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🏈 Pennsylvania’s game | Sports Daily Newsletter

A look at the Keystone State’s football legacy ahead of the Steelers-Eagles game.

From Pittsburgh to Philadelphia to everything in between, football and Pennsylvania have always fit together perfectly.
From Pittsburgh to Philadelphia to everything in between, football and Pennsylvania have always fit together perfectly.Read moreBen Tallon

As the Eagles and Steelers prepare to square off at the Linc, we are reminded just how much football has been ingrained in us as Pennsylvanians.

For a century or so, no other state could match Pennsylvania’s gridiron legacy, its roster of native superstars, the depth of its high school talent, and the passion of its supporters, Frank Fitzpatrick writes. Football’s rough-and-tumble nature meshed perfectly with the gritty populace of a state built atop the muscular foundation of coal, steel, and railroads.

Football was hardscrabble and so were its fans in the Keystone State. Nowadays, the state is not supplying as many players to the NFL as it used to, and Fitzpatrick details the many reasons behind that.

Still, Steelers and Eagles fans are as fierce as ever and their teams are leading their divisions. Penn State could very well make a run in the College Football Playoff. It looks like Pennsylvania and the pigskin still go together very well.

Here’s a look back at 1943, when the state’s two NFL teams combined to become the Steagles during World War II.

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

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The Eagles play in Week 15 against the Pittsburgh Steelers. 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.

Saquon Barkley has a shot at breaking the 40-year-old NFL record for rushing yards in a season, and Eric Dickerson’s mark (2,105 yards) is a formidable test. “ … The mindset is don’t be scared of it,” Barkley says. “Embrace it. It’s there. Challenge yourself to try to go get it.”

The challenge this week, of course, is a Steelers defense that has allowed just 91.5 rushing yards per game.

Steelers coach Mike Tomlin has called Barkley the “most significant acquisition in the NFL.” There’s only one way to stop Barkley, David Murphy writes: Ban him.

Jake Elliott has missed six field-goal attempts this season, the highest total in his eight-year career. The Eagles' kicker is not worried, though. “I kind of double down on my process,” he says of his approach. “I’ve been doing it for a long time and I trust it.”

NFL Films Presents devoted its latest episode to Jeff Stoutland as Jason Kelce narrated the show about the Eagles' offensive line coach.

The 76ers were bitten by the injury bug early this season, but they largely appear to be returning to form as they near the quarter mark of the NBA campaign. One outsized exception: Joel Embiid. While the big man played his best game of the season Sunday against the Chicago Bulls, that performance came after a seven-game absence because of knee swelling. His return doesn’t mean that Embiid’s injuries haven’t taken a mental toll.

No one would understand this better than Paul George, who has fought through his own injuries this season and in years past. George spoke to The Inquirer about the toll that injuries take on a player’s mindset. “To be honest, it’s something, if you haven’t gone through it, you wouldn’t understand,” George said Thursday after practice. “I think that’s the toughest part about this game.”

The Flyers have become a tight-knit team, in part because of the disciplinary style of coach John Tortorella. “We have a coach that’s very demanding and holds everybody accountable to the same standard,” Flyers president Keith Jones says. “ … When it’s not done consistently for every player, it doesn’t work. But when everybody is receiving the same type of treatment or coaching, it seems to have a better result in the end.”

Being accountable to yourself and your teammates is a key component of the Flyers, and it is why they are having success on the ice.

The success continued to translate for the Flyers, who got four goals from Scott Laughton to lead the Orange and Black past the Detroit Red Wings. His four-goal game was the first by a Flyer since John LeClair did so on Oct. 15, 2002.

Marc Jackson and Aaron McKie have known each other since they were teenagers, and they wound up playing together on the Sixers. These days, their sons are friends, although Shareef Jackson plays for Roman Catholic and Jason McKie plays for St. Joseph’s Prep. Now they’re preparing for the next stage of their careers, armed with NBA-caliber wisdom — and the support of each other.

Philly fan photos

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

Worth a look

  1. Next for ‘Nova: After posting a 7-4 nonconference record, Villanova heads into Big East play.

  2. On the right track: Timber Creek sprinter Ryan Jennings will take her talents to Arkansas.

From backward hurdles to dazzling touchdown runs, whenever Saquon Barkley makes a big play on the field, people notice. In speaking to more than a dozen members of the Eagles organization in recent weeks, The Inquirer’s Jeff McLane came away with a unanimous consensus: players and coaches love the addition of Barkley, both to the depth chart and in the locker room. Listen here to the latest episode of unCovering the Birds.

The schedule

  1. The Sixers host the Indiana Pacers tonight at 7 (NBCSP).

  2. The Flyers visit the Minnesota Wild on Saturday at 2 p.m. (NBCSP).

  3. The Eagles host the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday at 4:25 p.m. (Fox29).

What you’re saying about inspirations

We asked you: Which athlete or coach is an inspiration? Among your responses:

John Cena is an athlete who embodies what it means to “give back.” Cena has achieved incredible success in sports, film, TV, and entertainment, but he also has granted over 600 wishes for kids through the Make-A-Wish Foundation. No one else has granted more than 200. Children truly are the world’s most valuable resource, and John Cena makes the world a brighter and better place for them and us, through his noble acts of kindness, generosity, and selflessness. We CAN see you, John! — Stephen T.

Probably the most inspirational athlete I have ever seen was Jim Abbott, the one-armed pitcher who led Michigan to two conference championships and then pitched professionally for the Angels and Yankees. A remarkable athlete and human being who even once pitched a no-hitter while with the Yankees. — Everett S.

(Abbott also pitched for the White Sox and Brewers during his 10-year big-league career.)

We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Alex Coffey, Frank Fitzpatrick, Keith Pompey, Jeff McLane, David Murphy, Gabriela Carroll, Jeff Neiburg, Olivia Reiner, Jackie Spiegel, Devin Jackson, and Aaron Carter.

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 closes the book on another busy week here at Sports Daily. Thanks for reading and I’ll see you on Monday. — Jim