to recite all the pertinent numbers — .307 average, 222 homers, nine Gold Gloves, six All-Star appearances — it’s a safe bet he appreciates his nearly Hall of Fame-level place in the sport.

    And it has been years since Harper played for anyone with those credentials as a player.

    That wasn’t the primary reason the Phillies this week finalized a two-year contract with Mattingly to be the bench coach. They wanted another voice in the dugout alongside manager Rob Thomson.

    But Mattingly’s career gives him instant credibility among players, especially star players. His impact on Harper could be profound.

    Halfway home

    Trevor Zegras celebrates his first goal of the Flyers’ win over the Anaheim Ducks at Xfinity Mobile Arena.

    Hockey is all about the details. So, it should be noted that the Flyers have hit the halfway mark of the NHL season with a 21-12-7 record highlighted by a win against the Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday. Now some believe coach Rick Tocchet has this team looking like one that could crack the NHL playoffs instead of just teasing the notion.

    The Inquirer’s Jackie Spiegel takes a look at some of the highlights of the team’s last game and how it reflects a bigger picture.

    Next up: The Flyers welcome the Toronto Maple Leafs (20-15-7) tonight (7 p.m., NBCSP).

    ‘Control’ freak

    Former Union standout Mark McKenzie practices in Chester with the U.S. men’s national team ahead of its game against Paraguay in November.

    Mark McKenzie is on a roller coaster. In the last six months, the former Union standout has been a regular starter for his new club, Toulouse, in the French first division, has had multiple call-ups with the U.S. men’s national team, and is about three months into fatherhood, welcoming a baby boy in October.

    McKenzie is doing all of this under the backdrop of hoping to be on U.S. men’s manager Mauricio Pochettino’s World Cup roster in a few months. It’s a lot to juggle, but he catches up with The Inquirer to explain how he’s keeping “control” of it all.

    In the women’s side, The Inquirer’s Jonathan Tannenwald has the details on the U.S. women’s national team convening in north Jersey in March for a game against Colombia as part of the SheBelieves Cup tournament.

    On this date

    Jan. 8, 1995: Phillies slugger and 12-time All-Star Mike Schmidt gets into the Hall of Fame. How about two more? On this date in 1972, the NCAA allowed freshmen to compete in college athletics. Fast forward 12 years to 1984, and the NCAA Tournament expanded to a 64-team field.

    Standings, stats, and more

    Looking for detailed stats coming off last night’s Sixers game? Here’s a place to access your favorite Philadelphia teams’ statistics, schedules, and standings in real time.

    What you’re saying about the World Cup

    We asked: Which matchups are you most looking forward to in the World Cup?

    Nothing turns me off more than price gouging. $60,000 for a pair of tickets for a soccer game? Some games are selling for over $100,000 a pair! Seriously now. I could buy two high-end cars and have a little left over for lunch money. — Ronald R.

    I’m looking forward to France and Mbappe, England and Harry Kane. But mostly, I’m looking forward to our USA boys, to see if they can stay healthy and live up to their potential as the strongest USA team ever. Go Brenden! — Joel G.

    We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Devin Jackson, Jackie Spiegel, Gustav Elvin, Keith Pompey, Colin Schofield, Scott Lauber, David Murphy, Katie Lewis, Jonathan Tannenwald, and Kerith Gabriel.

    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.

    That’s my time, Philly. Have a good one, we’ll catch you tomorrow. — Kerith

  • How can Don Mattingly help Bryce Harper? It starts with his star power.

    How can Don Mattingly help Bryce Harper? It starts with his star power.

    A.J. Preller grew up in New York — Long Island, to be specific — in the ’80s.

    Guess which baseball player was his favorite.

    “Don Mattingly,” the San Diego Padres president of baseball operations said, never hesitating, a few years ago over the phone. “That was the guy. ‘Hitman’ poster on the wall. I was at the last game of the [1984] season, when he won the batting title over [Dave] Winfield. ’85 MVP; ’84-’85-’86-’87, those were my formative baseball years.

    “And he was the guy I grew up with.”

    ‘Not elite’ Bryce Harper could use better lineup protection. Here are the Phillies’ options.

    Preller went on and on, and a generation of fans might as well have nodded in agreement. Because for most of a decade, when baseball could still reasonably call itself America’s pastime, Mattingly was the face of the sport — with a nickname to match.

    “Donnie Baseball” captained the most storied franchise in the biggest city and ranked among the best players in the majors. But he also penetrated into pop culture, guesting with David Letterman and getting booted from Mr. Burns’ power-plant softball team on The Simpsons.

    Don Mattingly (left) is the Phillies’ new bench coach after being hired this week by president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski.

    And while none of that may mean much to many millennials, it surely does to Bryce Harper, never mind that he was eight days shy of turning 3 in 1995 when Mattingly played his final game.

    “Players that came before, we usually don’t think that this generation of players knows as much about us as they should,” Mike Schmidt said recently on Phillies Extra, The Inquirer’s baseball podcast. “Not with Bryce. He’s very informed about the alumni like myself.”

    Bryce Harper plans to play for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic

    Indeed, Harper is a baseball obsessive with a respect for the game’s past. He talks with familiarity about the ’70s Reds, his father’s favorite team. He picked No. 7 in youth baseball after hearing about Mickey Mantle. As Dusty Baker once said when he managed Harper in Washington, “He’s as knowledgeable of baseball history as anybody that I’ve had.”

    So, although Harper met Mattingly only briefly at the 2017 All-Star Game in Miami and may not be able to recite all the pertinent numbers — .307 average, 222 homers, nine Gold Gloves, six All-Star appearances — it’s a safe bet he appreciates his nearly Hall of Fame-level place in the sport.

    And it has been years since Harper played for anyone with those credentials as a player.

    That wasn’t the primary reason the Phillies this week finalized a two-year contract with Mattingly to be the bench coach. They wanted another voice in the dugout alongside manager Rob Thomson. Mattingly managed for 12 seasons with the Dodgers and Marlins; at 64, he insists he doesn’t want to do it again.

    But Thomson also conceded that Mattingly’s distinguished playing career sets him apart among the Phillies’ coaches. Because Thomson didn’t play in the majors. Caleb Cotham (pitching), Kevin Long (hitting), Bobby Dickerson (infield), and others are well-regarded across the majors, but they played in the big leagues only briefly or not at all.

    Mattingly’s career gives him instant credibility among players, especially star players. His impact on Harper could be profound.

    Bryce Harper (left) played for manager Dusty Baker with the Nationals.

    By all accounts, Harper is coachable. He confides in Long, with whom he worked in Washington before Philadelphia. He took a crash course at first base from Dickerson in 2023 and learned the position on the fly.

    But for a two-time MVP who’s likely headed to the Hall of Fame, the conversations with someone like Mattingly must resonate differently.

    Harper’s first two Phillies managers — Gabe Kapler and Joe Girardi — had long playing careers. But he hasn’t played for a manager or coach with Mattingly’s name or stature since Baker with the Nationals in 2017.

    Add the fact that Mattingly became an icon at first base, and it would appear that he’s uniquely suited to relate to Harper on multiple levels.

    Adolis García could be a steal, or just another Nick Castellanos. Here’s why the Phillies like the gamble.

    “If there’s things he wants to talk about from a first-base standpoint, then we can talk about it,” Mattingly said in a video news conference this week. “If there’s things he thinks about at the plate, hitting the lefty or hitting the righty, or a certain style of pitcher, I’m going to be like, ‘Hey, what are you trying to do with this guy? What are you thinking?’ I want to learn, too.”

    Mattingly recalled fondly a conversation with Harper and former Reds star Joey Votto at the 2017 All-Star Game. He also marveled, like most baseball observers, at how good Harper already was upon making his major league debut at age 19.

    “Watching his development over the years, this cat can go,” Mattingly said. “This is a first-ballot Hall of Famer, hands down.”

    (Mattingly and Harper did get into a spring-training rock fight through the media in 2018 over Harper’s criticism of the Marlins’ offseason moves, though eight years is a long time for water to flow under a bridge.)

    In Washington, Harper hit it off with Baker, whose long, successful managerial tenure was preceded by 19 major league seasons in which he got nearly 2,000 hits and slugged 242 homers. It was reciprocal. Baker once called Harper “a pretty cool little dude” and said he’s “pretty hip on a lot of fronts.” Harper batted .319 with a 1.008 OPS for Baker in 2017.

    Hayes: Can Don Mattingly save Phillies skipper Rob Thomson from himself?

    Nearly a decade later, as one of this generation’s biggest baseball stars, Harper figures to find “Donnie Baseball” to be relatable and potentially helpful.

    “Well, I think we’ll find out, right?” Mattingly said. “You’ve got to build a relationship first. I’ve seen him from afar; I’ve not seen him from the inside. Listen to him, watch him, and just talk.”

    The conversations will begin next month at first base on the spring-training half-field in Clearwater.

  • Eagles vs. 49ers predictions: Our writers pick a winner for the wild-card round

    Eagles vs. 49ers predictions: Our writers pick a winner for the wild-card round

    The playoffs commence for the Eagles this Sunday, hot on the heels of a 2025 regular season in which a generally dominant defense fueled an NFC East title run despite a shaky offensive attack.

    The 49ers, who missed on a chance to secure the NFC’s No. 1 seed in a home loss to Seattle last Saturday, limp to Lincoln Financial Field as the Eagles’ wild-card round opponent.

    Will the Birds run their home playoff winning streak to six games with a victory? Our writers make their predictions:

    Jeff Neiburg

    No, the Eagles didn’t get the No. 2 seed and missed out on a chance to play a compromised Green Bay Packers team, but as far as NFC matchups go, this one is pretty favorable for them.

    The 49ers don’t have the same menacing defense they used to. And while their offense has sometimes been among the best in the NFL, the injury bug has bitten them at the worst time. Maybe left tackle Trent Williams ends up playing, but even if he does, he obviously won’t be at 100% after missing last week and the start of this practice week with a hamstring injury.

    The Eagles, meanwhile, could get their star tackle, Lane Johnson, back, and they’re getting linebacker Nakobe Dean back, too. Christian McCaffrey and George Kittle still offer a big challenge for the Eagles’ defense, but McCaffrey had his worst game of the season in Week 18 and touched the ball more than any other skill position player this season. Tired legs or a really good Seattle defense? I think it was both. And the Eagles have the defensive front — a healthier one with Jalen Carter back — and the linebackers to defend the 49ers at a high level.

    It hasn’t been an encouraging season from the Eagles’ offense, to put it mildly, but the 49ers are down multiple linebackers and don’t have an abundance of talent in the secondary. If the Eagles don’t beat themselves, which you can’t rule out, they should be able to establish a running game that gets the offense back on track.

    Prediction: Eagles 24, 49ers 20

    Olivia Reiner

    Whether the Eagles can win this game will hinge on the defense’s ability to dominate, just as it has all season.

    History is on defensive coordinator Vic Fangio’s side. He boasts a 3-1 head-to-head record against Kyle Shanahan as head coaches or coordinators. Shanahan’s offenses haven’t scored a meaningful touchdown in those four games.

    The 49ers offense could get a boost if Williams and wide receiver Ricky Pearsall play. But the primary focus of the Eagles defense ought to be slowing down McCaffrey, who ranks second in the NFL in scrimmage yards (not including return yardage). That’s a tough task, but not impossible for a defense that has excelled against the run in all but two games this season.

    Brock Purdy can extend plays and scramble, but the Eagles have been better against mobile quarterbacks in recent weeks, especially since last month’s loss to the Los Angeles Chargers.

    In theory, the Eagles offense should be able to take advantage of a banged-up 49ers defense, and the game shouldn’t come down to Fangio. But expectations ought to be low for an Eagles offense whose starters were shut out for an entire half the last time they faced a playoff-bound team in the Buffalo Bills.

    Eagles will again rely on Jalen Hurts’ ‘clutch gene’ as they embark on another playoff run

    Maybe the Eagles can finish what the Seahawks started last week and continue to punish the 49ers on the ground. Maybe Jalen Hurts and the passing attack can exploit the 49ers’ thin inside linebacker corps with passes over the middle of the field. Neither has been characteristic of the offense this season, though.

    Or, maybe, the defense will stifle Shanahan’s offense while Nick Sirianni, Kevin Patullo, and the Eagles offense do just enough to get by. It wouldn’t be the first time.

    Prediction: Eagles 24, 49ers 20

    Matt Breen

    How do you beat the 49ers? Do what Seattle did: run the football and pressure Purdy. The Eagles should be able to do that as the 49ers lost yet another linebacker this week and could again be without Williams at left tackle.

    Yes, the Birds would much rather be playing Sunday against the Packers, but perhaps last week’s rest is what the offensive line needed to perform the way it did last postseason. Saquon Barkley averaged 147.3 yards last season in the NFC playoffs, so the focus on Hurts seems a bit much. For the Eagles to repeat, they’ll need to run the ball better, and Barkley has just two 100-yard games since Halloween. Kenneth Walker and Zach Charbonnet — Seattle’s two-headed rushing attack — combined for 171 yards last week vs. the 49ers, who allowed opponents to run for 110 yards or more in four of their final five regular-season games.

    Christian McCaffrey will be a focal point for the 49ers offense, as usual.

    McCaffrey has been electric as always, but most of his success this season has come on short passes. The Eagles could take that away if they get to Purdy the way Seattle did. The Seahawks applied constant pressure en route to three sacks and eight quarterback hits. Jalyx Hunt and Jaelan Phillips could change this game. Pearsall, who has been slowed by a knee injury all season, could also be out, giving Purdy one fewer option to pair with McCaffrey and Kittle. The Niners had a great finish to the season before their dud against the Seahawks, but they just seem too banged up to hang with the Eagles.

    Prediction: Eagles 24, 49ers 13

  • Little-known Zack Baun has been the Eagles’ best player the last two seasons. Why? He trains like Steph Curry.

    Little-known Zack Baun has been the Eagles’ best player the last two seasons. Why? He trains like Steph Curry.

    He’s the first first-team, All-Pro linebacker from the Eagles since Jeremiah Trotter in 2000, and he might become the first multiple All-Pro linebacker since 1975 when voting results are announced soon.

    He’s the first Pro Bowl linebacker from the Eagles since Trotter in 2005.

    Yet most football fans in Philadelphia don’t appreciate how good Zack Baun is.

    What’s worse, most football fans outside of Philadelphia don’t even know who Zack Baun is — at least, not beyond a painfully cute social media post and his involvement in one of the worst injuries of the 2025 season.

    But here’s the reality.

    For the entirety of two seasons Baun has been the best football player on the best roster in Eagles history. Better than future Hall of Famers Saquon Barkley and A.J. Brown. Better than young defenders Quinyon Mitchell and Jalen Carter.

    Eagles linebacker Zack Baun tackles running back James Cook during the win against the Bills.

    “Absolutely,” said veteran defensive lineman Brandon Graham. “And I’m thankful for him.”

    Still, as I drove south on I-95 a couple of days ago, my passenger, a native fan who regularly watches the Eagles, saw a billboard outside Lincoln Financial Field promoting Sunday’s playoff game against the 49ers. The artwork was simply one player, bareheaded and in high definition, his mouth open in a celebratory scream.

    My passenger said, “Who’s that?”

    It was Zack Baun. The best linebacker in football over the last two seasons. The man tasked Sunday with covering and tackling Christian McCaffrey, the best offensive player in football, and George Kittle, the league’s best tight end.

    In a city that still worships linebackers like Chuck Bednarik, Seth Joyner, and Bill Bergey, Baun somehow remains largely anonymous.

    Maybe the reason is that Baun arrived in the NFL, and then in Philly, without fanfare.

    The Saints drafted him in the third round in 2020 but never developed him. The Eagles signed him to a modest, $3.5 million prove-it deal in 2024. He proved so much so fast that the Eagles pursued him over Josh Sweat and Milton Williams, other top Eagles defenders who became free agents. They re-signed Baun to a three-year, $51 million extension and hoped he’d stay hungry.

    He’s ravenous.

    “He’s still working,” Graham said. “Got that chip on his shoulder.”

    The result: Baun’s play and his production have been the most consistent element on a team that won the Super Bowl last season and repeated as NFC East champions this season.

    He’s simply their best.

    And it’s not particularly close.

    Zack Baun (53) celebrates his interception against the Raiders with cornerback Adoree’ Jackson on Dec. 14.

    On the map

    In a world of shameless self-promoters, Baun is a mild-mannered, soft-spoken, shaven-headed Wisconsinite whose closely clipped goatee gives him the air of an affable extra on a pirate movie. He has 154,000 Instagram followers, 100,000 fewer than kicker Jake Elliott. Baun’s social media posts could have been drawn by Norman Rockwell.

    For one of the league’s top-10 defenders, his modesty is as remarkable as his ascent.

    After converting from quarterback to linebacker at Wisconsin, Baun was a part-time player in New Orleans, where he thrived on special teams as he was trying to make a mark as an outside linebacker and pass rusher.

    In 2024, Vic Fangio’s first season as Eagles defensive coordinator, the coaches and GM Howie Roseman believed Baun would fit well into the Birds’ scheme. They were right. Baun excelled.

    “He kind of burst onto the scene to the outside world,” coach Nick Sirianni said.

    But at the same time Carter exploded as a defensive tackle, Mitchell and Cooper DeJean instantly became the best cornerback tandem in football, and Barkley set a rushing record (including playoffs). Even after the defense dominated the Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX, Baun was overshadowed. He intercepted Patrick Mahomes, but then, so did DeJean, who ran his back for a touchdown.

    The two incidents that brought Baun’s existence to light for most folks who exist outside of sports Twitter had little to do with his play.

    After the Eagles won the NFC championship in a rout of the Commanders, Baun gained worldwide fame when millions of people viewed a viral social media post of his toddler son Elian playing with confetti on the turf at Lincoln Financial Field.

    Then, on Oct. 26, Baun tackled Giants rookie Cam Skattebo, who suffered a dislocated ankle and broken fibula. The combination of Skattebo’s rising stardom, his brutal running style, the fact that he plays for a marquee team in a marquee city, and the simmering controversy surrounding “hip-drop” tackles thrust Baun into an uneasy spotlight.

    Baun was neither penalized on the play nor fined by the NFL afterward, but that isn’t the issue here. The issue is, we’re witnessing greatness, and we’d better start paying closer attention.

    Top grades

    Due to how they are used — Do they cover? Do they blitz? — and where they line up — Are they inside, outside, on the defensive line? — the performance of linebackers is difficult to quantify. Regardless, Baun has great numbers both objectively — raw stats — and subjectively, as graded by websites like Pro Football Focus.

    He had 3½ sacks this season and last, and each season only five linebackers had more. He had one interception last season and added two more in the playoffs; his first against Green Bay in the wild-card game, then the pick in the Super Bowl. He had two more interceptions this season, which tied for fifth among linebackers.

    His PFF grade last season of 90.1 ranked No. 1. His grade this season, 83.9, is No. 2 among linebackers who played at least 900 snaps.

    It’s a solid showing, but the grade doesn’t really reflect Baun’s improvement.

    “Last year was a lot of willy-nilly out there, honestly,” Baun said. “Of course, I did some amazing things, but I think I’m doing a better job overall this year.”

    This is a sensitive issue, since the biggest question regarding Baun becoming an every-down ’backer involved his ability to cover.

    PFF rated him the No. 1 coverage linebacker in both 2024 and 2025.

    San Francisco running back Christian McCaffrey (left) and tight end George Kittle will challenge the Eagles defense on Sunday.

    Question answered. Next test: McCaffrey, Kittle, and 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan, whose pre-snap trickery is as befuddling as any coach’s in the last decade.

    Baun is as ready as he’ll ever be.

    Asked in which areas he’d improved most from last year to this, he replied, “Play recognition.”

    And then?

    “Definitely, in my cover stuff. I saw that as a strength of mine last year, and I wanted to make it even better. Footwork. Route identification.”

    And, of course, practice.

    Five hundred shots

    Improvement has become something of an obsession for Baun. When the last whistle sounds for a regular practice, Sirianni, frustrated hooper, offers players the chance for extra work, Steph Curry style.

    “It’s what we call 500 shots,” Baun said of the on-field routine after practice. “Coach describes it as a basketball player hitting 500 shots before he leaves.”

    That’s where Baun drills his feet and hips and shoulders.

    “It’s mostly footwork stuff, because I’m asked to do a lot of stuff in coverage — a lot of different coverage responsibilities,” Baun said. “I’m asked to cover a lot of ground and take away a lot of different zones. So my footwork really has to be on point.”

    Reps matter, both during the week and on game day. He hasn’t missed a game since he became a starter in 2024. This is one of the reasons he should be considered the Eagles’ best defender, if not their best player. Carter’s the only defender who has made as many plays, but he has missed time this season.

    “He’s played more than anybody these last two years,” Sirianni acknowledged, “but, like, he just keeps getting better and better and better.”

    Another reason Baun should be considered the top Eagle:

    Unlike Mitchell and DeJean, who also have not missed a game, Baun hasn’t had a steady sidekick. Fellow starter Nakobe Dean was lost to injury with two regular-season games to play in 2024 and did not play in the playoffs. Dean has missed seven games so far this season.

    So there you have Baun. He’s an iron-man linebacker who stacks sacks and picks and grades out among the best in the business, but he seems to get so little credit.

    For Baun, the winning is enough.

  • Sixers takeaways: Joel Embiid is a mainstay, Paul George still has it, and more from win vs. Wizards

    Sixers takeaways: Joel Embiid is a mainstay, Paul George still has it, and more from win vs. Wizards

    Joel Embiid is, once again, a constant for the 76ers.

    With Kelly Oubre Jr. and Trendon Watford back, we’ll finally get a glimpse of how competitive the team is.

    And Wednesday was one of those performances when Paul George let people know he’s still got it.

    Joel Embiid and Paul George power the Sixers to a 131-110 win over the Wizards

    Those things stood out in a 131-110 victory over the Washington Wizards at the Xfinity Mobile Arena.

    Embiid stringing together games

    This contest marked the fifth consecutive game that Embiid has played this season. There was one day’s rest between each game. Earlier this season, the 7-foot-2, 280-pound center didn’t play with less than two days of rest between games.

    The limited amount of rest hasn’t appeared to impact Embiid’s performance, who has already missed 17 games due to right and left knee injuries and a sprained ankle.

    He averaged 28.5 points, 8.5 rebounds. 5.3 assists, and one block in his previous four games. On Wednesday, Embiid tallied 28 points on 10-for-14 shooting along with seven rebounds, two assists, and two blocks in 25 minutes, 24 seconds.

    Embiid felt “pretty good” after playing a season-high 40:03 in Monday’s loss to the Denver Nuggets.

    “I just got to keep it going,” he said. “I think tonight, I was OK tonight, so that was a good sign. But like I said, I got to keep going.

    “We are still building myself back up. And you just have to be smart.”

    He scored the game’s first basket on an 11-foot jumper 17 seconds into the contest. Then Embiid delivered a thunderous two-handed dunk to put the Sixers up 7-0, 1:20 later.

    And Embiid displayed solid defense while blocking Justin Champagnie’s layup with 5:02 left in the quarter.

    He ended the quarter with eight points on 3-for-4 shooting, along with three rebounds and one assist. Embiid was up to 16 points at the half.

    “The nicest thing to see is he’s stringing some games here, one after another,” coach Nick Nurse said. “And the same is applying to the daily work, and all that kind of stuff, too. I just think that’s important for him to continue to keep playing.”

    Sixers’ Joel Embiid (right) scored 16 of his 28 points in the first half.

    The good thing for the Sixers (20-15) is that his availability means he’s feeling better. It also means the 2023 MVP and seven-time All-Star is regaining his rhythm. And as Nurse pointed out, you see him continue to sharpen his skills.

    “But yeah, it’s great to see him, obviously,” Nurse said. “The guys that we got playing around him now are playing extremely hard for the most part, and he’s obviously, I always say this, it’s our best version if he’s out there and he’s good. Hopefully, we can continue along with that. Hopefully, he’ll keep stringing some games up here.”

    The Sixers’ success is dependent on Joel Embiid’s ability to make others better

    The Sixers were cautious with Embiid earlier in the season by giving him two days of rest between games and hard practices.

    “I’m going to be honest, he’s moving way better than I’ve seen him when I first got here,” VJ Edgecombe said. “He’s definitely moving way better. He’s just being Joel, man. We are all seeing that. Like I said, he’s a 30-point scorer every night. He can get 30 points on any given night. So he’s super skilled.

    “It’s just been good to see him moving better.”

    Edgecombe did note that he’s “a little scared” every time Embiid falls on the court. But he said Embiid tells him why he does that.

    So the rookie isn’t mad at the 31-year-old for purposely falling. And when he stays upright, Edgecombe is starting to see Embiid move faster than he expected.

    “So I’m happy to see him healthy,” Edgecombe said. “Health is a big thing.”

    The crew’s intact

    This matchup marked the first time since December 2023 that the Sixers had all their key players available.

    Oubre returned after missing the previous 22 games with a sprained left knee ligament against the Detroit Pistons on Nov. 14. Watford was available after being sidelined 17 games with a strained left thigh muscle against the Orlando Magic on Nov. 25.

    “It’s good to have Kelly back,” Edgecombe said. “It’s good to have TY back. And you know we’ve been having a consistent [lineup] with the starters the past few games, which also helps. But overall, it’s been great, man. I’m just happy to see everyone on the floor.”

    Sixers’ Kelly Oubre Jr. and Trendon Watford are cleared to play against Washington Wizards

    Oubre checked into the game at the 4:27 mark of the first quarter to a loud ovation. He immediately made an impact, impeding the Wizards (10-26) from getting an offensive rebound on a missed three-pointer. And in true Oubre fashion, the 6-8 small forward signaled that it was the Sixers’ possession before sprinting down the floor.

    He grabbed his first rebound at 1:51 left in the quarter, while playing power forward in a small-ball lineup with Tyrese Maxey, Quentin Grimes, Jared McCain, and Adem Bona. Oubre grabbed his second rebound — also defensive — 17 seconds into the second quarter. This time, he dribbled the ball up the court before misfiring on a 28-foot three-pointer. Oubre went to the bench 1:48 into the quarter. He had two rebounds and missed both of his shots during his initial stint.

    In his second stint, Oubre was on the floor with Maxey, Embiid, George, and Dominick Barlow for the final 1:56 of the half.

    Oubre scored his only basket with 7:03 remaining in the fourth quarter. He finished with two points on 1-for-4 shooting to go with three rebounds, one assist, and two steals in 20:16.

    “It was a stretch in the game where I was picking up anybody that was bringing the ball up, which is normally what I do,” Oubre said. “But I just wanted to test that, and make sure everything was good. I felt good. So I think I’m kind of back to myself. I’m a two-way player, of course. But in-game flow. You know how it flows.”

    Watford didn’t come into the game until 4:45 remained. He had three assists in closing out the blowout victory.

    Nurse hinted before the game that Watford probably would not play, or would play very little. That’s because he didn’t want to disrupt the team’s rhythm. The Sixers have been successful recently with Barlow and reserve Jabari Walker getting the bulk of the minutes at power forward.

    Jabari Walker played four minutes for the Sixers on Wednesday.

    But the coach is elated to finally have his full complement of key players at his disposal.

    “It is great. It is great, it is,” Nurse said. “You know, getting them all there … is the first kind of accomplishment, or first step, I should say. And then, getting them all to a level of conditioning and rhythm and like their peak performance is going to be a ways away yet, but this is the first step in that. That’s when we can see all the things that we can really do eventually.”

    With their full complement of players, we can finally get an idea of how competitive the Sixers are this season. Nurse can also figure out which lineups work best.

    “It’s up to the coaches, now,” said Andre Drummond, who started his second stint with the Sixers last season. “We have a full roster. I mean, it’s exciting. It’s the first time I’m playing with a full roster since I’ve been here, at least. So I’m looking forward to what we do, and guys stay healthy, and really getting that rhythm now. It’s almost that time of the year [close to when] the All-Star break comes. And, you know, I’m ready for whatever.”

    Paul George scored 23 points on Wednesday.

    George’s showcase

    George had an efficient game. The small forward finished with 23 points on 7-for-11 shooting — including making 4 of 8 three-pointers — along with 5 of 6 foul shots. He also had five assists, four rebounds, two steals, and a block.

    Most of his damage occurred in the second quarter, when he scored 13 points on 4-for-5 shooting, making 3 of 4 three-pointers. He also had a block and a steal while logging 10:12 of the quarter.

    Critics will point out that George’s domination came against the Eastern Conference’s next-to-last-place Wizards squad, who were missing five players due to injuries.

    But he has been playing well all season. And he usually steps up when his number is called. So his second-quarter dominance is why the Sixers signed him to a four-year, $211.5 million contract last season. It’s also the type of domination that quiets the critics who say that the 35-year-old is washed up.

    Sixers’ Tyrese Maxey drops to third in East in All-Star voting; Joel Embiid remains 17th

    The selfless player is comfortable deferring to Embiid and Maxey so they can all shine.

    “Obviously, Joel and Tyrese are our two engines,” George said. “Those guys are going to, rightfully so, demand attention, demand the ball in moments to score and put points up for us. I got to fit in, find my shots, my opportunities, and moments to be aggressive. That’s what I’m trying to do.

    “But more than anything, defensively, I know I can still be elite. I can still make plays. I can still get us extra possessions, limit the [opposing team’s] best player, or just make things tough with the opposing player. And, then just, you know, try to be a calming voice, keep us level, keep us pretty much even keeled, but still apply pressure when we’re not playing defensively.”

    In addition to playing quality defense, he sees his role as helping run the offense and stepping up when needed. And George came through in the second quarter, which is always a good sign for the Sixers.

    “That’s Paul George, man,” Edgecombe said. “He’s elite. He’s an elite scorer, an elite defender. That’s something he’s always been known for. The things he does don’t show up on a stat sheet.

    “But we all know that he can score the rock any given time.”

  • Joel Embiid and Paul George power the Sixers to a 131-110 win over the Wizards

    Joel Embiid and Paul George power the Sixers to a 131-110 win over the Wizards

    Joel Embiid scored 28 points, Paul George added 23 and all of Philadelphia’s starters scored in double-figures as the 76ers beat the Washington Wizards 131-110 on Wednesday night.

    Tyrese Maxey contributed 22 points and eight assists for the Sixers, who have won four of five.

    Tre Johnson had a team-high 20 points for Washington, which played without several key players on the second night of a back-to-back. CJ McCollum (right quad soreness) and Khris Middleton (right knee injury) were among the Washington players sidelined.

    Embiid played in his fifth consecutive game contest since being slowed by early season injuries. The 2023 MVP shot 10-for-14 from the field and 7 of 8 from the line, and added seven rebounds.

    Philadelphia took control early behind Embiid’s 16 points in the first quarter. The Sixers were up 92-80 entering the fourth before opening the final period with an 11-0 run, capped by a Quentin Grimes dunk to take a 23-point lead. Grimes finished with 16 points.

    Sixers rookie VJ Edgecombe attempts a dunk during the first half against the Wizards.

    Kelly Oubre Jr. returned to the Philadelphia lineup and scored two points in his first game since Nov. 14. Trendon Watford (strained left thigh muscle) also returned for the Sixers, who had their full complement of players for the first time this season. Watford last played on Nov. 25.

    The Sixers bounced back from Monday’s 125-124 overtime home loss to Denver in which the Nuggets had just nine available players and were missing their entire regular starting lineup.

    Washington had won five of seven games entering Wednesday after starting the season 3-20. But, they were short-handed against the 76ers, missing Corey Kispert (hamstring) and Keyshawn George (left hip) in addition to Middleton and McCollum. Bub Carrington and Bilal Coulibaly each scored 18 for the Wizards.

    Coach Brian Keefe said before the game that there is no timetable for Cam Whitmore’s return. He has been out since last month due to upper extremity deep vein thrombosis in his right shoulder.

    The Sixers travel to the Orlando to face the Magic on Friday (7 p.m., NBCSP).

  • Eagles will again rely on Jalen Hurts’ ‘clutch gene’ as they embark on another playoff run

    Eagles will again rely on Jalen Hurts’ ‘clutch gene’ as they embark on another playoff run

    As Champagne showered behind him in the Eagles’ postgame locker room following their Super Bowl LIX victory, Jeffrey Lurie raved to reporters about Jalen Hurts’ “clutch gene.”

    Hurts, then 26, dazzled under the bright lights of the Superdome, earning Super Bowl MVP honors after he totaled 293 yards (221 passing, 72 rushing) and three touchdowns (two passing, one rushing). Lurie, the Eagles’ owner, noted that his quarterback seemed to amp up his play when the stakes were the highest.

    That so-called clutch gene, according to Hurts, is truly inherent.

    “Some things are in you,“ Hurts explained Wednesday.

    Hurts will have an opportunity to flaunt that trait again on Sunday when the Eagles return to the playoffs after last year’s Super Bowl win. They will start from the beginning once more in the wild-card round against the San Francisco 49ers, a team they have not faced since 2023.

    Nakobe Dean’s last Eagles playoff game ended with him on a cart. On Sunday, he wants to soak it all in.

    The opponent may be relatively unfamiliar, but the postseason is a familiar stage to Hurts. In his fifth season as the Eagles’ starter, he is tied for the best playoff win percentage (6-3; 66.7%) among postseason quarterbacks with the 49ers’ Brock Purdy (4-2; 66.7%).

    Hurts has more overall playoff experience than Purdy and a Lombardi Trophy to his name. That experience, Hurts said, informs his approach to the postseason.

    “I think experience is the biggest teacher,” Hurts said. “So a lot of moments you can lean on experience in itself. So just being able to reflect on, not always someone else’s opinions but your own experiences, that’s valuable.”

    Jalen Hurts and the Eagles last played the Niners in 2023.

    Hurts has experience playing against the Kyle Shanahan-led 49ers, too. Hurts has started at quarterback against San Francisco three times in his career from 2021-23, including the NFC championship victory that punched their ticket to Super Bowl LVII in the 2022-23 season.

    Shanahan isn’t calling the defense, though. Hurts has yet to face a 49ers defense led by Robert Saleh, who rejoined the staff as defensive coordinator this year. Despite his lack of direct experience with Saleh’s 49ers, he is familiar with their physical brand of football.

    “I think any time we’ve matched up against this team, it’s been a very physical, fast, and intense game,” Hurts said. “So we’ve got a lot of respect for this opponent and how they play ball and the mentality that they have. That’s something that we have a lot of respect for.”

    Eagles vs. 49ers: These numbers and trends could impact Sunday’s result

    But the 49ers defense of late isn’t the same group that throttled the Eagles, 42-19, two seasons ago. For one, Dre Greenlaw, who got into it with Eagles security chief Dom DiSandro on the sideline in that game, is no longer on the team.

    That isn’t the only difference, nor the most notable. Injuries have ravaged Saleh’s unit this season, with inside linebacker Fred Warner and defensive ends Nick Bosa and Mykel Williams sustaining long-term injuries that will prevent them from suiting up on Sunday.

    The San Francisco inside linebacker corps has experienced the most turnover of any position. All five linebackers who made the 49ers’ initial 53-man roster out of training camp are injured, including projected starter Dee Winters, who did not practice on Wednesday due to an ankle ailment.

    The 49ers will be missing defensive end Nick Bosa (center) and linebacker Fred Warner (right) for Sunday’s wild-card matchup.

    The Eagles, meanwhile, are potentially getting healthier. Lane Johnson returned to practice on Wednesday for the first time since he sustained a Lisfranc foot injury in the Nov. 16 win over the Detroit Lions. His status for Sunday’s game remains in question, as he was a limited participant in Wednesday’s practice.

    Hurts is healthy, too, and fresh off a week of rest, luxuries the Eagles haven’t always had in the postseason. His good health seemingly correlates with his career-low as a starter in rushing attempts this season (105). But Hurts pushed back on the notion that the decrease in carries was intended to keep him out of harm’s way.

    “I think the season just kind of going the way it has, the approach this year and how the games have been called with this coordinator, with coach KP [Kevin Patullo],” Hurts said. “It’s just kind of going that way. Just kind of taking it in stride and tried to give my best, whatever position I’ve been put in.”

    Hurts has been put in all kinds of positions this season, whether he handed the ball off to Saquon Barkley or dropped back more to pass. The Eagles have shown flashes of an identity at times throughout the season, especially when to establish the run game and build passing concepts off those looks. But their overall performance as a group has been characterized by inconsistency.

    Sielski: Eagles-49ers is really a matchup of Nick Sirianni and Kyle Shanahan, savants in their own ways

    Still, winning in multiple ways, according to Hurts, isn’t necessarily bad.

    “I think it depends on what perspective you look at, half empty or half full,” Hurts said. “I think being able to evolve and change as much as we have and still find ways to win, maybe gives off this perspective of, ‘Well, what are they going to do? Who are they?’ I do definitely think that is a way that you can look at it.

    “Also, at the end of the day, we’re not going to be judged off how it got done. We’re going to be judged off if we did it or not. So my focus is on doing it.”

    Hurts and his clutch gene have done it before in the playoffs. Doing it again hinges on whether he can help the offense, as listless as it has been at times this season, find a new gear.

  • Nakobe Dean’s last Eagles playoff game ended with him on a cart. On Sunday, he wants to soak it all in.

    Nakobe Dean’s last Eagles playoff game ended with him on a cart. On Sunday, he wants to soak it all in.

    Monday is an anniversary of sorts for Nakobe Dean, but not one to celebrate. When the linebacker takes the field for the Eagles on Sunday — yes, he will play — it will be 364 days after he was knocked from the Eagles’ wild-card playoff victory over the Green Bay Packers.

    Dean watched the Eagles win the Super Bowl from the sideline. He danced in place with the help of crutches while streams of Champagne and beer flew around the championship locker room until there was no more alcohol to soak in.

    Then, a long rehabilitation from a patellar tendon tear in his left knee began. There were long days of training, and the 25-year-old even dipped his toes in ballet classes to improve his flexibility. But while Dean recovered, the Eagles also drafted his eventual replacement, Jihaad Campbell, in the first round. Then he started the 2025 season on the physically unable to perform list and didn’t debut until Week 6.

    Patellar tendon tears are difficult injuries to come back from, but Dean has barely missed a beat. He overtook Campbell and returned to his starting role next to Zack Baun by Week 8. Dean has been one of the best blitzing linebackers in the NFL since he returned. He has four sacks in 10 games after having three sacks in 15 games last season. He has been solid in coverage, too. All eyes will be on Dean and Baun on Sunday as the Eagles face a talented San Francisco offense built around running back Christian McCaffrey and tight end George Kittle.

    Eagles linebacker Nakobe Dean is helped off of the field during the second quarter of last year’s wild-card playoff game against the Packers.

    There are the on-field elements on Dean’s mind. The 49ers, he said, do things no other team does with their use of the fullback and their dynamic schemes. The Eagles will need to have “good eyes,” Dean said, and focus on their footwork and technique while making sure to be physical. But there’s the personal element, too. Dean said football is always personal to him, but Sunday, almost a year to the day from the sport being temporarily taken from him, will have extra significance.

    “It’s always personal,” Dean said Wednesday. “You got a timeline to play this game of football that you love.”

    Dean has learned that the hard way a few times. The 2022 third-round pick, among the first wave of Georgia Bulldogs to the Eagles’ defense, had his 2023 season ended after five games because of a foot injury. Then the knee injury in the playoffs last year forced him to be a spectator during what would have been some of the biggest games of his career. Then, even as he helped the Eagles’ playoff push this season, he was again forced to the sideline after suffering a hamstring injury against Washington in Week 16.

    Eagles vs. 49ers: These numbers and trends could impact Sunday’s result

    Dean said he probably could have played through the hamstring injury, but the rest served him well.

    “They want me in the playoffs the best I can be,” Dean said of the Eagles’ decision to sit him down for a couple of weeks.

    Dean thinks he’s a better player today than he was a year ago as he prepared for the playoff run. “The more ball I play, the better I see it, the more I understand it,” he said. He’s said he’s not surprised he came back from his devastating injury in this manner.

    Eagles linebacker Nakobe Dean (center) suffered a hamstring injury during a Week 16 win over the Commanders.

    “When you’re going through an injury, and I got a goal that I set for myself, I’m going to come back and be the best,” Dean said. “I’m not shooting to just get to where I was before. No, I’m shooting to get better and get better every day.

    “I’m a human. I have emotions. But I never lost faith that everything would be great. I never lost confidence in myself.”

    Dean said the journey helped him grow as a person and football player.

    “Everything I talk about, or I’ve talked about in the past before I hurt my knee, I had to stand on it,” he said. “I had to stand on being that positive person who’s taking a day at a time, who puts one foot in front of the other. The message hasn’t changed for me. But I had to stand on what I believed in and what I talked about.”

    He has spent part of this week providing perspective to younger players like Campbell and fellow rookie Smael Mondon on what it means to be in the postseason — “a lot of people want to be where we’re at,” he said — and what to expect from the atmosphere at Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday. (“It’s like someone talking about an amusement park that they’ve never been to before and I’ve been,” he said.)

    Eagles-49ers is really a matchup of Nick Sirianni and Kyle Shanahan, savants in their own ways

    It’s the playoffs, and every game could be the last. For Dean, that reality is especially true. This is the final year of his contract, and his future with the Eagles certainly is up in the air. The Eagles have a lot invested in Campbell, and Dean has played well enough after returning from his injury to earn a decent contract, one that could come from another team. It is a thought that Dean said has crossed his mind after the Eagles won their Week 17 game in Buffalo.

    Dean then reminded himself that he needed to be present. Sunday will mark his first playoff game since he was carted off the Eagles’ sideline last January. He wants to enjoy what’s in front of him.

    “I got to live in the moment,” Dean said. “I got a lot of guys that I played with in college. You don’t know what’s going to happen. I’m just enjoying every second, every moment with them, with Zack and my linebacker room, everybody in the locker room. Just living in the moment and not even thinking about it.”

    It is, after all, time for “playoff ball,” Dean said.

    “It’s time to get to it, time to turn it up a notch.”

  • Flyers takeaways: Trevor Zegras’ knack for the big moment and three other reasons this team has staying power

    Flyers takeaways: Trevor Zegras’ knack for the big moment and three other reasons this team has staying power

    The Flyers beat the Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday night, 5-2.

    But hockey is all about the details. So, as the Flyers hit the halfway mark with a 21-12-7 record, let’s take a look at why the small details from Tuesday night matter in the big picture.

    Trevor Zegras is a lightning rod

    The Flyers forward conceded postgame that he was downplaying how important the game was to him when he spoke to the media earlier in the day.

    “It was a tough ending with my time there, and I’ve been thinking about this game for a long time,” said Zegras, who was acquired by the Flyers from the Ducks in June. “It was one that meant a lot to me, and it was cool to get one and then, obviously, two.”

    Trevor Zegras scores twice against his old team in the Flyers’ 5-2 win over the Ducks

    “Playing against your old team, that kind of shoved you out the door, that third one would have been pretty cool,” he added. “But we got the win, so that’s what matters.”

    Despite coming out hard, the Flyers trailed 1-0 after public enemy No. 1, Cutter Gauthier, scored a power-play goal. They needed a boost and got it with Zegras scoring not once, but twice, each via a one-timer from beneath the right circle that coach Rick Tocchet said “looked a little [Leon] Draisaitl-ish.” Indeed.

    Zegras is the game-breaker the Flyers have been craving for years. He is someone who can change the course of a game in an instant, pressuring and creating turnovers with his deftness and quick footwork, setting up his teammates with his creativity, or having the drive to find the back of the net.

    He’s never played a Stanley Cup playoff game, but that doesn’t mean Zegras has not starred on some of hockey’s biggest stages. The New York native — who said Philly “is home for me” on Tuesday — helped USA Hockey defeat Canada to win gold at World Juniors. He is back to being the guy who dazzled fans when he entered the NHL, and it’s clear he is someone who won’t shy away from strapping the Flyers to his back and carrying them when it matters — maybe in late April?

    The Flyers can play a heavy game

    The Flyers have one of the NHL’s youngest teams, and they might not be giants, but it is clear that they are up to the task of playing the heavy game that successful teams tend to deploy in the postseason.

    Typically, a heavy game is described as a physical one in which teams are aggressive on the forecheck, lay big hits, win puck battles, and consistently pressure. Tocchet equates a heavy game to good body positioning and being tough to play against.

    If the NHL provided the information on zone time for individual games, the ice would have noticeably been tilted in favor of the Flyers. They outshot the Ducks 39-18, limiting them five shots in each of the first two periods.

    And, unlike the Ducks, who seemed to be head-hunting the whole game, the Flyers delivered clean, hard checks.

    In the last few games, Owen Tippett has played like a true power forward by using his speed, skill, and 210-pound body to throw huge checks and create time and space for scoring opportunities. He had 10 shot attempts (four shots on goal and five that missed the net) and three hits.

    But the player who stood out the most was Garnet Hathaway, who showed why he has been a hot commodity at past trade deadlines when teams want to bulk up for the postseason.

    The forward, who was playing in his second game since being a healthy scratch for six, and doesn’t have a point thus far this season, threw several bone-crunching — but legal — hits. He had six hits, including ones on Olen Zellweger and Ian Moore that could be heard vividly in Xfinity Mobile Arena.

    Reevaluating the Flyers-Ducks trades involving Cutter Gauthier, Trevor Zegras, and Jamie Drysdale

    “Garny laying two huge hits,” Cam York said. “That’s playoff hockey, and we feel like we’re a playoff team.”

    “[Hathaway] dragged a lot of people in the fight with us,” Tocchet added.

    Hathaway ended up dropping the gloves with former Flyers defenseman Radko Gudas after his hit on Moore, and Noah Cates — Noah Cates! — had a tilt of his own with Jansen Harkins after the latter’s high hit on Bobby Brink in the opening minutes. Brink ended up leaving the game with an upper-body injury.

    “I don’t know, just kind of, I guess, maybe, speaks to the confidence and strength I kind of put on and different things like that,” said Cates, who joked that the one fight HockeyFights.com has him listed as having, which was in juniors, wasn’t really a fight.

    “But, just wanted to defend a teammate. With Bobby [it] looked like a bad hit [but] wasn’t a penalty. … But I think the boys respect it, and it’s kind of a necessary thing in the game.”

    The bench boss liked what he saw Tuesday and if the Flyers play as they did against Anaheim, good things should happen.

    Rick Tocchet has raved about Travis Konecny’s development as a leader and key locker room voice.

    Focus and unity

    Whether skating as a five-man unit or going to bat for one another, the Flyers are united. They cheered when Hathaway and Cates dropped the gloves.

    They chirped at Gauthier, who didn’t want to play for the Flyers, and got in his face any chance they could. Aside from Cates going after Harkins, they tried to get at Jacob Trouba and Ross Johnston after they threw high, dirty hits.

    And they checked on one another. Travis Konecny was seen going up to Denver Barkey, appearing to ask if he was OK, as he got on the ice for a power play. The power play happened after Trouba went headhunting on him.

    Flyers fans still don’t like Cutter Gauthier. Trevor Zegras has made it sting a little less.

    Konecny, 28, has become a true leader in every sense of the word for the Flyers.

    “I love the kid. I can understand how [John Tortorella] loves him, too, in the sense of — what did he call him, a wing nut?” Tocchet said. “For me, he does some stuff that you go, ‘What are you doing?’ And then he does some stuff like, wow. So, there’s a balance there.

    “But he’s an unreal guy in the room. This is a close team, and I think he’s one of the reasons why, whether it’s a football pool or whether it’s a dinner, he’s leading the brigade, or whether it’s, hey, unacceptable first period, he’s saying it.”

    Home-ice advantage

    The Flyers are now 12-5-4 at Xfinity Mobile Arena and, for the second straight game, sold out the building.

    It’s a major step for a team that hasn’t packed the barn consistently for a while. And from the moment the puck dropped Tuesday, the faithful were into the game.

    The fans at Xfinity Mobile Arena were up to the task on Tuesday, something the Flyers players hope to see consistently as they push for the playoffs.

    A lot of the attention was directed at Gauthier, but that didn’t stop them from cheering and booing other aspects.

    “The fans were just electric all night,” Christian Dvorak said. “It was a lot of fun.”

    “The crowd was outstanding,” said Tocchet, who is in the Flyers Hall of Fame as a player. “I just remember the days when I played; that’s a loud building tonight. They were awesome. I think they really gave our team some juice.”

    York said it felt like a playoff atmosphere and that he would “wish it [would] maybe happen more than once a year.” Well, if the Flyers keep playing the way they’re playing, it should.

    Flyers’ Bobby Brink, Jamie Drysdale ‘still getting evaluated’ after injuries

    It did give the players a look into what could be the future. Most of the Flyers have not played in a playoff game, and only Konecny, Travis Sanheim, and Sean Couturier were on the roster the last time Philly made the postseason in the 2020 bubble.

    “We don’t want to be satisfied here,” Couturier said after the game. “We’ve got to keep pushing, take it to another level. It’s going to be tight till the end of the year. Look at the standings, doesn’t matter if you win one or you lose one, it’s so tight. So we’ve got to focus one game at a time.”

    Before the Olympic break, the Flyers play 15 more games. That leaves 26 when the schedule picks back up at the end of February. Forty-one games down. Forty-one to go. It’ll be an interesting journey.