🦅 Can they batter the Rams? | Sports Daily Newsletter

The enduring image from the opening playoff victory for the Eagles was one of brute force: Dallas Goedert stiff-armed Carrington Valentine three times on the way to a 24-yard touchdown reception.

The Eagles simply beat up the Green Bay Packers, showing again that they’re one of the NFL’s most physical teams. Goedert says the Eagles take a cue from their earthmoving offensive line “and everybody just tries to follow along.”

Which brings us to the team’s second playoff test Sunday against the Los Angeles Rams at the Linc. In their first meeting on Nov. 24, that line bulldozed the Rams and Saquon Barkley ran free for 255 yards in a 37-20 Eagles win.

Granted, the Rams defense looked much improved on Monday night as it sacked Sam Darnold nine times to vanquish the Vikings. But here’s something to consider: Only three teams gave up more yards to tight ends than the Rams did this season, and Goedert is rounding into shape after an injury-marred campaign.

He’ll have that stiff-arm ready.

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

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The Eagles play host to the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday in the divisional round of the playoffs. Join Eagles beat reporters Olivia Reiner and EJ Smith as they dissect the hottest storylines surrounding the team on Gameday Central, live from Lincoln Financial Field.

Several days removed from the bombshell announcement that the 76ers had abandoned their quest to build a new $1.3 billion arena complex at Market East in Philadelphia, the reasons why remained murky. But things are clearing up as the dust settles on their decision to partner with Comcast Spectacor, which owns the Flyers, on a new arena complex in South Philadelphia. The Inquirer’s Marcus Hayes digs deeper into the about-face, including Adam Silver’s involvement, Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment’s negotiations with Camden, and the importance of TV money and a 2031 deadline.

The Sixers have lost four straight and seven of their last nine, but Paul George says they’ll continue to fight.

Jeremiah Trotter Jr. helped the Eagles get off to a great start against the Packers when he recovered a fumble on the opening kickoff. The rookie linebacker stands to get more chances to make impactful plays against the Rams now that starter Nakobe Dean is out with a knee injury. “I definitely feel like I’m ready,” says Trotter, who is likely to split time with Oren Burks.

Offensive coordinator Kellen Moore has become a hot head-coaching candidate. Moore’s former employers, the Dallas Cowboys, plan to interview him, as do the Jaguars and Saints.

How will the Eagles fare in their rematch with the Rams? Our writers make their predictions.

John Tortorella has said that the Flyers are still in the evaluation and “subtraction” stage of their rebuild. One would think that Joel Farabee is one of the players the staff is evaluating even closer than others.

Farabee, 24, has flashed potential during his six-year tenure with the Flyers, but to this point in his career, consistency has eluded him. Could his days in Philly be numbered? He returned to the Flyers lineup on Thursday in what feels like it might be one last chance for him to prove he should stick around as part of the team’s long-term core.

Back in the lineup Thursday night, Farabee notched two assists as five different Flyers scored in a win over the New York Islanders. It was the fourth straight game the Flyers recorded a point.

Bob Uecker hit just .202 over two seasons with the Phillies, but the talent that would make him a Hall of Fame broadcaster — wit, self-deprecation, and the timing of a stand-up comic — were evident. Phillies great Dick Allen, who considered Uecker his best friend on the team, said he played with a lot of guys who thought they were funny. But Uecker, who died on Thursday at 90, really was. And he got his broadcasting career started in Philly. Well, kind of.

Former Phillies manager Charlie Manuel was honored Thursday night for his recovery from a stroke. “I didn’t ever think about having courage. I thought about getting well and living.”

Preseason training is underway for the Union in preparation for the regular season, which starts in a little over a month against Orlando City on Feb. 22. There are 29 players in new manager Bradley Carnell’s camp in Marbella, Spain. According to him, the team is still in the market to bring in a few more pieces before camp wraps up.

Questions remain, and while it’s far too early to answer any of them with real insight, two are pressing:

Will the team truly bring in reinforcements, particularly at forward and center back?

Will young guns like Frankie Westfield, CJ Olney, and local phenom Cavan Sullivan have good enough camps to force Carnell to give them considerable minutes?

Jonathan Tannenwald unpacks both in this latest piece along with a status update on the club’s FIFA registration ban and what it all means heading into a season with so much that’s so new.

Here is our Philly fan photo for this week as part of our Friday lineup. We’ll need you to submit photos with a Philly sports theme to keep this feature going. Send your photos here for the opportunity to be featured.

We asked you: What’s your favorite non-sports activity and why? Among your responses:

My favorite thing to play is on AARP. There is a rock and roll forum where you can play games and post songs on different topics. As a music lover, it is a perfect way to use that love and help keep my brain sharp. — Kathy T.

My favorite non sports activity is hiking and taking bird and wildlife photos. Here in Prescott in north-central Arizona we have an abundance of wildlife and we are a major birding location. … During my 19 years here my most exciting time was meeting a mountain lion at our Goldwater Lake. — Everett S.

Both Mary and Ron always enjoy going to a great show at the Academy of Music or hopping on a train to NYC for a show. We also enjoy a super good affordable concert at the Wells Fargo Center or the Mann Music Center in Fairmount Park. Stopped going to concerts at the Linc. The acoustics are just terrible. … Couple of other activities we super enjoy but they are not for print. Use your imagination! — Ron R.

I find that researching our Family Genealogy to be interesting and is my favorite non-sports activity among several other candidates. Why? Today’s generation is on the move and have little interest in looking back. It is somewhat difficult for them to use their handheld device to research and find out “Where did we come from?” and “How did we get here?” The Internet and its formidable Global outreach has made my fervent quest for ancestral genealogy extremely easy. I can travel the Globe, search and find an unknown cousin, or as he found me, without leaving our easy chairs! — John B.

Jeff McLane takes you inside the locker room to reveal the team’s no-nonsense focus on winning. With a strong defense, the Eagles are ready for the NFC divisional round. Plus, Jeff speaks with Eagles free agents-to-be Milton Williams and Zack Baun about the excitement of the present and the uncertainty of their respective futures. Listen here.

We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Marcus Hayes, Jeff Neiburg, Olivia Reiner, Jeff McLane, EJ Smith, Keith Pompey, Jackie Spiegel, Matt Breen, Lochlahn March, Jonathan Tannenwald, Mia Messina, and Sam O’Neal.

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.

Snowfall for Sunday’s Eagles-Rams game? We remember what happened the last time Matthew Stafford had to play in the snow here. I’ll see you in Monday’s newsletter. — Jim