Discount defense | Sports Daily Newsletter

We know this much about the 10-2 Eagles so far this season: They are getting more than their money’s worth from their defense.

Howie Roseman and the Birds have invested heavily on offense in Jalen Hurts, Saquon Barkley, A.J. Brown, and more. On the defensive side of the ball, they’ve been relying on recent draft picks who have been paying off nicely.

According to overthecap.com, the Eagles rank 28th in positional spending on defense this season. Of the 11 defensive starters in the big win against Baltimore, six of them were on rookie contracts, EJ Smith writes. Zack Baun and Isaiah Rodgers are also on low-cost deals after signing one-year contracts with the Eagles in free agency.

With veteran coordinator Vic Fangio calling the shots, the discount defense is allowing 282.8 yards per game, tops in the NFL.

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

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❓ Who has been the MVP of the Eagles defense so far? Email us back for a chance to be featured in the newsletter.

The 76ers have struggled to put together wins this season, so it should come as no surprise that they haven’t captured two straight yet. Sitting at 4-14 and still struggling with injuries, the Sixers need to string together victories no matter who is available.

That applies to the center position more than any other, with Joel Embiid playing only four games so far and Andre Drummond out with a sprained ankle. They’ll need to fill that void tonight at Charlotte if they hope to win two in a row.

The Flyers are suddenly red-hot, having earned 18 of the last 24 points available to them. On Monday, they got more good news as No. 1 goalie Sam Ersson returned to practice after missing the last nine games because of a lower-body injury.

With the season roughly a quarter of the way finished, we caught up Flyers president Keith Jones to talk about a variety of topics surrounding the organization. In Part 1 of this chat, we discussed Matvei Michkov’s impressive start, the future of the Flyers’ goalie crease, and a couple of under-the-radar prospects to watch.

Speaking of prospects, four Flyers hopefuls were named to Canada’s Word Junior camp.

Tight end Dallas Goedert is expected to miss time because of a knee injury, but the setback comes as the Eagles offense continues to wear out opponents.

Saquon Barkley is running at a record-setting pace, helped by an offensive line that has faith that it’s going to eventually spring the running back.

And Jalen Hurts is limiting the turnovers by doing what’s necessary for the team to win. Nick Sirianni doesn’t see him as merely a “game manager” but as a player deserving of MVP consideration.

Nick Singleton says he was watching in 2016 when Saquon Barkley and Penn State beat Wisconsin in the Big Ten championship game. On Saturday night it will be Singleton’s turn as the No. 3 Nittany Lions take on top-ranked Oregon.

“I always imagined my shoes, like being in that moment,” says Singleton, Penn State’s featured running back. “Being exactly in that moment right now just feels good, and [we’ve] just got to go out there and win it.”

Meanwhile, Temple is a long way from championship material, but in new coach K.C. Keeler, the Owls are hiring a proven winner. Can Keeler turn Temple around?

Who holds the Sixers' record for the highest scoring average in a season? First with the correct answer here will be featured in the newsletter.

A) Allen Iverson

B) Wilt Chamberlain

C) Charles Barkley

D) Joel Embiid

We asked you: What’s the biggest difference in the Eagles from last year’s team? Among your responses:

Saquon. But in the team spirit that these Eagles are currently demonstrating, I’ll also shout out how we’re limiting turnovers, and also our passing game contributors for being on board with winning with an emphasized run game. — D.W.S.

First and foremost we probably have two of the best coordinators in all of football. Secondly this year’s draft was amazing. Some of the rookies are playing like all-pros. Third on the short list, our quarterback seems to have developed a new attitude and is approachable and coachable. Next to last on the short list was keeping the head coach on the payroll. Seems Nick knew exactly what he was talking about. — Ronald R.

They play like a team that knows how to win and become champions. They have that Philly thing. — Mark

I think the biggest changes from last year’s late in the year collapsing team is the establishment of Sirianni as a true head coach in charge and the addition of the two very experienced coaches who really have taken charge of the offense and defense. Toss in the addition of Saquon and a few young guys on the defense and you have a serious Super Bowl contender. And of course let’s not forget the best offensive line in football even without Kelce. — Everett S.

… The biggest difference is that it is hard to see this vastly improved defense collapsing again. The 2024 defense is their strength now, owing to a number of personnel changes orchestrated by Howie Roseman, and the Vic Fangio coaching change. It is obvious that Fangio is the premier defensive coordinator in the NFL. Adding to this is the addition of Saquon Barkley, who is having an unbelievable season. There will be no collapse this year. Offenses can be stopped, but solid and talented defenses are hard to overcome. … Only a rash of injuries on defense can derail their playoff hopes. — John W.

Kellen Moore is the biggest difference for the Eagles this year. He’s able to make in-game adjustments and he’s made Jalen Hurts more of a game manager who doesn’t have to try and make all the big plays. The addition of Saquon Barkley is right up there as well and the O-line is playing pretty good as well. Vic Fangio has done wonders with the defense and he proves that linebackers are important. — Tom G.

The defense and Vic have jelled after a slow start. Rookies are doing veteran things and Howie got Barkley just when we needed a dominant runner. The offense is managing the game but needs to improve the first-quarter slow starts, but compared to last year they are in sync with Hurts, who has improved his game management. Considering the changes to the offensive line with Jason retiring and injuries, they have become a formidable group. I think our receivers need to get open more often when a play is not working. — Vince O.

We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Olivia Reiner, EJ Smith, Jeff Neiburg, Keith Pompey, Jackie Spiegel, Rob Tornoe, Marcus Hayes, Gustav Elvin, Jonathan Tannenwald, Devin Jackson, Aaron Carter, and Avery Hill.

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.

Don’t you wish the Eagles could play in a snowy mess just once, like the Buffalo Bills did on Sunday night? The Snow Bowl will live in our memories forever. Thanks for reading. Bella will be at the newsletter controls on Wednesday. — Jim