Eagles Win 10th Straight

It’s another Victory Monday for Eagles fans!

Amazing what ten straight wins can do for the soul, isn’t it? This W was particularly satisfying, as Jalen Hurts and company put to rest concerns about the passing game and team chemistry.

We wish we had similar good news for you regarding the Sixers and Flyers. Sadly, whatever deal we struck with the devil for the Birds came with a price.

In the email today:

• 🦅 Eagles Win 10th Straight

• 🏥 Sixers Lose, Embiid Hurt Again, McCain Out "Indefinitely"

• 🧊 Tame Flyers Drilled by Wild in Schedule Loss

  • 📆 This Day in Philly Sports History

  • 📊 Poll

  • 🔗 Links

  • 📺 Coming Up

The Eagles' 27-13 win over the Steelers counts the same as last week's win over the Panthers in the standings. But the vibes couldn't be more different.

After a week of hand-wringing over the Jalen Hurts / A.J. Brown relationship, the two connected for 110 yards and a touchdown. Hurts also hit DeVonta Smith for 109 yards and a TD. (Impressive symmetry from the two receivers.)

The Birds defense, meanwhile, held Pittsburgh to just 13 points despite two Eagles fumbles.

It all added up to a tenth consecutive Eagles victory, a franchise record. And proof that the team can win even when Saquon Barkley is held in check.

Jalen Hurts: 25/32, 290 passing yards, 45 rushing yards, 3 total touchdowns

As many expected, the Eagles fed A.J. Brown the ball early and often.

There was a message behind the Kid 'n Play celebration.

The Hurts / Brown stuff wasn’t exactly media-manufactured drama. There was definitely something going on there. But everything seems fine now between the QB and his WR1. Credit both guys for working things out like the professionals they are.

DE-FENSE!!! (Clap clap clap) DE-FENSE!!! (Clap clap clap)

Only two sacks for the Eagles, but Russell Wilson was pressured all day. Pittsburgh generated just 163 yards of offense. And the Birds’ defense stood firm after two early fumbles.

Is Jake Elliott back?

The kicker put some minds at ease with his performance, making both of his field goal attempts. He also connected on a 48-yarder that didn't count because of a Steelers penalty.

Elliott looked so good that Tom Brady called him David Akers. (Akers last played for the Eagles in 2010.)

To be fair, Brady was probably a little shook from seeing Brandon Graham before the game.

The NFC's top seed is back in play.

Buffalo Bills beat the Detroit Lions Sunday, helping the Eagles' chances at the #1 seed in the NFC.

The Birds still need a little help on that front. But they got the job done for the tenth consecutive week.

It isn’t discussed much, but there are contingency plans for a professional sports team going down in a plane crash. The season wouldn’t just go on without that team.

Instead, in such a circumstance, a “disaster draft” would be hastily convened. In the NBA’s version, each franchise would protect five players, and a team would be drafted from the unprotected players to replace the players tragically lost.

The state of the Philadelphia 76ers inevitably brought this subject to mind. Joel Embiid, Paul George and Tyrese Maxey have all missed time this season. Just when it seemed like the Sixers were healthy, this weekend happened.

The Sixers lost by 14 to the Indiana Pacers at home Friday night. The loss dropped them to 7-16 and 3-9 at home.

This loss was troubling on more than the injury front. Six 76ers scored in double figures, which is usually a very good sign. But that barely matters when you allow the opposition to shoot almost 52% from the floor and almost 37% from three point range.

It’s getting late early for the Sixers. We don’t trade in stuff like curses. At the same time we can’t argue with facts.

Every time it looks like the Sixers see a light at the end of the tunnel, not only is it a train coming in their direction — there’s another train picking up speed behind them.

And while the Sixers aren’t currently eligible for a disaster draft, what’s been going on with them is about as close to a disaster as you’re likely to ever see.

Rarely if ever will a professional athlete admit that sometimes the schedule preordains a game outcome. These guys didn’t get to the top of their sport by thinking they can’t win.

Be that as it may, the Flyers won back to back games at Columbus and home against Detroit last week. Their reward was a trip to Minnesota to play one of the Western Conference leaders.

It went about how you might figure.

The Flyers were understandably an underdog in this game. The best strategy for an underdog team is to play disciplined hockey, not give anything away, and capitalize on the chances that present themselves.

The Orange and Black went one for three in this regard, the one being that they only gave the Wild one power play and largely played a clean game.

Unfortunately, the first Wild goal is one that Flyers net minder Samuel Ersson would definitely want back.

Kirill Kaprizov is an elite scorer, but even he shouldn’t be beating the goaltender from this angle.

Plus, the Flyers were facing Marc-Andre Fleury, who has more or less owned the Flyers his entire goaltending career.

Fleury was great again against the Flyers, stoning Travis Konecny with an astounding glove save. The Wild’s best save of the game unfortunately came from (checks notes) Flyer Matvei Michkov.

The only guy who could save that shot was Michkov, and he made it happen. Tough night for TK, eh? Could easily have had two. Instead, he finished the game -2.

The Flyers return to action Wednesday night in Detroit for a rematch against the Red Wings. That game is the opposite of a schedule loss, and it’s a game the Flyers need to have to keep touch with the playoff places in the Eastern Conference.

📆 This Day in Philly Sports History

On December 16, 2007, Brian Westbrook passed on a touchdown so that the Eagles could run out the clock on Dallas.

📊 Poll

Results from Friday:

Looks like some PR work is necessary…

🔗 Links

• 🏀 It’s fairly convenient timing, the Pistons waiving Paul Reed.

• 🐃 Travis Hunter took the Heisman Trophy in the closest vote since 2009.

• ✈️ Hard to know whether or not Bill Belichick was just trolling the Jets.

• 📈 The NCAA’s basketball tournaments could end up expanding even further.

• 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 The Union continue to hemorrhage talent as Jack Elliott appears to be on his way to Chicago.

📺 Coming Up

Games before our next send.

Monday, December 16, 2024

• Sixers at Hornets, 7:00 p.m. (NBC Sports Philadelphia)

Thanks for reading. See you tomorrow.

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