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Philadelphia Eagles

Eagles Land Big Win at KC

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KANSAS CITY – Philly QB Jalen Hurts rushed for two touchdowns and the Philadelphia Eagles overcame a 10-point halftime deficit to beat the host Kansas City Chiefs 21-17 on Monday night in a Super Bowl rematch.

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D’Andre Swift rushed for a touchdown and had 107 scrimmage yards (76 rushing, 31 receiving) as the Eagles, who own the best record in the NFL at 9-1, won their fourth straight game. DeVonta Smith caught six passes for 99 yards, including a long one that set up the winning score.

Patrick Mahomes threw two touchdowns but also threw an interception and finished with just 177 passing yards. He completed 24 of 43 passes for the Chiefs (7-3). Kansas City’s Travis Kelce and Justin Watson had touchdown receptions.

The Week 11 showdown was a rematch of the highly competitive Super Bowl LVII. The Chiefs won the game 38-35 thanks to Harrison Butker’s game-winning 27-yard field goal with eight seconds remaining.

Hurts was 14-of-22 passing for 150 yards and one interception on Monday. He was harassed repeatedly in the first half when he was sacked five times, but the Eagles didn’t allow a sack in the second half.

Chris Jones and Trent McDuffie each had two sacks for the Chiefs. Kelce had seven receptions but just 44 yards.

Philadelphia moved ahead for the first time at 21-17 with 6:20 remaining.

The touchdown was set up by Hurts’ 41-yard pass to Smith to the Kansas City 1-yard line. The Eagles then called for the “Tush Push,” and Hurts received the usual extra help while plunging in for the score.

The Chiefs later took over from their 9-yard line with 2:49 remaining. Kansas City had second down from its 49-yard line when Mahomes threw deep but Marquez Valdes-Scantling dropped the pass despite being open inside the Philadelphia 5.

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Later in the possession, Mahomes’ pass on fourth-and-25 was incomplete and the Eagles took over with 1:28 left and ran out the clock.

The Eagles pulled within 17-14 when Hurts scored on a 10-yard keeper on third-and-5 with 4:05 left in the third quarter.

Mahomes threw two touchdowns to help the Chiefs hold a 17-7 halftime lead.

Kansas City got on the board when Mahomes tossed a 3-yard scoring pass to Watson with 5:34 left in the first quarter.

The Eagles knotted the score on Swift’s 4-yard run with 31 seconds remaining in the opening period.

The Chiefs scored 10 points in the final two minutes of the half. Mahomes hit Kelce on a 4-yard touchdown pass with 1:45 left and Butker booted a 43-yarder as time expired.

–Field Level Media

NFL: Sunday Round-Up

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FOXBORO – (Wire Service Report) – Patriots’ coach Bill Belichick earned the 300th regular-season victory of his head-coaching career thanks to some late-game heroics from Mac Jones that lifted New England to a 29-25 victory over the Buffalo Bills on Sunday in Massachusetts.

After New England (2-5) squandered a 12-point, fourth-quarter lead, Jones found Mike Gesicki for a go-ahead, 1-yard touchdown with 12 seconds left in the game. Belichick joins Don Shula (328 wins) and George Halas (318) as the only coaches in NFL history to reach 300 wins in the regular season.

Reaching the milestone didn’t come easy, as Josh Allen headlined a ferocious rally for Buffalo (4-3). Allen connected with Stefon Diggs for a 25-yard TD with 5:32 left in the game before sneaking into the end zone from the goal line with 1:58 to go, giving the Bills a 25-22 edge.

Jones completed 25 of 30 passes for 272 yards and two TDs. Allen threw for 265 yards, two scores and an interception on 27-for-41 passing.

Browns 39, Colts 38

Kareem Hunt’s 1-yard touchdown run with 15 seconds left lifted Cleveland to a wild win over host Indianapolis.

The Browns (4-2) went 80 yards in 12 plays on the winning drive, aided by a pair of critical penalties. The Colts (3-4) were flagged for illegal contact that negated a fumble recovery with 38 seconds left, then committed pass interference to give Cleveland first-and-goal at the 1.

After P.J. Walker tossed three straight incomplete passes, Hunt broke the goal line’s plane on a run up the middle. Walker came on in relief of Deshaun Watson, who departed late in the first quarter. Watson was evaluated for a concussion during the first half, but the Browns said he cleared the protocol. After the game, Cleveland coach Kevin Stefanski named Watson the starter for next Sunday’s game against the Seattle Seahawks.

Falcons 16, Buccaneers 13

Younghoe Koo nailed a 51-yard field goal as time expired as Atlanta downed host Tampa Bay.

Despite losing three fumbles, Desmond Ridder threw for 250 yards on 19-of-25 passing for Atlanta. His 39-yard pass to Kyle Pitts helped set up Koo’s game-winning kick. With Bijan Robinson slowed due to an illness, Tyler Allgeier led the Falcons (4-3) in carries (21) and rushing yards (59) and added 53 yards receiving.

Baker Mayfield passed for 275 yards and a touchdown and added 32 rushing yards for the Buccaneers (3-3). His 31-yard scamper late in the fourth quarter helped set up Chase McLaughlin’s game-tying, 36-yard field goal with 49 seconds to play.

Ravens 38, Lions 6

Lamar Jackson passed for 357 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for another score as host Baltimore manhandled Detroit.

Baltimore scored touchdowns on its first four possessions while racing to a 28-0 halftime advantage. The Ravens racked up 355 yards before the break, including 255 passing yards by Jackson. Mark Andrews caught a pair of touchdown passes for Baltimore (5-2). Gus Edwards rushed for 64 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries and had an 80-yard reception.

Jahmyr Gibbs rushed for 68 yards and a touchdown and caught nine passes for 58 yards for the Lions (5-2), who had their four-game winning streak snapped. Jared Goff passed for 284 yards and was intercepted once. Amon-Ra St. Brown caught 13 passes for 102 yards.

Bears 30, Raiders 12

D’Onta Foreman rushed for two touchdowns and caught a TD pass from Tyson Bagent, who was making his first NFL start, to boost host Chicago to a win against Las Vegas.

The undrafted Bagent, from NCAA Division II Shepherd, got the best of a matchup featuring backup QBs as Chicago (2-5) secured its first victory at home since Week 3 of 2022. Bagent was 21 of 29 for 162 yards and a touchdown, and Foreman rushed 16 times for 89 yards while the Bears amassed 173 yards on the ground.

Brian Hoyer was 17 of 32 for 129 yards and two interceptions for the Raiders (3-4). Davante Adams, who earlier in the week said he wanted to be more involved in the offense after back-to-back quiet weeks, had seven catches on 12 targets for 57 yards.

Giants 14, Commanders 7

Tyrod Taylor tossed two touchdown passes and the defense held firm as New York earned a win over Washington in East Rutherford.

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In his second start for the injured Daniel Jones, Taylor went 18-for-29 passing for 279 yards. The Giants (2-5) scored on offense for the first time since Sept. 21, ending a three-game drought. Their defense racked up six sacks and Leonard Williams blocked a field goal. Darren Waller caught seven passes for 98 yards and a TD for New York, and Saquon Barkley rushed 21 times for 77 yards while adding three catches for 41 yards and a score.

Sam Howell went 22-for-42 passing for 249 yards and an interception for the Commanders (3-4), who punted 10 times and had eight three-and-outs.

Steelers 24, Rams 17

Kenny Pickett threw for 230 yards and ran for a touchdown as Pittsburgh overcame a sluggish first half to pull off a victory over Los Angeles in Inglewood, Calif.

Jaylen Warren and Najee Harris each rushed for fourth-quarter touchdowns as Pittsburgh (4-2) erased a seven-point deficit over the final 15 minutes. The Steelers won despite scoring just three first-half points and gaining 91 yards of total offense before halftime.

Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford threw for 231 yards and a touchdown, while rookie Puka Nacua had eight receptions for 154 yards. Nacua delivered his fourth game of at least eight receptions and his third of at least 140 yards. Royce Freeman rushed for 66 yards on 12 carries for Los Angeles (3-4).

Seahawks 20, Cardinals 10

Geno Smith threw touchdown passes to rookies Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Jake Bobo in the first half and Seattle held on to defeat visiting Arizona.

Smith completed 18 of 24 passes for 219 yards with an interception and Kenneth Walker III rushed for 105 yards on 26 carries. The Seahawks (4-2) played without star receiver DK Metcalf because of a hip injury, but the rookies came through with four receptions apiece.

Arizona’s Joshua Dobbs was 19-of-33 passing for 146 yards. Emari Demercado rushed for 58 yards on 13 attempts and made a team-high four catches. The Cardinals (1-6) forced three turnovers — as many as Seattle had in its first five games of the season — but were only able to turn those into three points.

Broncos 19, Packers 17

Wil Lutz kicked four field goals, including the decisive 52-yarder with 3:50 remaining, to help host Denver record a victory over Green Bay.

P.J. Locke notched his first career interception with 1:40 remaining as Denver (2-5) snapped a two-game slide. Russell Wilson completed 20 of 29 passes for 194 yards and one touchdown, Courtland Sutton caught a TD pass and Javonte Williams had 96 yards from scrimmage (82 rushing, 14 receiving) for the Broncos.

Jordan Love was 21-of-31 passing for 180 yards, two touchdowns and one interception for the Packers (2-4), who lost their third straight game. Romeo Doubs and Jayden Reed had scoring catches for Green Bay.

Chiefs 31, Chargers 17

Patrick Mahomes completed 32 of 42 passes for 424 yards, four touchdowns and one interception, and Kansas City held on to beat visiting Los Angeles.

Travis Kelce finished with 12 catches for 179 yards and caught the go-ahead touchdown for the Chiefs (6-1), who won their sixth straight game. Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Rashee Rice and Isiah Pacheco also caught one touchdown pass apiece.

Justin Herbert completed 17 of 30 passes for 259 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions for the Chargers (2-4). Joshua Kelley ran seven times for 75 yards and a touchdown. The teams combined for five touchdowns during a frenzied second quarter, but Kelce’s 1-yard TD with 15 seconds left put Kansas City up for good.

Eagles 31, Dolphins 17

Philly QB Jalen Hurts threw for two touchdowns and ran for a third on Sunday night as the Eagles pulled away from the visiting Miami Dolphins in the second half for a 31-17 win. Hurts, who was 23-of-31 passing for 279 yards and an interception, snapped a 17-17 tie with a 14-yard scoring strike to A.J. Brown with 15 seconds left in the third quarter. Brown, who ran through an attempted tackle around the 10-yard line, caught 10 passes for 137 yards.

–Field Level Media

Hurts Leads Eagles to 34-28 Victory

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PHILADELPHIA – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Jalen Hurts rushed for two touchdowns and passed for one more, and the Philadelphia Eagles held on for a 34-28 win over the visiting Minnesota Vikings on Thursday night.

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Hurts completed 18 of 23 passes for 193 yards, one touchdown and one interception for Philadelphia (2-0). D’Andre Swift notched 28 carries for 175 yards and a touchdown, while DeVonta Smith had four catches for 131 yards and one score.

Kirk Cousins completed 31 of 44 passes for 364 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions for Minnesota (0-2). T.J. Hockenson had seven catches for 66 yards and two touchdowns, and Justin Jefferson finished with 11 receptions for a team-high 159 yards.

Both teams started slowly on offense.

The Eagles led 3-0 at the end of the first quarter thanks to a 24-yard field goal by Jake Elliott.

The Vikings grabbed a 7-3 lead with 10:39 left in the second quarter. Hockenson caught a pass, shook off a defender and sprinted in for a 5-yard touchdown.

Philadelphia responded with a 1-yard touchdown by Hurts to go ahead 10-7 with 2:44 remaining in the first half. Hurts’ first score capped a 16-play, 75-yard drive.

Elliott made a 61-yard field goal as time expired at the end of the half to make it 13-7.

On the first drive of the second half, Hurts punched in another 1-yard touchdown to increase the Eagles’ lead to 20-7. The Eagles’ defense set up the score as Josh Sweat sacked Cousins on Minnesota’s 18-yard line to pop the ball loose, and Fletcher Cox recovered the fumble and took it to the Vikings’ 7-yard line.

Hurts relied upon his arm to make it 27-7 for the Eagles. He heaved a pass to a wide-open Smith, who made the catch and sprinted to the end zone for a 63-yard score.

On their next possession, the Vikings cut the deficit to 27-14 with 9:09 remaining in the third quarter as Cousins connected with rookie wideout Jordan Addison for a 62-yard touchdown.

Minnesota pulled within 27-21 with 7:41 left in the game. Cousins looked to his left and hit K.J. Osborn for a 10-yard touchdown.

The Eagles then made it 34-21 on Swift’s 2-yard touchdown run with 4:13 to go.

The Vikings capped the scoring on Hockenson’s second touchdown catch, again from 5 yards out, with 1:10 remaining.

–Field Level Media

Thursday Night NFL: Vikings at Eagles

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PHILADELPHIA – The Philadelphia Eagles will try to stay unbeaten when they welcome the Minnesota Vikings to town for their home opener tonight.

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Philadelphia (1-0) is coming off a 25-20 win against the New England Patriots on Sunday afternoon. It was far from a perfect performance for the Eagles, but they jumped out to a 16-0 lead and held on for a narrow victory.

Now they will try to fix their mistakes on short rest against the Vikings.

“Was it our cleanest opportunity? No,” Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said. “We’ve got a lot of things to clean up.”

So does Minnesota (0-1), which lost its season opener 20-17 at home against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Vikings committed three turnovers and had several costly penalties, including one on fourth down that extended a Buccaneers drive and led to a touchdown.

“We beat ourselves,” Minnesota running back Alexander Mattison said.

That was in front of a friendly home crowd. The Vikings now must find their footing in front of a passionate fan base in Philadelphia.

Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson offered simple advice for some of his teammates who will play in front of Eagles fans for the first time.

“Be ready,” Hockenson said. “It’s a hostile place to play. You walk out of the tunnels, and there’s things being thrown at you and a lot of stuff happening in that stadium.”

The top concern for the Vikings is the Eagles’ personnel.

Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts is looking for a better performance after completing 22 of 33 passes for 170 yards and a touchdown in Week 1. He also rushed nine times for 37 yards but had a costly fumble in the fourth quarter.

Hurts said the season opener offered an opportunity to grow.

“We all have standards,” Hurts said. “I have standards that are very high. I think the reality is, I’ve never reported to the standards of other people or the expectations of other people, or their opinions. We’re centrally focused on the things that we can control.”

A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith tied for the team lead with seven catches apiece, with Smith grabbing the lone touchdown pass from Hurts. They will go up against a Vikings team that has similar faces from last year but plays a different style under first-year defensive coordinator Brian Flores.

“Everything is different,” Hurts said. “They’re coached by a really good coach, and they’ve always had great players.”

Meanwhile, Minnesota will match up against an Eagles defense that has added a top rookie in defensive tackle Jalen Carter. He bolsters a defensive front that includes Jordan Davis, Fletcher Cox, Brandon Graham and others.

According to NFL Next Gen Stats, Carter’s pass-rush get-off time was 0.68 seconds, which ranked first among defensive players with a minimum of 15 pass rushes in Week 1. He had a sack and six pressures — the most by a rookie defensive tackle since 2019.

Minnesota’s offensive line is already banged up as it prepares for Carter and Co.

Vikings center Garrett Bradbury (back) had yet to practice as of Tuesday. Meanwhile, tackle Christian Darrisaw (ankle) was listed as a limited participant.

Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins will have to be wary of the Eagles’ pass rush as he looks for opportunities downfield. His top target is Justin Jefferson, who hauled in nine catches for 150 yards against Tampa Bay.

Philadelphia listed Cox, safety Reed Blankenship and running back Kenneth Gainwell as having rib injuries. Cornerback James Bradberry (concussion protocol) was also on the injury report.

–Field Level Media

Patriots Rally Falls Short vs Philly

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FOXBORO – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Philadelphia kicker Jake Elliott made good on three second-half field goals to help the Eagles ward off a comeback en route to a 25-20 victory over the New England Patriots on Sunday.

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Elliott’s final kick came from 51 yards out with 5:33 left in the game. It proved to be critical when Mac Jones found Kendrick Bourne for an 11-yard touchdown just under two minutes later to pull New England within five.

The Patriots (0-1) couldn’t convert the two-point conversion, but they ended up getting the ball back twice. On the second possession, New England drove to the Eagles 20, and Jones seemingly threw a first-down completion to Kayshon Boutte on fourth-and-11 with 25 seconds remaining.

But replay ruled Boutte didn’t get both feet in bounds, allowing Philadelphia (1-0) to hang on for the win.

Elliott also converted field-goal attempts from 56 and 48 yards following halftime to keep the Eagles in front.

Jalen Hurts completed 22 of 33 passes for 170 yards and a touchdown for Philadelphia. Kenneth Gainwell had 54 yards on 14 carries.

Jones threw for 316 yards, three touchdowns and one interception on 35-for-54 passing. Bourne had six catches for 64 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

After Elliott capped Philadelphia’s opening drive with a 32-yard field goal, Darius Slay came down with an interception on the Patriots’ seventh offensive play of the game. Jones threw wide of Bourne, who got a hand on the ball and deflected it up in the air. It fell right to Slay, who then took it 70 yards to the end zone for a 10-0 lead.

Ezekiel Elliott fumbled on New England’s ensuing possession, setting the Eagles up at the Patriots’ 26-yard line. Five plays later, Hurts found DeVonta Smith for a 5-yard touchdown, but Jake Elliott couldn’t convert the extra point.

New England flipped a switch in the second quarter, though.

Jones completed 14 of 17 passes for 128 yards in the period, connecting with Hunter Henry for a 9-yard touchdown with 4:34 left before finding Bourne for a 19-yard score just over four minutes later.

That surge allowed the Patriots to pull within 16-14 by the break.

–Field Level Media

Super Bowl LVII Preview

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GLENDALE – (Staff and Wire Service Report by Field Level Media) – Patrick Mahomes is on the verge of becoming the youngest quarterback to start three Super Bowls, but the Kansas City Chiefs star is more interested in becoming the 13th to earn multiple Super Bowl rings.

Mahomes will be playing in his third Super Bowl in the past four campaigns, and his task on Sunday is to solve the dominant defense of the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LVII in Arizona.

Philadelphia has been backed by 67 percent of the spread-line bets and 68 percent of the handle at BetMGM. The action was similar at BetRivers to begin the week before more money started flowing in on the Chiefs, with the Eagles now drawing 58 and 51 percent, respectively.

Mahomes will be 27 years, 148 days old when he takes the field but is already viewed as an NFL great. He is 1-1 in previous Super Bowls, having beaten the San Francisco 49ers 31-20 in Super Bowl LIV and lost 31-9 to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Super Bowl LV one year later.

Philadelphia’s defense, ranked second in the regular season at 301.5 yards allowed per game, will be swimming like sharks around Mahomes.

The Eagles have racked up 78 sacks during the regular season and postseason. That is third-most all-time behind the mid-1980s Chicago Bears, who had a record 82 in 1984 and 80 in 1985.

Philadelphia will look to corral Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, who ranks second all-time in postseason receptions (127) and receiving yardage (1,467) and is tied for second with Rob Gronkowski with 15 postseason touchdown grabs. Jerry Rice leads in all three categories.

Kelce is part of a juicy storyline as he and older brother Jason (the Eagles’ center) will become the first set of brothers to play against one another in Super Bowl history. Both Kelces already own a Super Bowl ring, but Travis is 3-0 in matchups against Jason.

“Whoever wins this one will have the ultimate bragging rights,” Jason Kelce said.

Chiefs coach Andy Reid is looking for his second Super Bowl ring as he faces the organization that fired him in 2012 after 14 seasons. Reid ranks second all-time in postseason victories (21) behind Bill Belichick (31).

The 64-year-old has tried to swat away “Andy Reid Bowl” questions all week. He reached five NFC title games with the Eagles but just one Super Bowl, a 24-21 loss to the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XXXIX.

Also a hot topic is whether the Chiefs can stamp themselves as a dynasty with a second Super Bowl win in four seasons. Reid, not surprisingly, has no interest in the subject.

“I’m not really into all that,” Reid said. “It’s important in our world as coaches and players that you try to get better every day. You’re only as good as your last game, or your next game, I should say. We’re striving to focus on this thing and try not to worry about all that stuff.”

The quarterback matchup between Mahomes and Philadelphia’s Jalen Hurts is noteworthy, marking the first Super Bowl in which each team has a Black starting quarterback.

Only three Black quarterbacks have won a Super Bowl: Doug Williams (Super Bowl XXII), Russell Wilson (Super Bowl XLIX) and Mahomes.

“It’s not about me. It’s about the team,” the multi-dimensional Hurts said. “Football is the ultimate team game, and you can’t have one player with the belief that he can succeed without the others around him.”

The Eagles have held steady as a consensus 1.5-point favorite after the spread reached as high as 3.0 points at some major sportsbooks.

PROP PICKS
–Hurts Over 10.5 Rushing Attempts (+100 at BetMGM): This has received the most total bets among player props at the sportsbook. Hurts has averaged 11.5 carries over the past four games. That includes 11 against the 49ers in the NFC Championship Game despite the Eagles being in control much of the game. The offseason begins Monday, so look for Philadelphia to use Hurts’ legs to the fullest as it attempts to keep the Chiefs’ defense off balance.

–Travis Kelce Anytime TD (-124 at BetRivers): Kelce has three touchdowns in two playoff games already and will be coveted safety blanket against the Eagles’ ferocious pass rush. Him scoring at least one touchdown on Sunday leads the sportsbook’s player props with 4.5 percent of the total money. Kelce is also among the top 10 most popular plays to score twice, which has drawn 1.3 percent of the money at +575.

–Josh Sweat Over 0.75 Sacks (+110 at DraftKings): Eagles linebacker Haason Reddick has been on an absolute tear with 3.5 sacks in the playoffs following 16 during the regular season. But his -180 odds at Over 0.25 sacks doesn’t portend a great potential payout. With the Chiefs having to prioritize protection Mahomes against Reddick on obvious passing downs, there should be plenty of opportunity for Sweat, who set a career high with 11.0 sacks during the regular season and racked up another 1.5 in the playoff-opening win against the Giants.

INJURY REPORT
The right ankle injury Mahomes sustained against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Jan. 21 is healing, but he won’t be 100 percent against the Eagles.

“You won’t know exactly how it is until you get to game day,” Mahomes said this week. “I mean, I definitely move around better than I was moving last week or two weeks ago. So it’s just trying to continue to get the treatment and the rehab and get it as close to 100 percent and then rely on some adrenaline to let me do a little bit extra when I’m on the field.”

The Chiefs overall have a clean bill of health, while the Philadelphia Eagles listed only one player, wide receiver and return specialist Britain Covey, on the final injury report ahead of the game.

Covey (hamstring) popped up for the first time Thursday, was limited for two straight days and was listed Friday as questionable for the game.

An undrafted rookie, Covey has rarely seen snaps on offense but serves as Philadelphia’s punt returner. He also returned kicks in Weeks 4, 8, 9 and 10. Covey fielded 33 punts in the regular season for 308 yards with a long of 27. He averaged 9.3 yards.

If Covey can’t play, the Eagles may need to turn to the likes of speedy former Heisman Trophy winner DeVonta Smith as a replacement punt returner.

Friday’s news was good for Chiefs cornerback L’Jarius Sneed, who appeared on Thursday’s injury report as a limited participant with a knee issue. The Chiefs said Sneed practiced in full on Friday and gave him no game status designation.

That’s not to say Kansas City is at perfect attendance. Earlier in the week, it placed wide receiver Mecole Hardman on injured reserve with a pelvic injury, taking him out of the equation for the Super Bowl.

But that allowed the Chiefs to activate running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire (ankle) from IR in a corresponding move, and two other wide receivers with previous injury concerns — JuJu Smith-Schuster (knee) and Kadarius Toney (ankle, hamstring) — are cleared to play Sunday.

PREDICTION
The NFL might be an offensive league in this era, but most of the recent Super Bowl champions have sported the superior defense. The Chiefs lack a real threat in the backfield, which will force them to rely on the short passing game as a complement to help thwart that pass rush. The Eagles bring more offensive balance to the equation along with variety in the red zone that will pay off in crunch time. –Eagles 28, Chiefs 26

–Field Level Media

Injuries a Factor for Super Bowl Week

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PHOENIX – If Super Bowl LVII were being played Sunday, the Kansas City Chiefs would be looking thin at wide receiver. But the game against the Philadelphia Eagles isn’t until Feb. 12, giving Mecole Hardman, JuJu Smith-Schuster and Kadarius Toney more time to heal in hopes of playing in the big game.

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Hardman (pelvis), Smith-Schuster (knee) and Toney (ankle, hamstring) did not practice this week. The Chiefs’ estimated game status report marked Hardman as doubtful and the other two as questionable.

NFL Network reported Thursday that Hardman was seeking second opinions on his injury to see if there was a way he could play. Hardman missed the second half of the regular season with the injury and was brought back in time for the AFC Championship Game, where he was able to play just 15 offensive snaps.

Chiefs cornerback L’Jarius Sneed (concussion) and linebacker Willie Gay (shoulder) were also estimated as questionable. Sneed hasn’t practiced this week while Gay was limited each day.

For the Eagles, cornerback Avonte Maddox was among those who sat out practice Friday due to a toe injury.

Maddox was seen wearing a boot on his left foot at practice, but the Philadelphia Inquirer reported that the Eagles are holding him out as a precautionary measure and he will be able to play in the Super Bowl.

Maddox has been in and out of the lineup with injuries this season. He missed four games in November and early December when a hamstring injury sent him to injured reserve.

He suffered what was reported to be a “significant” toe injury Christmas Eve against the Dallas Cowboys and missed the final two regular-season games, plus Philadelphia’s divisional round win over the New York Giants. He returned for Sunday’s NFC Championship Game and had three tackles, one for a loss.

 

Philadelphia is Super Bowl Bound

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PHILADELPHIA – (Staff and Wire Service Report by Field Level Media) –  Miles Sanders rushed for two touchdowns, Haason Reddick delivered a huge performance and the Philadelphia Eagles are headed to the Super Bowl after posting a 31-7 victory over the visiting San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship Game on Sunday.

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Jalen Hurts passed for 121 yards and rushed for a touchdown as the top-seeded Eagles advanced to their first Super Bowl in five years and fourth overall. Boston Scott tacked on a rushing score while Reddick had two sacks, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.

Second-seeded San Francisco was left without firepower after rookie quarterback Brock Purdy injured his right elbow in the first quarter after a blow from Reddick. He later re-entered the game in the third quarter after backup Josh Johnson sustained a concussion.

Purdy was 4-of-4 passing for 23 yards but threw just two short passes after returning despite the 49ers facing a large deficit. Johnson completed 7 of 13 passes for 74 yards and Christian McCaffrey rushed for 84 yards and one score.

Philadelphia outgained San Francisco 269 to 164. The Eagles will face either the Cincinnati Bengals or the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII in Glendale, Ariz.

The Eagles drove 66 yards on 11 plays on their first drive with Sanders ending it with a 6-yard scoring run.

On the sixth play after San Francisco took over, Reddick slammed into Purdy’s right arm. The ball slipped out of Purdy’s hand and was knocked up field by his wrist before being recovered by Philadelphia’s Linval Joseph at the Eagles’ 44-yard line.

Johnson took over on San Francisco’s next possession when Purdy determined he couldn’t throw the ball.

The 49ers tied the game in the second quarter when McCaffrey powered his way to a 23-yard touchdown run.

The Eagles regained the lead when Sanders rumbled through a big hole on a 13-yard run with 1:36 left.

On San Francisco’s next possession, Johnson took his eyes off a shotgun snap and dropped the ball, and Reddick recovered at the 49ers’ 30. Three plays later, Scott scored on a 10-yard run to give Philadelphia a 21-7 advantage 16 seconds before halftime.

Early in the third quarter, Johnson threw an incomplete pass and hit his head on the turf after a hit from Philadelphia’s Ndamukong Suh. He exited the game. Purdy finished the drive with a handoff and then returned for San Francisco’s next offensive drive.

The 49ers went three-and-out and punted the ball back to the Eagles. Philadelphia received help from a 15-yard roughing the kicker penalty while driving 91 yards on 15 plays, with Hurts scoring on a 1-yard keeper to make it 28-7 with 43 seconds left in the period.

Jake Elliott added a 31-yard field goal with 5:17 left in the game.

NFL Sports Desk: SNF Marquee Matchup

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PHILADELPHIA – (Staff and Field Level Media Report) – Dallas oft-injured quarterback Dak Prescott participated in individual drills and was more involved in Thursday’s practice than the Dallas Cowboys anticipated, making enough improvement that he’s officially questionable for tonight’s game at Philadelphia.

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Lead receiver CeeDee Lamb missed Friday’s practice with a hip injury, but Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones signaled the absence was more precaution than panic.

“He’s just working through a couple things there. Just felt like it was best for him not to practice today. We feel like he’ll get all that sorted out for the game,” Jones said Friday to 105.3 FM in Dallas.

Prescott was upgraded to limited participation Thursday, his first practice in more than four weeks, from being listed as DNP on Wednesday.

Head coach Mike McCarthy said the result of the uptick in throwing is a sore surgically repaired right thumb. That prompted the Cowboys to rest Prescott and keep him out of Friday’s team work. McCarthy said the Cowboys consider Prescott in “regeneration” mode.

Prescott is nearly five weeks removed from fracturing the thumb on his throwing hand in the Sept. 11 opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. McCarthy said the big picture remains entirely positive with Prescott, who will resume throwing Saturday and before Sunday’s game at Philadelphia.

“The last two days he hit the target. (Friday) will be a recovery day for him,” McCarthy said. “We’re on schedule. He’s getting better.”

Dallas’ Reserve QB Cooper Rush is in line to start his fifth consecutive game since Prescott went down.

The Cowboys (4-1) do expect linebacker Micah Parsons (groin) and defensive end Demarcus Lawrence (chest) to be on the field for the NFC East showdown with the Eagles (5-0).

Rush said it’s important to note Prescott hasn’t been on the field, but he has impacted the end result.

“I’ve said before he’s helped tremendously with our room, myself, and everyone else on the sidelines,” Rush said. “He’s bringing energy, that’s just who he is as a person or a leader.”

–Field Level Media