Bring on the Pack | Sports Daily Newsletter
Even the subs excel as the Eagles improve to 14-3.
When we last saw the Green Bay Packers, Jordan Love suffered a sprained knee as the Eagles prevailed, 34-29, in a season opener like no other in São Paulo, Brazil. On Sunday, Love suffered an elbow injury in a loss to the Bears, setting up the 11-6 Packers for a rematch with the 14-3 Eagles at the Linc in the wild-card round of the playoffs.
The Packers say Love will play this Sunday against the Birds and it would be wise to remember the way he tore up the host Cowboys a year ago in another playoff opener. Meanwhile, the Eagles' starters got a good rest on Sunday and the backups beat the hapless New York Giants anyway, 20-13. Tanner McKee filled in ably for Jalen Hurts, who remained in the concussion protocol. (More on both quarterbacks below.)
Among the few negatives for the Eagles: Jake Elliott missed a field-goal attempt for the eighth time this season.
Here’s what to know about the Eagles-Packers matchup.
— Jim Swan, @phillysport, sports.daily@inquirer.com.
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Tanner McKee started a regular-season game for the first time since 2022 when he was playing for Stanford, but the towering quarterback looked right at home in charge of the Eagles offense. McKee passed for 269 yards and two touchdowns with no turnovers against the feeble Giants.
With Jalen Hurts still out and Kenny Pickett nursing injured ribs, McKee boosted his stock with the Eagles. What if Hurts is not ready to return? McKee showed enough Sunday to suggest that the falloff from Hurts to him wouldn’t be as steep as one might first think, Mike Sielski writes.
Regarding Hurts: Coach Nick Sirianni said after the game that the quarterback’s status was unchanged from when he shut down questions on the topic on Friday. “He’s progressing through the protocol,” Sirianni said.
After stopping in five cities with multiple time zones and climates, the Flyers wrapped up their post-holiday road trip with a 3-2 overtime loss to the Atlantic Division’s top team, the Maple Leafs. The Flyers went 2-2-1 on the trip.
Goalie Ivan Fedotov made 22 saves on 25 shots in his first start for the Flyers in a month.
The Sixers are finally home from a 4-2 road trip that included a Christmas Day upset of the Boston Celtics but also their worst loss of the season to the Golden State Warriors.
“This is the longest that we’ve been together, you know, day in and day out through the season,” says Paul George, who is encouraged by the Sixers' recent play. “So I think it showed and we caught a rhythm.”
George is not quite in rhythm with Joel Embiid yet, though. Because of injuries, the two have played only 12 games together this season and George’s offense has suffered while playing alongside the 2023 NBA MVP.
A packed crowd at Villanova’s Finneran Pavilion went silent Sunday when superstar Paige Bueckers of No. 7 Connecticut went down with a left knee injury. However, Bueckers returned to the bench in the 83-52 UConn victory and coach Geno Auriemma said after the game that the extent of injury was “not the worst thing that we could imagine.”
The combination of Bueckers and freshman Sarah Strong can carry UConn a long way in March, and the Norristown-bred Auriemma likes his chances.
Worth a look
Orange Bowl: Either Penn State’s James Franklin or Notre Dame’s Marcus Freeman will make history with a victory.
Palestra matinee: Penn State’s poor outside shooting cost the Nittany Lions in a loss to Indiana.
On this date
Jan. 6, 2019: In the famous “Double Doink” game, the Eagles survived for a 16-15 playoff victory over the Bears. Chicago kicker Cody Parkey lined up for what would have been a game-winning field goal, but his kick was tipped by Treyvon Hester, bounced off the left upright, then off the crossbar before landing in the end zone. No good!
The schedule
The Sixers will host the Phoenix Suns tonight at 7 (NBCSP).
The Flyers will host the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. (ESPN+).
The Eagles will host the Green Bay Packers in a wild-card playoff game on Sunday at 4:30 p.m. (Fox29).
We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Jeff McLane, Olivia Reiner, EJ Smith, Jeff Neiburg, Jackie Spiegel, Keith Pompey, Gina Mizell, Mike Sielski, Claire Smith, Jonathan Tannenwald, and Conor Smith.
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