👋 Good morning! I stared at this tweet for a solid five minutes, hoping it was AI-generated or some sort of elaborate prank. Alas, it is very real.
It, just… does not make any sense. It only makes a little more sense than if the Eagles purchased one of those inflatable rats than you often see across the street from construction sites.
In fairness to that bunny, over the last five years there certainly have been other Eagles developments that were ridiculed in the moment but preceded a run of good play. Nick Sirianni’s flower speech came before an unlikely playoff berth and Sirianni’s buzz cut came before the most dominant four-month run in the history of the franchise. Do good things come in threes? We will find out. — Rich Hofmann
Use code PHLY25 for 25 percent off orders of 35 bucks or more. They have so many great flavors like OG Hickory, Street Taco Pork, Lemon Pepper Turkey, Spicy Habanero and so many more. Take it from me, they are all delicious. Check them out today!
The photo above is Justin Herbert lining up under center against the Eagles in 2021. I chose this photo for a few reasons.
The first is that I watched the first half of that game in an establishment somewhere in the Delaware Valley. And that establishment’s cable set-up was so bad and probably illegal that when I looked down at my phone right after the Chargers scored a touchdown with one minute left in the first quarter on the television, my phone informed me that the Eagles currently had the ball in Chargers territory in the second quarter. I hightailed it out of there and watched the second half on my couch. And the Eagles lost, whatever.
The second reason is that Vic Fangio said that Justin Herbert will not be under-center that often after getting surgery on his left hand. Perhaps some mind games being played there by Uncle Vic, but if Herbert does play (and it sounds like that will be the case), we have no idea how he will be affected.
To get you ready, I would recommend checking out a loaded Friday pod and EJ’s last-five predictions.
One thing that gets talked about a lot in both pieces on #content? Jalen Hurts potentially ramping up his usage in the run game.
Last week, the Eagles ran QB draw out of Empty for 23 yards on the play prior to Hurts’ long touchdown pass to A.J. Brown. That specific play has always felt like a cheat code. But designed runs are something Hurts has done less of this season, and as a card-carrying member of The Kevin Patullo Skeptics, I do at least understand why that part is not there. The less the quarterback generally gets hit, the better. But it’s also a button that the Eagles can press to generate some reliably easy offense. And, you know, nothing has been reliably easy about this offense all season.
And it’s not just the designed runs we are seeing less of. Hurts is scrambling way less than he used to. There is a balance to be found there, as scrambles are not inherently good or bad. But Hurts could not have played a different style of game on Black Friday than the one we saw opening night against Dallas.
My hope? The lack of the QB-designed runs was an intentional choice to preserve some wear and tear on your franchise quarterback, and now in the games that matter most, we will see more of it.
The Chargers are 8-4, which is commendable with all of the injuries that they have dealt with. I always talk about how crazy high Nick Sirianni’s career winning percentage is, up there with the greats like Lombardi and Madden. Well, Jim Harbaugh is also way up there. That said, the Chargers have played a very friendly schedule thus far and the difficulty level is about to go up. No cupcakes for them in their last five games.
Some other quick things to look for tonight:
On the edge, advantage Eagles: The Chargers have two excellent offensive tackles (Rashawn Slater, Joe Alt) but have been without both of them for most of the season. Neither of them are playing. After two quiet-ish games and a mini-bye to rest up following two games with a million snaps, it would be nice if the pass-rush could heat up.
Inside, advantage Chargers: Old friend Mekhi Becton lines up at guard for these guys, and we know what he can do in the running game. Without Jalen Carter, I am very curious to see what Jordan Davis and Moro Ojomo’s snap counts are like. You would think they are laughably high.
Ladd McConkey vs. Cooper DeJean: That is probably the best white-on-white skill position matchup that the NFL has to offer, right? If not, it’s still a good one.
Does Marcus Epps start in Sydney Brown’s place? I say yes. Let’s party like it’s 2022.
Tim McManus reported that Sirianni is more involved in the offensive prep this week. It’s so hard to parse blame with this current set-up. Nick has still been very involved with the offense, even after ceding play-calling duties in his first season. But according to T-Mac, it is even more so this week.
Last year’s Eagles win this game going away, but it’s really hard to trust this offense right now. Let’s hope we are all pleasantly surprised. My guess is that we get a coin-flip slugfest in the teens.
Xavier Gipson waived: As EJ explains, The Covster is back in the saddle officially moving forward.
NFL Roundup: Some quick takes…
Packers beat the Bears at Lambeau, competitive game though. Even with a win tonight and the tiebreaker, the Eagles would be a half-game back of The Pack due to that pesky Cowboys tie.
The Chiefs now have less than a 20 percent chance of making the playoffs. That’s a shame.
Raiders coming into Philly next week at a cool 2-11.
Washington is now 3-10, and Zach Ertz looked like he suffered a pretty brutal injury. They are still on the schedule twice.
It’s rare to see a season go off the rails as fast as Indy’s. Poor Danny Dimes. Why was he playing?
For some reason, though, I keep coming back to Jonathan Gannon.
Johnny Ganz is now 15-32 as an NFL coach. He has no quarterback, as Kyler Murray will likely not be back next season. Gannon himself very well might not be back next season. And I was wondering if there has ever been a more damaging win than Cardinals 35, Eagles 31 on New Year’s Eve 2023.
If the Cardinals lose that game, they are picking second and have their choice of Jayden Daniels and Drake Maye. Instead, they settled for Marvin Harrison Jr.
Everyone here was furious at the Eagles that day, and they should have been. But hey, they won the Super Bowl the next year and everything. That loss is a footnote now. But the Cardinals? They do not have much. It’s not like an NFL coach can try to lose, but man, what a pyrrhic victory for The Gan Man.
Colorado 3, Flyers 2: It felt like Philly Team Loses To Very Good West Opponent Day at The Artist Formerly Known As The Farg. Did the Flyers and Sixers market it that way?
Did you know the Avalanche are 21-2-6? Well, now you do. Good for everyone at DNVR.
❝
This will go down more as a missed opportunity for a season-defining upset than a truly embarrassing defeat. They hung right with the best team by record in the NHL, a club that didn’t suffer its second regulation loss until early December. At the same time, however, the schedule circumstances were in their favor, and given their quick start and strong finish, the Flyers really could have won this one. It’s a game of “could haves” and “should haves,” and because of that, they can’t get more than a 6.0 out of 10.
It’s a bummer that Trevor Zegras is only good at penalty shots in the shootouts. Oh well, he’s still great. Also great? Charlie’s feech on Matty Meech.
They did hire Matt Campbell: That is all.
Sixers get a split: The local basketball team played two games this weekend.
I actually thought Joel Embiid was fine defensively in the Lakers game. I saw some coverage elsewhere and some people disagreed (along with our YouTube chatters) and that is fine. I would say that he was definitely better compared to the low baseline we have seen so far. Seven boards, a block, a steal, a few actual box-outs. Yes, some bad possessions mixed in there, but that is also a brutally tough team to defend.
But Joel shot 4-21 from the field in a four-point loss. And that is (*furiously typing into calculator*), um, bad.
❝
The Lakers went on the inevitable third-quarter run that comes every night against the Sixers, and Embiid’s inability to buy a bucket helped extend what could have been a pedestrian run in the opening minutes.
They keep involving him as a hub of the offense, even as evidence grows that he’s better off as more of a connector. Watching him smoke DeAndre Ayton and then, well, smoke the layup in a pivotal moment of the fourth quarter was tough to take. And a big jumper from Embiid late in the fourth empowered him to eat up another critical possession, one where he clanged it off the rim after shaking Austin Reaves in the post. Just not good enough.
I thought Kyle listed two good things there that show why offense just does not come as easily to Embiid.
He used to be a run-stopper. When a team went crazy against the Sixers, Joel would drill a free-throw line jumper or draw two free throws to settle things down. Not so much anymore.
He used to destroy mismatches. In his prime, switching Austin Reaves onto Embiid would have been an automatic two points. But now, like Kyle mentions, it was a bad shot in a key moment.
So, that was a bummer. I did not think the game was that much of a bummer for the Sixers, though. When you play close game after close game, some are not gonna go your way. The Lakers are tough, too.
Luka Doncic did not shoot well, but the stuff he does to your defense is just so hard to guard. There really is no right answer against him most times. And when I listen to all of my NBA podcasts, all they talk about is how old LeBron looks. Well, LeBron did not look that old last night. He closed the Sixers out, shooting 12-17 with some pretty tough makes in there. Oh well, that’s an all-time great for you. Shake his hand.
Outside of that, I think this was the maddest I think I have ever seen Tyrese Maxey at the refs? This was something!
Oh, and NBC Sports Philadelphia, no more drone cam. Your viewers were getting a terrible vantage point on key possessions because of technology that none of them want. Just show the game!
Picture this: a fan cave that actually feels like your dream setup. Thanks to Ashley, that could be real; we’re giving away a $2,500 Ashley Furniture Gift Card! Go big on a sectional, add some stylish pieces, or trick out your space for game day; it’s all up to you. Just visit ashleyfancave.com, see if you’re eligible, fill out the form, and you’re entered.
It’s that simple. Enter now and you might be watching the next big game in a fan cave built by you, courtesy of Ashley.
Well, there is a certain football game on (8:15 p.m., ABC and ESPN). How dare the Mannings sit this one out! And during the day, the Winter Meetings kick off in Orlando.
Phillies… c’mon, do something.
Your tentative Monday schedule at PHLY:
🎙️ The Anthony Gargano Show: 9:00 a.m.
🦅 Eagles: Pre-game, halftime, post-game
Let’s make it a good one.
Rich Hofmann
Daily Newsletter Editor
PHLY SPORTS
Save up to $100 on Qi35 This Holiday Season
The holiday season is here and TaylorMade is making it ridiculously easy to score something everyone on your list will actually love. Right now you can save $100 on Qi35 drivers and $50 on Qi35 fairway woods and rescue clubs. This is the kind of gift that pays off round after round.