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  • 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.”

  • Kada Scott’s family honors her life with a balloon release

    Kada Scott’s family honors her life with a balloon release

    The family of Kada Scott honored her life Sunday morning by releasing balloons on the steps of the Philadelphia Art Museum.

    Organizers described the event as a vigil to honor the life and memory of Scott, the 23-year-old Mount Airy woman who police say was murdered earlier this month. Police found Scott’s body Oct. 18 after a two-week search, buried in the woods behind the vacant Ada H.H. Lewis Middle School.

    Scott family members who attended Sunday’s vigil included her mother, Kim Matthews, who held a sign saying “RIP Kada” with her daughter’s photo on it, and her father, Kevin Scott.

    Kim Matthews (center right), mother of Kada Scott, holds a sign featuring her daughter while releasing balloons before a Domestic Violence Awareness walk at the Philadelphia Art Museum on Sunday, Oct. 26, 2025.

    The event was held immediately before a walk to increase awareness of domestic violence.

    Philadelphia native and reality TV actress Sundy Carter, who authored a book on her own experiences with domestic violence, said she and other walk organizers were already planning an event when Scott was found dead.

    “When the unfortunate situation happened with Kada, we knew that this was so much bigger than us,” Carter said.

    Police have said they are still determining the relationship between Scott and her accused killer, Keon King. But Carter emphasized that violence can occur even when people know each other but are not in a relationship.

    Carter said the event offered a chance for Scott’s family and friends to share their stories with others.

    “We just loved on each other, encouraged one another, and we turned today into something so powerful and positive,” Carter said.

    Walk participants carried that feeling forward, she said.

    “There were so many other domestic violence foundations and support groups that were out there and just there to give resources and everybody was just very much hands-on,” Carter said. “I think this is what the city needed.”

    Participants meet at the Philadelphia Art Museum before starting the Domestic Violence Awareness walk on Sunday, Oct. 26, 2025.

    Carter said organizers plan to hold similar walks at least once a year.

    King has been charged with murder, illegal gun possession, abuse of a corpse, robbery, and additional crimes. He was denied bail and will appear in court Nov. 3 for the first of three preliminary hearings.

  • Ohio State remains No. 1 in rankings ahead of game with Penn State

    Ohio State remains No. 1 in rankings ahead of game with Penn State

    Fresh off a bye week, unbeaten Ohio State remained No. 1 in the Associated Press college football Top 25 on Sunday. The Buckeyes (7-0, 4-0 Big Ten) will host Penn State on Saturday at noon (Fox29).

    The Nittany Lions (3-4, 0-4) also are coming off a bye week. They have lost four straight, including a 25-24 defeat at Iowa in the debut of interim coach Terry Smith, who has replaced the fired James Franklin.

    The Big 12 has five teams in the Top 25 for the first time this season, Vanderbilt earned its highest ranking in 88 years and LSU dropped out of poll following its third loss in four games.

    The top six was unchanged, with Ohio State holding the No. 1 spot for a ninth straight week followed by Indiana, Texas A&M, Alabama, Georgia, and Oregon.

    The idle Buckeyes received 53 first-place votes and the Hoosiers got 11, six more than last week. Texas A&M was No. 1 on one ballot.

    No. 7 Mississippi and No. 8 Georgia Tech swapped spots, as did No. 9 Vanderbilt and Miami, which is tied at No. 10 with BYU.

    Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia dives over the Missouri defense for a touchdown during on Saturday.

    The Big 12’s five ranked teams are BYU, No. 13 Texas Tech, No. 17 Cincinnati, No. 22 Houston and No. 24 Utah. The Big 12 last had five Top 25 teams in the Sept. 22, 2024, poll.

    Houston, which knocked off then-No. 24 Arizona State 24-16 for its first road win against a ranked opponent since 2017, is in the Top 25 for the first time since the first two polls in 2022.

    Vanderbilt’s 17-10 win over then-No. 15 Missouri gave the Commodores a 7-1 start for the first time since 1941 and, at No. 9, its highest ranking since it was No. 7 for one week in 1937. Vandy has a program-record three regular-season wins over Top 25 opponents.

    LSU was ranked as high as No. 3 for three weeks in September and in the top 10 for the first five polls. Road losses to Mississippi and Vanderbilt and this weekend’s 24-point home loss against Texas A&M put the Tigers on the outside looking in.

    It’s the second straight year the Tigers have taken a fast fall. They were No. 8 a year ago and dropped out after three straight losses.

    In and out

    No. 22 Houston, at 7-1, has its best start since 2021, two years before it joined the Big 12. None of the Cougars’ four remaining regular-season games are against ranked opponents.

    No. 23 Southern California, which was idle following its 34-24 loss at Notre Dame, faces a challenging game at Nebraska.

    No. 24 Utah hammered Colorado 53-7 with Byrd Ficklin starting in place of injured quarterback Devon Dampier and leading an offense that rushed for 422 of its 587 total yards.

    No. 25 Memphis rebounded from its loss to UAB with a 34-31 win over South Florida to pull into a four-way tie for third place in the American behind Navy and Tulane.

    South Florida (18), LSU (20), Illinois (23) and Arizona State (24) dropped out.

    Poll points

    • The last time Texas A&M received a first-place vote was Oct. 11, 2015.
    • No. 12 Notre Dame appeared in its 900th poll, tied for fourth-most all-time.
    • No. 15 Virginia has its highest ranking since it was No. 10 on Nov. 7, 2004.
    • The top six were unchanged for the first time since Nov. 12, 2023, when the top eight stood pat.

    Ranked vs. ranked

    No. 9 Vanderbilt (7-1, 3-1 SEC) at No. 20 Texas (6-2, 3-1): Status of Texas QB Arch Manning uncertain after he banged his head on the turf on the first play of overtime in the win over Mississippi State.

    No. 17 Cincinnati (7-1, 5-0 Big 12) at No. 24 Utah (6-2, 3-2): Bearcats are on a seven-game win streak. Utes in a must-win situation the rest of season to stay in Big 12 race.

    No. 18 Oklahoma (6-2, 2-2 SEC) at No. 14 Tennessee (6-2, 3-2): Sooners’ best-in-the-SEC defense gave up a bevy of big plays to Mississippi and now face one of the most explosive offenses in the country.

  • Former Jets center Nick Mangold dies of kidney disease at age 41

    Former Jets center Nick Mangold dies of kidney disease at age 41

    Former New York Jets center Nick Mangold, one of the franchise’s most popular and decorated players, has died, the team announced Sunday. He was 41.

    The Jets said in a statement on social media that Mangold died Saturday night from complications of kidney disease.

    His death comes less than two weeks after the two-time All-Pro selection announced on social media that he had kidney disease and needed a transplant. He said he didn’t have any relatives who were able to donate, so he went public with the request for a donor with type O blood.

    “I always knew this day would come, but I thought I would have had more time,” he wrote in a message directed to the Jets and Ohio State communities.

    “While this has been a tough stretch, I’m staying positive and focused on the path ahead. I’m looking forward to better days and getting back to full strength soon. I’ll see you all at MetLife Stadium & The Shoe very soon.”

    New York Jets center Nick Mangold lines up against the New England Patriots on Dec. 27, 2015.

    Mangold said he was diagnosed with a genetic defect in 2006 that led to chronic kidney disease. He was on dialysis while waiting for a transplant.

    “Nick was more than a legendary center,” Jets owner Woody Johnson said in a statement. “He was the heartbeat of our offensive line for a decade and a beloved teammate whose leadership and toughness defined an era of Jets football. Off the field, Nick’s wit, warmth, and unwavering loyalty made him a cherished member of our extended Jets family.”

    Mangold was a first-round draft pick of the Jets in 2006 out of Ohio State and was selected to the Pro Bowl seven times. He was enshrined in the Jets’ ring of honor in 2022.

    He is survived by his wife, Jennifer, and their four children Matthew, Eloise, Thomas and Charlotte.

    Mangold was the anchor of New York’s offensive line his entire playing career, with all 11 seasons spent with the Jets. He started every game during his first five seasons and missed only four games in his first 10 years before an ankle injury limited his final season, 2016, to eight games.

    He was released by the team in 2017 and didn’t play that season. The following year, he signed a one-day contract with the Jets to officially retire as a member of the team.

    “Absolutely gutted,” former wide receiver David Nelson, who played with Mangold for two seasons, wrote on X. “One of the best guys I’ve ever met — true legend on and off the field.”

    Mangold’s No. 74 jersey remained a popular one for fans to wear at games, even nine years after playing his final NFL game.

    His long, blond hair and bushy beard made him instantly recognizable and his gritty, outstanding play on the field made him a fan favorite. He was active with charitable events and often dressed as Santa Claus for the team’s holiday celebrations for children.

    “Nick was the embodiment of consistency, strength, and leadership,” Jets vice chairman Christopher Johnson said in a statement. “For over a decade, he anchored our offensive line with unmatched skill and determination, earning the respect of teammates, opponents and fans alike. His contributions on the field were extraordinary — but it was his character, humility, and humor off the field that made him unforgettable.”

  • Vintage Andre Drummond rescues Sixers, and he could be a reserve center option: ‘I felt like myself’

    Vintage Andre Drummond rescues Sixers, and he could be a reserve center option: ‘I felt like myself’

    Andre Drummond secured the rebound off Tyrese Maxey’s missed free throw, then fought through contact to convert underneath the basket. The big man pounded his chest with both hands near the 76ers’ bench, a fire lit under himself and his team in the midst of another double-digit rally.

    “That’s what I’ve been paid for my entire career,” Drummond said. “It doesn’t take much for me to get to that point where I want to get every rebound.”

    Drummond grabbed 13 boards in 15 consecutive minutes to end the game — and added seven points, two assists, and two steals — in the Sixers’ 125-121 comeback victory over the Charlotte Hornets in Saturday night’s home opener. The vintage performance rescued the Sixers on a night when former MVP Joel Embiid remained on a strict minutes restriction, backup Adem Bona struggled, and forward Dominick Barlow exited the game with an injury.

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

    And though Drummond entered this season mostly viewed by outsiders as a rotation afterthought — at least partially due to a turf toe injury that sapped much of a disappointing 2024-25 season — the effort signaled that the 32-year-old may still be a viable option while Embiid works his way back.

    “I felt normal. I felt like myself,” Drummond said at his locker after the game. “I was able to move the way I wanted to move. Reaction time was there, just the spring in my jumps and how fast I was moving. Felt good to feel like myself again.”

    Embiid (20 points, four assists, two steals) was significantly more effective against the Hornets than in Wednesday’s opener at the Boston Celtics — but burned through 15 of his 20 allotted minutes in the first half. That left him with only one third-quarter stint before he emerged during the final period wearing a hoodie and an ice pack on his surgically repaired left knee.

    Joel Embiid and Andre Drummond embrace after the Sixers beat the Hornets, 125-121, on Saturday.

    Against the Celtics, coach Nick Nurse chose a small-ball lineup featuring Barlow and Jabari Walker to finish off their first win. But that was not an option Saturday, when Barlow did not return after halftime because of an elbow laceration. Bona, meanwhile, played 12 minutes but recorded only one point with no rebounds.

    So Nurse turned to Drummond, who played less than three minutes in Boston, with 3 minutes, 50 seconds remaining in the third quarter and the Sixers trailing by eight points. He had four rebounds before the end of that frame.

    Early in the fourth, Drummond swiped the ball from Charlotte rookie Kon Knueppel and quickly dished the pass ahead to Kelly Oubre Jr. for a dunk, prompting teammate VJ Edgecombe to chest-bump Drummond heading into a timeout. Drummond later found Oubre again for a three-pointer that cut the Hornets’ lead to 112-105 with 5:23 to play, then sank a difficult turnaround hook shot about a minute later. He pulled down nine more rebounds during the period, including six on the offensive glass.

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

    And when Drummond flew in to clean up Maxey’s driving miss with a two-handed, rim-rocking slam — which gave the Sixers a 117-116 lead with 2:13 remaining — the Xfinity Mobile Arena crowd exploded.

    “You’re wondering why you didn’t use him earlier, to be honest,” Nurse said of Drummond. “ … I just thought it was time to try to find some spark of energy, and he certainly provided it. Because, all of a sudden, the rebounding got a lot easier and [got us] some offensive extra possessions.”

    It was reminiscent of the prime version of Drummond, who was a two-time All-Star and four-time league rebounding leader. He also was once the backup center Embiid called the best he has ever had, before being traded to the Brooklyn Nets as part of the 2022 package in the Ben Simmons-James Harden blockbuster.

    Rejoining the Sixers during 2024 free agency was a celebrated complementary move. But, like so many aspects of the Sixers’ woeful 2024-25 season, Drummond’s role never materialized. He missed 42 games, mostly with that nagging toe injury, and largely did not look like the same player whenever he was on the floor.

    Drummond said on media day that he felt like he let down himself, his team, and the city — and “took that personal.” During his offseason reflection, he concluded that he spent too much time last season overthinking and “worried about manipulating the game in a way that I wanted it to work for me.” He shifted his focus to rediscovering his joy while playing the sport.

    “I’m in a place now where I’m just happier,” Drummond said following the Sixers’ Oct. 10 preseason game against the Orlando Magic. “I’m excited to be here. I told my team — I told the coaching staff, too — whatever it is they need from me to help this team win, I’m more than willing to do it. And I think they’re seeing that. I’ll continue to put my best foot forward.”

    Sixers quiz: How many players can you name who scored 18+ points or more in their rookie debut?

    Another offseason goal: getting into better physical shape to be ready to play stretches like Friday’s. He cut back on cheat meals — the Asian fusion restaurant Nobu is his guilty pleasure — and spent more time running. To help heal his injury, he adopted “toe yoga.” During his pregame routine, he rolls out an acupuncture mat at his locker and stands on the tiny spikes to relieve any stiffness in his feet.

    “That’s what helped me speed the [recovery] process up,” Drummond said.

    Drummond has learned to adopt the “stay ready” mindset in recent seasons, as his playing time began fluctuating.

    From the bench, he watches the game flow and nuances recognizable to his veteran eye, such as defensive communication lapses or moments to set (or not set) screens. He is not shy about passing advice on to Bona, if the second-year big man receives the initial reserve minutes. And regularly sitting next to Drummond is second-year wing Justin Edwards, who is in a similar fringe rotation spot and now a beneficiary of the big man’s encouragement.

    Sixers forward Justin Edwards had nine points in 12 minutes against the Hornets on Saturday.

    “Bro, don’t lose yourself in this,” Drummond tells Edwards, who finished Saturday with nine points in 12 key second-half minutes. “It’s a game of runs. It’s a game that changes often.”

    Saturday, it did. Drummond emphasized that he was not the only player who fueled the Sixers’ second consecutive comeback win. Quentin Grimes hit the go-ahead three-pointer with 15 seconds left, and finished with 24 points off the bench. Maxey (28 points, nine assists) and Edgecombe (15 points, eight assists) continue to form a dynamic guard tandem. Oubre (19 points on 7-of-10 shooting) was a team-high plus-18.

    But after the Hornets’ Tre Mann missed a potential game-tying three-pointer with 12.1 seconds to play, Drummond grabbed the game-sealing rebound.

    It was — again — vintage Drummond.

    “Wouldn’t have won that game without him,” Embiid said. “… That’s the Drummond that we wanted back two years ago.”

  • Kensington’s kitschy, creative flair and pride were on full display at the 17th kinetic sculpture derby

    Kensington’s kitschy, creative flair and pride were on full display at the 17th kinetic sculpture derby

    Just before they were set to make their derby debut, Jake Poeske and Jack Gentry suffered a crushing blow: Their package of bird costumes was stolen.

    Last-minute Big Bird Halloween onesies would have to suffice.

    The duo had welded, papier-mâchéd, and crafted their way to the start line of the 17th Kensington Kinetic Sculpture Derby, a uniquely Philadelphian tradition where absurd human-powered contraptions — no motors, no nothing, just people — travel a three-mile course with obstacles, and then face the final boss, a mud pit.

    The derby was the centerpiece of Saturday’s all-day arts festival on Frankford Avenue, celebrating the East Kensington and Fishtown corridors’ creative, kitschy flair and pride, said Marc Collazzo, executive director of the Fishtown Kensington Area Business Improvement District, which puts on the event.

    “There’s unfortunately a lot of negative views of what this neighborhood is,” he said, “and it doesn’t give enough highlight or spotlight on the people that are here — the people that really have invested their time, talent, and treasure to live, shop, and work here.”

    Collazzo added: “We have people coming from all over the region to really see the good that Kensington is.”

    Poeske and Gentry’s entry, “The Early Bird Doesn’t Catch the Worm,” was a punny nod to the Philadelphia Eagles. Poeske welded two bikes side-by-side, built a steel frame wrapped in chicken wire and stuffed it with twigs and hay, creating a bird’s nest. Gentry donned a handmade cockatoo head, while Poeske was an eagle.

    Two worms rode alongside. Francis Poeske fashioned pink pantyhose stuffed with towels and shirts to his helmet and repurposed a pink velour The Cheetah Girls outfit for his grub couture.

    Jake Poeske and Jack Gentry navigate through a mud pit obstacle at the 17th annual Kensington Derby on Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025, in Philadelphia.
    Jake Poeske and Jack Gentry depart for the 17th annual Kensington Derby on Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025, in Philadelphia.

    But before the derby kicked off, a rivalry was already brewing: Travis Schattle, a kinetic artist, also channeled the Birds for his rig, an eagle sculpture whose wings moved in tandem with his bike.

    “We don’t have worms — you can quote me on that,” he said.

    Schattle, who’s competed in the derby twice before, was in pursuit of glory this year: Make it through the mud pit in style. (Schattle originally envisioned Jason Kelce as the rider, and said he even reached out to the Kelce brothers’ beer company for a sponsorship to no avail.)

    “We just want to make it to the mud pit,” Gentry said.

    “What happens in the mud pit? We will see,” said Poeske.

    Building a slurry, sloppy mud pit on a main drag requires roughly three tons of soil and lots of water, said George Mathes this year’s pitmaster and owner of neighborhood business Thunderbird Salvage. The mud is a staple of the derby, and the pit’s consistency received harsh scrutiny from spectators.

    “The mud needs more water,” one woman heckled. Eventually, the crowd demanded, “Hose it down! Hose it down!”

    Still, the mud pit claimed a few victims. Prophetically, a SEPTA train got stuck. The shark from Jaws — or “Jaw(n)s,” as it was aptly named — and his tuba accompanist sank. A Newsies-esque barkeeper who attempted to make cocktails along the route was ejected from his carriage, then dove and flopped into the mud.

    A derby rider wipes out in a mud pit at the 17th annual Kensington Derby on Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025, in Philadelphia.

    By Schattle’s turn, the crowd was amped, and the air smelled of Philadelphia Brewing Co. beer, incense, and brisket. Schattle’s eagle elicited many chants of “Go Birds” and “E-A-G-L-E-S” from festivalgoers, as he soared across the mud pit.

    Travis Schattle, 33, rides his Eagles-themed vehicle through a mud pit at the 17th annual Kensington Derby on Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025, in Philadelphia.

    Glory achieved.

    “We flew to victory,” Schattle said postgame. “We got people flapping their wings.”

    While roller-blading worm Kangeun Seo wiped out, Poeske and Gentry successfully flew their coop over the pit.

    “I accomplished what I wanted to do: I made it through the end and we made it through the mud,” Gentry said.

    Kanguen Seo, 29, is covered in mud after crashing through a mud pit at the 17th annual Kensington Derby on Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025, in Philadelphia.

    A panel of lab-coat-and-goggle-wearing judges scored the participants’ pit performances based on design, durability, and dynamism. Schattle ultimately ended up taking home third place. Poeske and Gentry got second — one point short of the champions, The UnderTowed barkeepers, who earned a perfect score.

    Accepting their trophy, one barkeeper dangled a cigarette from his lips and held up a Pabst Blue Ribbon.

    And any jocular rivalry between the dueling birds seemed quashed.

    “There can always be more birds in the city,” Gentry said.

  • The Eagles won’t play another 1 p.m. game for a while

    The Eagles won’t play another 1 p.m. game for a while

    The Eagles (5-2) will host the New York Giants (2-5) at Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday on Fox. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m., which won’t happen again for a while.

    Next week is the Eagles’ bye, and when the Birds come back they’ll play five straight national games — three in prime time, one in the late afternoon window on Fox, and one on Black Friday.

    They won’t have another 1 p.m. kickoff until Week 15, when they host the Las Vegas Raiders (2-5) at the Linc on Dec. 14. That could also be their last, with two games against the Washington Commanders (3-4) yet to be scheduled.

    In Week 16, the Birds will play the Commanders on Saturday, Dec. 20, which will be either a 4:30 p.m. or an 8 p.m. kickoff. They’ll also face the Commanders in Week 18, a game that could be elevated to late afternoon or even prime time, depending on what’s at stake.

    So why did the NFL lump the Eagles’ two Commanders games into a three-week span at the end of the season? Onnie Bose, the NFL’s vice president of broadcasting (and a Lower Merion High School grad), said the league tries to schedule as many divisional games late in the season as possible, and it just rolled out this way for the Eagles.

    “Division games late in the season matter,” Bose told The Inquirer in May. “Playing a team in the division twice in three weeks might feel like a lot, but it does happen.”

    The remaining schedule also means it’s not likely you’ll see the Eagles flexed into Sunday Night Football or Monday Night Football this season, unless the Raiders somehow become a compelling story over the next eight weeks.

    Tom Brady is back to call his third Eagles game. It won’t be his last.

    Tom Brady ahead of the Eagles’ Week 4 game against the Buccaneers on Sept. 28.

    Eagles fans will hear a familiar voice Sunday.

    Super Bowl LII loser Tom Brady will be in the booth for Fox, calling his third Birds game this season. If that seems like a lot, that’s because it is — last year Brady called just two Eagles games during the regular season (though he added three playoff games, including the Super Bowl).

    And it won’t be Brady’s last Birds game — he’s slated to call the Eagles’ Week 12 matchup against the Dallas Cowboys on Nov. 23 and Philly’s trip to Buffalo to face the Bills in Week 17 on Dec. 28.

    Joining Brady will be play-by-play partner Kevin Burkhardt, who is also hosting Fox’s pre- and postgame World Series coverage. Erin Andrews and Tom Rinaldi will report from the Linc.

    The last time Fox’s No. 1 crew called at least five Eagles games in one regular season was back in 2014, when Joe Buck and Troy Aikman were still at the network.

    Traditionally, Fox broadcast NFC games and interconference games where the NFC team was on the road. In 2023, the league loosened up those restrictions, but Fox is still guaranteed a certain number of Eagles games every season (including at least one Birds game against each divisional opponent).

    How to stream Eagles-Giants

    Eagles-Giants will stream on Fox One, Fox’s new subscription streaming service. It will also stream on the Fox Sports app, though you need to log in with your cable provider.

    If you’re looking to stream the game for free and you live in or around Philadelphia, your best option is to use a digital antenna, since the game will air on broadcast television on Fox 29.

    Eagles-Giants will also air on the radio on 94.1 WIP, with Merrill Reese and former Eagles receiver Mike Quick on the call. WIP host Devan Kaney will report from the sidelines.

    Rickie Ricardo, Oscar Budejen, and Dave Gerhardt will call the game in Spanish on La Mega 105.7 FM in Philadelphia, 93.9 FM in Atlantic City, and 103.3 FM in Vineland/Millville.

    Both radio broadcasts can be streamed from anywhere on the Eagles’ website, while fans in Philly can also stream them on the Eagles app.

    Eagles look to remain undefeated in kelly green

    Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts warms up next to the Kelly green logo before a game against the Miami Dolphins at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia on Sunday, Oct. 22, 2023.

    When the Birds take the field Sunday afternoon, they’ll be decked out in their throwback kelly green uniforms.

    It’s the first of three games in which the Eagles will wear their classic, fan-favorite jerseys, which they’ll also don in Week 12 against the Dallas Cowboys and Week 18 against the Washington Commanders.

    While the throwbacks are beloved by fans and players alike, the kelly greens represent an era where the Birds couldn’t win when it really mattered (including three playoff games).

    Despite that, the classic jerseys have been good luck for the current Eagles squad. Since bringing them back in 2023, the Birds are 4-0 while wearing kelly green.

    The Eagles were technically wearing kelly green throwbacks during a 2010 loss to the Green Bay Packers, but those were replicas of the Birds’ 1960-era jerseys.

    Eagles will remain in first place through the bye

    Nick Sirianni has the third-best coaching record (53-22, 0.707 pct.) in the Super Bowl era (minimum 50 games).
    NFC East standings

    The Eagles enter Week 8 atop the NFC East and will remain there through next week’s bye, regardless of what happens Sunday against the Giants.

    If the Eagles lose and the Cowboys defeat the Denver Broncos, the Birds will still have a higher winning percentage. Even if they had the same record, the Eagles defeated the Cowboys in Week 1, so the Birds hold the tiebreaker. They’ll play again in Dallas in Week 12 on Nov. 23.

    The Commanders are two games back of the Eagles, so win or lose against the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday Night Football, there’s no way for Washington to overtake the Birds anytime soon.

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    NFC standings

    It’s crowded at the top of the NFC.

    Thanks to their tie against the Cowboys, the Green Bay Packers currently sit in first place because of their higher winning percentage.

    The Eagles are one of six teams with a 5-2 record heading into Week 8, but they find themselves in third place behind the 49ers because San Francisco has a better conference record (5-1 vs. 4-1).

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    Other NFL Week 8 games on TV in Philly

    Aaron Rodgers will face the Packers for the first time since being traded away in 2023.
    Sunday
    • Bears at Ravens: 1 p.m., CBS3 (Ian Eagle, J.J. Watt, Evan Washburn)
    • Cowboys at Broncos: 4:25 p.m., CBS3 (Jim Nantz, Tony Romo, Tracy Wolfson)
    • Packers at Steelers: 8:20 p.m., NBC10 (Mike Tirico, Cris Collinsworth, Melissa Stark)
    Monday
    • Commanders at Chiefs: 8:15 p.m., ESPN, 6abc (Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Lisa Salters, Laura Rutledge)

    Eagles-Giants live updates

    Staff writers Jeff McLane, Olivia Reiner, and Jeff Neiburg will be covering the action live on Inquirer.com.

    Notes and observations about the game can be found at Inquirer.com/Eagles. Don’t forget to subscribe to our free Sports Daily newsletter.

    Eagles-Giants: Live updates

    Eagles news and notes

    Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown walks off the field after the Eagles lost the the Denver Broncos 21-17 on Sunday, October 5, 2025, in Philadelphia.

    Eagles 2025 schedule

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

    We’re executing people with impunity. Why are so many of us OK with this?

    The only thing more shocking than Donald Trump having dozens of people killed on his word — no trial, no jury, just execution — is that more than 70% of voters seem to be fine with this. Even when broken down by political identification, 89% of GOP supporters, 67% of independents, and 56% of Democrats are all right with the U.S. military blowing up civilians.

    Well, maybe.

    The polling that produced those stomach-turning results comes from a Harvard CAPS/Harris Poll released earlier this month, with a headline takeaway that most voters support Trump’s strikes on boats smuggling drugs.

    As the administration escalates its attack on alleged smugglers in international waters, this wide approval is bad news for anyone who cares about (in alphabetical order) human rights, international law, and the Ten Commandments.

    However, I am counting on something I usually rail against — how uninformed most people are — to optimistically dismiss these poll numbers as a bad question about an abhorrent policy.

    You see, the question in the poll was, “Do you support or oppose the U.S. destroying boats bringing drugs into the United States from South America?” Asked in that manner, I wouldn’t be surprised if a lot of people were torn between answering “Absolutely!” or “Totally!” After all, who wouldn’t want to stop dangerous drugs from coming into the country?

    As clashes with ICE heat up, Trump’s cold war against immigration rages on | Luis F. Carrasco

    Of course, the way that question should have been asked is, Do you support or oppose the U.S. destroying boats nowhere near the United States and killing their crew under the mere suspicion they are traveling with drugs?

    I hope the answer to that question would have been “Hell no!” or, as U.S. Sen. Rand Paul more elegantly put it when speaking on Fox Business recently, “You cannot have a policy where you just allege that someone is guilty of something, and then kill them.”

    Unlike the voters who were presented with an anodyne version of the president’s actions, the Republican senator from Kentucky knows the deadly reality. At least 42 people have been killed across 10 reported strikes on boats as of Friday; eight bombings occurred in the Caribbean, and two in the Pacific.

    The administration’s legal rationale seems to be that the drug cartels (allegedly) running these boats are designated foreign terrorist organizations, and represent a clear and present danger to the American people, and must be dealt with accordingly. Or, as the president so chillingly put it at a news conference Thursday: “I think we’re just going to kill people that are bringing drugs into our country. OK? We’re gonna kill them. They’re gonna be, like, dead.”

    Like, yikes.

    A combination image shows screen captures from a video posted on the White House X account in September depicting what President Donald Trump said was a strike on a Venezuelan drug cartel vessel.

    Where do you start? A motorboat that (maybe) is carrying drugs 1,000 miles from a U.S. coastline is hardly an imminent threat, and most of the strikes have involved Venezuelan vessels, a country that plays a very small role in drugs that reach the U.S.

    Even if these are drug runners, trafficking is not a capital crime. And let’s say that it was, you must prove a crime has been committed before you pass sentence, yet all we have to go by are the administration’s claims. Forgive me for doubting, but this is the same bunch who sent hundreds of immigrants to a Salvadoran torture prison, saying they were the “worst of the worst,” only for it to come out that their only sin was having the wrong kind of tattoos.

    For Trump’s supporters, didn’t the president run on keeping us out of foreign entanglements, on America no longer being the world’s policeman? Because this sounds a lot like a police officer who’s way out of his jurisdiction deciding to shoot someone for loitering.

    Saudi Arabia’s repressive regime is nothing to laugh about | Luis F. Carrasco

    If there were any doubts about the real motives of Trump’s strikes, consider the fate of two survivors of the U.S. attack on Oct. 16. If you think these two men were detained, questioned, and booked for processing as dangerous members of a foreign terrorist organization who merit death on sight, then you will be sadly disappointed to hear they were released.

    Responsible members of Congress have tried to rein in the administration’s blatant lawlessness.

    An Oct. 18 resolution to block the U.S. military from engaging in hostilities with “any non-state organization engaged in the promotion, trafficking, and distribution of illegal drugs and other related activities” without congressional authorization was voted down in the Senate.

    While most Republican senators went on the record with allowing the president to freely continue killing, U.S. Sens. Paul and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska voted their conscience. On the Democratic side, Pennsylvania’s own John Fetterman, we must assume, also voted his when joining the GOP majority.

    Folks like Fetterman have no excuse. They know what the administration is doing and condone it. My hope is that as more people learn the details of what’s happening, as voters pay attention to what is being done in our name, they will respond accordingly.

    The only principled reaction to what Trump is doing should be revulsion.