Ocean City Mayor Jay A. Gillian has been slapped with a civil suit for nearly $600,000 for an unpaid debt.
Filed in Cape May County Superior Court by the 1st Bank of Sea Isle City and the Patricia Gillian Irrevocable Trust, the suit seeks payment for a 2024 court judgment related to Gillian’s closed Wonderland Pier amusement park.
“Nothing has been paid on account of the Judgment,” the suit states, according to court records.
Gillian, who has been mayor since 2010 and is now seeking a fourth term, filed for bankruptcy earlier this month. He could not be reached for comment about the suit.
The Gillian family had owned Wonderland from 1965 to 2021, when it had defaulted on $8 millions in loans, and sold the amusement park to developer Eustace Mita, of Icona Resorts.
Mita, who has had plans to transform the site into a $150 million luxury hotel, and eventually townhomes, is also named in the suit. He told the Press of Atlantic City that he is not liable for Gillian’s Wonderland debts from before Mita bought the property.
After a City Council vote earlier this month, the property remains under review by the Ocean City Planning Board to determine whether it should be rehabilitated or rezoned for new development.
Patricia Gillian was married to Gillian’s father, Roy Gillian, former mayor and founder of Gillian’s Wonderland Pier, who died in 2024 at 94.
The complaint argues that the bank and the trust are owed nearly $600,000 that went to Gillian after the sale of the boardwalk property.
Earlier this month, Gillian described his declaring bankruptcy as an “extraordinarily difficult decision,” due to a combination of business decisions, personal financial obligations, and outside circumstances, which led to “serious financial strain.”
“Like many individuals and families across our nation who encounter unexpected hardship, I found myself in a position where traditional methods were no longer viable,” Gillian said. “It is my hope that by being transparent and direct, others facing similar hardships will feel empowered to seek help, take responsible action, and work toward rebuilding.”
Staff writer Henry Savage contributed to this article.
Former New Hampshire head coach and standout quarterback Rick Santos will serve as the next head coach of Penn football, the university’s athletic department said Saturday in a release.
Santos will be introduced to the Penn community during a news conference at Franklin field on Tuesday — marking the start of a new era for Quakers football.
“I am incredibly excited and humbled by the opportunity to lead the football program at the University of Pennsylvania,” Santos said in a statement. “Penn represents excellence at the highest level — academically, athletically, and institutionally — and I am grateful for the trust placed in me to steward such a proud and prestigious program. … I cannot wait to begin this next chapter and fully embrace the Penn football community.”
Santos takes over for Ray Priore, who announced last month that he would be stepping down after 39 years with the program. Priore led the Quakers for over a decade as head coach, and was an associate head coach for a decade prior. He originally joined the staff in 1987 as the team’s assistant linebacker coach and was a part of 12 Ivy League championships, including two as head coach (2015, 2016).
In five seasons as head coach at New Hampshire, Santos led the team to a 37-24 overall record, going 28-12 in the Coastal Athletic Association en route to three FCS playoff bids.
In his first year as a full-time head coach in 2022, the Norwood, Mass., native earned the program a share of the CAA conference title while taking the team to the second round of the FCS playoffs — and earning the CAA Coach of the Year award after finishing the season ranked No. 15 in the nation.
“We are thrilled to welcome a high-energy, dynamic leader in Rick Santos as the next head coach of Penn Football,” said Alanna Wren, Penn’s Director of Athletics and Recreation. “He is a proven winner, taking New Hampshire to multiple NCAA FCS playoff appearances, and is considered one of the best players in FCS history as a former Walter Payton Award winner. I am confident Rick will have Penn competing for Ivy League championships and postseason appearances in the near future.”
Penn has hired former New Hampshire coach Rick Santos as the next leader of the Quakers.
Santos spent the majority of his coaching career at UNH, with the team rising to No. 1 in national rankings when Santos was the wide receivers coach from 2013-2015. From 2016-2018, he had a brief stint with Columbia under former Penn head coach Al Bagnoli before returning to UNH as an associate head coach in 2019.
“I want to express my deepest gratitude to the University of New Hampshire, a place that has truly been home to me in every sense of the word,” Santos said. “From my time as a student-athlete, to serving as an assistant coach, and ultimately having the honor of leading the program as head coach, UNH has shaped me both professionally and personally.”
As a player, Santos is “widely regarded as one of the greatest players in FCS history,” according to Penn’s announcement. A four-year starter from 2004-2007, Santos became a three-time all-American, two-time Atlantic 10 offensive player of the year, a CAA co-offensive player of the year, as well as a Walter Payton Award winner in 2006.
Former New Hampshire quarterback Rick Santos is the new head coach at Penn.
The former Wildcat led his team to four straight FCS playoff appearances with a 37-14 career record, winning an Atlantic 10 championship and finishing ranked No. 1 nationally in 2005. In 2007, Santos became the fourth ever Wildcat to see his jersey retired, finishing his career leading the program in passing yards (12,189), completions (1,024), and passing attempts (1,498).
He went undrafted in 2008 and had a short stint with the Kansas City Chiefs before playing in the Canadian Football League.
“I will forever be grateful to the Wildcat family — our players, staff, alumni, and supporters — for the unwavering support, trust, and belief they showed in me and my family,” Santos added. “The relationships built and the memories created in Durham will always hold a special place in my heart.”
Waylon Jennings drawls as customers cradle bottles of Lone Star beer while browsing the racks at Secondhand Ranch — the latest attraction deep in the heart of Fishtown.
The rough-hewn, outlaw-country theme bar paired with a retail store specializing in secondhand clothing and vintage merchandise opened Dec. 6. It’s set behind saloon-style swinging doors inside the Frank Furness-designed former bank building at Frankford and Girard Avenues, across from Garage, Joe’s Steaks, and Johnny Brenda’s.
This retail-bar pairing dates to 2020, when founder Josh Sampson opened Garage Sale Vintage in Denver. Sampson describes the idea as “a love letter to the circular economy — with salt on the rim.”
The three pillars, he said, are sustainability, a focused margarita program, and partnerships with local vendors. He later expanded it to two locations, with a tacos-and-tequilas menu, in Nashville and then to New York.
Decor items and clothing are shown at the thrift store inside the new Secondhand Ranch in Fishtown.
Seeking a space in Philadelphia last year, he struck a deal with Alterra Property Group for the Fishtown building. Soon after, he became embroiled in a copyright lawsuit with the operators of Garage, the bar across the street.
Sampson changed the name and concept for the Philadelphia location. Rather than strictly vintage items, he decided that Secondhand Ranch would be a country bar paired with secondhand retail, with a smattering of vintage items.
Barn doors separate the bar and retail at Secondhand Ranch in Fishtown.
The distinction between secondhand and vintage is crucial: “Secondhand is a much broader category,” Sampson said. “With vintage, it’s simple — everything has to be 20 years old or more. Secondhand lets us focus more on sustainability and diverting usable goods from landfills. It also allows for lower price points and a different kind of fun.” Think racks upon racks of T-shirts, sweaters, hats, jeans, button-down shirts, as well as a rodeo’s worth of cowboy boots — all secondhand.
The retail operation, behind barn doors, is split evenly between in-house curation and a vendor collective, said manager Nikki Gallipoli. Each vendor (such as Zac Cowell, known as VintageZac) manages its own rack in the store — “they come in, sort it, and keep it updated,” she said. Inventory includes vinyl records, books, and knickknacks.
Decor items and clothing are shown at the thrift store inside the new Secondhand Ranch in Fishtown.
“Part of the experience is grabbing a drink and going on a treasure hunt,” Gallipoli said.
A retro-style gift shop within the space focuses on new, non-clothing merchandise such as accessories, novelty items, stickers, matchbooks, and handmade goods. Much of that inventory is sourced from small independent businesses online rather than strictly from Philadelphia suppliers. “The clothing itself isn’t always handmade, but it is always secondhand,” she said.
Decor and clothing items are shown at the thrift store inside the new Secondhand Ranch in Fishtown.
Secondhand Ranch leans fully into honky-tonk aesthetics and sound for what Sampson calls “very much the kind of vibe you’d see in Austin or Nashville.”
The massive bar, set beneath wagon-wheel chandeliers, seats about 30, with an additional 30 to 40 seats spread throughout the room. The former bank vault has been preserved and now functions as cold storage for beer. There are old-fashioned coin-operated games in one corner, and a stage that’s now set up with den-style furniture.
Jordan Sims tries on a cowboy hat at the thrift shop inside Secondhand Ranch in Fishtown.
The stage will host live music, scheduled to begin in early February, when the food menu — primarily wild-game sausage, nothing fancy — launches. Right now, hot peanuts are served.
Lone Star is the beer of choice; it’s part of the citywide special ($10), paired with an infusion shot.
Customers gather in the lounge at Secondhand Ranch in Fishtown on Dec. 6, 2025.
“One fun goal we set for ourselves is trying to become the No. 1 Lone Star beer account,” Sampson said. There are 12 beers on tap. Besides Lone Star, the bottle list includes Star and Shiner Bock from Texas, plus elevated local craft options like Tonewood Brewing’s Freshies. “It’s exactly what you’d expect at a honky-tonk,” Sampson said.
Classic and seasonal margaritas anchor the cocktail program, along with zero-proof options. Programming will include DJ sets, pop-ups, and “Trade-In & Sip” nights, designed to connect the drinking and shopping experiences while emphasizing community engagement. Vendor applications will open online, and a pop-up showcase with margarita specials is planned as part of opening festivities in February.
Secondhand Ranch, 1148 Frankford Ave., 267-807-13450, is open from noon to midnight Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday, and 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Closed Tuesdays through December. The retail store closes at 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and at 9 p.m. the other days.
Joel Embiid grabbed the offensive rebound and, before tumbling to the floor, muscled the put-back through contact and into the basket.
And as the 76ers’ center stepped to the line to shoot the and-1 free throw, faint “M-V-P!” chants resurfaced inside Xfinity Mobile Arena.
That conversion highlighted Embiid’s best game of the season — 39 points, nine rebounds, and three assists in Friday’s 115-105 win over the Indiana Pacers — when his team needed the boost while playing without ill star guard Tyrese Maxey. The big man’s first 30-point outing in nearly a calendar year also served as a flashback to the player he used to be, before multiple knee surgeries curtailed his dominance on both ends of the floor.
And a reminder of the player he can still be, at least every now and then?
“I feel like I can do it,” Embiid said from his locker after the game. “I think the dynamics [are] obviously different, at times. I want to play more as a team, so making sure everybody’s involved. If someone has to sacrifice, I will. But in some occasions, when I’ve got it going or nights like tonight, it’s going to happen.
“I don’t expect having to do this when everybody’s healthy. But I will if I have to.”
Embiid reacts after scoring three of his 39 points against the Pacers.
Embiid’s outburst came in his 10th appearance of an early season that already has been interrupted by scheduled missed games and a three-week absence due to a right (not left) knee issue. It also occurred after one of the worst shooting performances of his fabulous career, going 4 of 21 during Sunday’s loss against the Los Angeles Lakers.
But Embiid shrugged that dud off in the immediate aftermath. Then, he utilized a rare four days between games to generate rhythm through team practices and individual workouts. The break also allowed a previously undisclosed finger issue that may have affected his shooting to heal, Embiid said during Friday’s postgame media session.
“Obviously, it’s easier to be consistent when everything is going well physically,” said Embiid.
Sixers coach Nick Nurse, meanwhile, added a “couple little wrinkles” to foster a variety of Embiid scoring avenues that the coach is “always trying to continue to seek,” he said.
Friday night, that manifested in post-ups from both blocks. And in pick-and-roll actions in the middle and on the side of the floor. And in Embiid directing teammates such as Dominick Barlow to cuts for easy dunks. And in Embiid driving to draw fouls — and 13 free-throw makes — with an aggressiveness that signals the center is at his best, Nurse said.
“It came in a lot of different schemes [that the Pacers] threw at him,” Nurse said of Embiid’s performance Friday. “And I thought he read the different stuff pretty good most of the night.”
VJ Edgcombe started at point guard Friday with Tyrese Maxey out.
Embiid’s presence also helped unleash rookie VJ Edgecombe, who scored 14 of his 20 points in the first quarter while filling in for Maxey as the starting point guard. Embiid then amassed 15 points of his own in the second frame, including a step-back three-pointer that snapped a streak of 17 consecutive long-range misses.
During the third quarter, Embiid spun and scored early in the frame and later finished an off-balance and-1. And he complemented the Sixers’ stout down-the-stretch defense by sinking a baseline fadeaway jumper with less than a minute remaining, putting his team up by 10 points and earning a slap on the backside from Nurse.
Perhaps nobody was happier to see this version of Embiid resurface than Maxey, who entered Friday ranked third in the NBA in scoring (31.5 points per game) and first in minutes played (39.9 per game). During the game, Maxey posted “GOOD PROCESS!!” on X, then fielded a postgame phone call from his teammate and close friend.
Embiid also was spotted chopping it up with Edgecombe and Jared McCain in the postgame locker room, evidence of the connections forming during the Sixers’ 14-10 start.
“I won’t lie,” Embiid said. “Last year, I wasn’t happy all the time coming to work because of everything that was going on, whether it was on and off the court. This year, it’s a little different. I’ve got a great group of guys. I’m happier coming in here.”
Following a lengthy postgame treatment session, Embiid said his body feels “great” after playing a season-high 32 minutes. The real test, as always, will be how both knees respond Saturday morning. He reiterated the plan remains for him to take two days off between games, which means it would require at least a conversation in order for Embiid to be cleared to play Sunday at the Atlanta Hawks.
“It’s up to them,” said Embiid, adding he was “consistently pushing” his body during the four days leading up to Friday’s game. “If I can, I’ll fight for it. If I can, I’ll play. But if I’m not allowed or if I can’t, then it is what it is.”
But when the Sixers needed a boost from their former MVP while playing without Maxey for the first time this season, Embiid dropped a reminder of who he used to be.
And can still be, at least occasionally?
“People don’t understand how much work he does,” teammate Paul George said of Embiid, “ … when it comes to taking care of his body and trying to do whatever it takes to get on the floor and be available for us.
“Just happy that it showed out, [that he] got back to his usual self.”
I am not new to end-of-life care — as a nurse and someone who has worked in healthcare for most of my life, I have helped numerous friends, family, patients, and clients at the end of their lives.
Yet, the transition to long-term care for older adults is vastly different. Over the past few weeks, I have witnessed the demoralizing treatment of this firsthand as family members close to me have tried to manage their loved one’s urgent hospitalization and the fallout afterward; it was a wake-up call.
My 80-year-old relative was diagnosed with metastatic cancer seven years ago. During the pandemic, they had emergency surgery as their cancer spread to their spine and caused partial paralysis in their legs. The surgery was successful, and for a long time, medication kept the cancer contained. But last month, the paralysis began again, and they were back in the hospital requiring another urgent spinal surgery.
At first, their acute care was phenomenal. Then, as they became physiologically stable, and it became clear they couldn’t go home but would need long-term care, everything changed.
When it comes to the transition into long-term care, families have no control over some things, yet are expected to control the minutest details of others, writes Marion Leary.
I watched as my family members, over the course of two weeks, grew increasingly overwhelmed, exasperated, and exhausted. They began to look as though they themselves were going to require hospitalization. The amount of information being thrown at them, in no coordinated way, was utterly overwhelming. In contrast, the lack of information being shared with them was similarly overwhelming and stupefying.
Though my family members were at their loved one’s bedside more than eight hours a day while in the hospital, and repeatedly asked the medical team to discuss any plans with them, their loved one’s healthcare proxy, the team continued to only relay pertinent information to the patient who was in excruciating pain, on pain meds, is hard-of-hearing, and was recovering from spine surgery and anesthesia .
Not surprisingly, the information rarely made it back to my family members. Not once during the week postsurgery, as they were trying to plan for the looming hospital discharge and the associated next steps, did that happen.
At no time did anyone from the surgical or oncology team discuss follow-up plans with my family members. This sparked a cascade of misinformation and omissions that became the foundation for the steep learning curve that is rehabilitation and long-term care in our healthcare industry.
Due to the progression of the cancer on the spine and the ensuing paralysis, my family’s loved one needed to go to acute rehab from the hospital, but what acute rehabs were available, where they were located, how long one can stay and then where they go afterward, how it would be decided, and how it would be paid for was a mystery for my family to decipher.
Their loved one would need to start radiation therapy once the surgical wound healed, but how they would be transported from the acute rehab to the medical center and when that would begin was also, apparently, for the family to figure out. At one point, my family member asked the social worker how transportation to the radiation appointment would work; the social worker shrugged their shoulders and told them to try an Uber.
An Uber, for a medically fragile, at the time stretcher-bound, individual. It would be funny if it were not contemptible.
Almost all of us who grow old will need some long-term care — and yet, based on our experience and the experiences of so many others, there is no system in place, writes Marion Leary.
As my family member’s loved one became more stable and progressed in their rehabilitation, their follow-up medical care became the next problem to be solved.
Oncology appointments were scheduled while at acute rehab; luckily, they could be done virtually. To our surprise, though, the acute rehab personnel would take no responsibility in assisting their patient in attending these medically necessary appointments. They refused to help turn on the iPad or log in to the medical portal for the appointment. Once again, it was the family’s responsibility to figure out how this would happen.
Ultimately, my family member had to physically go to the acute rehab to turn on the device and log their loved one into the portal. Dealing with an ill and injured loved one is hard enough while juggling your own life responsibilities, but requiring family members to drive 40 minutes (each way) in the middle of a weekday to an acute rehab facility with licensed medical providers — to assist the facility’s own patient with their necessary medical appointments because the facility’s licensed medical providers refuse — is yet another unnecessary and callous hurdle to make families jump.
In situations such as I have described, families have no control over some things, yet are expected to control the minutest details of others. Make it make sense.
I am not naive to the plethora of troubles that come with being sick, injured, low-income/low-resources, or elderly in this country.
I ran a nonprofit organization years ago that helped people pay for medical expenses. I worked with clients who were not only trying to keep their loved ones alive but were also trying to manage and pay for their care. I repeatedly witnessed how our healthcare industry put up every possible roadblock and hurdle; how loved ones became increasingly despondent.
In the U.S., there are over 61 million older adults, those aged 65 or older — this is 18% of the population. This number is expected to grow to 22% of the population by 2040. That will be close to one-quarter of the U.S. population. Yet, there is no coordinated system in place to help older adults and their families transition to long-term care and navigate the inevitable healthcare challenges they will face — let alone face them with grace and dignity.
The “not my problem” “hot potato” approach our healthcare industry has taken is criminal.
With nowhere else to turn to help my loved ones, I reached out to a colleague who specializes in palliative care. They provided helpful resources and echoed what seems to be the sentiment of many providers: “Our ‘system,’ it’s garbage.”
Many patients and families who have gone through this experience know this to be true. Yet, we continue to perpetuate, accept, or be resigned to a system that treats older adults and their families, as my colleague accurately stated, like garbage.
Which is mind-boggling, as most of us, if we are lucky (or unlucky, given the circumstances), will grow old. Most of us have relatives who will grow old. Almost all of us who grow old will need some long-term care — and yet, based on our experience and the experiences of so many others, there is no system in place.
None of the resources we eventually found came from any healthcare provider or social worker in either the hospital or the acute rehab.
None.
Only after using ChatGPT and reaching out to colleagues were we able to start putting the pieces together. ChatGPT recommended our local county aging corporation, which provided helpful resources for transportation and the Pennsylvania Elder Law hotline.
Through this whole process, we have remarked — and felt genuinely nauseated over — what other older adults who need long-term care do if they don’t have family support or financial resources. We are still at a loss.
But I am not about to shrug my shoulders or be resigned. I am not willing to place the burden back on the sick and aging, nor their families. I implore my healthcare colleagues to acknowledge the faults in the system, accept the burden of care, and do better.
Marion Leary is a nurse, public health advocate, and activist.
A proposal in City Council aims to amend the so-called resign-to-run rule that requires elected city officials to give up their seats if they want to run for another office.
Philadelphia voters have already rejected a similar plan twice, once in 2007 and again in 2014. A third attempt stalled out in Council in 2020.
Councilmember Isaiah Thomas, who proposed eliminating the rule last year, is back with a modified measure that would allow city officeholders to keep their seats while running for a state or federal office. They would still have to resign to run for another city office, such as mayor.
Sorry, councilman, but there’s no such thing as being a little bit pregnant. Many of the same good government reasons that require resigning to run for another office still hold.
Namely, running for office is a full-time job. The fundraising, campaign stops, debates, and town halls that take place during the day, nights, and weekends leave little time for officials to do the six-figure day job they were elected to do.
Depending on the office, running for a statewide or federal seat could also require additional travel across the state that would further distract from serving the constituents the official was elected to represent.
There would also be the temptation to use taxpayer-funded city resources — including the car, office, and staff — to help with the campaign. That is in addition to the taxpayer-funded salary and benefits elected city officials would collect while campaigning for a higher office.
Lastly, the elected official could also leverage their position against other candidates to benefit themselves or donors.
City Councilmember Isaiah Thomas said he would like to see the “resign-to-run” rule eliminated, but for now he was trying to strike a compromise.
The arguments for allowing an elected official to remain in office while campaigning for another job just don’t hold up.
The main argument is that it will allow more competition. For example, Thomas said some of his Council colleagues may have entered the race to replace retiring U.S. Rep. Dwight Evans — a five-term Democrat from the 3rd District — if they did not have to resign.
But even under the current rule, there is no lack of competition for Evans’ seat. Eleven people have already announced their candidacy, and the primary is not until May 19.
The diverse field already has a number of excellent candidates, including several who have never run for office before. Voters will have plenty of good options.
Thomas argued voters would benefit if the field included Council members. “There could be even more great candidates,” he said in an interview.
Thomas said city officials faced an uneven playing field, since state and federal elected officials do not have to resign to run for another office. That is true.
Three of the congressional candidates hold state elected office. But the better reform is to require state and federal elected officials to resign to run for another office.
As the saying goes, two wrongs don’t make a right.
Voters are already fed up with professional politicians. It is even more annoying when an official gets reelected and months later launches a bid for another office.
Even with the current rule, there is no lack of competition for retiring U.S. Rep. Dwight Evans’ seat, Paul Davies writes. Eleven candidates so far are vying to succeed the five-term Democrat from the 3rd District.
That scenario may soon play out with Gov. Josh Shapiro. He faces reelection in November, and many assume he will run for president in 2028. That means if Shapiro is reelected governor, he could spend much of the first half of his second term campaigning in Iowa, New Hampshire, and beyond.
After then-New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie launched his first bid for president, he would go on to spend 262 full or partial days out of the state in 2015. He traveled with a security detail that included New Jersey state troopers driving black SUVs with the state’s license plates, costing taxpayers more than $600,000.
Likewise, when then-U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio (R., Fla.) ran for president in the same election cycle, he missed 50% of the votes in the Senate.
Thomas conceded it would be difficult to balance city duties while running for an office that would require campaigning across the state. But he said city officials running for a congressional seat in Philadelphia while holding office would “not miss a beat.”
That may be true since Council doesn’t meet in the summer. But that’s an argument for making Council a part-time job, especially since they can, and some do, hold second jobs.
Philadelphia’s resign-to-run rule was added to the Home Rule Charter in 1951. At the time, the Committee of Seventy, a nonpartisan organization established in 1904 to combat corruption, strongly supported the rule.
After then-New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie launched his first bid for president, he would go on to spend 262 full or partial days out of the state in 2015, Paul Davies writes.
Any measure that prevents corruption still seems like a good idea. But surprisingly, the good-government group’s position has “evolved,” Lauren Cristella, the head of the Committee of Seventy, said in a statement.
The organization “reluctantly” supported the repeal of the rule in 2014, citing the need for more competition.
But Philadelphia voters rejected the effort. Just as they did in 2007.
This time, the Committee of Seventy said it would only support ending the resign-to-run rule if it was part of a broader reform package that includes term limits and “stronger safeguards for ethical, transparent government.”
The Committee of Seventy said the proposed change in its current form only serves the “political interests, but not the public interest.”
Rest assured, if the resign-to-run rule were modified to allow city officials to run for state and federal office, it would just be a matter of time before Council tried to repeal it altogether.
Even Thomas said he would like to see the rule eliminated, but for now, he was trying to strike a compromise.
Philadelphia has long been criticized as being “corrupt and contented.” But reforms like resign-to-run and the city’s strict campaign finance regulations passed a decade ago are models of good government.
Indeed, only a couple of cities and states have a resign-to-run rule. Philadelphia should champion its position as a good-government leader.
Harrisburg — which has no such measure and some of the worst campaign finance rules — would benefit from following the city’s lead.
The Eagles host the Las Vegas Raiders in a Week 15 matchup at Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday at 1 p.m. Here’s what you need to know about the game:
When the Eagles have the ball: No defense in the NFL stacks the box as much as the Raiders, and it’s not close. Their 50.5% stacked box rate is 13% higher than the next team. What’s that mean for the Eagles? It’s pretty obvious, considering the success other defenses have had concentrating their efforts on stopping Saquon Barkley and the run game, and how Jalen Hurts has performed as a passer — especially over the last five games. If Las Vegas is going to stay in base personnel a lot, it’s imperative that Hurts and Co. use light numbers in the secondary to their advantage. And stop running into heavy fronts on first down! That said, I think Nick Sirianni and Kevin Patullo will have ample amount of short passing concepts to rebuild Hurts’ confidence after his five-turnover performance vs. the Chargers.
Raiders head coach Pete Carroll is one of the greatest defensive minds in NFL history, but his scheme hasn’t evolved as much as it should to counter modern offenses. He doesn’t have his safeties disguise pre-snap or rotate post-snap as much as they should, and his zone coverages lack matchup principles. Hurts should have chances to throw downfield vs. single-high looks, particularly Carroll’s preferred Cover 3. Post safety Isaiah Pola-Mao is no Earl Thomas — Carroll’s linchpin when he was with the Seahawks. Pola-Mao has a 20.3 missed tackle rate, per Pro Football Focus, and has allowed five touchdowns through the air. Carroll has a capable box safety in the Kam Chancellor role: Jeremy Chinn. He’s played more often on the line as the season has progressed. He also has another former safety in quasi-linebacker Jamal Adams to compensate for playing more base.
I like A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith against most cornerbacks, but Carroll doesn’t have Eric Stokes and Darien Porter on islands much. Hurts is likely to see a lot of zone again. Can the Eagles build off the middle-of-the-field concepts that produced chunk yards in Los Angeles? The disparate numbers between shotgun and under-center runs suggest Sirianni and Patullo should lean more into the latter, especially considering how it’s set up play-action passes. Hurts completed both play-action throws for 48 yards vs. the Chargers. Let’s see more of that. The Raiders’ Devin White, who was briefly with the Eagles last season, would be the second-level linebacker I’d target in the pass game.
Maxx Crosby (98) is banged up coming into the Eagles game, but the Birds will likely have to account for him.
If there’s one guy who can wreck the Eagles’ game plan, it’s Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby. Maybe I buried the lede with Fred Johnson starting in place of right tackle Lane Johnson for a fourth straight game. Crosby will line up over Fred Johnson most of the time. He has nine sacks and 18 quarterback hits this season. But with no one else of comparable talent up front, the Eagles should help Johnson enough to keep Crosby at bay. Crosby’s also banged up with knee and shoulder injuries, and no D-lineman has played more snaps (759) in the NFL this season. He was a full participant in practice on Friday.
When the Raiders have the ball: This will likely be the worst offense the Eagles have faced this season. The only variable that could hinder their chances is the new guy under center: Kenny Pickett. You may laugh, but injured starter Geno Smith is ahead of only Titans rookie Cam Ward in total expected points added (EPA) among quarterbacks. Pickett’s become a backup for good reason, but he also has 16 career wins as a starter, including the division clincher for the Eagles last season. In Smith’s defense, he’s played behind a bad offensive line and has few receivers who can get consistent separation. Tre Tucker (46 catches for 574 yards and five touchdowns) is his best downfield threat.
Old friend Kenny Pickett will try to extend the Eagles’ misery on Sunday.
Brock Bowers is easily the Raiders’ best skill position player. The tight end will fall short of his record-setting rookie season when he caught 112 passes for 1,194 yards, but he has 53 grabs for 619 yards despite missing three games and is on target for another solid campaign. He also has six touchdowns and will be Pickett’s best red-zone option. The Eagles have held tight ends to a league-low 428 receiving yards this season. Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio will use a combination of Cooper DeJean, Zack Baun, and Reed Blankenship — plus some bracketing — to contain Bowers.
As long as the Eagles are consistently out of third-and-short, I fail to see Las Vegas having much chance to put up points. The Raiders have been unable to do much on the ground for most of the season. Running back Ashton Jeanty averages just 3.5 yards a carry. It’s hardly the rookie’s fault his offense is last in the league in EPA/rush. The Raiders’ offensive line has been lacking at least one above-average blocker since left tackle Kolton Miller suffered an injury in Week 4. His possible return could offset an Eagles pass rush that has gotten better since the arrival of outside linebacker Jaelan Phillips, but I see a repeat of what happened against a patchwork Chargers O-line.
Could Sunday bring a shutout opportunity for Vic Fangio’s defense?
Extra point: The Eagles are double-digit favorites (12½ points) for the first time this season — a telling number considering how poor their offense has been since the Week 9 bye. Of course, the spread has as much to do with the Raiders incompetency as it does the Birds’ recent struggles. This is as close to an ideal get-back opportunity as Hurts and the offense could have at this stage of the season. Las Vegas has a decent defense and I suspect all the problems on that side of the ball won’t be solved. But you can’t lose if the other team doesn’t score points, and an Eagles’ shutout is in play. Really.
Weather will be a factor. There might be some snow showers, but 15-25 mph winds will be more the concern. Hurts and kicker Jake Elliott have struggled at times in bad weather games, but also in pristine conditions. I anticipate an outcome that will end up a nothingburger — the Eagles win behind their defense with the offense not performing well enough to satisfy most. Chip Kelly’s expected return to Philly would have brought some drama to the proceedings, but he was fired as Raiders offensive coordinator last month. We now just have “Pickett’s Charge” to write about. I foresee an end similar to that of the Confederate army.
Approximately 3.4 million state agency letters intended for Pennsylvania residents — including some detailing whether they are eligible for health benefits or food assistance, or need to renew them — were not delivered to residents from Nov. 3 through Dec. 3, officials said Friday.
Late last week, Pennsylvania state officials discovered that a month’s worth of mail had never been sent to residents by a government-contracted vendor, resulting in a pileup of millions of unsent state communications. Once the issue was discovered, the state fired the vendor, Harrisburg-based Capitol Presort Services, and hired another vendor for a $1 million emergency contract to work through the backlog.
Now, the state says 1.7 million letters sent by DHS, which oversees the care of Pennsylvania’s most vulnerable residents and the delivery of critical public benefits, were not delivered because of the vendor issue, said spokesperson Brandon Cwalina.
Residents may not have received letters detailing whether they need to renew their health benefits or if they are required to submit additional information to continue receiving SNAP food assistance, Cwalina confirmed. Administrative hearing notices — which could determine someone’s eligibility for public benefits, appeals about alleged elder abuse, or approvals of new foster homes — as well as child abuse clearances were also among the affected mail, he said.
Cwalina said the contents of some of the letters were also communicated to some intended recipients virtually, if they had opted to receive email or text notifications. Child abuse clearances are available online.
SNAP cutoffs, which are administered by DHS, were set to begin under the federal government’s new work requirements in December and must be appealed within 15 days. The federal government has said it will not count the month of November as part of its three-month timeline to implement SNAP cutoffs, so eligibility didn’t “occur during the period affected by the mail delay,” Cwalina added.
It remains unclear whether any Pennsylvania residents lost access to their benefits due to the vendor issue that went unnoticed for a month, or if they are at risk of missing deadlines to maintain their benefits. It’s also still unclear how many DHS hearings had to be rescheduled — and the impact of those delays on the care of Pennsylvania’s most at-risk residents.
Another 1.6 million letters from the state Department of Transportation were not delivered last month, including driver’s license and vehicle registration renewal invitations, driver’s license camera cards, vehicle registration cards, and address card updates, said Paul Vezzetti, a spokesperson for the Department of General Services.
Driver’s license suspensions were not impacted by the stalled mail. Vehicle registration and license renewal registrations are sent three months in advance, so anyone who was due to receive one at the start of November will have until February to submit it, Vezzetti said earlier this week.
All of the unsent letters from PennDot and DHS were successfully mailed by a new vendor this week and should reach residents within a few days, Vezzetti said.
The Elkins Estate, which already hosts weddings in its main mansion, is set to add a boutique event space and a distillery in the new year.
In the fall, the Tudor-style Chelten House will open for smaller gatherings of 100 or fewer people, and include 16 guest rooms, said Jeanne Cretella, cofounder of By Landmark hospitality.
“We’re really looking forward to our next phase,” Cretella said, noting that the Chelten House “will be the perfect setting for those much more intimate events, whether it’s seminars or retreats or business meetings.”
In 2019, Jeanne and Frank Cretella’s company, By Landmark, bought the sprawling Cheltenham property for $6.5 million from the Dominican Sisters of St. Catherine de Ricci, who had used the grounds for religious retreats. At the time, the couple said they intended to spend $20 million to restore six historic buildings on the site.
A couple walks through a room in the Elstowe Manor at Elkins Estate.
By Landmark’s final investment numbers were not available Friday, according to a spokesperson, as renovations are ongoing.
The Cretellas initially envisioned a luxury boutique hotel with more than 100 guest rooms, a spa, a restaurant, and other amenities. At one point, they even considered installing a heliport on the site.
Then the pandemic happened, Jeanne Cretella recalled Friday.
Despite the challenges of that time, “we are so proud that we were able to open up Elstowe Manor,” the estate’s 70,000-square-foot centerpiece that required extensive plumbing, electrical, heating, and ADA upgrades to be brought up to code, Cretella said.
A room at the Elkins Estate’s Elstowe Manor, its main mansion, set up for a wedding reception.
“We made the decision after COVID that it would be best … to have the rooms only open to event guests,” she said.
With 50-foot frescoed ceilings and a grand ballroom with a glass skylight, Elstowe Manor can host 300-person events and includes 69 guest rooms.
More than 100 weddings and events have been held at the manor in the past two years (The venue also hosted weddings in the early 2010s when it was briefly owned by a nonprofit that went bankrupt).
A couple kisses during their wedding ceremony outside the Elkins Estate’s Elstowe Manor.
At the estate these days, couples and their guests feel like they “are somewhere really special, and have the ability to really enjoy utilizing the estate for the whole weekend,” Cretella said.
With its more intimate setting, the Chelten House is meant to complement the Elstowe Manor, Cretella said. The home features Italian Renaissance Revival designs, with terracotta roof tiles, large arched windows, wood-paneled rooms, and marble fireplaces.
While each part of the property is set apart and has its own entrance, Cretella said she foresees the Chelten House being busy during the week (when most corporate retreats occur) and the Elstowe Manor bustling with wedding festivities on the weekends.
Some larger weddings may use both the manor and the Chelten House for their events and accommodations, she said.
Cretella said they don’t foresee adding more amenities to the property in the near future.
“The original plan to have a restaurant was definitely in conjunction with having a hotel that was open to the public,” not just event guests, she said. So “opening up a restaurant is not on the horizon.”
But, she added, “we won’t say never.”
For now, Cretella said they are focused on their events, including opportunities to welcome the public onto the historic site.
Earlier this year, the estate opened a podcast recording studio and demonstration kitchen, which Cretella said they hope local school students can use. They are also looking to bring professional actors and creators into the space.
In November, By Landmark opened the estate up for paid public tours. A tour in early January, which costs $30 a person, is already sold out.
Cretella said the estate plans to host a Valentine’s Day dinner, open to the public, with an optional overnight stay after the meal.
For the Chelten House, booking for small private events will open in the new year, Cretella said.
Based in North Jersey, By Landmark operates nearly 30 venues in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. They include the Hotel du Village and the Logan Inn in New Hope.
In the late 1800s, the Elkins Estate was built as a countryside retreat for railroad magnate William Lukens Elkins, who is credited with helping to form what would eventually become SEPTA and the Philadelphia Gas Works.
The Eagles are looking to snap a three-game losing skid on Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field. After the disaster at SoFi Stadium against the Chargers, the Birds are desperate to get back in the win column against a 2-11 Raiders squad without its starting quarterback.
Here’s everything you need to know ahead of Sunday’s game …
How to watch
The game will kick off on Fox at 1 p.m. from the Linc. Joe Davis and Greg Olsen will call the game from the booth, with Pam Oliver on the sideline.
If you’d rather listen to Merrill Reese and Mike Quick call the game, the radio broadcast can be found on 94.1 WIP, and if you’re not heading to the Linc, but want to watch the game with your fellow Birds fans, here are a few spots to check out.
The Eagles beat the Rams in the snow in the divisional round of the playoffs last year. It doesn’t look like the snow will be a factor, but the wind and cold could be.
Eagles vs. Raiders weather
The National Weather Service is calling for 2-4 inches of snow in the Philadelphia region on Sunday, but it is expected to move out of the area well before the Eagles game kicks off in South Philly. Temperatures are not expected to climb above 30, and the wind chill will likely be in the teens thanks to 15-25 mph winds.
The big injuries for the Eagles are again along the offensive and defensive lines. The Birds will be without right tackle Lane Johnson, who will miss his third game with a Lisfranc injury. The team is 0-3 in his absence. The Eagles will also be without defensive tackle Jalen Carter, who will miss his second straight game after undergoing a procedure on his shoulders.
The Raiders will be without quarterback Geno Smith, paving the way for backup Kenny Pickett to make his first start since Week 17 of last season, when he was a member of the Eagles.
Out
QB Geno Smith (shoulder/back)
WR Alex Bachman (thumb)
T Kolton Miller (ankle)
Questionable
S Jeremy Chinn (back)
C/G Jordan Meredith (foot)
TE Ian Thomas (calf)
Eagles vs. Raiders odds
The Eagles are favored by 11.5 points at FanDuel and 12.5 at DraftKings as of Friday afternoon, with a projected total of 38.5 points at both sportsbooks. For more information on prop bets, check out our betting roundup.
The Rams and Seahawks are tied for the best record in the NFC heading into Week 15.
Eagles playoff picture
With four games remaining in the regular season, the 8-5 Eagles hold a two-game lead over the rest of the NFC East and hold the third seed in the NFC. Elsewhere in the division, the 2-11 Giants and 3-10 Commanders are both eliminated from playoff contention. The Cowboys, at 6-7-1, are the only remaining NFC East team in the hunt, but even with an Eagles win and a Dallas loss, the Birds cannot clinch a playoff berth this week.
NFC East standings
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Meanwhile, in the race for the top seed in the NFC — and the lone first-round bye — the Eagles have some work to do. They’re two games behind the NFC West-leading Los Angeles Rams, and hold the head-to-head tiebreaker thanks to their Week 3 win.
However, even if the Rams falter, the Eagles are also two games behind the Seattle Seahawks, who are in second in the NFC West and the top wild-card team. The San Francisco 49ers, Green Bay Packers, and Chicago Bears are also each one game ahead of the Eagles in the win column. The Eagles only hold the tiebreaker over the Packers.
NFC standings
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Can the Eagles offense turn things around against the Raiders?
Story lines to watch
How will Jalen Hurts bounce back from a career-worst performance in L.A.? He plans to stay the course.
“I take the approach I’ve taken for a while, and it’s seemed to work,” Hurts said Wednesday. “I think right now it’s just a matter of being more detailed, more focused.
“When you put forth the work, put forth the effort, good things happen when you need them to happen. That’s my mentality. That’s how I’ve gotten to where I am today.”
Outside the Eagles facility, however, a debate over whether the team should bench Hurts has dominated airwaves, locally and nationally. According to Jeff McLane, it’s a question that has some merit after Hurts’ third straight loss. Others — like Nick Sirianni, who called the idea “ridiculous” earlier this week — aren’t as convinced.
Jake Elliott’s missed field goal against the Chargers proved critical, but the Eagles’ end-of-half conservatism has become a trend.
The defense has been lights out while the other side of the ball has struggled. Jordan Davis still believes in the Eagles offense.
Jason Kelce wasn’t a fan of the “positivity rabbit” that popped up in the Eagles locker room last week. It was gone after their loss to the Chargers.
One number to know
8-1: Pete Carroll’s all-time record against the Eagles as a head coach. Carroll has beaten the Eagles five times at Lincoln Financial Field and went undefeated against the Birds as head coach of the Seahawks. The Birds’ only win over Carroll came in 1998, when he coached the Patriots.
Jeff McLane: “This is as close to an ideal get-back opportunity that Hurts and the offense could have at this stage of the season. Las Vegas has a decent defense and I suspect all the problems on that side of the ball won’t be solved. But you can’t lose if the other team doesn’t score points, and an Eagles’ shutout is in play. Really.” | Prediction: Eagles 24, Raiders 9
Jeff Neiburg: “I think the Eagles did enough positive things offensively Monday to convince me they won’t have trouble moving the ball Sunday. They just need to avoid turnovers. Easier said then done, of course.“ | Prediction: Eagles 27, Raiders 11
Olivia Reiner: “This is a game the Eagles should win, even in the offense’s current state of disarray. But don’t expect it to be a blowout. It’s going to be cold and windy at the Linc (remember how the Eagles fared in those conditions against the Bears?), so it seems unlikely that this game is going to be high-scoring if the weather gets ugly. Perhaps that works to the Eagles’ advantage, seeing as they’ve been practicing in an icebox all week and the Raiders are living it up in temperate Las Vegas.” | Prediction: Eagles 20, Raiders 13
Here’s a look at the latest from our columnists, starting with David Murphy, who thinks talk of benching Hurts is short-sighted, but not as crazy as it sounds.
David Murphy: “You know what’s really, truly, magnificently ridiculous to think? That any quarterback could play as poorly as Hurts has played in back-to-back losses to the Bears and the Chargers without prompting some level of discussion about whether or not he should continue to start. As good as Hurts has played in his two Super Bowl appearances, that’s how bad he has played over the last couple of weeks.” Read more.
Marcus Hayes: “[A.J. Brown] was getting fewer and fewer looks. The ball just wasn’t finding him. He wanted the ball more. Hell, I wanted him to get the ball more. After all, with due respect to the golden oldies and one year of Terrell Owens, the Eagles have never had a receiver quite like him. But getting it to him has spelled disaster.” Read more.
Mike Sielski: “The Eagles are an excellent defensive team, and that is all, and that is not enough, not even close. Not with an offense like this. Not with this team’s tendency to commit untimely and inexcusable penalties. Not with so many questions that don’t get answered and so many problems that don’t get solved.” Read more.
Kenny Pickett started the Eagles’ Week 17 game against the Cowboys last season.
What the Raiders are saying
Pickett, who is plenty familiar with the Eagles as a player and a fan, is looking forward to starting against his former team Sunday — and has a bit of an idea what to expect.
“They’ll be ready to go,” Pickett said. “They have a hell of a team, there’s not a ton of new faces on that team, there’s a lot of really good players, I know the coaching staff, and how prepared they’re going to be for the game, so it’s a great opportunity.”
On what he took away from his Eagles experience: “Seeing what it looks like to be world champions, the dedication, the commitment from every position group, it was really player-led — that was a really cool thing. I think we had a great veteran leadership and a lot of those guys are still there.”
On the potential snowy weather: “I’m a Northeast guy, so this is new to me, going out and practicing in December and it’s 60 degrees every day. It’s unbelievable here, but I’m more used to when it hits November, December for it to be more like what it’ll be on game day, so I’m pretty familiar with it.”
Nationally, this week’s main character was Hurts, who took the mantle from offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo. Things didn’t get off to a good start for the Eagles quarterback, with many, including ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith, placing blame for their latest loss squarely on Hurts’ shoulders.
“You can’t make that throw,” Smith said of Hurts’ game-sealing interception in overtime. “You’re in field-goal range, in a position to tie. You know how much is on the line.”
“Do your job,” former Eagle Emmanuel Acho said on his Speakeasy podcast. “… He’s been average all season, and he was atrocious today. He was the reason they lost today.”
Nick Sirianni called the idea of benching Jalen Hurts “ridiculous.”
However, by the end of the week, Smith found himself on the other side of the debate, explaining why Hurts would continue starting to those calling for him to be benched.
“Jalen Hurts ain’t going to be benched,” Smith said Thursday on First Take. “The backup quarterback’s name is Tanner McKee, right? We all know Tanner McKee ain’t playing. We just know this, OK? Down the line, in the future, sure, but this year, Tanner McKee is not going to replace the reigning defending Super Bowl champion and Super Bowl MVP.”
Here’s what else the national media had to say about Hurts this week …
Dan Orlovsky: “I was probably the most critical person of Jalen Hurts early in his career. He … was the MVP of the Super Bowl. And 10 months later — 10 months later from doing that — we’re going, ‘Do you think we should bench the quarterback?’ … Do you know how stupid of a question that is?”
Colin Cowherd: “The truth is, the more Jalen Hurts throws, the worse Philadelphia is. Those are the facts.”
LeSean McCoy: “Did he play bad? Yes. Did he play horrible? Hell yeah, but he ain’t no four-pick-type quarterback. He had a bad game. A lot of quarterbacks have that.”
