The Eagles will host the Washington Commanders to close out the regular season on Sunday. The last time the teams met was Dec. 20, when the Eagles clinched the division with a 29-18 victory and became the first team to win back-to-back NFC East titles since 2004.
Now, the Eagles enter as 3.5-point favorites. Will quarterback Tanner McKee lead the Eagles (11-5) to victory? Or will the 4-12 Commanders come out on top at Lincoln Financial Field?
Here’s what the Commanders are saying about the Eagles:
‘I expect another hard battle Sunday’
Although the Eagles plan on sitting most of their starters, including Super Bowl MVP Jalen Hurts, Commanders coach Dan Quinn is treating Sunday’s game like any other. When asked if the Birds’ decision to rest their starters changed anything, Quinn responded: “Not for us.”
“By no means are we at full strength, nor are most teams in the NFL during Week 18,” Quinn told reporters. “But what I do love is the number of guys that are really hungry for this opportunity and chance to compete together. We had so many players miss time, they want a chance to express themselves and to prove it.
“So when you miss games and stretches of games, you’re hungry for that competition and you’re hungry for that space. In our league, we practice way more than we play. So they want to be able to go play, and I love that about our guys. We had a hard battle with them two weeks ago, and I expect another hard battle Sunday.”
The Eagles trailed, 10-7, at halftime in their Week 16 matchup at Northwest Stadium before taking over in the final 30 minutes. One of the biggest storylines coming out of the game was Nick Sirianni’s decision to go for two late in the game to give the Eagles a 19-point lead. After the two-point conversion, a fight broke out between the teams, resulting in three ejections.
Commanders quarterback Josh Johnson is looking forward to playing in one of the tougher fan environments in the NFL on Sunday.
“It’s awesome,” Johnson told reporters. “We get to go into the lion’s den. I love it. I wouldn’t change it. It’s great to be able to have a game of this caliber vs. this type of team to finish the season. So I’m looking forward to it. I’m excited. Football is going to have to be played at the highest level. In order to beat this team, we got to play at a very high level, and I’m looking forward to us going out there and playing at a high level.”
Third-string quarterback Josh Johnson will start for the Commanders on Sunday.
Johnson understands the challenge he will face on Sunday.
“We got to do what we do well,” Johnson said. “Execute. Stay on task. Keep the chains moving, and then score touchdowns. They got a lot of great players, but we got great players too. We have to trust our techniques; we got to trust our fundamentals.
“The good thing about going against great players in this league is that it holds you to a standard of doing the little things right over and over. And I think that’s a great challenge for us to go out there and finish on a strong note by going out there and doing the little things right over and over again and coming away with a victory.”
Although the Commanders aren’t going to the playoffs, they’re still entering Sunday’s game with one goal on their mind: winning.
“There’s a million ways to look at this game,” Commanders center Nick Allegretti told reporters. “Obviously, this is the last game of the season for us. But everyone in this locker room in their life has dreamed of being in this situation. If you told me when I was 10 that I would get a chance to play in a Week 18 game, I think it would be the coolest thing in the world. … We get a chance to play against another NFL team. Go try to win that game. Who cares about what happened the week before or the week after?”
Coming off a win over the Buffalo Bills, the Eagles (11-5) will host the Washington Commanders (4-12) before they head into the postseason. As both teams prepare for the Week 18 matchup, here’s an updated look at the game odds and some prop bets from two of the biggest sportsbooks …
Eagles vs. Commanders updated odds
The Eagles beat the Commanders, 29-18, on Dec. 20 at Northwest Stadium to clinch the NFC East. Entering this week, the Eagles were 7.5-point favorites. Now, with plans to rest most of their starters, the odds have slightly changed.
There are no individual player props on FanDuel or DraftKings. However, there are a few game props that fans can bet on, such as total touchdowns for both teams.
Tanner McKee will start at quarterback for the Eagles for the first time since last season’s Week 18 win over the New York Giants, when he threw for 269 yards and two touchdowns.
The Commanders will start third-string quarterback Josh Johnson, who passed for 198 yards in his first start of the season last week in a 30-23 loss to the Dallas Cowboys.
The Eagles have better odds to score first. The last time the teams met, the Commanders managed to get the first points on the board with a field goal and Marcus Mariota under center.
Although a Commanders field goal was the first scoring play in their last meeting, an Eagles touchdown has the best first-scoring play odds for this week’s contest in both sportsbooks. Betting on an Eagles or Commanders safety could offer the greatest potential payout.
After three consecutive wins, the Eagles are hosting the Washington Commanders to end the regular season. Heading into the matchup, the Birds are 3.5-point favorites. Here’s how experts in the local and national media are predicting Sunday’s game …
Inquirer predictions
We start with our own beat writers. Here’s an excerpt from Jeff Neiburg’s prediction …
To see how our other beat writers are predicting this one, check out our full Eagles-Commanders preview here.
National media predictions
Here’s a look at who the national media is picking for Sunday’s game …
ESPN: Seven of eight panelists are picking the Birds straight up.
CBS Sports: All five experts are leaning toward the Eagles.
The latest episode of Hard Knocks featured Christmas presents for the NFC East, with none bigger than the Eagles’ 13-12 win over the Buffalo Bills.
The HBO documentary series, which releases new episodes every Tuesday, took a long look at Cooper DeJean, his relationship with Reed Blankenship, and the Birds’ preparation for their nail-biter win on Sunday.
Here’s everything you may have missed from the latest episode of Hard Knocks:
Jaxson Dart did not mince words about which team he considers the Giants’ biggest rival.
A Giant pain
Fans in Philadelphia might not be aware of it, but the Giants consider the Eagles their biggest rivals.
During a fan holiday meet-and-greet labeled “Dart the Halls,” rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart was asked by a young fan which team he considers the Giants’ “most rivalrous team.”
“The Eagles, for sure,” Dart responded to a chorus of oohs and ahhs.
The Birds went 1-1 this season against their competition up north and lost at MetLife Stadium for Dart’s first win against an NFC East opponent on Oct. 9. Dart is a candidate for NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, and Eagles fans can expect to see the former Mississippi star for years to come.
Cooper DeJean’s Pro Bowl citation got some airtime in the latest episode of “Hard Knocks.”
Who cares about the Pro Bowl?
Hard Knocks began in a festive mood, showcasing the Giants, Dallas Cowboys, and Washington Commanders exchanging gifts and celebrating Pro Bowl nominations — which the teams had extra time to focus on after being eliminated from postseason contention.
The playoff-bound Eagles, however, weren’t shown celebrating their five Pro Bowlers: DeJean, Quinyon Mitchell, Cam Jurgens, Zack Baun, and Jalen Carter. What was shown was the practice field, with some players congratulating one another in comical fashion.
“Pro Bowler, Cooper DeJawn,” Blankenship said at practice. “Anything you want to say to the people?”
“DeJean … It’s DeJean,” DeJean responded.
Safety Reed Blankenship (left) warming up before the Eagles played the Bears at Lincoln Financial Field on Nov. 28.
The Secon-dairy
DeJean and his partner-in-crime, Blankenship, took center stage in the episode, with their blossoming bromance on and off the field. From ripping the ball away from each other through WWE-style takedowns to practicing dance routines, the Eagles’ defensive stars appeared inseparable.
“He’s an awesome teammate,” DeJean said. “He’s an awesome person to be around. Really welcomed me in and helped me learn the defense when I got here. It’s fun to watch him play and do his thing. I think our connection and our friendship has helped us play well together on the field.”
Said Blankenship: “I’m so proud of him. We sit beside each other in meetings, and I feel like I’m the older brother. There’s not a lot of people like him. He is the best nickel in the league, and just having that communication allows us to play better.”
The tandem started a podcast called Exciting Mics in June, a reference to the duo’s “Exciting Whites” nickname.
Other nicknames have followed the pair, including “Secon-dairy,” which came after DeJean and Blankenship leaned into a new celebration.
“We do have a milk-the-cow celly,” DeJean admitted.
“We usually do our normal thumbs-down,” Blankenship said. “And I was like, ‘Dude, it’s like udders from a cow …’”
Some observers have confused them for each other on the field — with Fox announcer Kevin Burkhardt and Bills safety Sam Franklin Jr. referring to Blankenship as Coop or DeJean during the game.
“What up, Coop,” Franklin said.
“I’m the other one, bruh,” Blankenship answered.
The Eagles spent time last week addressing Josh Allen’s propensity for running up the middle.
Getting ready
Eagles coaches took great care in preparing the defense for the Bills offense, with Hard Knocks providing a glimpse into each defensive unit ahead of last Sunday.
Bobby King, the Eagles’ inside linebackers coach, showed sumo wrestling clips to inspire his players to play physically, while Jeremiah Washburn, the inside linebackers and defensive line coach, focused on Bills quarterback Josh Allen’s ability to escape up the middle — something the defense effectively prevented on Sunday.
“Lot of middle escapes,” Washburn said. “And he’s tough. But this is where most of his explosive runs come, is up the middle. It takes a group, fellas. It’s going to take a group because he doesn’t hit the ground easy, and so it’s just going to take a collective effort right there, fellas.
“You can see again,” Washburn added, referring to a clip of Allen throwing on the run. “He’s got an arm, that’s what he does right there.”
Defensive backs coach Christian Parker stressed the Bills’ versatility, with Allen leading the charge through the air and James Cook, the league’s leading rusher, dominating on the ground.
“The key is going to be tackling in space,” Parker said. “Weather could be significant, but we’ve got to take great angles and we’ve got to rally to the football all night long.”
As coaches worked to prepare the team, defensive coordinator Vic Fangio had a different approach to explaining the matchup when addressing the media.
“You got Josh Allen,” Fangio said. “That’s all you need to say. You got Cook, that’s all you need to say. But once he gets in the open field, he’s got the speed to hit the home run. He’s patient, but once he sees it he hits it, and he’s really good, he’s elusive.”
The Eagles held the reigning MVP without a touchdown and Cook to less than 100 rushing yards, and also recovered an Allen fumble and blocked an extra point in the win.
Jalen Hurts warms up in the rain on Sunday.
Offensive frustration
You rarely hear Jalen Hurts speak vehemently, so when he does, it means more.
When Hard Knocks featured a quick interaction between the reigning Super Bowl MVP and quarterbacks coach Scot Loeffler, it got viewers’ attention.
“It’s going to rain,” Loeffler said. “Like there’s no if and … it’s going to rain. I don’t give a [expletive] if there’s bad weather or not, we need to get this going.”
“We need to do that [expletive] 1,000%,” Hurts responded.
Hurts, like many fans, seems to have grown frustrated with the production of the offense, which has failed to live up to last year’s standard and leads the league in three-and-out percentage.
The Eagles had a lot to celebrate despite the low-scoring nature of Sunday’s contest.
Highlight central
The game had plenty of impressive plays, despite its low scoring, starting with A.J. Brown’s deep reception, followed by a Dallas Goedert score a few plays later.
“The night is still young,” Hurts said from the sideline.
“Yes sir,” Goedert responded.
Despite the offense’s confidence, the Eagles failed to notch a touchdown for the rest of the game and were shut out in the second half as punter Braden Mann and the defense did the heavy lifting.
DeJean and Blankenship continued to catch the eye of Hard Knocks cameras and were mic’d up throughout the game.
“We’re a married couple, baby,” Blankenship said of himself and DeJean. “We are in a relationship.”
The Eagles left victorious as Allen walked off the field with his head down following a failed two-point conversion. The episode ended with Nick Sirianni’s postgame speech, which pointed out the offense’s ineptitude.
“Going on the road in the NFL and winning a game like this, that is [expletive] hard to do,” Sirianni said. “It’s a good football team. Defense, wow, wow. Offense, really good first half, right, we’ve got to figure out that second half. A lot to be thankful for. Let’s pray.”
A silent second half from the Eagles offense, an outstanding effort from the Birds defensive line, and a failed two-point conversion in the final seconds. It all added up to the Eagles outlasting the Bills on the road in the Buffalo weather, securing a 13-12 win to extend their winning streak to three games.
Now the Eagles will prepare to close out the regular season with a home game against the Washington Commanders, and the No. 2 seed in the NFC is still in play. As Week 18 gets underway, most of the Eagles discussion centered on their dominant defense and ongoing offensive struggles.
Here’s what they’re saying about the Birds ahead of their game with the Commanders …
Did the Eagles impress in Sunday’s win?
The Eagles entered the game as slight underdogs after coming off two wins over teams with losing records: the 2-14 Las Vegas Raiders and the 4-12 Commanders. One of the biggest concerns heading into their Week 17 matchup was how they would the look against a playoff team, one with reigning NFL MVP Josh Allen at quarterback.
After the win, former Eagles running back LeSean McCoy said he liked what he saw from the Eagles as they prepare to head into the postseason.
“Everything favored the Buffalo Bills,” McCoy said on The Speakeasy podcast. “Who got dominated though, physically? If you watch the game, turn the volume down and just watch the game, we were beating the [expletive] out of them — physical, up front.
“On offense, I don’t like this though. I don’t like that once we get a lead, a comfortable lead, it’s like we put our foot off the gas. Why? It’s OK we’re blowing people out. It’s OK we’re putting 30 on their head. I think we get so conservative and the only thing [we focus on is] let’s get the win. … I’m happy, I think we can clean that stuff up. But, going into the playoffs, I like what I see.”
"Everything favored the Buffalo Bills, but [the Eagles] physically dominated"
– @CutonDime25 is undaunted by Jalen Hurts' poor second half performance
Playing in the rain at Highmark Stadium and taking an early 13-0 lead was enough to impress McCoy’s co-host, former Eagles linebacker Emmanuel Acho.
“I think it was impressive,” Acho said. “You beat the Bills in terrible conditions and interesting terrain. People were slipping, people were sliding. You got the job done.
“Reason it was impressive to me however, though, the Buffalo Bills are one of if not the best teams in the AFC. The Buffalo Bills have the most talented, healthy quarterback remaining in the AFC. The Eagles went to Buffalo and won a game that the Bills needed to win, desperately, because the Buffalo Bills are vying for the No. 1 seed in the AFC East. So, with all that being said, a win over Josh Allen when Josh Allen must win is always impressive.”
Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts runs with the ball during Sunday’s win over the Bills.
‘I’m giving both those quarterbacks the out’
The Eagles struggled to find anything offensively in the second half. In the first half, Jalen Hurts passed for 110 yards, but he didn’t have a single completion in the second half while the offense as a whole recorded just 17 yards. Meanwhile, Allen passed for 262 yards but committed a costly turnover that led to the Eagles’ lone touchdown, and missed an open receiver in the end zone on the potential game-winning two-point conversion attempt.
“I think Tom Brady kind of hit it on the head,” former Eagles defensive end Chris Long said on the Green Light podcast. “It was really hard to operate in that weather for both of those quarterbacks. Not just Josh [Allen], I’m giving Jalen [Hurts] the out.
“You know I think the world of Josh, but I’m giving both those quarterbacks the out because — the thing Josh can’t do at the end of the game is choke off an easy crosser. That’s the problem I have. When for much of the game it was really hard to move the ball through the air even routine plays. And it’s not a monsoon at the end of the game.
“I just don’t love the two-point call. I just don’t. Maybe I wanted some free football. Maybe that was a little close for comfort. But Eagles defense, they deserve all the credit in the world.”
As the Eagles offense continues to struggle, their defense continues to make up for it. The Birds defensive line limited NFL rushing leader James Cook to 74 yards on 20 carries, sacked Allen five times, and even made its presence known on special teams, with Jalen Carter blocking an extra point attempt.
“The last three weeks the defense has played their behinds off, and today, magnificent,” former Eagles linebacker Seth Joyner said on The Seth Joyner Show. “You couldn’t ask for a better performance by a defense. But you can’t put all that pressure on the defense when you got all the money on [the offensive] side of the football.
“When you got all the great players, supposedly, on that side of the football, you mean to tell me that they couldn’t throw an out route to A.J. Brown in the second half on first down, come back on second down, throw another one and get a first down? One first down in the entire second half of a football game. Are you kidding me?”
Nick Sirianni and the Eagles will host the Washington Commanders on Sunday in their regular-season finale.
‘The Eagles are better than people think’
Despite any offensive inconsistencies, Rex Ryan believes this is a Super Bowl-caliber team heading into the postseason.
“Final word is that the Eagles are a hell of a lot better than people think,” Ryan said on ESPN’s Get Up. “And I get it, the offense has struggled, but this is a championship caliber defense — again. Playing at home is going to be critical.”
But he wasn’t alone in being impressed by the Birds’ victory. Former Eagles safety Brian Dawkins posted that he’s looking forward to the postseason after the team’s big win over the Bills.
“Tonight, playoff-ready defense, sound [special teams] with Jake [Elliott] kicking the laces off the ball, and an offense that capitalized on a turnover without turning the ball over,” Dawkins wrote. “Playoff prep course. Always better to correct after a hard-fought victory.”
Other former players and analysts were already discussing the Eagles’ chances at another Super Bowl ring.
“The Eagles have some absolutely incredible wins this year — but the Rams and Bills wins stand above the rest,” Acho posted just after the win. “This team is battle tested and equipped to win back-to-back Super Bowls.”
Added McCoy: “This defense ain’t no joke. Super Bowl defense.”
Even noted Cowboys fan Skip Bayless was impressed enough by the win to suggest the defending champs will be back in the Super Bowl.
“This game is over,” Bayless wrote. “Congrats, Eagles. You got a gift, then you just took this game over with your physicality and Jalen Hurts’ deadly accuracy. Big impressive late-season win. Super Bowl here you come, again.”
The Eagles pulled out a nail-biter in the rain in Buffalo, stopping the Bills’ final two-point conversion attempt to stave off a comeback and win, 13-12.
Here’s everything you might have missed from the broadcast:
Weather woes?
It poured all through Sunday’s game in Orchard Park, N.Y. Bills quarterback Josh Allen told sideline reporter Tom Rinaldi pregame that he’d actually rather it pour than drizzle.
“Drizzle is harder to control,” Rinaldi said. “He said if it’s going to rain, let it rain. I find the ball more tacky, and it’s easier to control the pass game.”
Analyst Tom Brady, for his part, shared that back when he was an NFL QB, he downloaded basically every weather app on his phone and checked Weather Channel “about 75 times a day” before a start, so he’d know how to prepare.
Fox got a ton of mileage out of shots of just how hard it was raining.
After the kickoff, the Birds took a 5-yard illegal formation penalty on the opening play because offensive lineman Fred Johnson came on the field for the first drive sans helmet.
“Then you have Fred Johnson, who went on the field without a helmet somehow,” play-by-play man Kevin Burkhardt said.
“Felt the raindrops on his head and realized he made a mistake,” Brady said jokingly.
Facing Vic Fangio
Over the course of his decades-long NFL career, Brady faced Vic Fangio’s defenses a few times.
With the Eagles on pace for another elite season under Fangio, Brady shared his personal reaction to their defensive coordinator.
“Vic Fangio is the type of coordinator where, when you know you’re going up against him you go, ‘Ugh. Do we have to?’” Brady joked. “Such a talented coach; he’s been doing this for four decades. Pretty remarkable, his success.”
Bills running back James Cook is having the best year of his career, and entered Sunday’s game leading the NFL in rushing yards for the first time.
Barkley sent Cook a message on Instagram telling him to “go finish it,” and claim the NFL rushing title. But Barkley told sideline reporter Erin Andrews that he’s still extremely competitive and was looking to outplay Cook on Sunday.
He put up 68 yards on 19 carries, compared to Cook’s 74 yards on 20 carries.
Brady vs. Buffalo
There’s no love lost between Brady, a longtime New England Patriot, and the Bills fan base, which was at his mercy for nearly two decades. Even now, when Brady comes to Buffalo, he brings former teammate Rob Gronkowski, who’s from the Buffalo area, with him to serve as a bit of a human shield.
The former quarterback didn’t get a warm welcome on Sunday at Highmark Stadium, though.
“Warm embrace, a lot of people, that one-finger salute they were giving me as I looked down from the press box, reminding me how much they enjoyed me coming to town, I guess,” Brady said.
🤣 @TomBrady says he got a "warm" embrace from Bills fans today as they gave him a "one finger salute"
The Birds’ first turnover of the game came off a fumble by Allen that almost got ruled an incomplete forward pass.
With Brady on the call, you may have thought he would broach the subject. He’s famous for the controversial tuck rule play in an AFC divisional-round game during the 2001 season, in which he avoided a fumble because of his forward arm motion.
Unfortunately, he did not broach the subject. Rules expert Dean Blandino did, though.
“It was really close; I think that’s why they let it stand,” Blandino said. “To me, it looks like a pass because once that hand comes forward, until he brings it back toward his body, you know the old tuck rule, Tom, it remains a pass. They probably said it was too close to change.”
Mewing?
Bills coach Sean McDermott is from Lansdale and got his coaching start as an intern with the Birds under Andy Reid. In some ways, he and Nick Sirianni swapped places. Sirianni grew up in Jamestown, N.Y., in far Western New York.
“We knew he was a wideout at Mount Union when he went to college,” Burkhardt said. “How about Southwestern Central High, in Jamestown? Look at him, looking lean and mean.”
Tom, you’re in your 40s, you shouldn’t know what mewing is. But for those of you who don’t know, it’s a facial expression that’s become a popular TikTok trend.
The two-point conversion
The Bills battled all the way back in the fourth quarter, scoring two touchdowns, including one in the final five seconds. McDermott elected to go for two to effectively end the game, and Allen’s pass missed receiver Khalil Shakir by several yards. Fox caught him looking visibly frustrated after the miss.
On Monday at Xfinity Mobile Arena, Flyers fans would boo the Vancouver Canucks, like they do with every opposing team.
But one Canuck, defenseman Tyler Myers, had a cheering section to drown out the noise, led by his half brother, 76ers guard Quentin Grimes.
Grimes and Myers are the only pair of brothers to ever play in the NHL and NBA.
Their mother “gets on my dad a lot about who’s got the best genes in the family,” Grimes said jokingly. “She gets the bragging rights on that.”
Myers was born Feb. 1, 1990, 10 years before Grimes was born, in Houston. His father Paul, a former college hockey player, encouraged him to put on skates. Their mother, Tonja Stelly, and later Grimes’ father, Marshall Grimes, both former college basketball players, taught Myers how to play basketball.
“He said he had a pretty good crossover and stuff like that,” Grimes said. “He definitely [has] a little bit of game to him, for sure.”
When Grimes was much younger, he said the two sometimes would try and play one-on-one. “Just messing around, trying to play against the tallest guy I’ve ever seen,” he said. Myers is one of the NHL’s tallest players, standing at 6-foot-8, compared to Grimes, who is 6-4.
The brothers never lived together. Myers left Texas shortly after Grimes was born to live in Calgary with his father, where he grew into a professional hockey player. Grimes stayed behind in Texas, but the two of them would see each other as often as they could during the summer or school breaks.
Sixers guard Quentin Grimes has a half brother who plays for the Vancouver Canucks.
Myers became a mainstay in the NHL while Grimes established himself as a top basketball prospect. When Grimes was a junior in high school, the two got back in regular touch, with Grimes tapping into Myers’ years of experience as a professional athlete as he was just starting out.
“It’s been growing ever since I got pretty good at basketball,” Grimes said. “My mom was asking him some stuff to help me be a professional: eating habits, how to take care of your body, and stuff like that.”
The Canucks defenseman is one of just 28 active players to play more than 1,100 games in the NHL, a feat he has accomplished over 17 seasons. Myers had one goal and eight points this season. Grimes, in his fifth NBA season, is averaging a career-best 15.3 points for the Sixers.
The sports might be different, but the daily routines of the NBA and NHL schedules are nearly identical. They play 82 regular-season games from fall to spring, with a similar playoff and travel structure.
That means that whenever Grimes is going through something, Myers said usually has experienced it, too, and they’ll talk about it.
“Watching him on the court, you can tell his confidence and his mindset just have come such a long way,” Myers said. “I remember that progression when I was a young kid from 20 to 25, it looked very, very similar.”
Tyler Myers (left) of the Vancouver Canucks pursues former Flyer Cam Atkinson during a game in 2023.
Grimes said Myers has been critical in teaching him how to be a pro. He’s nowhere close to Myers’ longevity in his sport, but seeing the habits and routines up close helped him transition into the league.
“Listening to your body if you have nagging injuries,” Grimes said. “[Myers would] always say that he would take some lighter days or try to do that. Early in my career, I would just try to grind and grind and grind, and then an injury gets worse, and your body just breaks down a little bit.”
Myers, who has played in cities that don’t have NBA teams his entire career, has seen Grimes play in person in the NBA only once, when the Canucks’ extended road trip to New York gave him a day off on a night with a Knicks home game.
Unfortunately, Grimes played just a few seconds before he suffered an injury and missed the rest of the game.
“I showed up a couple minutes in; the game had started already,” Myers said. “A couple minutes went by, he came in, and like a minute later, he was laying on the floor, hurt. I was bad luck that day, and that was the only time I’ve been able to overlap with him.”
One day, Myers hopes to have another opportunity to see his younger brother play a full game in person, but he’s been following his career from afar. Grimes is a bit luckier — he gets to see Myers play about once a year, including on Monday night for the first time in Philly, since all the teams he has played on have been in cities with NHL teams of their own. He also has made trips to Vancouver and Buffalo.
“This is fun for me, to be a fan,” Grimes said. “Get rowdy, because hockey fans are completely different from NBA fans. They get real rowdy. I like to get rowdy with them, talk a lot of smack with the other fans if they’re in the arena.”
The Canucks had a cheering section at least 12 strong at the Flyers’ arena, including Grimes, their mother, and several other family members making the trip to celebrate having both brothers together around the holidays. The Canucks ultimately lost the game, 5-2, but Myers still gave them something to cheer about, earning a secondary assist on Vancouver’s first goal.
Myers, who now has three children of his own, couldn’t remember the last time they had a group this big together around the holiday season.
“Having this so close to Christmastime is a little bit more special,” Grimes said ahead of the game. “Knowing that Christmas is around the corner, our mom came up, a lot of our family came up for the game, so it’ll be pretty special.”
Less than one year removed from winning Super Bowl LIX, former Eagles practice-squad offensive tackle Laekin Vakalahi put his Super Bowl ring up for auction. On Saturday, that ring sold for $124,440 on Heritage Auctions.
The ring was designed by Jason Arasheben, the founder of Jason of Beverly Hills, and features 145 diamonds in the bezel of the ring, paying homage to the team’s 145 playoff points.
The ring also features 18 green stones paying tribute to the team’s 18 victories last season. The top of the ring spells “world champions” in 40 diamonds to represent the 40 points they scored against the Chiefs, and there is a pair of moving wings that open with a push of a button to reveal Nick Sirianni’s motto, “You can’t be great without the greatness of others.”
The auctioned ring features Vakalahi’s last name printed across the side with a custom ring box that features a turntable and LED lighting. The rings were first revealed during a team ceremony on July 18.
The New Zealand native Vakalahi came to the Eagles in 2024 as a member of the NFL’s International Pathway Program (IPP), and spent the Super Bowl season as a member of the practice squad. He was released on Aug. 26, 2025 as a part of the team’s final roster cuts.
The Eagles clinched the NFC East and secured a spot in the playoffs Saturday with a 29-18 win over the Washington Commanders. With two games left in the regular season, the Eagles will face the Bills in Buffalo on Sunday.
From the Birds’ chances this weekend to updates on year-end awards, here are some of the latest odds at two of the biggest sportsbooks …
Eagles-Bills odds
The last time these teams met was in Week 12 of the 2023 season in a game that saw the Birds pull out a 37-34 overtime win at Lincoln Financial Field.
The 10-5 Birds are the third seed in the NFC behind the No. 1 Seattle Seahawks and the No. 2 Chicago Bears. However, they could claim the second seed if the Bears lose their last two games and the Birds win their last two. Meanwhile, Sunday is a must-win game for the 11-4 Bills to keep their AFC East title hopes alive.
Heading into the Week 17 matchup, the Bills opened as 2.5-point favorites over the NFC East champions.
Josh Allen and the Bills lost to the Eagles in overtime in their last meeting, in 2023.
NFC odds update
At both sportsbooks, the Eagles remain as the team with the third-best odds to win the NFC. They continue to trail the Los Angeles Rams and the Seahawks.
The defending champions have worked their way back into FanDuel’s top three favorites to win the Super Bowl, trailing the Rams and the Seahawks. However, they have fallen outside DraftKings’ top five favorites.
Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford is the betting favorite to win the MVP award.
MVP odds
Closing in on the end of the regular season, the MVP race is between Matthew Stafford and Drake Maye. Josh Allen, Trevor Lawrence, and Justin Herbert trail both quarterbacks. Meanwhile, Jalen Hurts is essentially out of the running.
If you want to relive the big win, here were the best and worst moments from the broadcast:
Tush Push
Surprisingly, on an early fourth-and-1 near midfield, the Birds didn’t line up for their signature Tush Push play. Instead, Jalen Hurts set up in shotgun, and the Eagles unsuccessfully attempted to draw the Commanders offside.
Analyst Greg Olsen didn’t hate the decision to fake the fourth-down attempt — but thought the Birds tried it with the wrong formation.
“If you’re going to do it, make it look like quarterback sneak,” Olsen said. “Get under center. Those defensive linemen are champing at the bit trying to defend the Tush Push. Maybe a little more likely. You line up in the gun, you do some shifts and motions, it doesn’t have the same effect.”
After the Birds’ successful two-point conversion made it 29-10 with 4 minutes, 26 seconds left in the fourth quarter, we got a full-scale brawl worthy of the Broad Street Bullies.
“This has turned into a full-blown shoving match,” play-by-play broadcaster Joe Davis said. “Tyler Steen is throwing punches.”
After Commanders running back Chris Rodriguez appeared to gain a first down on a second-quarter rushing play, replay review overturned it, forcing a fourth-and-1. Dan Quinn elected to challenge the call anyway.
“They’re going to challenge the challenge!” Davis said. “Replay, take a look at the replay that you just replayed.”
After a commercial break, the call stood, as expected.
“Replay room saying, ‘Did we stutter?’” Davis said, after returning from commercial to the call standing on the field.
The Commanders still converted the fourth down and scored a touchdown on that possession, though.
Tush Push Part 2
There’s never been more attention on the Tush Push than this season, after the NFL spent the offseason debating whether to ban the play.
But as the season began, the conversation shifted toward the Eagles’ offensive line, and whether the Birds were gaining their advantage by jumping early on the play. Since then, it’s been officiated pretty harshly, including two false-start penalties on Saturday.
“These officials have incredible eyes, because we’re looking, I don’t know the fancy terms of frames per second, but we’re looking at super slow-mo, and he is moving a frame early,” Olsen said after Landon Dickerson’s third-quarter false start. “That’s how they want this enforced. If they’re going to let Philly continue to run this, which I am a huge proponent of the quarterback sneak and the way Philly does it, I think it’s a huge weapon and they should be allowed to do it, but obviously they’re going to officiate it very tightly.”
Has the discourse over the play moved it too far in the opposite direction? Olsen wasn’t sure.
“That is a fraction, I think we can get carried away trying to overdo it, but his hands do move,” Olsen said. “That official’s got good eyes.”
Marcus Mariota’s injury
Josh Johnson, famous to Eagles fans for his appearance in the NFC championship game for the 49ers following the 2022 season, made an appearance of his own after Marcus Mariota suffered an injury.
Footage later showed that Nolan Smith accidentally stepped on his hand, and Mariota was seen with a bandage on his right hand on the bench later in the game.
Josh Johnson was pressed into action after Commanders starting quarterback Marcus Mariota went down. Here, he’s being tackled by Jalyx Hunt and Nolan Smith.
Road warriors
After the Birds’ third touchdown, Davis remarked on the game as a reflection of their 2025 season.
“This game is kind of emblematic of the whole year for Philadelphia — not easy, but they’re in front,” Davis said. “They’ve grown this lead, silenced this crowd.”
The first part is mostly true, but Joe, I don’t know what stadium you were in, but it sounded pretty darn loud every time the Eagles did anything on the broadcast. The “COOP” after the Cooper DeJean interception spoke for itself.
The Eagles also hit a great celebration afterward.
Cooper DeJean and the #Eagles defense just hit a Five Knuckle Shuffle celebration after their INT. 🔥
2025 has been Jordan Davis’ breakout year, but Joe Davis said Saturday was “the game of his life,” with six tackles and two tackles for losses.
“He’s having an unbelievable season,” Olsen said.
“I don’t know if he’s making that tackle in previous years,” Joe Davis said. “He dropped about 25 pounds this offseason, and he’s been a different guy. He thanks Peloton and Ally Love rides for helping him drop all that weight.”
If you haven’t read this great Alex Coffey story about Love, you’re missing out.
The last team to win a Super Bowl with as large a disparity between the defense and the offense was the 2015 Denver Broncos, who rode an elite defense to victory.
But Olsen is not as concerned with the offense as it seems like a lot of the fans are.
“This offense is better than people give it credit,” Olsen said. “There’s something about this Eagles offense that, I think they’re better than their stats; I think they’re better than their trends. The talent, the fact that they just went on a historic run just a year ago.”
