Leapin’ wizards | Sports Daily Newsletter

Saquon Barkley continues to do amazing things for the Eagles, and it goes well beyond mere statistics. His backward leap over Jacksonville cornerback Jarrian Jones on Sunday was a thing of crazy athletic beauty.

It seemed as if the Eagles needed superhuman tricks to overcome questionable coaching by Nick Sirianni to post a 28-23 victory over lowly Jacksonville. But they’re 6-2 with a meeting with suddenly lame Dallas next on the agenda.

Sirianni kept having his offense go for it on fourth down and on two-point-conversion attempts, passing up chances to salt the game away on Jake Elliott extra points and field goals. The Birds were cruising 22-0 and suddenly the Jags were back in it. Luckily for the home fans, DeVonta Smith made a jaw-dropping catch for what turned out to be the winning touchdown.

What saved the Eagles, ultimately, was the sheer talent of two players: Barkley and Smith, Mike Sielski writes.

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

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

❓ Do you think the criticism of Nick Sirianni is fair? Email us back for a chance to be featured in the newsletter.

Fresh off a loss at home to the Memphis Grizzlies that dropped their record to 1-4, the Sixers probably welcomed the chance to get away. This trip won’t be an easy one, though, as they head West to face the Phoenix Suns along with the Los Angeles Clippers and Lakers. There is a good chance that the Sixers will see the debut of Paul George tonight, which could help turn things around.

Joel Embiid could face discipline from the NBA, which is investigating after the All-Star center struck and shoved Inquirer columnist Marcus Hayes during a locker room altercation.

The Jaguars had a shot at a go-ahead touchdown in the closing minutes, but Nakobe Dean put an end to those plans. The 23-year-old linebacker picked off Trevor Lawrence in the end zone to clinch the win.

Sirianni twice tried to convert fourth downs instead of kicking short field goals, then opted for three failed two-point conversions, seeming to give away points at every turn. The Birds still had enough, Marcus Hayes writes, thanks in part to another steady performance by Jalen Hurts.

Before LeSean McCoy joined the Eagles Hall of Fame on Sunday, he and DeSean Jackson had a wide-ranging interview with The Inquirer’s Ariel Simpson.

More coverage of the Eagles’ fourth straight win and its aftermath can be found here.

The Flyers are 4-7-1, so things certainly could be better. The shots on goal are low, the chemistry has been inconsistent, and the overall level of play needs to be elevated, but one statistic may be the root of all that ails the Flyers: blocked shots.

“I think when you see this team block shots, it’s playing to its identity‚” coach John Tortorella said Saturday after the Flyers’ 3-0 loss to a struggling Boston Bruins squad. “It’s a team that’s being hard, it’s a team that is willing to do that. I think that has been very inconsistent as the beginning of the year has started here.” The Flyers seem to perform better at both ends of the ice when they’re blocking shots, Jackie Spiegel writes.

After two straight trips to the NIT, Villanova will open the college basketball season tonight with a home game against Lafayette. Coach Kyle Neptune’s job probably depends on the Wildcats returning to the NCAA Tournament in March, and ‘Nova has brought in plenty of new talent to attempt a turnaround. Eric Dixon is back for one more season as the Wildcats’ leader. There is reason for optimism and pessimism, as Jeff Neiburg explains.

Temple’s men and women finished strong last season, and both will open the season tonight in a Liacouras Center doubleheader.

Nov. 4, 2009: Hideki Matsui homered off Pedro Martinez as the New York Yankees beat the Phillies, 7-3, to win the World Series in six games. Matsui was named MVP of the series.

We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Olivia Reiner, Jeff Neiburg, EJ Smith, Mike Sielski, Marcus Hayes, Jackie Spiegel, Gina Mizell, Keith Pompey, Katie Lewis, and Declan Landis.

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 in Tuesday’s Sports Daily. — Jim