After beating up on the 2-12 Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday to end their three-game skid, the Eagles turn their attention toward the Washington Commanders for a Saturday matchup at Northwest Stadium. Heading into the Week 16 contest, the Eagles (9-5) are early 6.5-point favorites.
Here’s how experts in the local and national media are predicting Saturday’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
Now, here’s a look at how the national media feel about Saturday’s matchup …
ESPN: Eight of nine panelists picked the Birds straight up.
CBS Sports: In a clear sweep, all five experts are picking the Eagles to win.
Andrew Bowe was so irritated by the idea that the NFL might ban the Tush Push that he decided to do something about it.
Bowe, a native of Plymouth Meeting, didn’t have the power that Jason Kelce had, to walk into the room with the NFL owners and make its case, but after a friend of his mentioned that he wished someone would track the Tush Push data, the software engineer had a new project.
“There’s plenty of teams out there that are running it that voted against it,” Bowe said. “I wanted to create a repository of these teams that are kind of hypocritical, in that they’re kind of trying to ban the play, but at the same time they’re running it and actually being almost more successful than the Eagles are this season.”
The site tracks the overall NFL success rate on Tush Push plays, based on a set of criteria, which requires that the player who takes the snap carries the ball, the play goes up the middle and the player receives a push from anyone lined up behind him, with 2 yards or less to go, on either third or fourth down (anywhere on the field), or first or second down within 5 yards of the goal line.
Initially, the process took hours, as Bowe watched games leaguewide to try and find Tush Push attempts. As the season progressed, he built a model that flagged plays that fit those conditions to more easily track the overall success rate of the play across multiple teams. The site allows users to toggle between different teams, and includes a small logo to show whether they voted to keep or ban the play in the offseason.
“It’s gotten only easier over time, so it’s less and less time I’m spending trying to put it up there,” Bowe said. “I’m introducing new features and functionality all the time too. Before, I was only tracking the teams and the overall statistics. Now I’m starting to build up new functionality to see which players are running it the most, which positions are running it the most.”
Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts lines up for the Tush Push play during an Oct. 19 matchup with the Vikings.
The site only tracks the 2025 data, but one of Bowe’s next projects is to go back through the historical data from 2022, the year the Eagles popularized the play, to now and add those numbers into the data set.
Bowe has been an Eagles fan his entire life, and while he ultimately left the area after graduating from Temple, first to New York and later to Raleigh, N.C., he continued making connections thanks to a shared love for Philly sports. He hopes to keep the site going as long as the Tush Push does, and is glad people have been able to use it as a resource.
“[The Tush Push is] such a quintessentially Philly play,” Bowe said. “The Tush Push is super gritty, it’s controversial, but it’s also effective. To me that is quintessential Philadelphia. It really espouses that Broad Street attitude.
“I want to see it live on. I hope that next season they’re not thinking about banning it again, now that other teams are getting successful with it and the Eagles aren’t just the best one on the block these days.”
The Eagles (9-5) are on the doorstep of becoming the first NFC East team to repeat as division champion since they won four straight from 2001-04. Philadelphia only needs one win or a Dallas loss to clinch the division.
The Eagles play their only Saturday game of the year against the Commanders this week. After winning 12 games and making the NFC championship game last year, Dan Quinn’s team has gone just 4-10. Before winning last week against the Giants, Washington had lost eight straight games. Starting quarterback Jayden Daniels battled various injuries this season and was ultimately shut down earlier this week. In his place, Marcus Mariota will make his eighth start of the season.
Here’s a look at the updated player props and game lines for Saturday’s matchup.
Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts threw for 175 yards last week.
Passing yard props
Jalen Hurts has thrown for 230 yards or more in three of his last four games. The one outlier was last week, where Hurts only finished with 175 passing yards. His line is set around 220 yards at both sportsbooks. The Commanders allow over 246 passing yards per game, which ranks fourth worst league-wide.
Mariota has thrown for over 200 yards in six of his seven starts. But over the Eagles’ last three games, opposing quarterbacks have averaged 119 passing yards. Mariota’s line is set at 202.5 yards at both sportsbooks.
FanDuel
DraftKings
Passing touchdowns
Hurts has thrown for two or more touchdowns in just two of his last six games. But facing a struggling Commanders defense, the sixth-year pro is favored to reach that mark. Mariota has two touchdown passes in three of his last six starts, but the former Eagle’s touchdown prop is available at much longer odds.
FanDuel
DraftKings
Rushing yards
Saquon Barkley has rushed for over 75 yards in each of his last two games. Last week, Barkley had 22 carries but averaged just 3.5 yards on each. The Penn State alum is averaging just 3.9 yards per attempt season-long, down from the 5.8 he averaged last year en route to winning NFL offensive player of the year. Barkley has received 240 of the 299 non-quarterback rushing attempts this season.
On the other hand, the Commanders do not have a true bell cow running back. Jacory Croskey-Merritt and Chris Rodriguez have split carries, and Jeremy McNichols has been more involved than an average No. 3 back. Last week, Croskey-Merritt took advantage of an increased opportunity due to Rodriguez being held out with a groin injury. The Alabama native recorded a new career-high in carries (18) across 96 yards. Rodriguez will likely be available for Saturday’s game.
FanDuel
DraftKings
Receiving props
A.J. Brown’s three-game, 100-yard streak ended last Sunday. Still, Brown caught his fourth touchdown in the Eagles’ last four games. DeVonta Smith had just two receptions against the Raiders last week. The 27-year-old is averaging just 45 receiving yards over his last three games, across 11 total receptions. As of late, the Eagles’ most productive pass catcher has been Dallas Goedert, who has caught 14 passes over his last two games and found the end zone twice vs. Las Vegas.
Deebo Samuel leads the Commanders with 65 receptions but has been a streaky performer. The longtime 49er has recorded under 30 receiving yards in 5 games this season, the same amount of games that he’s had over 50 in. And while Terry McLaurin has only played in seven games due to injury, he has perhaps been Washington’s best receiver when healthy. McLaurin has been active for the Commanders’ last three games and has averaged almost 70 yards in each. The two-time Pro Bowler also has two touchdown receptions in that span.
FanDuel
DraftKings
Touchdown props
Last Sunday, most of the Eagles’ offensive regulars got in on the scoring action. Barkley and Brown found the end zone once each, and Goedert found it twice. But Hurts and Smith have both gone quiet on the scoring front. Hurts last scored a rushing touchdown on Nov. 23 against the Cowboys and only rushing scores in two of his last eight games. Smith has gone scoreless his last five games and last caught a touchdown on Nov. 10.
For Washington, McLaurin has caught touchdowns in two of his last three games, but Samuel has none over that span. Last week, Croskey-Merritt scored his first touchdown since Oct. 5.
Since high school, Jared McCain has shared his life on TikTok for his fans. He didn’t expect just how many haters also would come his way.
On Wednesday, McCain, in partnership with Penn Medicine and the Sixers’ Assists for Safe Communities initiative, spoke with students at Level Up Philly about protecting his own mental health.
“Putting myself in different positions helps me with my mental health, and helps me understand what people can go through,” McCain told The Inquirer. “Now, when I go through it, I understand what to do or what not to do. Being in the league is amazing, and now that I’m in, I guess, my real profession, it’s cool that I get to help out around the city, people around me, and people in my DMs, whoever it is, that I can just help out and try and direct them in the best way possible.”
Since entering the NBA in 2024, McCain has experienced the highs of a successful debut and the lows of his season-ending meniscus tear and his season-opening finger injury this year.
As he worked his way back into the lineup, McCain said there’s a huge mental aspect to his recovery that fans may not see. He relies on his friends and family and also works with a psychologist to process those struggles.
“The expectation is, you come back right away, first game, and play exactly how you are. But for me, I was just trying to get out there and feel comfortable enough to jump again and jump off my left leg again,” McCain said. “You’ve done it a million times in training and to be prepared for a game, but it’s never going to replicate actually going and subbing into a game and going full speed.”
“That’s where I’ve got to get off social media sometimes, in the first few games. Even when I’m not playing the best right now, I know it’s going to come back to me, but I always just stay true to myself. I know it’s going to click and I know it’s going to come back as long as I continue to work hard.”
McCain doesn’t run his own Instagram anymore, and he’s never on X, which he believes is “the worst” platform. But he still loves TikTok and tries to keep basketball off his For You page.
But he told the students at Level Up Philly that despite the hate he can get for his TikTok videos, he wants to keep it going to make a positive impact. Negative comments often can overshadow the positive ones, so McCain learned to refocus on the good he was doing instead of falling into the negative.
Students at Level Up Philly listened to Sixers guard Jared McCain talk about his about mental health during an event partnership between Penn Medicine and the Sixers’ Assists for Safe Communities initiative.
Level Up Philly is a youth community center in West Philadelphia that serves as a home base for hundreds of students across the city to work on homework, learn new skills, or hang out with friends.
Pastor Aaron Campbell, affectionately called “Unc” and even “Dad” by the students, is the executive director of the center. Level Up Philly supports students from 10 to 25 years old.
More than 40 students came to hear McCain, Campbell, and Penn Medicine emergency doctor Malik Sams talk about mental health. A number of students at Level Up Philly have witnessed gun violence, and Campbell said 15 students at Level Up have been killed in the last three years.
“There is arguably a human rights crisis in Philadelphia,” Campbell said. “We have seen a significant drop in homicides. We’ve seen solutions for the violence, but now there’s another element. The elephant in the room is the PTSD, the psychological impact, and that is also part of what I will call a human rights crisis in Philadelphia, so we have to talk about mental health.”
Students eagerly shared their stories and asked McCain questions, and Campbell loved that the collaboration between the Sixers and Level Up could help the students feel more empowered to speak up about their mental health.
McCain said one of the biggest lessons he’s learned is not to judge, because everyone is going through something that he might not see. Getting to meet the students at Level Up was another way for McCain to gain perspective that he can take with him.
“I was privileged, and I was able to grow up in an environment where a lot of this stuff didn’t happen that these kids go through,” McCain said. “To be able to hear stories of people, of what they’re going through, and people passing in their family, it definitely it humbles you, and you can understand more of what people go through on a day to day, and what they can be projecting at you when something happened at home. Just hearing it has helped me, and it can literally help me in my mental health struggles.”
Children searched the aisles of SNIPES for clothing and picked out their favorite sneakers as 76ers rookie VJ Edgecombe provided tips, bagged items behind the cash register, and helped in any way he could.
“If I’m being honest, I told them to grab whatever,” Edgecombe said. “If you have siblings at home who didn’t have the opportunity to do this then think of your siblings. That’s what I told them, just grab whatever.”
On Wednesday evening, the Sixers partnered with SNIPES to provide 10 local kids from the Youth Mentoring Partnership with $500 holiday shopping sprees. Before the festivities started, they were surprised with a special appearance from Edgecombe.
When he walked into the store, he was welcomed with cheers as kids waited to greet him.
“I’m seeing the kids happy and smiling and it means the world to me regardless if they’re my little siblings or not,” Edgecombe said. “Philly is home now and I always try to give back. Give back to the community. Give back to kids, especially, in any way I can. So, it means a lot to me.”
Although Edgecombe struggled to find kids through racks of clothing, the 20-year-old guard eventually spotted them and helped each child fill up their shopping bags with the latest gear and sneakers — from full Von Dutch outfits and fitted hats to new pairs of New Balances.
Growing up in poverty in the Bahamas and relying on a generator for electricity fueled Edgecombe to make a name for himself and provide for his family. Although the Sixers picked him third overall in the 2025 NBA draft, the rookie will never forget his Bahamian roots.
“Me as a kid, I would have been in here grabbing as much things as I can to be honest,” Edgecombe said. “I wouldn’t have cared if it could fit me or not. I guess I’m really blessed just to be in this position just to give back. It means the world to me seeing kids happy.”
VJ Edgecombe with members of the Youth Mentoring Partnership at SNIPES.
Wednesday’s event is just one way Edgecombe is using his platform to provide for others. Being surrounded by teammates who want to continue to help the Philadelphia community — including Tyrese Maxey, who hosted his annual turkey drive in November — has been a big inspiration to the young guard.
“We’re really fortunate to be in certain situations, financially,” Edgecombe said. “It’s important to give back to the community just because you never know what people are going through, daily struggles, you know. Our struggles are different from theirs. And sometimes people wonder about where their next meal is going to come from.”
After three consecutive losses, the Eagles got back on track on Sunday with a dominant 31-0 win at Lincoln Financial Field — their first shutout win since 2018. Of course, it was against the 2-12 Las Vegas Raiders.
During the halftime show on Fox, with the Eagles holding a 17-0 lead, former NFL tight end Rob Gronkowski made a comment that basically summarized Las Vegas’ season: When you play the Raiders, it’s like putting Neosporin on your cut. They heal those wounds.
Former Eagles center Jason Kelce agreed with Gronkowski’s comments on the latest episode of New Heights.
“It is true,” Kelce said. “I mean, the level that the fans were at these last couple weeks — and understandable, you know, the Eagles had not been performing well — but then all of a sudden, you play the Raiders, who have won two games this year, I believe, it has a tendency to make you feel good again.
“It’s a great way to put it by Gronk. I think the Eagles are smart enough to know it was a great game but they still got to improve and get better. But so much of playing well in the postseason is feeling good going into it. And the Eagles got some games here that they can feel good about, hopefully.”
Now, after three weeks of struggling, the Eagles may finally be starting to establish an offensive identity just in time for the home stretch, and Kelce is loving it.
“The first series, I’m always watching like, ‘OK, what is this going to be? What’s the plan today? How many runs is this going to be? How much shotgun? How much under center? Like, what’s the flavor?’ And in the first series, I think there were like seven runs or was a quarterback designed run,” Kelce said. “It was clear that they were going to stick with that and try to establish a line of scrimmage, which is something I think they need to continue to do moving forward. And I just liked seeing it. … It’s everything you want to see against not just the Las Vegas Raiders, but what this Eagles team needs to be moving forward.”
Jalen Hurts’ final touchdown pass on Sunday was a strike to wideout A.J. Brown.
In the passing game, Jalen Hurts completed 12 of 15 passes for 175 yards and three touchdowns. He also recorded 39 rushing yards on seven carries before he was replaced with Tanner McKee in the fourth quarter. This performance comes a week after the quarterback struggled against the Los Angeles Chargers and threw four interceptions in the overtime loss.
“It was a great bounce-back game for him,” Kelce said. “Obviously, the game before with the turnovers and everything was very uncharacteristic of Jalen Hurts. It’s not who he has been largely in the NFL. But this is what I mean: he’s got 15 attempts, and if he would have played the whole game, it would have been more than that. They did a great job at being a very balanced offense, and that’s what they need to be. … I came away from last week feeling like this offense is showing signs of going in the right direction.”
On the other side of the ball, Vic Fangio’s defense continued to shine, sacking Kenny Pickett four times and holding the Raiders offense to 75 total yards, their lowest total in more than a half century. With Sunday’s game behind them, the Eagles have three games left — two against the 4-10 Washington Commanders, who just shut down starting quarterback Jayden Daniels, and at the 10-4 Buffalo Bills. To clinch a spot in the playoffs, they need just one more win.
“They’re in the driver’s seat,” Kelce said. “They’re probably going to be the No. 3 seed. If they win out, there’s a chance they could be the No. 2 seed. What I would like to see these last three games is continue to pound the rock. Get that run game going. It is going to open up so much more for the offense. And if these guys can go into the playoffs feeling good, feeling confident, working with each other in executing these plays, I think it’s going to help out Jalen a lot more.
“And with the way this defense is playing, this team could be very dangerous in the postseason if they stay true to that formula. So that’s what I’m hoping to see.”
Ahead of Watch Party PHL opening a new women’s sports venue, The Stoop Pigeon, next year, it is teaming up with the Philadelphia Sisters grassroots organization to release a new beer — the Philly is a Women’s Sports Town Pilsner.
The beer, a relabeled version of Sterling Pig Brewery’s Shoat Pilsner, will be available through the end of January at Sterling Pig Brewery, additional participating bars locally, and online.
They also are selling other “Philly is a Women’s Sports Town” merchandise, a phrase Watch Party founder Jen Leary coined after the announcement that the city would be getting a WNBA expansion franchise in 2030. The phrase blew up after actor Aubrey Plaza wore one of the group’s T-shirts courtside at a New York Liberty game.
Watch Party PHL founder Jen Leary holds the “Philly is a women’s sports town” shirt that went viral after Aubrey Plaza wore it to a Liberty game.
With Unrivaled, the offseason three-on-three women’s basketball league, making its first-ever tour stop on Jan. 30 in Philadelphia and the announcement that Philadelphia will gain a WNBA team, 2025 has been a banner year for women’s sports in Philadelphia. Philadelphia Sisters, which is dedicated to the development of women’s sports in the city from the youth level to the pros, and Watch Party PHL are looking to keep the momentum going in 2026.
Watch Party PHL has hosted a number of watch parties for women’s sports, including the WNBA, women’s college basketball, the NWSL, and U.S. women’s national soccer team. The group is opening The Stoop Pigeon in May 2026. It will join Marsha’s on South Street, which opened in October, as the city’s women’s sports bars.
After two dreary episodes, Hard Knocks finally got to film an Eagles win as the team snapped its three-game losing streak against the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday.
The HBO documentary series released its third episode focused on the NFC East on Tuesday night, bringing a behind-the-scenes look at each team’s preparations for Week 15 of the NFL season.
The latest episode looked into Saquon Barkley’s dissatisfaction with the running game, Lane Johnson’s injury rehab, the team’s reaction to Brandon Graham’s big day, and more.
Here’s what you may have missed from Episode 3 of Hard Knocks …
Barkley wants to ‘open up the playbook’
It’s not breaking news to say that Barkley has underperformed so far this season. No one expected another offensive player of the year campaign or another 2,000 yards rushing — but no one expected the Eagles’ running game to rank in the bottom half of the league either.
With the Eagles seeing an uptick in rushing success in the team’s loss to the Chargers, Hard Knocks made sure to give Barkley more screen time this week.
In a quick interview, the veteran running back chalked up the team’s failures on the ground, and on offense in general, to poor execution by the team on early downs.
“What I see this year for me personally is that I don’t think I’ve lost a step,” Barkley said. “We’ve had glimpses of it, glimpses of when we’re on, we’re a really hard offense to stop. Now we just need to be consistent. If you’re able to get to second-and-manageable and not second-and-long, you get more runs called and it opens up the playbook a little bit more.
“Establishing the line of scrimmage and making sure I’m doing what I need to do to set linebackers up and set defenders up to put us in a position to be successful.”
Barkley isn’t wrong. The Birds lead the league in three-and-outs. Luckily, they faced an opponent which, at least for one week, eased those concerns — more on that in a bit.
Eagles tackle Lane Johnson (65) hasn’t played since the win over the Detroit Lions on Nov. 16.
Paving the Lane for a return
Eagles fans — and likely the players as well — have been awaiting the return of future Hall-of-Fame right tackle Lane Johnson. The 6-foot-6, 325-pound lineman has been rehabbing a Lisfranc injury in his foot and had missed the previous three games before Sunday.
Hard Knocks took a camera crew to Johnson’s home, showcasing the former Oklahoma star’s well-known personal gym and his workout routine on his path to recovery.
“Last few games haven’t gone our way,” Johnson said. “Not being out there, not being a part of it, it’s frustrating. I hate it, I absolutely hate it. But I’m attacking the rehab process as diligently as I can.”
Day by day. Rep by rep. Getting closer to getting back on the field.
While there is no official timetable for his injury, Johnson hinted at a return against the Commanders this Saturday.
“Day by day, rep by rep, I am getting close to getting back on the field, maybe next week,” Johnson said. “Usually, after a few losses, its very motivating. And we have everything in front of us.”
Linebacker Jaelan Phillips (left) and defensive end Brandon Graham have added a new element to the Eagles defense.
‘A resurgence of my career’
If you didn’t know much about one of the newest Eagles, linebacker Jaelan Phillips, Hard Knocks provided a perfect rundown on the former Miami Dolphin.
After suffering an Achilles tear in 2023 and an ACL tear in 2024, the Birds’ trade-deadline acquisition has had to overcome a lot to get where he is today — a difference-maker for the defending Super Bowl champions.
“When you go through multiple injuries, obviously there can be a lot of self-doubt, a lot of tough times,” Phillips said. “It’s just a blessing to be able to be back on the field and be with a team that has so much fun playing together.”
Added linebacker Nakobe Dean: “I mean, J.P., he came in and fit just like a glove. His personality matched everyone’s personality. We’re a young defense, we like to have a lot of fun.”
Speaking of fun, Phillips seems to be having a blast with the Birds so far.
Phillips, who could be playing his way to a contract extension, was shown practicing his best gladiator impression in Green Bay, dancing during practice, and singing the Eagles fight song against the Raiders — a breath of fresh air for a team previously mired in frustration.
“When I first got here, I said it was the best thing to ever happen to me,” Phillips said. “Because I am a person who realizes what a great opportunity this could be, to be able to come into Philadelphia to this amazing team with this great energy I feel like is just a resurgence of my career.”
Game time
In the lead-up to Sunday’s game, Hard Knocks took a peek inside the Eagles QB room as Jalen Hurts attended a meeting with fellow quarterbacks and position coach Scott Loeffler.
“This quarterback thing is so [expletive] easy to play whenever all the [stuff’s] going right,” Loeffler told Hurts, who was coming off the worst game of his career. “This is the time that we need to step up to the plate, when the [stuff] hits the fan.”
During the game, fans were able to see Barkley’s earlier words about the running game come to life almost immediately. Dominating on the ground and controlling the line of scrimmage did, in fact, open up the rest of the offense. After the Eagles’ final touchdown Sunday, Hard Knocks captured a joyful moment between Hurts and Nick Sirianni after A.J. Brown’s touchdown up the seam in the third quarter.
“I got you, baby,” Hurts said to Sirianni.
“I know, listen,” Sirianni responded. “You better say great [expletive] design.”
“Great [stuff],” Hurts said, before being jumped by Sirianni. “I put it up the seam.”
“I know you did,” Sirianni said.
Jalen Hurts and Nick Sirianni had fun with this play call 🦅 @Eagles
But the true highlight of the game came on defense.
Old man Graham, who returned to the team after a brief retirement at age 37, recorded two sacks against Pete Carroll’s Raiders, with Phillips and Sirianni doing the vet’s signature celebration in unison.
Sunday marked the end of a three-game skid for the Eagles, who earned a much-needed 31-0 win over the Las Vegas Raiders in the team’s first shutout since 2018.
Despite a dominant performance against a Kenny Pickett-led Raiders team, the Eagles have barely made a move in national power rankings. As the Birds prepare to head back on the road to face the Washington Commanders on Saturday, here’s where they stand in the latest batch of rankings …
Yahoo! Sports: Seventh
Although the team came out victorious on Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field, the Eagles have remained in the No. 7 spot at Yahoo! Sports. A win over the 2-12 Raiders just wasn’t enough to show what this team could be capable of.
“It’s hard to even know what Sunday’s 31-0 win meant because it came against a Raiders team that doesn’t even resemble a professional operation lately,“ Frank Schwab wrote. ”But Philly’s defense does get credit for allowing only 75 yards, the fewest allowed in any game this NFL season. The offense had its best game in a long time. The Eagles will have to repeat that against an actual professional team, but at least the win wasn’t in doubt.”
The Eagles trail the No. 5 Chicago Bears and the No. 6 Houston Texans. Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Rams top Yahoo’s list.
The Eagles moved up one spot from last week’s ESPN power rankings, behind the Buffalo Bills (No. 5), the Jacksonville Jaguars (No. 6), and the San Francisco 49ers (No. 7). ESPN also picked a player from each roster who might earn a contract extension in the offseason, and for Howie Roseman that could be one of his newest additions.
“Acquired from the Dolphins for a 2026 third-round pick in November, [Jaelan] Phillips has fortified a defensive front that looks championship-caliber in the fifth and final year of his rookie deal,” Tim McManus wrote. “Phillips has played for defensive coordinator Vic Fangio at two different stops and is a clear fit for his scheme. He is just 26 and plays a premium position, making him precisely the type of player Philadelphia’s front office would commit to long term.”
The Rams continue to hold the top spot. Meanwhile, the Seattle Seahawks (No. 2) and the Denver Broncos (No. 3) moved up one spot.
The Eagles beat the Las Vegas Raiders, 31-0, Sunday to snap their three-game losing streak.
The Ringer: Eighth
After 14 consecutive weeks as one of the top six teams, the Eagles continue to fall in power rankings — falling one spot from last week’s No. 7 ranking despite their 31-point victory. This week’s summary: “Everybody looks good against the Raiders.”
“While it wouldn’t make a difference in the race to the Super Bowl, I wish that more teams would put up style points against the Raiders,” Diante Lee wrote. “Just like Denver last week, Philadelphia was relaxed and offensively methodical against Las Vegas, shrinking the game and letting the rushing attack lead the way.
“The shutout wasn’t pretty — and I wouldn’t say that this offense is close to fixing its problems yet — but quarterback Jalen Hurts was efficient in a way that’s been missing from the offense lately. For that alone, I can begrudgingly give the Eagles a passing grade for the week.”
The Eagles follow the No. 6 New England Patriots and the No. 7 Detroit Lions. The Rams (No. 1), Broncos (No. 2), and Seahawks (No. 3) top the Ringer’s rankings.
While the Eagles didn’t drop in The Athletic’s rankings, they also didn’t move up from last week’s spot (12th). The Athletic’s MVP of the game went to cornerback Quinyon Mitchell.
“The offense finally got going Sunday, but this team is still led by its defense,” Josh Kendall and Chad Graff wrote. “That defense has a lot of stars, but none has played better this year than Mitchell. The cornerback does not have an interception, but Sunday was his seventh game of allowing 10 or fewer yards in coverage, according to Next Gen Stats. His 15 pass breakups rank fourth in the league.”
The Eagles are behind the Jaguars (No. 9), the Bears (No. 10), and the Los Angeles Chargers (No. 11).
The Eagles defense posted its first shutout since 2018.
NFL.com: 12th
After their win, the Eagles moved up one spot in NFL.com’s power rankings — slotting below the No. 10 Texans and the No. 11 Chargers.
“The Eagles needed a tension-breaker game, and they got exactly that,” Eric Edholm wrote. “Beating the Raiders won’t tell us whether the offense is truly fixed or if Philadelphia is suddenly any more playoff-ready, making this result comparable to the 2023 Eagles’ December win over a bad Giants team.
“Then again, just imagine if Philly had not had its way with an even worse Las Vegas outfit. Jalen Hurts followed his five-turnover game against the Chargers with a clean, crisp performance Sunday, and that was a positive sign. The red-zone package was a little more inspired, too, and the defense turned in a near-perfect showing, even accounting for how challenged the Raiders are offensively. The Eagles will take this and try to build on it, with Sunday’s game against the 4-10 Commanders presenting a similar assignment.”
The Eagles’ win over the Raiders wasn’t enough for the team to move up in the CBS Sports’ power rankings. Instead, the team held steady at the No. 12 spot, just below the Green Bay Packers (No. 10) and the Chargers (No. 11).
“Nothing like the Raiders to fix an ailing team,” Pete Prisco wrote. “The Eagles looked dominant in their victory, but it is the Raiders.”
The Broncos top the CBS list, above the Rams (No. 2) and Seahawks (No. 3).
USA Today moved the Eagles up one spot from last week’s No. 13 ranking. Now, the Eagles sit above the Lions (No. 13) and the Pittsburgh Steelers (No. 14).
“A.J. Brown’s three-game streak of 100-yard receiving games was snapped Sunday,” Nate Davis wrote. “Philly’s three-game losing streak was snapped Sunday. Hmmm.”
Controversy from the Sixers’ loss Sunday night lingered into Tuesday thanks to a salty message from NBA officials calling out NBC Sports Philadelphia’s Alaa Abdelnaby.
With less than two seconds left and the Atlanta Hawks clinging to a one-point lead, Nickeil Alexander-Walker inbounded a pass in the frontcourt and dribbled it into the backcourt before being fouled by 76ers rookie VJ Edgecombe.
Clearly a backcourt violation and Sixers ball with a chance to win the game, right? Abdelnaby certainly thought so.
“His foot’s in the frontcourt! The ball’s in the frontcourt!” Abdelnaby said during NBC Sports Philadelphia’s telecast.
Can someone explain to me how this was NOT called a backcourt violation by the Hawks?
The officials didn’t see it that way, despite protests from Joel Embiid and Sixers coach Nick Nurse. Their explanation for the no-call after the game was that Alexander-Walker’s “momentum” carried him into the backcourt, which “is legal in the last two minutes of the fourth quarter and overtime.”
Former NBA referee turned ESPN analyst Steve Javie, a Philly native and Temple grad, heard complaints about the no-call from a Sixers fan during a Christmas party Monday night. But after watching the video, Javie thinks the refs made the correct call that Alexander-Walker didn’t establish himself in the frontcourt.
“That’s an easy one. I don’t even think it’s that controversial,” Javie told The Inquirer. “That’s not the one you want to go up the mountain on.”
So instead of it being Sixers ball trailing by just one point, Alexander-Walker made both of his foul shots and increased the Hawks’ lead to three. Quentin Grimes got up a decent shot that would have tied the score as time expired, but it bounced in and out, and the Hawks walked away with the win.
That’s when things got interesting.
On Monday, the National Basketball Referees Association criticized Abdelnaby on social media and defended the officials’ no-call during Sunday’s game.
“For those calling the game, there is a responsibility to know the NBA rules and explain them correctly in order to properly educate the fans,” the association wrote, tagging Abdelnaby’s X account.
This was not a backcourt violation and has never been a backcourt violation.
For those calling the game, there is a responsibility to know the NBA rules and explain them correctly in order to properly educate the fans @alaatweets
The referees’ official X account, with more than 136,000 followers, hasn’t been historically combative and had not called out a single announcer by name this season before going after Abdelnaby.
Why now? That remains unclear. The National Basketball Referees Association did not respond to a request for comment.
“As a ref, you hear so much stuff [from announcers] year after year, game after game, you get kind of frustrated. Like, ‘Dude, this is not the right rule you’re talking about,’” Javie said, especially from hometown announcers openly rooting for their teams. “This is why they’re frustrated and gave him a shot, probably.”
Abdelnaby, a former Duke standout and NBA player in his 10th season calling Sixers games, isn’t afraid to offer strong opinions about the officials during broadcasts. He did so multiple times Sunday night, including after the game from the concourse of State Farm Arena in Atlanta, where he and play-by-play announcer Kate Scott called the game.
“Sometimes you’re told as a player on the road, you have to beat eight instead of just five,” Abdelnaby said, referring to the three officials on the court. “I thought the Sixers got a little shortchanged tonight.”
Abdelnaby declined to comment about the NBA referees’ social media post, but he wasn’t alone in thinking the officials missed a backcourt violation.
“It was a complete blunder by the referees tonight,” NBA Sports Philadelphia studio analyst and former NBA player Marc Jackson said following the game.
What do the NBA rules say?
When in doubt, go to the rule book, where there appear to be two sections invoked Sunday night.
First, the NBA rule book clearly states that the ball “shall be awarded to the opposing team” if a ball in the frontcourt or at the midcourt line passes into the backcourt.
But there is one exception:
And here’s what the rule book says about determining the frontcourt or backcourt status of a player on a throw-in:
The rule basically says a player’s position isn’t determined until he has established a “positive position” on an inbounds pass, as long as it’s under two minutes in the fourth period or in overtime.
So what does “positive position” mean? According to Javie, it basically equates to possession and stopping with the basketball.
“If [Alexander-Walker’s] momentum had stopped from going to the backcourt, and then he took a step into the backcourt, that would then be deemed a backcourt violation,” Javie said. “He didn’t establish position anywhere, really.”
“I thought it was going to be less obvious than that,” Javie added, based on the complaints over the no call.
Fans will certainly have a lot of time to debate the rules, since the Sixers won’t take the court again until Friday night against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Amazon’s Prime Video.
