🦅 Skinny Batman returns | Sports Daily Newsletter

Before Sunday, the lasting image of DeVonta Smith this season was of him getting crunched on what looked like a late hit against the Saints that left him with a concussion on Sept. 22.

Since he returned from that injury, Smith had been mostly quiet, but that all changed on one thrilling play against the Cincinnati Bengals. Jalen Hurts cranked up a bomb and Smith went up and snared the ball for a 45-yard touchdown that opened the floodgates for a 37-17 Eagles romp.

“We knew we were going to get the one-on-one coverage,” Smith said. “Jalen, he trusted me to go up there, one-on-one, and win a 50-50 ball.”

Just in time for Halloween, Skinny Batman is back.

— Jim Swan, @phillysport, sports.daily@inquirer.com.

If someone forwarded you this email, sign up for free here.

❓ Do you think Jalen Hurts is back in Pro Bowl form? What must Hurts do to keep thriving? Email us back for a chance to be featured in the newsletter.

Tyrese Maxey willed the 76ers to a 118-114 overtime victory against the Pacers in Indianapolis. The All-Star guard had suffered through a shooting slump in the team’s first two games, but he broke out of it nicely on Sunday. How does 45 points sound?

“It was a good win,” Maxey said. “It felt good to get our first one. But again, it’s just one. But I think I’m more proud of the way we played and we fought and scratched and didn’t give up, and didn’t give up anything easy. And that was good for us.”

The Sixers are still “figuring out who we are” as they wait for Joel Embiid and Paul George to join them on the court.

The Eagles scored points on their first possession for the first time all season, got their first takeaway in over a month, and used a balanced offensive attack to blow past the Bengals. For the third consecutive game, Hurts played clean, turnover-free football.

The Eagles defense made sure it wasn’t turnover-free in this one. C.J. Gardner-Johnson made a clutch interception on a tipped ball intended for Ja’Marr Chase and Nakobe Dean added a fumble recovery.

Even after the scoring outburst, coach Nick Sirianni pushed back on the notion that the Eagles have found their offensive identity: “Our identity is play with great detail, our identity is to play physical with toughness, and our identity is play together. And everything else changes week to week.”

Aleksei Kolosov made his NHL debut in goal for the Flyers against the Montreal Canadiens on Sunday night. The Belarusian goalie did not play badly, but the Flyers defense made too many costly mistakes in the second period of a 4-3 loss at the Wells Fargo Center.

The Flyers are seeking a more reliable backup to Sam Ersson because Ivan Fedotov has struggled so far. “Ivan hasn’t played well enough,” coach John Tortorella said. “So we’re trying to solve, trying to look at the situation and see where it goes.”

There is already plenty of buzz about Saturday’s Big Ten showdown between No. 4 Ohio State and No. 3 Penn State. Buckeyes quarterback Will Howard has added a little more. The pride of Downingtown West High, Howard once dreamed of playing for the Nittany Lions, who did not recruit him after he got injured in his junior season. He did not forget it.

“I’m stoked,” Howard said about the game in State College. “I cannot wait. It’s going to be a homecoming for me. I grew up a Penn State fan. I wanted to go there my whole life. They didn’t think I was good enough, but I guess we’ll see next week if I was.”

Saquon Barkley was a stud, the defense was dominant, and all seems well in Eagles Land, at least for now, following a big win over the Giants. But beyond the breakout runs and bevy of sacks, there were other noteworthy developments from the victory — some encouraging, others indicators of just how much more work the Eagles have to do as they near the halfway point of the season. Jeff McLane takes a look at the coaches’ tape, and zeroes in on areas where quarterback Jalen Hurts still needs to improve. Listen here.

Oct. 29, 2008: Brad Lidge struck out Eric Hinske for the final out of a rain-delayed finish as the Phillies beat the Tampa Bay Rays, 4-3, to win the World Series at Citizens Bank Park. Including the postseason, Lidge converted all 48 of his save opportunities for the Phillies.

We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Jeff McLane, Olivia Reiner, EJ Smith, Jeff Neiburg, Keith Pompey, and Jackie Spiegel.

By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirer’s Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.

Thanks for reading, Sports Daily fans. I’ll see you in Tuesday’s newsletter. — Jim