Warp speed | Sports Daily Newsletter

Think Saquon Barkley was pumped up for this one? When the Eagles running back broke away on a 55-yard run against his old team on Sunday, he reached a top speed of 21.93 mph. The New York Giants never caught up in a 28-3 blowout punctuated by eight sacks from the Eagles defense.

Barkley’s numbers in his Meadowlands homecoming: 17 carries for 176 yards and a touchdown, plus a couple of receptions for 11 more yards. As the Eagles’ bus rolled into MetLife Stadium, Barkley saw fans burning his old Giants jersey. Maybe that lit a fire in him as well.

“That was crazy,” Barkley said. “I’ve seen my jersey get burned before on social media, but the timing of it. I’m locked in, I’m listening to my music, and all I see is fans just pointing, and I look and I’m like, ‘What are they pointing at?’ I see smoke and I’m just like, ‘Where’s my jersey at?’

“That was definitely different. I don’t know if I’ve ever experienced anything like that in my life and hopefully, I don’t experience that again but, in that moment, I was ready for third-and-1.”

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

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Tyrese Maxey left Friday’s exhibition against the Orlando Magic with a bruised right thumb, becoming the second member of the Sixers’ Big Three to be sidelined during the preseason. Newcomer Paul George suffered a hyperextended knee that could put his availability for the season opener at risk. Joel Embiid, of course, has not played in the preseason or scrimmages with the team as he begins a slow ramp-up to the season in an effort to avoid injuries.

The bottom line: These three players must be healthy for the Sixers to meet their high expectations for the season.

Rookie Jared McCain (who also is banged up) has been impressive in the preseason, but he knows this will be a season for him to watch and learn.

Here’s how those eight sacks by the Eagles defense were distributed: Two apiece for Nakobe Dean and Jalen Carter, one each for Nolan Smith, Bryce Huff, Josh Sweat, and Jalyx Hunt. Over the last two weeks, the Eagles defense has combined for 13 sacks.

“That’s awesome,” Carter said. “We’re going on to next week. We need to get more. That’s the only thing. More. More. More.”

On the other side of the ball, the offensive line did not miss a beat for the Eagles, even without Jordan Mailata and Mekhi Becton. The secret to success? Committing to the run.

Barkley and the devastating defensive line gave the Birds a smooth victory after a week of chatter about Nick Sirianni’s antics. And the coach behaved himself, Marcus Hayes writes.

Jeff McLane grades the Eagles for the game. Does Sirianni go to the head of the class?

The Wells Fargo Center oozed with anticipation Saturday ahead of Matvei Michkov’s home debut. But a 3-0 loss to the Vancouver Canucks showed that Michkov isn’t a magic fix for everything wrong with the Flyers. The team heard its share of boos.

The Flyers lost defensive coverage on two goals and failed to cash in on their own chances, including hitting the post several times.

The seeds of the Union’s failure to make the playoffs for the first time in seven years were planted long before Saturday’s season-ending 2-1 loss to FC Cincinnati, Jonathan Tannenwald writes. Entering the season, several of the team’s veterans wanted one more shot at a trophy together, and after this finish, some of the blame must fall on them.

This is likely the end of a long run with the Union for Alejandro Bedoya.

In the latest episode of unCovering the Birds, the Eagles soar to victory after the bye week, but coach Nick Sirianni’s bold, last-minute decisions are sparking serious buzz within the organization. Inquirer Eagles insider Jeff McLane breaks down the aftermath, while none other than Saquon Barkley shares his thoughts ahead of a monumental showdown against the Giants. Listen here.

Oct. 21, 1980: Tug McGraw struck out Willie Wilson to seal a 4-1 victory over the Kansas City Royals as the Phillies captured their first World Series championship.

Check out a fun game we call Bird Box to test your knowledge of Eagles players past and present.

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

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. I’ll see you tomorrow in Sports Daily with more of the best in Philadelphia sports. — Jim