The Eagles do not care about style points. They're just here to win.

By the next time THE Philly Sports Newsletter hit your inbox, we’ll know whether the Eagles will represent the NFC in this year’s Super Bowl.

If they defeat Washington, expect the the same chatter that accompanied their other 16 wins this season/postseason. Did Jalen Hurts throw for enough yards? Did the team’s game plan keep everyone involved? Would they have won if you took away all their big plays, or if the weather had been different?

It’s your choice whether to engage in all that or to ignore it.

Just know that the Eagles will absolutely not care.

In the email today:

• 🏈 Selflessness, focus at the the heart of the Birds’ success

• 🛑 Flyers' streak stopped with a thud with loss to Rangers

• 📣 Voices calling for Kyle Neptune's job are getting louder

  • 📆 This Day in Philly Sports History

  • 📊 Poll

  • 🔗 Links

  • 📺 Coming Up

A clip of Jordan Mailata speaking after Eagles practice made the social media rounds yesterday. Asked if he was bothered by the lack of respect Jalen Hurts gets nationally, the lineman responded bluntly:

Mailata’s response isn’t surprising. All season long, the Birds showed us that they do not care what anyone thinks about them. They’re on a mission to win a championship. That’s the only goal. They are not concerned about personal accolades, and they are unbothered if their wins are not pretty enough for the loud voices behind the big desks on tv.

Remember when Saquon Barkley declined an opportunity to break his personal single-game rushing record? He did not care.

Remember when everyone was worried that A.J. Brown would explode over a smaller role in a run-heavy offense? He did not care.

Here’s Barkley again, after passing on a touchdown opportunity when a win was already sealed.

And here’s the quarterback at the center of it all, explaining the team’s philosophy in detail.

All teams say they are singularly focused on winning. But for this Eagles team, it’s not just talk. They eat, drink, and breathe that philosophy. The stars lead by example, the head coach (who does not get much respect of his own) helps keep them focused, and the others buy in to the team’s culture.

The Eagles may win through the air on Sunday. They may bully Washington on the ground. They could outscore the Commanders in a shootout, or they could eek out a victory in a defensive battle. And yes, they could lose, because nothing in this game is certain.

But the one thing we know for sure? This is a team that will keep the main thing the main thing, from kickoff through the final whistle.

We’ll see you on the other side, friends.

The Flyers’ six-game points streak, where they won five and took 11 points, ended in decisive fashion at Madison Square Garden last night.

Thursday in Flyerland dawned with some compelling news that might have come weeks (or more?) later than it should have.

The Flyers have been carrying three goaltenders for much of the season largely because of concerns that Aleksei Kolosov would pitch a fit — or worse — if he was sent back to Lehigh Valley.

But those fears might have been unfounded.

Last night would have been a great night for starting netminder Samuel Ersson to keep the points streak going and look good doing it.

Ersson did neither, which is too bad because his recent play almost certainly had some influence on the Flyers’ decision-making.

Unfortunately, Ersson sort of reverted to form, giving up five goals on 36 shots. He wasn’t helped by a toothless Flyers’ attack, but he didn’t put the team on his back, either.

Owen Tippett scored the first and only goal for the Flyers. After that, the Rangers grabbed control and never gave it back.

The Flyers don’t have time to stew over this loss. They’re in the Empire State again tomorrow night to face the Islanders.

Being the man who follows The Man is very, very tough.

There are plenty of people you might ask. Jerod Mayo probably has thoughts. Bill O’Brien definitely had thoughts, which he voiced publicly.

Which brings us to the Villanova Wildcats and Kyle Neptune. Anyone who followed Jay Wright was going to face a bright spotlight. Neptune’s honeymoon phase, if he ever had one, is over.

Neptune is currently six games over .500 in two-plus seasons. His teams missed each of the past two NCAA Tournaments.

This season, the Wildcats sputtered out of the gate with early losses at home to Ivy League Columbia and on Hawk Hill.

Fluky losses happen. So do close losses. But when both of those things are happening to the same team, it’s a red flag trending toward crimson.

Toss in the fact that Villanova’s best win of the season, at the Pavillion over UConn, was fueled largely by the Huskies’ Alex Karaban missing consecutive free throws for the first time in his collegiate career.

Villanova’s remaining conference schedule includes #10 Marquette (twice), a smarting #19 UConn team on the road, and #20 St. John’s.

With the Wildcats very much on the outside looking in where the NCAA Tournament is concerned, Neptune probably needs, minimally, to split those games and win the rest.

Failing that, barring a wildly improbable Big East title, it’s anyone’s guess whether Neptune will be given a senior season at Villanova.

📆 This Day in Philly Sports History

On January 24, 1988, a mighty Temple Owls team took its first loss of the season. They would lose just once more.

📊 Poll

Results from Thursday:

🔗 Links

• ♟️ Ichiro Suzuki is playing 4D chess trying to out the only voter who kept his Hall of Fame entry from being perfect.

• 🙄 Alpha coach Erik Spoelstra has a message for anyone pining for Jimmy Butler to return to the Heat: “Get over it.” 

• ❌ The Utah Hockey Club will not be named the “Yetis.”

• ✈️ Scott Van Pelt had no fun at all trying to leave Atlanta after the NCAA national championship football game.

📺 Coming Up

Games before our next send.

Friday, January 24, 2025

• Sixers vs. Cavaliers, 7:00 p.m. (NBC Sports Philadelphia)

• Flyers at Islanders, 7:30 p.m. (NBC Sports Philadelphia+)

Saturday, January 25, 2025

• Sixers at Bulls, 8:00 p.m. (NBC Sports Philadelphia)

Sunday, January 26, 2025

• Eagles vs. Commanders, 3:00 p.m. (FOX)

Thanks for reading. See you Monday.

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