Big relief | Sports Daily Newsletter

The Eagles have a giant offensive line, but that does not mean there weren’t questions for the big guys heading into the opener.

Mekhi Becton, all 363 pounds of him, appears to have answered a major one. With Cam Jurgens sliding over to take the retired Jason Kelce’s spot at center, the Eagles needed a starting right guard and they found one in Becton, a career tackle. The early reports are promising.

It seems as if the Jets gave up on Becton, their former first-round pick, but Jeff Stoutland had a hunch that Becton could excel at guard. Becton started proving the Eagles’ offensive line coach right on Friday night in Brazil. At times, he pushed aside Packers star Kenny Clark with ease.

Pro Football Focus gave Becton a good pass-blocking grade, ranking him behind only Lane Johnson and Jordan Mailata along the five-man front. The Eagles’ offensive line might be just as strong as ever.

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

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The Flyers have stockpiled high draft picks in recent years with an eye toward the future and building a Stanley Cup contender.

Russian phenom Matvei Michkov is the clear prize that those picks have yielded to date, but what else do the Flyers have coming down the road? Ahead of this week’s rookie camp, we ranked the top 10 prospects in the Flyers system beginning with Michkov.

Find out how many 2024 draft picks cracked our list and where disgruntled goaltender Alexei Kolosov landed.

Next: The Flyers will open rookie camp Thursday in Voorhees.

A few hours after Citizens Bank Park woke up with the rhythmic chant of his grandson’s name, Don Money awoke, too. Money, 77, went to sleep early Monday night because the cable feed at his South Jersey home froze in the sixth inning of Phillies-Rays. But by about 2 a.m., Money was restless, so he flipped the TV back on and found NBC Sports Philadelphia’s replay of the game. What followed was a moment that will stick with his grandson for the rest of his life, and in a few short hours, he would hear all about it. Because Buddy Kennedy “calls every day.”

Cristopher Sánchez has pitched more innings this season than he ever has, but he’s showing no signs of slowing down.

The Phillies overcame a shaky start from Ranger Suárez and losing Kyle Schwarber in the fourth inning to beat the Rays, thanks to big performances from Bryce Harper and Trea Turner. The Phillies’ magic number to win the NL East now sits at 10.

Next: The Phillies wrap up their series against Tampa Bay at 6:40 tonight (NBCSP). Zack Wheeler (14-6, 2.59 ERA) will start against Rays right-hander Shane Baz (2-3, 3.27).

A film review of Quinyon Mitchell not only confirms how well the Eagles rookie played in his debut, but also shows how he might be able to keep his spot at outside cornerback even as Isaiah Rodgers works his way back from injury. EJ Smith shows how Mitchell managed to diagnose plays against the Packers.

A fellow draft pick from this year who’s now no longer with the Eagles is offensive lineman Dylan McMahon, who was signed by the Los Angeles Rams off the Eagles’ practice squad.

Meanwhile, how ‘bout them Cowboys? The Eagles should rejoice in Dallas’ dubious signing of Dak Prescott, Marcus Hayes writes.

Next: The Eagles host the Atlanta Falcons on Monday at 8:15 p.m. (ESPN).

Phil Martelli has returned to his Philly roots, and the community certainly has not forgotten him. The former St. Joseph’s basketball coach, fresh off five seasons with Michigan, was honored with other community leaders over the weekend by the Philadelphia Legacies organization.

“I’ve been pushed forward by so many, and it’s my responsibility to pay it back,” Martelli said. “I’m here for that.”

Here’s a place to access your favorite Philadelphia teams’ statistics, schedules, and standings in real time.

Who holds the Eagles record for most rushing yards in a game?

Answer: A: LeSean McCoy rushed for 217 yards as the Eagles beat the Detroit Lions, 34-20, in a snowstorm on Dec. 8, 2013. Thomas M. was first with the correct response.

We asked you: What’s your biggest concern about the Phillies in the final month of the season? Among your responses:

My biggest concern about the Phillies in the final month of the season is that the starters and bullpen will be infected with “Taijuan Walker Syndrome,” meaning they will develop a tendency to melt down whenever they pitch. Dombrowski should know better than to trust former Mets pitchers. I’m thinking of you Jeurys Familia. (Zack Wheeler is the exception that proves the rule). — Stephen T.

The Phils are prone to hitting slumps, and not just one or two guys. Win the division, get everyone a little healthier with some rest, and see where it goes from there. — Tom G.

The Conceited one needs to sit on the bench or go on the IL. he is just hurting the TEAM with his playing . — John M.

Letting Walker onto the field is the Phillies greatest danger. — Robert H.

My greatest concern is for the players’ health. Harper’s not 100% and won’t be. We need JT and Bohm back and healthy, but how can you control for injuries like theirs? We need early-season Ranger. And we need not to lose anyone else. ... Just, please, no more fluke injuries, and the Phils will be fine. — Joel G.

As I’ve said before, the health of the players is paramount. Bryce playing thru the pain concerns me, especially in his surgically repaired elbow. He doesn’t have to hit homers for us to win, but it certainly would help. I’m hoping their trainers are addressing these issues on a daily basis to keep them in the best form possible. It is definitely not a sprint, but a marathon to get to the postseason. — Kathy T.

Basically, the scheduled losses by the 5th starter. We need every possible win imaginable for our playoff position. Playing the Dodgers in the NL Championship Series is a strong possibility and having home-field advantage is super important. ... Watch out for the Mets. They are on a tear and could very well ruin our season. ... The Braves are still alive but not well with all the injuries they’ve had this year. Bottom line is taking care of our own business and not worrying about anyone else. — Ronald R.

Their biggest fear appears to be the injury situation, which is also their current problem. Harper is obviously affected, but still playing. They must pick a roster to take into the playoffs, and now have several starters out, including Bohm, Realmuto and Hays. Bohm’s replacements have adequately covered for his extended outage, but do not supply the same pop on offense or defense as Bohm, who has been the most consistent position player all season. ... As proven throughout the season, this team is prone to extended hitting slumps, which is what sunk them last year against the Diamondbacks. With exception of Bohm, every single regular has experienced long droughts in productivity. ... While there is little that can be done about this, any short drought will end their chances of competing for a world championship. — Jay W.

My biggest concern for these remaining games and into the playoffs is the physical state of the team that as of right now is certainly not good. Harper is hurting as you mention this morning, and then Bohm, Realmuto, and Sosa are all hurting as well. ... And of course there is the ongoing problem of not having a 5th starter. Dombrowski should be really concerned with his minor league system when we don’t even have a decent pitcher to bring up. I think we have seven games coming up with the red hot Mets and that is scary considering the present physical state of the team. — Everett S.

The Phils are a schizoid team. They score 16 runs one game and then they always lose the next game or two and get few hits and limited runs. They need to be consistent, focused and not swing at everything outside the strike zone. Which has been a problem all year. The bullpen is mostly up but the fifth starter is a disaster. This is the Achilles’ heel for the team. I was shocked that Johnson was so bad! Phillips lost his mojo from the earlier starts. Walker should never be put in to pitch again. Who is left standing? — Vince

We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Jeff Neiburg, Gustav Elvin, Jackie Spiegel, Lochlahn March, Scott Lauber, EJ Smith, Marcus Hayes, Jonathan Tannenwald, Ariel Simpson, Mia Messina, and Paulie Localzo.

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.

That’s all for today after a busy Tuesday in Philly sports. Thanks for reading. Kerith will be at the newsletter controls on Thursday.— Jim