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  • Updated NFL playoff picture: Eagles in surprisingly good shape, four teams eliminated

    Updated NFL playoff picture: Eagles in surprisingly good shape, four teams eliminated

    Yes, the vibes are bad, but the Eagles (8-4) enter Week 14 in surprisingly good shape, as far as the playoffs are concerned.

    Despite losing two straight, the Birds can tighten their grip on the NFC East and improve their chances of earning the No. 1 seed with a win Monday night against the Los Angeles Chargers (8-4). Though it won’t be easy.

    Send some thank you notes to Detroit (8-5). The Lions’ 44-30 beatdown of the Dallas Cowboys (6-6-1) Thursday night gave the Eagles a much-needed playoff boost. But they’ll need more help to move back into the NFC’s top spot.

    Unfortunately, they didn’t get any help from former Eagles defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon, now the embattled head coach of the Arizona Cardinals (3-10). The Cardinals were blown out 45-17 at home by the Los Angeles Rams (10-3), moving Matt Stafford and company back into the NFC’s No. 1 spot.

    Regardless what happens, the Eagles will end the week in the No. 3 seed. The Green Bay Packers (9-3-1) moved into first place in the NFC North and the NFC’s No. 2 seed thanks to their 28-21 win against the Chicago Bears (9-4).

    As a result, the Bears slide down six spots, from No. 1 all the way down to No. 7, the NFC’s final wild card.

    The good news is the Eagles hold tiebreakers against the Rams, Packers (though it likely won’t come into play because of Green Bay’s tie), Lions, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-6), and just two of the Birds’ final five games are against opponents with a winning record.

    The bad news is the Eagles would need the Rams to lose two of their final four games to have a chance at overtaking them. That could also create more headaches for the Eagles, with the Rams tied with the Seattle Seahawks (10-3) and just one game up on the San Francisco 49ers (9-3) in a tight NFC West.

    Currently, the Eagles have just a 5% chance to land the No. 1 seed, according to the New York Times’ playoff simulator, but that would improve slightly with a win Monday night.

    NFC East standings

    Nick Sirianni and the Eagles have the NFC East all but wrapped up.

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    To win the NFC East and clinch their fifth-straight playoff berth, the Eagles’ magic number — combined Birds’ wins and/or Cowboys’ losses — is now three. That will drop to two with a win Monday night against the Chargers.

    Barring a 2023-level collapse, the Birds will become the first team in 21 seasons to win the NFC East in back-to-back years. That would mean hosting at least one playoff game at the Linc.

    As for the Cowboys, may the odds forever be in their favor. With four games left on their schedule, Dallas has just a 9% chance of making the playoffs, according to the New York Times. That would drop to 6% with an Eagles win Monday night.

    Even if the Cowboys win their four remaining games — at home against the Chargers and Minnesota Vikings (5-8), on the road against the Washington Commanders (3-10) and New York Giants (2-11) — Dallas would still need the Eagles to lose three of their final five games to take the division.

    NFC playoff picture

    Caleb Williams and the Bears slid all the way down from the No. 1 seed to the No. 7 spot Sunday.

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    With nine teams bunched together atop the NFC, there were no playoff clinching scenarios in Week 14.

    But a couple of teams were eliminated.

    The Commanders slim playoff hopes were extinguished Sunday in a 31-0 blowout loss to the Vikings.

    The same goes for the Atlanta Falcons (4-9), who were eliminated from playoff contention after being defeated by the Seattle Seahawls (10-3). That will make it eight straight seasons without a postseason appearance for Atlanta.

    Meanwhile, the Carolina Panthers (7-6) are still in the hunt, thanks to their upset win against the Los Angeles Rams last week and Sunday’s Buccaneers loss. Carolina has a bye this week and faces Tampa Bay twice in the final four weeks of the season.

    AFC playoff picture

    Bo Nix and the Denver Broncos moved up to the AFC’s No. 1 spot.

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    As with the NFC, there were no clinching scenarios in the AFC this week, but a couple of teams were eliminated.

    The Cleveland Browns (3-10) were officially eliminated from playoff contention by the Tennessee Titans (2-11) Sunday, while the New York Jets (3-10) were eliminated by the Miami Dolphins (6-7), who have won four straight games and are trying to remain in the hunt for a wild card.

    The loss also guarantees this will be the 15th straight season the Jets miss the playoffs, the longest current streak in the NFL.

    If the Eagles do turn around their season, it’s looking less and less likely they’ll have yet another rematch against the Kansas City Chiefs (6-7). Andy Reid’s squad lost to the Houston Texans (8-5) Sunday night and are currently two games back in the hunt for the AFC’s final wild-card spot, their only remaining path to the postseason.

    The Eagles could help improve the Chiefs’ odds by defeating the Chargers Monday night, but they’ll still have any 80% chance of missing the playoffs, according to the New York Times simulator.

    The Jacksonville Jaguars (9-4) moved into sole possession of first place in the AFC South thanks to their win against the Indianapolis Colts (8-5) Sunday. With everyone in the AFC bunched at the top, the winner of the division might be the only team from the AFC South that advances to the playoffs.

    The Denver Broncos (11-2) moved back into the AFC’s No. 1 seed thanks to their win against the lowly Las Vegas Raiders (2-11). While the Broncos are tied with the New England Patriots (11-2), Denver has a better conference record (7-2 vs. 6-2) and Sunday’s win guarantees they’ll have a better record among common opponents (the Patriots lost to the Raiders back in Week 1), the next tiebreaker if Denver ends the season with the same record as the Patriots.

    When do the NFL playoffs start?

    We’re still more than a month away from the first playoff game, which will take place on wild-card weekend beginning Jan. 10.

    Six games will take place in the first round of the playoffs, airing across Fox, CBS, NBC, and ESPN/ABC. Amazon will also exclusively stream a wild-card game on Prime Video for the second straight season.

    Full 2025 NFL playoff schedule:

    • Wild-card round: Saturday, Jan. 10 to Monday, Jan. 12
    • Divisional round: Saturday, Jan. 17 to Sunday, Jan. 18
    • AFC and NFC championship games: Sunday, Jan. 25
    • Super Bowl LX: Sunday, Feb. 8

    Where is this year’s Super Bowl?

    Fans watch from a general view at Levi’s Stadium during the first half of an NFL football game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Jacksonville Jaguars in Santa Clara, Calif., Sunday, Sept. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

    Super Bowl LX (or 60, for those who don’t like Roman numerals) is being held at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., home of the San Francisco 49ers. NBC will broadcast this year’s Super Bowl.

    It will be the third time the Bay Area hosts a Super Bowl, and the second played at Levi’s Stadium. The first was Super Bowl 50 in 2016, with the Broncos defeating the Carolina Panthers in a defensive battle best remembered as Peyton Manning’s final game.

    Here are the sites announced for future Super Bowls. Maybe Philly will be added to this list over the next decade, if Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie builds the dome he wants:

    • Super Bowl LXI: Feb. 14., 2027, SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, Calif. (ESPN, ABC)
    • Super Bowl LXII: Feb. 2028, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Ga. (CBS)
  • David McCormick: How we can have school choice for everyone, not just rich people

    David McCormick: How we can have school choice for everyone, not just rich people

    You would think that freshmen at a top-ranked university could do basic math. You would be wrong. According to a recent analysis at the University of California, San Diego, one in eight cannot meet minimum high school standards. This story is repeating itself across America. As a proud product of Pennsylvania’s public schools, it pains me to say: Our nation’s public education system is failing miserably.

    Fortunately, we have an opportunity to begin to fix it, thanks to the school choice tax credit passed into law in the Working Families Tax Cut Act in July.

    The trick? Governors must opt in. So far, four governors — from North Carolina, Tennessee, South Dakota, and Nebraska — have signed up or signaled they will. Will Pennsylvania support giving free money to families? Or will it double down on a failing educational system that disproportionately hurts the poorest among us?

    Access to a good education levels the playing field, giving students an equal opportunity to chase the American dream. It forms kids into citizens. And it not only gives students book smarts, but also the ability to wrestle with hard problems at a time when every American must be ready to adapt to a rapidly changing world.

    The inverse is equally true. Trapping students in bad schools robs them of the opportunity promised to each generation and unduly harms people of color and students from lower-income families.

    According to a 2024 national assessment, 45% of 12th graders could not complete even basic math. Roughly one-third of 12th graders could not read at a basic level. Pennsylvania students performed similarly: 37% of eighth graders did not have basic math skills, and 31% lacked basic reading ability. Students of color and those from low-income families struggled most.

    The COVID-19 pandemic made this all so much worse and set back a generation of Pennsylvanians. The commonwealth’s children have still not recovered from the damage done by school closures foisted on them by the national teachers’ unions.

    Our public school system too often puts the interests of the system over the interests of the students, Sen. David McCormick writes.

    Not only are we falling behind as a nation, we’re also falling behind other states. Florida, Arkansas, and others have busted the education monopoly. By embracing this new federal tax credit, Pennsylvania’s leaders can follow suit.

    One of my first acts in the U.S. Senate was to cosponsor the Educational Choice for Children Act. One of my proudest moments was voting to pass this school choice provision into law alongside childcare tax credits for working families.

    The bill established a $1,700 tax credit for donations to organizations that give educational scholarships to families. The program offers families true opportunity, as these stipends can be used to pay tuition, hire tutors, buy school supplies, and otherwise expand educational opportunities for students. It could inject tens of billions of new funding for our schools.

    Not everyone will agree with me. Some may say we shouldn’t take money away from public schools. Well, this tax credit doesn’t redirect any existing federal or state funds. It allows Americans to support other Americans’ right to a good education.

    It also recognizes that a certain class of people already have the privilege of school choice: those who can afford it. If Pennsylvania opts into this tax credit, it will provide low- and middle-class families with the same opportunity.

    Others might question the quality or accountability of private and charter schools. They have it wrong. The public education system has failed for decades without consequence. School choice introduces accountability through competition. It lets parents choose what’s best for their children instead of being forced into failing schools by fate of geography.

    Finally, I understand the fears that promoting private and charter schools risks hurting teachers, but what I’m proposing is entirely pro-teacher. As the son of two Pennsylvania public school teachers and the product of the commonwealth’s public school system, I have immense respect and admiration for educators.

    The problem is the system, not the teachers. Our public school system too often puts the interests of the system over the interests of the students — and educators. Teachers do the Lord’s work and deserve our thanks. They also deserve to work in schools that value their talent. This program would put more money into education and provide greater choice to teachers, too.

    There are many details to iron out still, but this program has the potential to transform education in Pennsylvania at a moment of incredible change and consequence. It will both allow Pennsylvanians to support their neighbors and invite national investment in our commonwealth’s future.

    The choice is clear. Pennsylvania families have been offered a door to a better education for their children. Will the governor and our leaders in Harrisburg open it?

    David McCormick is a U.S. senator from Pennsylvania.

  • Living next door to danger | Morning Newsletter

    Living next door to danger | Morning Newsletter

    Welcome to a new week, Philly.

    Hundreds of Philadelphians live next to dangerous abandoned buildings. The city’s Department of Licenses and Inspections stopped using a tool meant to track vacant properties.

    And in other housing news, Mayor Cherelle L. Parker visited pulpits across West and North Philadelphia on Sunday, promoting her vision for her signature H.O.M.E. initiative that’s heightening tensions in City Hall.

    Plus, as of Sunday evening, union leaders representing SEPTA’s bus, subway, and trolley operators were still negotiating to avoid a strike. In the case of a SEPTA work stoppage, Philadelphia School District’s contingency plans may include some virtual classes. See the latest updates at Inquirer.com.

    — Julie Zeglen (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)

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

    When vacant homes threaten neighbors

    Across Philadelphia, scores of families live next to vacant properties that are or could become dangerous — houses with collapsing porches, flooded basements, foundation-cracking weeds, and the like.

    Many of those empty and imminently dangerous buildings are rowhouses, which share walls with neighboring homes. Disproportionately, they are based in the city’s poorest zip codes.

    The total amount, though, is unclear. L&I’s methods of tracking vacant properties have shifted in recent years, including the discontinuation of an algorithmic tool to predict whether a property is likely to be vacant.

    In the meantime, concerned residents and community activists want L&I to do more to ensure their safety, in some cases organizing to get the city to deal with abandoned properties more quickly.

    Real estate reporter Michaelle Bond and data reporter Joe Yerardi have the story.

    Further reading: Worried about the vacant building next door? An expert explains what do, from taking pictures to logging formal complaints with the city.

    Parker pitches housing plan

    Amid City Hall tensions, Mayor Cherelle L. Parker spent the weekend seeking public support for her signature housing initiative, the Housing Opportunities Made Easy program, aka H.O.M.E.

    🏠 Parker on Sunday promoted the $800 million program to congregants at 10 churches, emphasizing that she wants to ensure the funding helps Philadelphians of varying incomes.

    🏠 The speaking tour followed City Council’s changes last week to H.O.M.E.’s initial budget and eligibility requirements to prioritize Philly’s lowest-income households.

    🏠 “We’ve got to take care of the people who are most in need, but we can’t penalize the people who are going to work every day, pay their taxes, contribute to the city, and they can’t benefit from home improvement programs,” Parker said during a stop at Cobbs Creek’s Church of Christian Compassion.

    Reporter Maggie Prosser has more from the tour.

    In other local funding news: A bilingual credit union, Finanta Credit Union, is now open in Port Richmond. It’s seeking “unbanked” customers who want to buy homes and build businesses.

    What you should know today

    Quote of the day

    The students of Room 221 at Fanny Jackson Coppin Elementary in South Philly watched a massive construction project rise for months outside their classroom window. At teacher Kate Atkins’ request, the builders came to class last week and answered their questions about the project.

    Among them: “Why did you decide to make the house bigger by making it taller instead of making it wider?” and “Will it be done by Christmas?” (The latter answer is no — and not by Hanukkah, either.)

    🧠 Trivia time

    Tony Award-winning playwright Tom Stoppard died last week at 88. To which Philadelphia theater did the Czech writer have a close connection?

    A) Wilma Theater

    B) Miller Theater

    C) Forrest Theatre

    D) Academy of Music

    Think you know? Check your answer.

    What (and whom) we’re…

    🦅 Congratulating: Jordan Mailata, the Eagles’ 2025 Walter Payton Man of the Year nominee.

    ⚽ Just as excited as: These soccer fans ready to host a World Cup in their hometown.

    🖌️ Following: This graphic designer creating a new art piece after all 82 Sixers games.

    🌊 Taking: A holiday field trip to Lewes and the Delaware Beaches.

    🎤 Considering: How KPop Demon Hunters explains OpenAI becoming a public benefit corporation.

    🧩 Unscramble the anagram

    Hint: University City music venue

    LOW CARVED LIFE

    Email us if you know the answer. We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here.

    Cheers to Nick Petryszyn, who solved Sunday’s anagram: Not for Nothing. The South Philly crime drama debuted on Amazon Prime this week.

    Photo of the day

    SEPTA operators costumed as Care Bears (from left) Jose DeCos and James Smith with mechanic Raymond Borges greet visitors during the Festibus Competition on Saturday.

    Beep beep, the Care Bears bus is here: SEPTA workers displayed eight of their holiday-themed buses during the annual Festibus celebration in LOVE Park on Saturday.

    📬 Your ‘only in Philly’ story

    Think back to the night that changed your life that could only happen in Philly, a true example of the Philly spirit, the time you finally felt like you belonged in Philly if you’re not a lifer, something that made you fall in love with Philly all over again — or proud to be from here if you are. Then email it to us for a chance to be featured in the Monday edition of this newsletter.

    This “only in Philly” story comes from reader Jack Kapp, who describes a perfect game — and afternoon — from his youth in Northeast Philadelphia:

    I was 10 in the summer of 1964. My father started letting me handle the lawn mower. We didn’t have much of a lawn, but it needed to be done. I did a fairly good job, and he proposed that my twin and I start a small business mowing the neighbors’ lawns. We agreed, enticed by the idea of making money.

    I clearly remember mowing lawns the day of Phillies pitcher Jim Bunning’s perfect game on Father’s Day, June 21, 1964. This was to become a seminal event in Philadelphia sports history — one of the greatest games ever pitched. It was a doubleheader. His game was first. It was a hot day, and we rushed to get our work done. My father didn’t watch too much TV or baseball, but I guess because it was Father’s Day, he watched it with us.

    It was the first perfect game in the National League since 1880, the first in regular-season baseball since 1922, and only the seventh in the history of the majors. Quite the achievement. Bunning, the father of seven children at that time (he would have two more after that), threw only 90 pitches, and struck out 10 batters.

    It was also one of the best days that I ever spent with my father. Bunning would go on, after a fabulous Hall of Fame career, to become a U.S. senator from Kentucky for many years. I met him once, and told him this story. He thanked me politely.

    Wishing you a smooth start to your week. See you back here tomorrow.

    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.

  • Pew announces a new head of arts and culture and millions in grants for Philly

    Pew announces a new head of arts and culture and millions in grants for Philly

    When Christina Vassallo was head of the Fabric Workshop and Museum, she landed several substantial grants from the Pew Center for Arts & Heritage.

    Now she is moving to the other side of that donor-recipient relationship.

    Vassallo is the newly named executive director of the Pew Center for Arts & Heritage, starting Jan. 5, Pew announced Monday.

    “The center embodies everything I value about arts leadership — intellectual curiosity, rigorous support for artists and arts organizations, and a true commitment to public life,” said Vassallo. “So for the center, I’m drawn to its dual identity as a grantmaker and as a hub for ideas, and for the opportunity to connect the arts with civic purpose.”

    Leadership and operational changes at the Pew arts center are closely watched in Philadelphia’s arts and culture community since the center, along with the William Penn Foundation, accounts for some of the largest foundation giving in the area.

    Pew’s center, for instance, also announced on Monday that it has awarded $8.6 million to 44 Philadelphia-area groups — nearly $180,000 to the Black Pearl Chamber Orchestra for a project on Black women composers, $360,000 to Monument Lab for the creation of environmental soundworks as a “living monument to Philadelphia’s birds,” and to projects by Mural Arts Philadelphia, Philadanco, Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens, theater companies, dance troupes, and museums.

    The Magic Gardens, April 27, 2022.

    Vassallo, 45, follows Paula Marincola, who retired in October after serving as the center’s first director, since 2008.

    After leaving the Fabric Workshop in 2023, Vassallo became director of the Contemporary Arts Center in Cincinnati. Before the Fabric Workshop, she was executive and artistic director of the alternative art gallery SPACES, in Cleveland. She was born in the Bronx and grew up in New York City and northern New Jersey, and holds two degrees from New York University — a bachelor’s in art history and a master’s in nonprofit visual arts management.

    Vassallo arrives as Philadelphia’s arts scene grapples with a number of challenges. Many groups are facing the double whammy of attendance numbers that are still lower than pre-COVID levels, and cuts in federal funding under the Trump administration.

    The Pew arts center specifically has undergone a significant change with the 2024 collapse of the University of the Arts, which had been its operational partner. In June, Pew announced that the Barnes Foundation would take UArts’ place, and Vassallo suggested that the Barnes — which also had a hand in her hiring — could take on a more significant role.

    “I think there is tremendous potential there programmatically beyond their administrative role,” said Vassallo, who called the relationship between the Pew center and the Barnes an “evolving” one.

    Dancers from Philadanco, which received a grant from the Pew Center for Arts & Heritage.

    One significant change has already occurred. Vassallo will report to Barnes Foundation executive director and president Thomas Collins, whereas Marincola reported directly to Pew. The Barnes isn’t seen as getting involved with the Pew center’s grant-making process, but, rather, could work with the center on creating new programming.

    “We could imagine partnerships between the [Pew Fellowships in the Arts] fellows … being able to engage in the collection at the Barnes, for example, we can imagine the center and the Barnes partnering on community conversations,” said Elinor Haider, senior director of Pew’s Philadelphia Program.

    The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage will continue to be based in its offices on Walnut Street, Haider said.

    Vassallo called Philadelphia’s arts scene “incredibly rich and vital.” About its challenges, she said — while noting that she needs to relearn Philadelphia’s arts and culture community — that “we are having to find new ways to fund our work. I have seen this in the form of creating new business models, coming up with innovative ways to increase ticket sales and engage current and new audiences to create new revenue streams.”

    She said she has “always been a strong believer in nurturing the next generation of art enthusiasts, ensuring that kids have access to the arts across disciplines.”

    As for future funding priorities, the center has not yet determined whether it will undertake a strategic planning process, she said.

    “Not only are we assessing feedback from grantees and external parties, but we’re also understanding the state of the city, and then you have the various partners involved — you have Pew, you have the center staff, and now you have the Barnes. So I think within that there’s going to be a very special alchemy that starts to further determine the future of center funding decisions.”

    A complete list of Pew’s latest grants to art and culture groups: pewcenterarts.org/2025grants.

  • Eagles need nothing short of domination from Nolan Smith, Jaelan Phillips, and Jalyx Hunt against vulnerable Justin Herbert

    Eagles need nothing short of domination from Nolan Smith, Jaelan Phillips, and Jalyx Hunt against vulnerable Justin Herbert

    It won’t be Jalen Hurts or Saquon Barkley.

    It won’t be Nick Sirianni or Kevin Patullo.

    It won’t even be Jordan Davis or Moro Ojomo.

    All will have plenty to prove against the Chargers. But none will have more than the guys whose primary responsibility is putting the quarterback on his back. The most important players on the field Monday night will be the Eagles edge rushers.

    The pressure is on the pressure.

    Or, rather, the pressure-ers.

    Jaelan Phillips, Nolan Smith, Jalyx Hunt. These are the names you will need to hear with regularity against the Chargers. We haven’t heard them nearly enough this season.

    Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter (right) and edge rusher Jaelan Phillips stop Lions quarterback Jared Goff on Nov. 16.

    Through 12 games, the Eagles have gotten just eight sacks combined out of their edge rushers.

    True, five of them have come in the last five games, a stretch that has seen Smith return from injured reserve and Phillips arrive via trade from the Dolphins. But it still isn’t enough. Three years ago, Haason Reddick, Josh Sweat, and Brandon Graham combined for 38 sacks, an average of more than two per game. That’s the kind of output the Eagles should be expecting on Monday night.

    Eagles vs. Chargers: Predictions, odds, playoff standings, injuries, and what everyone is talking about

    Rarely have the Eagles faced an opponent so ripe for the picking. The Chargers have been a mess up front all season. In late August, they lost starting left tackle Rashawn Slater to a season-ending knee injury. A month ago, they lost All-Pro right tackle Joe Alt to a season-ending ankle injury. In the four games since Alt went down, the Chargers have allowed a remarkable 17 sacks. That included three last week against the Raiders, a game that ended with Justin Herbert nursing a broken non-throwing hand.

    Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert is expected to play against the Eagles.

    This should be a get-right game for the Eagles’ most underperforming unit. That’s true regardless of who is under center — or in shotgun, or in the pistol — on the other side of the line of scrimmage. It will be especially true if that player is Herbert, who is reportedly preparing to play despite undergoing surgery to repair a broken bone in his left hand early last week.

    The Eagles have already seen firsthand what Herbert can do when given an ample amount of time to throw. The Chargers veteran shredded them during Sirianni’s first season as coach, completing 32 of 38 passes for 356 yards and two touchdowns in a 27-24 win in Week 9. That afternoon was one of the 11 times in Herbert’s career that he was not sacked. The Chargers are 9-2 with a plus-110 point differential in those 11 games.

    It goes without saying that none of those games has occurred this season. Herbert has been sacked multiple times in 11 of 12 of his starts in 2025, with three-plus sacks in eight. Heading into Sunday, the Chargers were one of five teams in the NFL to allow five-plus sacks in at least four games. At 8-4, they are the only one of those teams with a winning record. The other four have combined to go 10-38.

    Jeff McLane’s keys to Eagles vs. Chargers in Week 14: What you need to know and a prediction

    The Eagles need to take advantage. Whatever the overall numbers say, they have more than enough talent on the edge to be a deciding factor Monday night. We’ve seen flashes of dominance from the group. Apart from maybe the cornerbacks, the Eagles’ edge rushers were the best unit on the field in back-to-back victories over the Packers and Lions. In a 10-7 win over Green Bay in Week 10, the group combined for two sacks, three tackles for losses, and five quarterback hits against Jordan Love. The following week, Phillips and Hunt combined for five hits on Lions quarterback Jared Goff, including Phillips’ first sack in an Eagles uniform. The pressure on Goff was one of the biggest reasons the veteran completed just 14 of 37 passes with an interception.

    But those two wins feel like a distant memory, don’t they? For the first time in the Vic Fangio era, the Eagles are coming off back-to-back games of 400-plus yards of total offense allowed. Two weeks ago, Dak Prescott was way too comfortable while completing 23 of 36 passes for 354 yards. Last week, the Bears gashed them for a ridiculous 281 rushing yards, with running backs D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai combining for 255 yards on 40 carries.

    The Bears gained 281 yards on the ground against the Eagles.

    The four truest words in the NFL came out of Jordan Davis’ mouth earlier this week.

    “It’s a copycat league,” the Eagles defensive tackle said.

    With Herbert ailing and the Chargers pass protection in shambles and the Eagles taking the field without All-World defensive tackle Jalen Carter, we should expect to see Greg Roman do as Sean McVay and Ben Johnson did before him.

    “We’ve got to play the run well enough to where they just don’t run it a bunch,” Fangio said. “They run it, and like most teams that run it well, they have a good play-action game, and not give up the shots in the play-action passing game, which they do a good job of.”

    The Chargers are ready for Vic Fangio’s defense — and aren’t worried about Justin Herbert’s hand injury

    But stopping the run can only carry you so far against a quarterback like Herbert. The Eagles need to put themselves in a position to pummel him as thoroughly as the rules allow. They need Smith to be the guy he was down the stretch last season, when he recorded 10½ sacks in his last 16 games, including four in the playoffs. They need Phillips to be the guy he was against the Packers.

    The best offense is a good defense. And the best defense is a great pass rush.

  • Saquon Barkley says the vibes on the Eagles’ sideline have been ‘awful.’ He can help change the mood.

    Saquon Barkley says the vibes on the Eagles’ sideline have been ‘awful.’ He can help change the mood.

    LOS ANGELES — The sky is falling in the city of Philadelphia, just not between Broad and 17th Streets, from Pattison Avenue to Hartranft Street. There, at the NovaCare Complex, the laws of gravitational pull and atmospheric pressure remain normal.

    The 8-4 Eagles have lost two consecutive games, their second such losing streak of the season. Their offense, under first-year coordinator Kevin Patullo, can be generously described as inconsistent and harshly described at times as incompetent. The defense, normally a steady strength, got tossed around on Black Friday against the Chicago Bears.

    “They sky’s falling outside the locker room,” Saquon Barkley said after that game.

    Not inside.

    The Eagles, Barkley included, say the energy at the practice facility reflects that. The Eagles have been attentive in the meeting room. They have had spirited practices. They feel like they have the right game plans.

    “But [you’ve] got to go out there Monday and do it,” Barkley said Saturday after the Eagles finished their final practice before their Monday night matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium. “That’s where we’re at.”

    That’s where the translation hasn’t occurred. The Eagles are struggling, and the vibes on the sideline reflect a team that is trying hard to correct its issues without success.

    “Honestly I think it’s been awful,” Barkley said when asked what the sideline energy has been like. “I think if you asked anybody, if they’re being honest, we’ll all agree on that.”

    Eagles running back Saquon Barkley is stopped by the Bears on Nov. 28.

    To be fair, who could blame them? The Eagles, with one of the highest-paid offenses in the NFL, haven’t scored more than 21 points in four consecutive games. Barkley ran for 2,000 yards last season but is finding it difficult at times to top 50 during a given game. The principals in the passing game haven’t been able to get on the same page, as evidenced by the sequence in which Jalen Hurts and DeVonta Smith didn’t have their signals down and missed a potential touchdown in the loss to the Bears.

    “We haven’t been playing well,” Barkley said. “It’s easy to come on the sideline and have great energy when you rip off a 60-yard touchdown. That’s the truth. We know that.”

    Jeff McLane’s keys to Eagles vs. Chargers in Week 14: What you need to know and a prediction

    Barkley went back to a saying he picked up from offensive line coach and running game coordinator Jeff Stoutland. “Execution fuels emotion,” Barkley said. “When you make plays and score touchdowns it’s going to get the energy going on game days. Energy has been great throughout the week of practice.

    “We got to carry that to game day.”

    There’s an argument to be made that Barkley and the running game can lead the charge in changing those vibes. The Eagles have faced defenses that have keyed in on stopping the run. Only four teams are pitted against a stacked box more often than the Eagles, who see eight or more defenders in the box 32.7% of the time.

    Patullo and Stoutland haven’t yet figured out a way to consistently break through against the opposition, and the passing game hasn’t been good enough for defenses to change their approach. Barkley’s blockers have been banged up, which has certainly affected the outcomes, but Barkley does not look like the same runner, either. He has had a nagging groin injury that hasn’t forced him to miss any time, and he has repeatedly said he is healthy.

    New wrinkles are on the way, left tackle Jordan Mailata said earlier in the practice week leading into Monday’s game vs. the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium. Barkley smiled Saturday when asked about the topic. “I don’t know what change they’re talking about,” he said.

    “I really love the game plan.”

    Barkley said he thinks positivity is important on the sideline.

    “It’s kind of been a role I’ve tried to take on ever since I came into the league,” he said. “I feel like it’s big. Sometimes it’s just the sense of having confidence and having great energy is going to help us out on the football field. I’m a believer in that.”

    A few feet away from Barkley’s locker stall as he spoke Saturday in the locker room at the NovaCare Complex was a large inflatable Easter bunny. Barkley said he didn’t know how it arrived there. Earlier in the day, though, AJ Dillon took the credit. The backup running back, who has been a healthy scratch, has anointed himself the “vibes guy.”

    “I was told that it’s a vibes bunny,” Barkley said. “And the vibes are high.”

    Gipson waived

    The Eagles on Sunday waived wide receiver and returner Xavier Gipson. They now have an open spot on the 53-man roster, which will likely go to safety Marcus Epps, who is expected to be activated from injured reserve and could start next to Reed Blankenship on Monday night.

    Gipson missed the Eagles’ Week 13 game with a shoulder injury, one he suffered during a mistake on a punt return that helped flip the result of the team’s Week 12 loss to Dallas. The team will continue to use Britain Covey as a returner.

    The Eagles also downgraded Myles Hinton (back) to out for Monday’s game. Hinton’s 21-day practice window is nearing its end. The Eagles have until Wednesday to activate their rookie offensive tackle or he will be sidelined for the rest of the season — like fellow rookie lineman Willie Lampkin, whose window expired on Nov. 27.

  • A year later than planned, Villanova wins its latest women’s Big 5 title

    A year later than planned, Villanova wins its latest women’s Big 5 title

    When Villanova hosted the first women’s Big 5 Classic tripleheader last year, the Wildcats intended to cap it off by winning the title.

    Instead, the Temple Owls spoiled the party plans and left the Main Line with the title in their hands.

    This year, the Wildcats delivered. Led by Brynn McCurry’s 21 points, they topped St. Joseph’s, 76-70, Sunday in a title game that was close throughout. It marked ’Nova’s 22nd women’s Big 5 crown, the most of any City Series team.

    For as much as rosters in college basketball change by season these days, coach Denise Dillon admitted she had kept last year’s loss in mind.

    “That’s the responsibility of myself and our staff, to explain to our players, because of so many new players on the roster, and not recognizing what Philly basketball is,” she said. “Yeah, the taste stuck with me, and I think some of the others who were playing in that game. Denae Carter and Jasmine Bascoe last year, they knew they gave something up here on our home court, and wanted to make sure we took care of business here today against St. Joe’s.”

    Villanova’s players celebrate with the Big 5 champions’ banner.

    The Hawks were more than valiant. Rhian Stokes totaled 23 points and six assists, while Gabby Casey had 19 points and eight rebounds.

    At the other end, St. Joe’s held Bascoe to 4-of-16 field-goal shooting, though she still had 13 points. McCurry, who missed all of last season with a knee injury, delivered her third straight 20-point outing.

    Villanova also reclaimed its spot atop the men’s Big 5

    “Kudos to [McCurry] and to her teammates for stepping up, because I thought we did a hell of a job on Bascoe,” Hawks coach Cindy Griffin said,

    December obviously isn’t March, but Villanova is on some national bracketologists’ early NCAA Tournament bubbles. Though the Wildcats lost at Princeton last month, they made up for it with a win at then-No. 25 West Virginia last Monday, and followed it with a win at Georgetown on Thursday to open Big East play.

    Villanova’s Jasmine Bascoe defending Rhian Stokes of St. Joe’s, who led all scorers with 23 points.

    Their next game, following exams, should be another solid barometer: home vs. Seton Hall on Dec. 19. The Pirates were picked third in the preseason conference poll, with ’Nova fourth.

    “We gave up a tough one to Seton Hall last year in this place,” Dillon said of a 56-55 defeat. “We’ll remind them [at practice] on Tuesday.”

    The rest of the day

    Drexel topped Temple in the third-place game, 59-52. With Dragons star guard Amaris Baker held to just seven points on 2-of-13 shooting, Deja Evans stepped up with 18 points on 8-of-14 shooting, plus seven rebounds and three assists.

    The AP women’s basketball poll is celebrating its 50th anniversary. Its story starts here, at The Inquirer

    “Things weren’t going our way, our scorers weren’t making shots, but they still found a way to lock in and stay focused on what we needed to do to win the game,” Drexel coach Amy Mallon said. “And to me, that’s what Drexel basketball is about, and how we find ways to win.”

    New York Liberty star Jonquel Jones, the adopted daughter of Temple women’s coach Diane Richardson, sat courtside to watch the Owls. That was a reminder of how big women’s basketball is nationally these days, though the stardust hasn’t landed on the Big 5.

    Jonquel Jones (second from left) sitting courtside during the Temple-Drexel game.

    “Well, I’d love to have her on the court, but we have already exhausted that eligibility,” the always-charismatic Richardson said. “It’s great. She loves our kids and she’s got some time off because of her [ankle] injury, so she’s been spending a lot of time with me. We’re glad to have her here, and not only just for us, but for women’s basketball — and here at the Big 5, where we want to shine a light.”

    Penn won the fifth-place game over La Salle, 65-52, led by Katie Collins’ 20 points and nine rebounds. The Quakers led by 21 points in the third quarter, but the Explorers rallied to within five at the end of the period before Penn pulled away in the fourth.

    As The Inquirer confirmed a few days ago, the women’s tripleheader will change location next season. Sunday marked Villanova’s second straight year, and the second straight year of disappointingly small crowds on the Main Line: 1,242 fans over the three games.

    Over 16,000 tickets have been sold for the Unrivaled women’s basketball doubleheader in Philly next month

    Though it’s not official yet, the Palestra is the favorite right now to host as part of the arena’s 100th birthday celebration. Penn’s coach isn’t alone in hoping that moving the games to the city’s most famous college basketball venue will draw more fans to watch them.

    “I know one thing: Penn would put on a first-class event, just like Villanova has done here,” said Mike McLaughlin, who has long championed having the women’s tripleheader at the city’s most famous venue. “This has been a great event for our athletes, and Penn will do the same if it’s at the Palestra.”

  • 🦅 Changing the vibes | Sports Daily Newsletter

    🦅 Changing the vibes | Sports Daily Newsletter

    It has been 22 days since the Eagles last won a game. It has been a lot longer than that since they last felt good about their offense.

    On the positive side, at 8-4, they can move a step closer to clinching the NFC East with a road victory this evening against the Los Angeles Chargers on Monday Night Football. Still, the Eagles are struggling and the vibes on the sideline reflect a team that is trying hard to correct its issues without success, Jeff Neiburg writes.

    “Honestly I think it’s been awful,” Saquon Barkley said when asked what the sideline energy has been like. “I think if you asked anybody, if they’re being honest, we’ll all agree on that.” Maybe Barkley and the running game can lead the charge in changing those vibes.

    And maybe the offense could finally get untracked if Jalen Hurts ran the ball more. Designed runs have become rarities for Hurts in his fifth season as the Eagles’ starting quarterback. He has gotten hurt both in and out of the pocket throughout his NFL career, which has caused him to miss games. The threat of injuries figures into the equation, but the offense gets a jolt when he runs the ball.

    It’s unlikely the Eagles will suddenly have a high-powered offense at this late stage, Jeff McLane writes in his keys to the game. There is room for improvement and one way to address that is having Hurts run more.

    The defense must get the job done without Jalen Carter, who is out after undergoing a medical procedure on both shoulders. Carter’s absence figures into the predictions from our writers on how things will pan out in California. Not everyone’s picking the Eagles, either.

    How can the defense turn things around? The Eagles will need a huge game from edge rushers Nolan Smith, Jaelan Phillips, and Jalyx Hunt, David Murphy writes.

    Here’s everything you need to know before Hurts and the Birds face Justin Herbert and the Chargers for the first time since 2021.

    Maybe this completely different take on the game could calm the nerves of some Eagles fans: ESPN2 will offer a real-time animated broadcast of Eagles-Chargers set in the universe of Disney/Pixar’s Monsters, Inc. franchise. The alt-cast will use real-time player tracking data to place Barkley, Hurts, and the rest of the Eagles in the animated Monsters universe.

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

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

    ❓Who is the key to a deep playoff run for the Eagles? Email us back for a chance to be featured in the newsletter.

    Upbeat in defeat

    Flyers center Trevor Zegras fires a shot during the third period against Colorado at Xfinity Mobile Arena.

    The Colorado Avalanche came into Xfinity Mobile Arena with an NHL-best 20-2-6 record, but the Flyers held their own Sunday in a 3-2 loss.

    “Some people use games as measuring sticks, and I think we don’t need to do that anymore,” Travis Konecny said. “We’ve shown we can compete with the best teams, so why not start believing that we should be right there with them?”

    ‘I’m not done yet’

    Paul George stares down Milwaukee Bucks guard Kevin Porter Jr. on Friday at Fiserv Forum.

    There was a promising Paul George sighting for the Sixers in their victory over the Bucks on Friday night. George finished with 20 points, five rebounds, and five assists in just under 30 minutes. Even after knee surgery and an injury-riddled first season as a Sixer, he has shown flashes of the player who became a perennial All-Star.

    “I feel like myself again,” George said. “I believe I’m not done yet.”

    On Sunday, George scored 12 points during the Sixers’ 112-108 loss to the Lakers. Beat reporter Keith Pompey provides his takeaways.

    Back on top

    The Villanova Wildcats celebrate defeating the Penn Quakers in the Big 5 championship at Xfinity Mobile Arena on Saturday.

    Villanova came up short in the first two iterations of the Big 5 Classic, but the Wildcats left no doubt as they closed the tournament’s tripleheader Saturday night at Xfinity Mobile Arena. They beat Penn, 90-63, in the finale and won their three Big 5 games by an average margin of 20 points.

    Now they’ll take a big step up in competition. Next up for 7-1 Villanova is a showdown with unbeaten Michigan on Tuesday night in Ann Arbor. “We have a big test Tuesday because I think, by far, they’re playing the best basketball in the country,” Wildcats coach Kevin Willard said.

    The loss to ’Nova was a costly one for Penn, as star forward Ethan Roberts was taken to the hospital after leaving the game with a injury.

    On the women’s side, Villanova earned the Big 5 championship with a 76-70 win against St. Joseph’s behind 21 points from Brynn McCurry.

    Heading for Yankee Stadium

    Penn State’s Kaytron Allen scoring a touchdown against Rutgers.

    Penn State will close a tumultuous season with a date against Clemson in the Pinstripe Bowl. The Dec. 27 game at Yankee Stadium will close a chapter on Nittany Lions football before new coach Matt Campbell takes over. Clemson (7-5, 4-4 Atlantic Coast Conference) has seen its own ups and downs this season, but the Tigers won six of their last eight games to earn bowl eligibility.

    In the Football Championship Subdivision, Villanova advanced to the quarterfinals with a 14-7 upset of Lehigh.

    Join us before kickoff

    Gameday Central: Eagles at Chargers

    Live from SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif.: Beat writers Jeff McLane and Olivia Reiner will preview tonight’s Eagles game against the Los Angeles Chargers at 6:45 p.m. Tune in to Gameday Central.

    Sports snapshot

    On this date

    Ron Hextall becomes the first NHL goalie to score a goal by shooting the puck into the opposing net as the Flyers beat Boston, 5-2, on Dec. 8, 1987.

    Dec. 8, 1987: Flyers rookie Ron Hextall became the first NHL goaltender to score a goal. Hextall scored an empty-netter in a 5-2 victory against the Boston Bruins at the Spectrum.

    Marcus Hayes’ take

    Jalen Hurts has to start playing up to his contract if the Eagles are to make another Super Bowl run.

    Now that the drop-off in Jalen Carter’s play in 2025 compared with 2024 has been explained by his deteriorating shoulders, the responsibility for a late-season surge falls more squarely on the shoulders of embattled quarterback Jalen Hurts.

    He’s got to throw better passes. He’s got to run the offense more efficiently. He’s got to start using his legs as a weapon, because the main weapon on defense is gone.

    Hurts has been a problem all season. Hurts can turn that narrative around Monday night, and beyond.

    We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Jeff Neiburg, Olivia Reiner, Jeff McLane, David Murphy, Owen Hewitt, Jackie Spiegel, Keith Pompey, Marcus Hayes, Jonathan Tannenwald, Devin Jackson, Greg Finberg, Dylan Johnson, and Katie Lewis.

    By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirer’s Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.

    Thank you for reading Sports Daily. I’ll see you in Tuesday’s newsletter. — Jim

  • Eagles will play Chargers in a stadium full of ‘Monsters.’ That’s not the only difference on ESPN’s alt broadcast.

    Eagles will play Chargers in a stadium full of ‘Monsters.’ That’s not the only difference on ESPN’s alt broadcast.

    Dan Orlovsky has four children who are Eagles fans and Disney devotees, so he couldn’t turn this opportunity down. On Monday night, the former NFL quarterback will provide analysis for ESPN’s animated Monsters Funday Football alternate broadcast of the Birds’ matchup with the Chargers at SoFi Stadium.

    The alt-cast, which will air on ESPN2 (as well as the Disney Channel and Disney XD) and stream on Disney+ at 8 p.m., will be a real-time animated broadcast set in the universe of Disney/Pixar’s Monsters, Inc. franchise. It will be the third edition of the Football Funday series, which was set in The Simpsons’ Springfield last season and in the Toy Story franchise in 2023.

    Orlovsky was on the call for the Simpsons broadcast last season, but his children are far more excited about this year’s broadcast.

    “When I had told them I got asked to do Monsters, it was an excitement that was different,” Orlovsky said. “My wife is from Philly, and my kids are crazy Eagles fans. So, when I told them [it was] Monsters and it was an Eagles game, it was, like, to the moon.”

    The alt-cast will use real-time player tracking data to place Saquon Barkley, Jalen Hurts, and the rest of the Eagles in the animated Monsters universe, where they’ll face off against the Chargers inside the cheer factory in Monstropolis.

    The real-time animation is handled by Beyond Sports, an AI-based data analysis and visualization company owned by Sony. Using data from NFL Next Gen Stats and Hawk-Eye Innovations optical tracking, Beyond Sports’ virtual recreation engine will animate live action between the Eagles and the Chargers for viewers.

    Dan Orlovsky hasn’t been shy about the Eagles’ struggles. But he still believes they can be contenders.

    Drew Carter and Orlovsky will call the game from ESPN’s headquarters in Bristol, Conn., while wearing tracking suits that allow them to pilot characters in the Monsters universe.

    “We’re in a big studio and they set up a couple monitors where we can watch the regular live broadcast,” Carter said. “We have that synced up with our animated broadcast, which makes it easier to see what’s happening. But, for the most part, I’m looking at 22 cartoons running around and trying to decipher what’s happening.”

    A look inside the “Monsters, Inc.” stadium that will play host to the Eagles-Chargers “Funday Football” broadcast on ESPN2 and Disney+ Monday.

    Carter has done play-by-play for all three of ESPN’s Funday Football alt-casts as well as its animated Big City Greens NHL broadcast. He has high praise for the technology that makes the broadcast possible, but he is preparing for the Eagles’ signature quarterback sneak to push the system to its limits.

    “If they do the Tush Push, I don’t know what’s going to happen to the technology,” Carter said. “It’s going to be very hard to spot the ball when everyone’s animated. That’s the time where I’ll look at the live game.”

    Eagles vs. Chargers predictions: Our writers pick a winner for Week 14

    Carter also calls other live events for the network, but the animated games require an extra layer of preparation, especially when he’s unfamiliar with the source material, as he was for The Simpsons alt-cast. Fortunately for Carter, he’s already familiar with Monsters, Inc., which came out when he was a young child. Still, he circled back to the 2001 film and its 2013 prequel, Monsters University, to prepare for Monday’s broadcast.

    “It is kind of like prepping for a regular game,” Carter said. “You just don’t want to be caught off guard by anything. We have an element that rolls in and it’s, for example, the pig from Monsters University. I don’t want to be like, ‘Who the heck is that?’ because I’ve only seen Monsters, Inc.”

    ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky on the set of “First Take.”

    Orlovsky was already very familiar with the Monsters franchise. He has made 15 trips to Disney World with his children. One of his oldest boys, 13-year-old Madden, is interested in animation and drawing and is particularly drawn to the Monsters movies.

    “I’ve seen Monsters, Inc. and Monsters U a dozen times, if not more,” Orlovsky said. “I know the Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor in Disney World very well. I have a son who is autistic and his superpower is animation and creation. Obviously, that’s one of the cores of Monsters, Inc. when it comes to their characters. So I know it very well.”

    Jalen Hurts running more might be the best thing for the Eagles. Is it also hazardous to his career?

    For Orlovsky, the more difficult aspect of the broadcast will be doing less of his X’s and O’s analysis and leaning into the animated aspect of the game.

    “No one who’s watching our alt-cast is watching it for football,” Orlovsky said. “Everybody is watching it for the unique element of it. … My default is to be very football-centric, and so I have to just be very conscious of understanding [that] no one’s watching that game for the football part of it.”

    While the Funday Football broadcasts primarily target younger audiences, Carter says the broadcast can be enjoyed by anyone of any age. John Goodman and Billy Crystal will voice their characters from the film franchise, James “Sully” Sullivan and Mike Wazowski, who will explain basic football rules for young viewers in prerecorded cutaways during the broadcast. There will also be an animated short during halftime that will feature Mike and Sully battling to collect cheers from the crowd.

    “I’m an adult who’s watched football my entire life, and I find those interesting, even though I know the rule they’re explaining,” Carter said. “I just think it’s funny to hear John Goodman as Sully explaining what a football is.”

    A look inside the “Monsters, Inc.” stadium that will play host to the Eagles-Chargers “Funday Football” broadcast on ESPN2 and Disney+ Monday.

    Orlovsky hopes the broadcast can provide a different experience for football fans and the opportunity to enjoy the game as a family.

    “If you’re a family that, you know, you don’t watch the football game together, try this one together,” Orlovsky said. “If your kids and you don’t necessarily stay up late for Monday Night Football, this would be the one time to do it, because it’s just a very different way to take in the game. It’s going to be visually a very cool experience. I think it’s just a great way to share football.”

    For Eagles fans who want to check out the Funday Football broadcast but do not want to miss out on the experience of watching the regular broadcast, the animated alt-cast will be available on demand on Disney+ shortly after the game ends.

  • Worried about the vacant building next door? Here’s what to do.

    Worried about the vacant building next door? Here’s what to do.

    Across Philadelphia, people live next to vacant properties that are or could become dangerous.

    Drew Miller, a paralegal at the legal aid nonprofit Community Legal Services of Philadelphia, said residents living next to risky vacant buildings can take certain steps right away to protect themselves and their properties.

    Take pictures. When they start having concerns, they should immediately take pictures of the inside and outside of their home, especially basements and shared walls, Miller said.

    “Having those initial photos is crucial for them to very clearly show that damage happened over this period of time,” he said.

    Submit a 311 request. They should submit a 311 service request to the city’s Department of Licenses and Inspections by calling or using the online portal or app. Miller recommends submitting virtual complaints to easily track updates and to upload photos to give inspectors a head start before they arrive at a site.

    “They can often see in the photo whether or not the issue is urgent,” he said. “That can be a helpful tool if the resident’s concern is that this is prioritized.”

    Make a specific complaint. And if residents are concerned that a building is dangerous, they should make sure they select the right category for their complaint.

    Complaints about vacant properties can range from trash or high grass to structural issues that need urgent attention. So “a vacant property complaint might not immediately be taken as seriously,” Miller said.

    “In the most extreme circumstances,” if residents are worried that a building may collapse, they should consider filing a “construction complaint,” which clues L&I in that there may be a structural issue, he said.

    But if part of a property collapses, a building facade is crumbling, or the situation otherwise seems like an emergency, call 911, said Basil Merenda, commissioner for L&I’s Inspections, Safety & Compliance division.

    Contact your Council member. Merenda also encouraged residents to contact their City Council representative if they are concerned about a vacant property that doesn’t constitute an emergency.