Philadelphia’s first significant snowstorm passed through the region on Sunday, but there will be a new weather challenge to deal with Monday, as temperatures plummet overnight and create icy roads for the morning commute.
While temperatures were in the upper 20s on Sunday afternoon, they’ll be very different when commuters set out on Monday.
“We are expecting a pretty strong blast of Arctic air moving in,” leaving temperatures in the mid-teens, said Alex Staarmann, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Mount Holly.
Philadelphia schools and Archdiocesan high schools and parish and regional Catholic elementary schools in the city will operate on a two-hour delay Monday.
While some plowed streets and shoveled sidewalks may have been cleared by Sunday afternoon, cold winds on Sunday night into Monday morning may blow a thin layer of snow back on to roads, Staarmann said.
Winds are forecast to pick up, from 10 to 20 miles per hour, with gusts up to 35, he said. That could make for dangerous conditions.
“If there’s any slush or snow melt on the roads or pavement from today, it certainly could refreeze if it’s not treated,” he said.
The region saw varied snowfall amounts as the storm moved through, with totals ranging from the official tally of 4.2 inches at Philadelphia International Airport to reports of 7 or even 8 inches in some suburbs, Staarmann said.
Monday afternoon is forecast to be warmer but still below freezing, with temperatures in the mid to high 20s.
Without much snow melt by Tuesday morning, dropping overnight temperatures could mean more trouble for some commuters for a second day.
“That could still produce some spotty black ice or refreezing of snow melt,” Staarmann said.
Higher temperatures on Wednesday should help remaining ice and snow to melt. But AccuWeather senior meteorologist Chad Merrill said changing weather conditions later in the week could pose a problem for some regional commuters: A new front may bring rain Thursday night into Friday morning.
“Sometimes when you have this Arctic air mass that lingers, even though the temperatures are going to warm up this week, the ground is still very cold,” Merrill said.
That’s a recipe for a different challenge.
“So, there is some potential that when this front comes through Thursday night and Friday morning, that there could be some limited visibility due to fog,” Merrill said.
Philadelphians awoke to the first significant snowfall of the season on Sunday, with 3 to 7 inches of snow blanketing the area.
And although the worst of the snow was over, high winds and increasingly dangerous icy conditions will be moving in, forecasters said.
While temperatures were in the upper 20s on Sunday afternoon, they’ll be very different when commuters set out on Monday morning.
“We are expecting a pretty strong blast of Arctic air moving in,” leaving temperatures in the mid-teens, said Alex Staarmann, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Mount Holly.
With snow on the ground and temperatures below freezing, Philadelphia schools will be opening two hours late Monday.
Archdiocesan high schools and parish and regional Catholic elementary schools in the city will also operate on a two-hour delay. (Catholic schools in suburban counties generally follow their local districts’ lead.)
“The safety and well-being of our students are our top priorities,” Superintendent Tony B. Watlington Sr. said in a message to district families. “We are encouraging students, families and staff to travel safely tomorrow morning.”
Students who arrive late because of weather challenges won’t be marked late, and weather-related absences will be excused if a parent or guardian sends a note.
While some plowed streets and shoveled sidewalks may have been cleared by Sunday afternoon, cold winds Sunday night into Monday morning may blow a thin layer of snow back onto roads, Staarmann said.
Winds are forecast to pick up, from 10 to 20 mph, with gusts up to 35, he said. That could make for dangerous conditions.
“If there’s any slush or snow melt on the roads or pavement from today, it certainly could refreeze if it’s not treated,” he said.
Totals for the storm, which hit the area around 11 p.m. Saturday, slightly exceeded earlier forecasts of 3 to 5 inches. Areas north of the city, like Doylestown and the Trenton airport, saw closer to 7 inches.
“This snow is generally a wetter snow,” Tyler Roys, senior meteorologist at AccuWeather, said. “It’s heavier to move. It’s not easy as if it were fluffy snow. This one is going to take a little work.”
Workers clear snow from sidewalks in the Old City neighborhood on Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025.
Colder air will follow on the heels of the snow system, with Monday morning temperatures hovering in the teens.
An early morning accident and a downed utility pole had eastbound traffic on Rt. 70 in Cherry Hill down to one lane Sunday morning, Dec. 14, 2025, during the first significant snowfall of the season with 3 to 7 inches of snow blanketing the area
Icing will be an issue until temps rise later in the week.
At the height of the storm, more than 26,000 Peco customers experienced outages across the region, said spokesperson Matt Rankin.
By late Sunday afternoon, around 3,000 customers remained without power. Crews were out working to get power restored to customers as quickly and safely as possible, Rankin added.
SEPTA spokesperson Andrew Busch said crews would be monitoring for icy or dangerous conditions as the temperatures fall.
Eagles fans traveling on the Broad Street Line reported some significant delays shortly before kickoff, with at least one train reportedly stalled for 15 minutes near the Walnut-Locust station, passengers said. Busch said the temporary slowdown and crowding had been due to a train being pulled out of service near Erie Avenue, but that the situation had been resolved.
At the stadium, tailgaters were not deterred by the snowy conditions.
Fans make their way into the stadium before the Philadelphia Eagles game against the Las Vegas Raiders at Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025 in Philadelphia.
“It’s been great,” said Jim Carroll, of Warren County, N.J., sipping a pregame beer in the parking lot outside the Linc with friend Jim Singer. “Brutally cold, but setting up for a big Eagles victory so it’s all good.”
It was still snowing when Robert Rodriguez and Victor Sierra of Burlington County, and their family members, arrived hours before game time.
Sure it was cold, said Rodriguez, a season ticket holder for over 25 years. But he wouldn’t miss for it any amount of snow.
“The beauty of it’s perfect,” he said, nodding toward the snow-capped stadium in the distance.
An usher clears snow from the seats before the Philadelphia Eagles play the Las Vegas Raiders at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, on Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025.
Philadelphia International Airport was experiencing heavy delays with the effects of the storm, with over 182 flights delayed and 17 cancellations, said airport spokesperson Heather Redfern.
With planes being deiced for takeoff, departing flights were experiencing delays of about 38 minutes, Redfern said.
The airport briefly halted ground traffic earlier Sunday morning, as crews tended to icy conditions.
Monday afternoon is forecast to be warmer but still below freezing, with temperatures in the mid to high 20s.
Without much snow melt by Tuesday morning, dropping overnight temperatures could mean more trouble for some commuters for a second day.
“That could still produce some spotty black ice or refreezing of snow melt,” Staarmann said.
Higher temperatures on Wednesday should help remaining ice and snow to melt.. But AccuWeather senior meteorologist Chad Merrill said changing weather conditions later in the week could pose a problem for some regional commuters: A new front may bring rain Thursday night into Friday morning.
“Sometimes when you have this Arctic air mass that lingers, even though the temperatures are going to warm up this week, the ground is still very cold,” Merrill said.
That’s a recipe for a different challenge.
“So, there is some potential that when this front comes through Thursday night and Friday morning, that there could be some limited visibility due to fog,” Merrill said.
Mike and Alexis Butler with children John, 8, and Julie, 6, find a small hill to sled on in Wallworth Park in Cherry Hill after the sun came out Sunday afternoon.
Jalen Hurts had the bounce-back performance he needed, even if it came against arguably the worst team in the NFL. Getting back to a run-heavy offense that has proved to be the best formula with Hurts the last five years paid dividends. Having the quarterback carry more, too, gave the unit a facet that had been missing for most of the season.
That allowed Hurts to be more efficient as a passer, despite the windy conditions. He completed 12 of 15 throws for 175 yards and three touchdowns. Hurts’ two best tosses were to his receivers: a 44-yard teardrop to DeVonta Smith and an anticipatory 27-yard touchdown to A.J. Brown on a seam route. But most of his targets went to tight end Dallas Goedert.
Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown celebrates his third-quarter touchdown reception with quarterback Jalen Hurts on Sunday vs. the Raiders.
Hurts also ran seven times for 39 yards. He kept on designed runs more than he has all season. He had six carries for 37 yards plus a successful Tush Push in the first half. He also converted two third downs on draw plays — the second with a 13-yard dart around the corner on third-and-12. And most important, Hurts didn’t turn the ball over a week after giving it away five times.
Those that wanted to see Tanner McKee got their wish, although not because Hurts was benched. With the Eagles up, 31-0, early in the fourth quarter, the backup took over under center.
Running back: B
Saquon Barkley was the workhorse on the ground. despite the Raiders often stacking the box, especially whenever the Eagles were in heavy personnel. It was tough sledding to start. Barkley averaged just 2.3 yards a rush in the first half. There weren’t many holes to run through, although he did leave meat on the bone when he cut outside on a blocked-up run off the right. Barkley saw more light after the half, running seven times for 44 yards.
Tank Bigsby did well to hit the hole on back-to-back runs that netted a first down in the second quarter. He finished out the game when the first unit was given the rest of the day off.
Eagles running back Saquon Barkley put together a solid second half before the first unit was given the rest of the afternoon off.
Receiver / Tight end: B+
Tight end Dallas Goedert led the Eagles with six catches for 70 yards. He also caught two touchdowns, giving him a team-high nine on the season. Goedert actually could have had a third, but he dropped a wide-open pass off an run-pass option in the end zone. Nevertheless, his first touchdown came on a shovel pass on the opening drive, while the second was via a flip sweep that capped the Eagles’ first series after the break.
Goedert caught a 32-yard pass in the third quarter when two Raiders defenders inexplicably covered second tight end Grant Calcaterra.
Asking Calcaterra to block Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby had a predictable result on a second-quarter, under center run: Barkley dropped for a 4-yard loss. The Eagles had more success running out of three-tight end sets than two.
A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith had quiet days with the pass game a secondary element, but they also shined when targeted. Brown caught two passes for 41 yards and a touchdown. He also drew a pass interference penalty vs. man coverage on Hurts’ first throw. Smith dusted cornerback Darien Porter on the 44-yard catch and finished with two grabs for 50 yards.
Darius Cooper also drew a pass interference on a third down fade into the end zone early in the second quarter. He caught a couple garbage time passes.
Offensive line: B-
The traditional run game numbers weren’t great, but the O-line answered the bell in the second half and put the game away. Hurts dropped to pass only 16 times, but his protection was good.
Fred Johnson finally got a win filling in for the injured Lane Johnson. The right tackle had acquitted himself well over the four games, but it was nice to see him rewarded for his efforts with Johnson expected back from a foot injury next week. The dangerous Crosby recorded a sack on third down after getting around Johnson in the second quarter, but Hurts probably held onto the ball too long. Crosby was otherwise kept in check.
Right guard Tyler Steen struggled in short-yardage run situations. His holding penalty brought back a 9-yard Barkley rush. But Steen also had his moments as a run blocker. Left guard Landon Dickerson is clearly not playing at 100%. His decline has been an issue all season, but he looked fairly spry when he pulled and helped clear a lane on Barkley’s 17-yard scoot off the right in the third quarter.
Center Cam Jurgens led the way on Barkley’s 6-yard run up the middle on the opening drive. Jurgens and Dickerson also got significant push on Barkley’s 2-yard touchdown run before the half. Left tackle Jordan Mailata got driven back by an off-ball linebacker on a Barkley carry in the first quarter. But he was near flawless in pass protection.
Quarterback Kenny Pickett walked into a buzz saw in his first start for the Raiders. He was sacked four times and forced into checkdowns and tight window throws all game. The Eagles front, meanwhile, led a defense that mostly bottled up running back Ashton Jeanty.
The old man in the group, Brandon Graham, led the way with two sacks — his first sacks since coming out of retirement. Heplayed mostly at defensive tackle for the second straight week. Outside linebacker Jaelan Phillips was a pass rushing force. He hit Pickett’s arm and forced an incompletion on fourth down in the first quarter. Phillips drilled the quarterback again from the blind side, and the ball came out short.
Jalyx Hunt had multiple third-down pressures. Outside linebacker Nolan Smith got in on the sack party in the third quarter. Jordan Davis failed to bring Jeanty down on his longest run to that point — 11 yards — but he had four total stops. Moro Ojomo sacked Pickett with an inside spin move.
Linebacker: A
Nakobe Dean led the Eagles with eight tackles — two of them for losses on passes. He recorded a tackle he dropped tight end Brock Bowers in the backfield after a catch. Zack Baun picked off Pickett for his second interception of the season.
Rookie Jihaad Campbell again was an afterthought and only played consistent snaps after the game was no longer in doubt.
Pickett averaged just 2.56 yards per attempt and had no room or time to throw downfield. Adoree’ Jackson had pass breakups on back-to-back plays before the half. Bowers bounced off him and picked up one of the Raiders’ few first half first downs. Quinyon Mitchell shut down his side and was hardly targeted.
Cooper DeJean had a shaky start, but settled down and made numerous plays vs. the run and pass. He had four tackles and a pass breakup. DeJean allowed a third down conversion when he slipped during the Raiders’ first possession. It got worse for him on the drive when DeJean committed two penalties on the same play — holding and an unnecessary roughness personal foul — but the Eagles eventually held.
Safety: A
With the Eagles ahead throughout, both safeties — Marcus Epps and Reed Blankenship — played an ample amount of shell defense. They made plays when called upon, though. Bowers did pull Blankenship for a first down on a third-quarter throw short of the marker.
It was straight A’s for Nolan Smith and the Eagles defense on Sunday.
Special teams: A
Kicker Jake Elliott was perfect on his kicks, connecting on a 27-yard field goal and four extra points in heavy winds. Punter Braden Mann had a light day with just one punt for 43 yards.
Britain Covey averaged 7.3 yards on three punt returns. Will Shipley broke through for 31 yards on his lone kick return. Long snapper Charley Hughlett returned from injury and seemed clear in all his snaps.
Nick Sirianni has his team back in the win column after a three-game slide. The Raiders are brutally bad and lacking in talent, but the Eagles took care of business and are one game closer to clinching the NFC East.
Offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo had a solid day calling plays. A workmanlike opening drive showcased some solid play-calling and a commitment to the ground game. Patullo worked in more successful under center runs and dialed up another nifty red zone touchdown on a shovel pass. He dialed up the shot to Smith with deception including two-back personnel.
Patullo probably went with 12 personnel too much early on, but he adjusted and the Eagles went ahead, 17-0, with a strong series before the half.
Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio’s unit delivered its first shutout of the season. What more is there to say?
A quick, stress-free Eagles win? Been a while since we’ve had one of those!
The 31-0 shutout victory over the Raiders went by so quickly (2 hours, 31 minutes) that you could’ve blinked and missed it. In case you want to relive the victory, here are the best moments from the broadcast …
Look, would you love to see him only repping Philly? Sure. But if he keeps playing like he played today — even against a Raiders team that’s “not very good,” according to Fox color analyst Greg Olsen — Hurts can wear whatever he wants.
“That even-keeled personality, I think people sometimes have a hard time understanding how to react to it,” Olsen said. “He can be so calm in the big moments, and when you expect a lot of emotion, you expect a lot of fire, that’s just not his personality. But I do think it serves him so well when things do get rocky and everyone else is riding those emotional ups and downs. He’s just so steady.”
Mistaken identity
After firing former Eagles coach Chip Kelly, the Raiders have a new offensive coordinator — Greg Olson. Olsen wanted to stress during the Raiders’ first offensive drive that they are not the same person.
“Not me, I am not calling plays for the Raiders,” Olsen said. “Olson with an O.”
After retiring in the offseason, Brandon Graham came back mid-year, and earned his first sack of the season on Kenny Pickett in the first quarter.
But quarterback Philip Rivers stole some of his thunder, coming out of retirement at 44 and making his first start since 2020 for the Colts against the Seahawks on Sunday afternoon.
“This is the year of retired guys coming back,” Fox play-by-play commentator Joe Davis said. “Philip Rivers saw Graham come back and said, why can’t I?”
“There’s old, and then there’s Philip,” Olsen joked.
Of course, when you think of snow games in Philadelphia, you think of the famous Santa game. But given how the Birds had been playing coming into Sunday’s game, you’d be forgiven for feeling more like the Grinch.
But thanks to the Birds’ shutout victory, even the Grinch’s heart may have grown a few sizes …
To what I imagine was the delight of the fans freezing at the Linc, the Eagles played one of the shortest games in franchise history, clocking in at 2 hours, 31 minutes, give or take a minute.
But it could have been a contender for the all-time record for shortest game, set in 1996 at 2:29 by the Colts and the Chargers. Of course, ad space is king, and a long ad break just seconds after the two-minute warning stretched the game out just enough to block the Birds from setting an NFL record.
When Jalen Hurts hit A.J. Brown in the end zone with the exclamation point touchdown Sunday, he turned to the Eagles’ sideline and, with unusual enthusiasm, he jumped up and down, waved his arms with emphasis, and said several things that seemed out of character for a young man who usually behaves in such a godly manner.
Maybe he was saying, “Bench me? Bench me?!? That’s ridiculous!”
Probably not. But you couldn’t blame him if he was.
After the game Hurts declined to divulge what he said, or even what he felt, after that, his last play of the game.
“Just a natural reaction,” he offered.
Hurts declined to divulge much of anything, in fact. It is part of his personality: When he plays well after a spate of poor play, he retreats into himself.
“Heavy is the head that wears the crown,” said Brandon Graham, unlikely Shakespeare paraphraser. “Everybody thinks they want it until they get it.”
Hurts was benched in the 2018 College Football Playoff Championship Game, was a second-round draft pick projected as a gadget quarterback, and is routinely maligned for his arm strength and decision-making when things go badly. A three-week slump isn’t going to derail his career.
“Everybody needs to remember where I come from,” he said, “and how I’m built. … [Losses] aren’t barriers. They’re just bumps in the road.”
The high road, in Hurts’ case.
Naturally reticent and having long borne the burdens of doubt, demotion, and disappointment, it is all Hurts can do in these moments to not gloat. Small clues provide the only window into Hurts’ world. Like a master gambler, he has few “tells,” but you can always sense the smoldering passion when, after playing under water, he burst to the surface for air.
It’s how he has survived. It’s how he survived the past week.
“You control your own joy when there’s a lot of noise out there,” coach Nick Sirianni explained.
It was impossible for Hurts to not hear the noise.
Hurts’ seven turnovers and 69.9 passer rating were the most apt and most significant barometers of the three-game losing streak the Eagles rode into Sunday’s snow-frosted walkover contest against the visiting Raiders.
Hurts’ slump raised the question about whether, if he continued to struggle, he should be benched. This, despite having gone to two Pro Bowls and two Super Bowls, the most recent of which he was crowned MVP. Still, playing without stars Lane Johnson on the offensive line and Jalen Carter on the defensive line, the Eagles had slipped from 8-2 to 8-5 and had gone from being the No. 1 seed in the NFC to No. 3, with the Cowboys lurking in the weeds of the NFC East race.
Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts runs past Las Vegas Raiders cornerback Darien Porter during the third quarter at Lincoln Financial Field.
The question in question was posed by the Eagles’ flagship station, WIP 94.1-FM, during its weekly, contracted interview with Sirianni that follows the most recent game. Hurts had five turnovers in the most recent game, a Monday Night Football loss at the Chargers.
Sirianni’s response: “I think that’s ridiculous.”
The question wasn’t ridiculous. It was legitimate.
Hurts rebounded from the worst game of his career with one of the best. He completed 12 of 15 passes for 175 yards and three touchdowns. Two went to tight end Dallas Goedert, who led the team with six catches for 70 yards. The third went to Brown, only his second official target of the day, a 27-yard dime into triple coverage — by far, Hurts’ best throw of the day.
It was not, however, his best play. That came a few minutes earlier.
Midway through the third quarter, a holding penalty put the ball on the Raiders’ 27 and presented Hurts with third-and-12. At stake: a dagger touchdown or a field goal that would preserve for the Raiders a sliver of hope.
Hurts, in the shotgun formation, saw the middle of the field utterly undefended. He appeared to audible at the line of scrimmage, but later said the play was run as called by offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo. Either way, it was the sort of play that only a handful of quarterbacks can make.
Hurts received the snap, took a half-step backward, tucked the ball, and darted up the middle. He then scooted to his left and outraced defenders to the sideline, exiting the field a yard beyond the first-down marker.
Three plays later, he hit Goedert from 4 yards and the Eagles led, 24-0.
The Brown TD was little more than garnish, but might serve the team well. Brown spent the first half of the season complaining, mostly on social media, that he was being underutilized. He then was targeted 45 times in the next four games, but the offense struggled and the team lost three of four.
On Sunday, Brown was underutilized again, but he did catch the TD pass.
He didn’t speak with the press after the game.
Monitor your insta feed.
At any rate, Hurts thrived in a game that unfolded in the proper design for the team’s composition.
He threw just 15 passes, but none was thrown into harm’s way. None was forced to Brown. Hurts’ 154.9 passer rating was the second-best of his 89 starts, including playoffs. He has not thrown more than 28 passes in any of his top four.
Eagles running back Saquon Barkley runs for a first down as Raiders safety Isaiah Pola-Mao moves in.
Hurts benefited from an absence of offense from the Raiders, who used backup quarterback Kenny Pickett in place of injured Geno Smith, who’d been piloting the league’s worst scoring offense, at 15.1 points per game. The Eagles’ defense was great, but it was playing a warm-weather dome team in 20-degree weather with 25-mph wind gusts on Pacific Coast time.
Hurts also benefited from a pointed effort to feature running back Saquon Barkley, who ran 22 times for 78 yards and a touchdown. He averaged 14 carries during the losing streak.
Finally, the Eagles incorporated a handful of designed runs, and Hurts ran on his own. His 39 yards on seven rushes were his most since Game 4. He averaged 44.8 rushing yards in the first four games, all of which were wins. The Eagles went 4-5 in the next nine games.
Hurts needs to run. Saquon needs to run. Goedert needs the ball.
If A.J. gets some looks, great. If not, live with it.
“It’s a good formula,” said Brandon Graham, who had two sacks in Game 14 of his 16th season. He’s seen some stuff. “It’s definitely a good formula for us.”
Sirianni understands the formula but wouldn’t commit.
“Next week we could come out and it could be a completely different game,” he said.
RALEIGH, N.C. — The Flyers are getting an early present for the holidays.
Cam York will return to the lineup on Sunday when the Flyers take on the Carolina Hurricanes (5 p.m., NBCSP).
“Play a simple game early. That’s the way you get back in the game, I think,” coach Rick Tocchet said about the defenseman who has missed four games. “So hopefully, he just does whatever the first pass is, makes the first pass, and just lets the game come to you.”
York has been out with an upper-body injury since Dec. 3, suffered against the Buffalo Sabres. The exact moment when the injury occurred has not been revealed, but he did not return after being involved in a scrum following Trevor Zegras being boarded by Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin with 3 minutes, 10 seconds left in the second period.
It’s also possible that the high hit by Buffalo forward Jason Zucker behind the Flyers’ net with 13:50 left in the period is what Tocchet referred to postgame. The hit was a little late as the blueliner skated back for the puck.
“He’s going to have a really hard practice today,” Tocchet said about York at Xfinity Mobile Arena on Thursday before the Flyers lost in overtime to the Vegas Golden Knights. “Not hitting, but like a lot of pushing and shoving on the ice, and see how he reacts off it. I think this is the day we’ll know how close he is to playing.”
And it looks like he’s good to go.
York will be back alongside Travis Sanheim, with Nick Seeler dropping back to the third pairing with Noah Juulsen. Jamie Drysdale and Emil Andrae remain as the second pair.
Ty Murchison, who made his NHL debut Dec. 9 in the Flyers’ win against the San Jose Sharks, will come out of the lineup. A fifth-round pick in 2021, the 22-year-old looked steady on the blue line while averaging 15 minutes of ice time and earning a plus-minus of plus-1.
Flyers center Sean Couturier skates with the puck with teammate right wing Carl Grundstrom past Carolina Hurricanes right wing Jackson Blake on Saturday.
“It’s huge,” Tocchet said of York coming back to stabilize the defense before adding unprompted: “It’s really organizational depth when you’ve got a guy like Murchison comes up and plays well for us.”
At the time of his injury, York was averaging 23:31 a night, ranking him 25th in the NHL. Sanheim was fifth at 25:16 with 11 points in 26 games and is one second more in the four games without his partner, notching three assists.
According to Money Puck, Sanheim and York are among only 31 pairs in the NHL that have skated at least 300 minutes together. Although they rank 29th in expected goals for (12.9), they are tied for seventh with the Washington Capitals’ Jakob Chychrun and Matt Roy in expected goals against (14.1) while playing against the league’s top lines.
There’s been a ripple effect without York as Drysdale went from 21:34 to 22:45, Andrae from 16:16 to 21:41, and Seeler from 19:09 to 22:04 alongside Sanheim. York should help balance that out — and could help the power play.
“Yeah, 100%,” Tocchet said when asked about that. “We got Sanny, himself, and [Drysdale] and put Emil on the second unit. So we’re looking for somebody to step up. York is a guy who, early on with, especially with Trevor [Zegras], they had some chemistry, so, yeah, we’re looking at all options.”
In his 23 games this season, York has one goal and 12 points, with his lone goal and six points on the power play. The Flyers’ power play is tied for 23rd in the NHL with the Nashville Predators, and it has scored 14 times this season, tied for the third fewest in the league.
Breakaways
Defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen is also on the road trip, and Tocchet again added that “Risto is coming [back] soon, so going to add two quality good depth.” … Goalie Dan Vladař will start in goal for the Flyers. It is his first game against the Hurricanes this season.
NEW YORK — The first time Gov. Josh Shapiro attended the glitzy Pennsylvania Society dinner in midtown Manhattan, he was a young lawmaker invited by David L. Cohen.
Fifteen years later, Shapiro again sat front and center with Cohen, on Saturday night in New York City’s Waldorf Astoria hotel. The governor and the former U.S. ambassador to Canada celebrated Cohen’s receipt of a gold medal award, which has typically been given to the likes of former presidents, prominent philanthropists, and influential businesspeople.
“I still remember that feeling of sitting here, in this storied hotel, inspired not just by this grand, historic room, but most especially by the people in it. I just felt honored to be here,” Shapiro recalled in his remarks Saturday night to the 127th annual Pennsylvania Society dinner. “We’ve come full circle.”
The Pennsylvania Society, which began in the Waldorf Astoria in 1899 by wealthy Pennsylvania natives who were living in New York and hoping to effect change in their home state, returned Saturday to the iconic hotel for the first time in eight years to honor Cohen for his lifetime of achievement and contributions to Pennsylvania.
The $1,000-per-plate dinner closed out the Pennsylvania Society weekend in New York City, where the state’s political elite — local lawmakers, federal officials, university presidents, and top executives — travel to party, fundraise, and schmooze across Midtown Manhattan, with the goal of making Pennsylvania better.
Each of the approximately 800 attendees at Saturday night’s dinner was served filet mignon as their entree and a cherry French pastry for dessert. The candlelit tables in the grand ballroom had an elaborate calla lily centerpiece — a flower often symbolizing resurrection or rebirth, as the society had its homecoming after years away while the hotel was closed for renovations.
Shapiro, who has delivered remarks to the Pennsylvania Society dinner each year of his first term as governor, focused on the polarization of the moment. He said the antidote that Pennsylvanians want is for top officials to work together and show the good that government can achieve to make people’s lives better.
“Let us be inspired by that spirit and take the bonds we form tonight back home to our cities, towns, and farmlands, and continue to find ways to come together, make progress, and create hope,” Shapiro said.
Shapiro also thanked the members of the society for their support after an attempt on his life by a man who later pleaded guilty to setting fires in the governor’s residence on Passover while he and his family slept inside.
Cohen was honored as a Philadelphia stalwart whose long career includes stints as an executive at Comcast, chair of the University of Pennsylvania’s board of trustees, and five years as Ed Rendell’s chief of staff during his mayorship.
He was recognized in a prerecorded video featuring praise from former U.S. Sens. Pat Toomey and Bob Casey, former U.S. Ambassador to Germany and former University of Pennsylvania president Amy Gutmann, Rendell, and others the 70-year-old Cohen has worked with throughout his career.
Rendell attended the dinner with his ex-wife and federal appellate court Judge Marjorie “Midge” Rendell. In his prerecorded remarks, Ed Rendell credited Cohen as the true governor and mayor of Philadelphia for all of his work behind the scenes.
Cohen, who continues his work to promote the relationship between the United States and Canada since his return to Philadelphia this year, began his remarks following his introduction with a joke: “It’s sort of nice to hear a preview of your obituary,” he said with a laugh.
Cohen gave an impassioned speech defending democracy and recognizing America’s position in the world, even as polarization reaches a fever pitch in the country. He credited the society as a place where America’s founding tenets are achieved.
“These Pennsylvania Society principles represent what the United States is supposed to stand for as a country, a promoter and defender of democratic values, values that have special residence in Philadelphia and Pennsylvania, where our country was born almost 250 years ago,” Cohen said.
And Cohen had a dispatch from his years as an ambassador, followed by a call to action: “From our comfortable perch in Pennsylvania, I don’t think we always appreciate what we have here in the United States and the critical role that America plays on the global stage in promoting democracy.”
The Eagles clobbered the lowly Las Vegas Raiders, 31-0, on a cold, windy Sunday afternoon at Lincoln Financial Field. Vic Fangio’s defense dominated, posting the Eagles’ first shutout since Dec. 30, 2018 (a 24-0 victory over Washington). The unit limited the Raiders to 75 yards of offense, a new single-game franchise low for the Eagles and the fewest allowed by any defense this season.
At long last, the Eagles played clean, complementary football. Jalen Hurts rebounded from his five-turnover performance last week against the Los Angeles Chargers, going 12-for-15 for 175 yards and three touchdowns for a near-perfect 154.9 passer rating.
Here’s our instant analysis from the Eagles’ Week 15 win that brought their three-game losing streak to a halt:
Jalen Hurts added value in both the run and pass games on Sunday.
Offensive identity
Don’t look now, but the Eagles might be starting to establish an identity.
Nick Sirianni and Kevin Patullo leaned into under-center runs and run-pass option plays from shotgun to great success, allowing the offense to sustain drives and go three-and-out only once. The Eagles also set up some play-action passes off their under-center looks.
Hurts even kept the ball on some of those option plays, adding 39 yards on seven carries (most of which were designed). He got shaken up on a zone-read keeper at the end of the third quarter when he got hit by former Eagles linebacker Devin White, but he immediately returned to action.
In the passing game, Hurts got all of his favorite targets involved. Dallas Goedert took a 4-yard pitch on a run-pass option for a touchdown in the first quarter that made it 7-0. The 30-year-old tight end scored on another shovel pass in the third quarter, putting the Eagles up 24-0.
Goedert nearly had another touchdown catch in the second quarter, but he dropped the pass, ultimately leading to the Eagles settling for a 27-yard field goal to go up 10-0. He finished the afternoon with six receptions for a team-high 70 yards and the two touchdowns.
Hurts also got his staple deep ball going. Late in the first quarter, he connected with DeVonta Smith on a play-action pass down the left sideline for 44 yards. Fred Johnson (and Saquon Barkley) helped keep Maxx Crosby away from Hurts in the pocket, although Johnson arguably got a bit grabby against the four-time Pro Bowl defensive end.
The fifth-year starting quarterback hit A.J. Brown, aligned in the slot, with a 27-yard touchdown pass deep over the middle of the field on the first play of the fourth quarter. The Eagles went up 31-0, further solidifying their biggest lead of the season.
Brown made other critical plays on third down, drawing a pass interference call against Raiders cornerback Eric Stokes on the opening series to help keep the drive alive. He also caught a 14-yard pass on a slant on third-and-8 in the third quarter that ultimately helped set up Goedert’s second touchdown.
“I think it was just a step today,” Hurts said of the offense building its identity. “We’ve got to treat every game individually and treat every day individually in pursuit of our best self.”
Given the windy conditions at the Linc, the Eagles leaned heavily into the running game, executing a season-high 47 carries. Barkley accounted for 22 of them, racking up 78 yards (3.5 yards per carry) and a touchdown.
Like last week against Chargers, Barkley got going on the ground on under-center runs. He followed a pulling Landon Dickerson on a 17-yard under-center run in the third quarter that led to Brown’s touchdown. Barkley’s touchdown carry in the second quarter, though, came on a shotgun handoff up the middle, putting the Eagles up by 17.
Brandon Graham continued his late-season surge with a pair of sacks in the win over the Raiders.
Old man Graham
With Jalen Carter missing time due to shoulder injuries, 37-year-old Brandon Graham has been spending more time lining up at defensive tackle.
He was dominant in the role on Sunday. Graham posted two sacks, his first since coming out of retirement in late October, on just seven pass rushes. He beat right guard Caleb Rogers on both plays to get to ex-Eagles backup quarterback Kenny Pickett. One of those sacks was essentially wiped off the board when Cooper DeJean incurred an unnecessary roughness call after the whistle on the same play in the first quarter.
But Graham made up for it in the second quarter with his second sack, forcing the Raiders to go three-and-out for a second time. The Raiders would ultimately go three-and-out five times. Just six games into his un-retirement tour, Graham is 1½ sacks away from tying his 2024 total.
“I feel like my training camp is over with now and I’m just trying to contribute, if it’s on the field or off the field, whatever it is,” Graham said. “We’re having some fun right now and I’m happy we got back in the win column.”
The Raiders had no luck sustaining drives in the cold and windy conditions at the Linc on Sunday.
Defensive dominance
Graham’s performance was just one part of the defense’s commanding effort over the Raiders. Pickett was sacked four times, once by Moro Ojomo, and once by Nolan Smith in addition to Graham’s two.
Even the edge rushers who didn’t earn sacks made noise. Jaelan Phillips batted a pass at the line of scrimmage on fourth-and-7 on the Raiders’ opening drive, causing Pickett to throw an incomplete pass and turning the ball over on downs. Phillips, whom the Eagles acquired from the Miami Dolphins at the trade deadline, has three pass deflections in the last three weeks.
In the second quarter on third-and-7, Jalyx Hunt breezed past the left side of the Raiders offensive line on a stunt and hit Pickett. The Raiders quarterback threw an incomplete pass intended for running back Ashton Jeanty, leading Las Vegas to punt.
The back seven took advantage of the Eagles’ disruption up front. With the left side of the Raiders offensive line getting pushed back, Pickett threw an interception to Zack Baun on a pass intended for Raiders tight end Brock Bowers in the third quarter.
“We know we’re a good defense,” Baun said. “A great defense. And we’ve just kind of been ramping it up all season. To have a game like that really showed where we’re at.”
Injury report
Tight end Cam Latu went to the tent late in the fourth quarter with an apparent arm injury.
ATLANTA — Tyrese Maxey will miss his second consecutive game with an illness when the 76ers face the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday night at State Farm Arena.
The standout point guard had been listed as doubtful on Saturday’s injury report. Center Joel Embiid (left knee injury management) was cleared to play after being listed as questionable.
“We’re super concerned,” Sixers coach Nick Nurse said of Maxey’s illness. “We’re concerned because he’s sick, and he wasn’t well enough to get on the floor here for a couple of games. After Friday’s game, we thought he’d be at the plane to come with us but didn’t make it. I talked to him last night, and he said he’d see me at practice Tuesday. I said, ‘I’m not sure we’re practicing Tuesday, but I’ll be there. Me and you, man. I’ll see you there.’
“It’s been a bit, but yeah. It is concerning, but, again, he’s improving. Hopefully, it’ll get him to where he’s good enough to get back in action.”
The Sixers (14-10) will be at a disadvantage against the Hawks (14-12). The 6-foot-2, 200-pound Maxey is the league’s third-leading scorer at 31.5 points per game. He’s also fourth in three-pointers made (84) and ninth in assists per game (7.2).
Those 54 points tied Hall of Famer Allen Iverson for ninth in a regular-season game in team history. Iverson did it twice, on Dec. 18, 2004, and Jan. 6, 2001.
Maxey joined Hall of Famer Wilt Chamberlain (March 18, 1968) as the only two players in franchise history to produce at least 50 points and nine assists in a game.
The Sixers also will be without Kelly Oubre Jr. (left knee ligament sprain) and Trendon Watford (left thigh strain). The Hawks are without Trae Young (right knee ligament sprain), Jacob Toppin (right shoulder surgery), Kristaps Porziņģis (illness), and N’Faly Dante (concussion protocol). Nickeil Alexander-Walker (right lateral ankle sprain) is questionable.
Jill Biden, who grew up in Willow Grove, is a fervent Eagles fan and has never been shy about her passion for Philly sports. She’s talked about watching the Phillies with her dad, and in 2020, wore an Eagles shirt to a fundraiser with former Dallas Cowboys star Emmitt Smith — as any “good Philly girl” would do.
Husband Joe, a Delawarean, hasn’t been so forthcoming about his allegiance; ahead of the ill-fated Super Bowl LVII, then-POTUS tweeted, “As your president, I’m not picking favorites. But as Jill Biden’s husband, fly Eagles, fly.”
