January 2026

There were 1,518 posts published in January 2026 (this is page 101 of 152).

Eagles-49ers final score: Most expensive offense in the NFL puts up 19 points in home loss to worst defense in the playoffs

The Philadelphia Eagles’ quest to repeat as Super Bowl champions is over.

The Birds were eliminated from the playoffs in a Wild Card loss at home to the San Francisco 49ers. Final score: 23 to 19.

19 points.

The most expensive offense in the NFL by far managed to muster just 19 measly points against the worst defense in the playoffs.

It’s not exactly like Vic Fangio’s defense played their A-game in this one but they more than carried their weight for most of the season. They at least produced two takeaways in the form of Quinyon Mitchell interceptions, allowing the Eagles to be +2 in turnover differential.

And yet a terrible, uninspiring, moribund, bland offensive performance doomed the Eagles in.

This performance wasn’t merely offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo’s fault. There were a lot of penalties and lack of execution (example: a Saquon Barkley third down drop). But it’s pretty difficult to argue that Patullo is part of the solution moving forward.

If you’re blaming Patullo, which is more than fair, you also have to blame Nick Sirianni. This was the head coach’s right-hand man since coming to Philly and clearly his pick for OC this year.

Sirianni also notably opted for a field goal on 4th-and-3 from the 49ers’ 15-yard line in the fourth quarter of this game instead of trying to go for a touchdown. They would be the last points the Eagles scored this season.

If there’s a silver lining to this loss, it’s that we don’t have to watch this entirely too frustrating 2025 Eagles offense again.

But the Eagles should’ve won this game. They were 5.5-point home favorites. They rested their starters in Week 18 to manufacture a bye week.

No good excuses for this season-ending loss.

And now an offseason with many questions to be answered.

Read on for a recap and stay tuned for BGN’s postgame coverage.

FIRST QUARTER

  • The Eagles won the coin toss and elected to defer. The 49ers took over at their own 24-yard line. Brock Purdy’s first pass attempt went for a 58-yard Demarcus Robinson catch-and-run with Quinyon Mitchell trailing that quieted the Philly crowd. The 49ers moved to 1st-and-goal at the 5-yard line. Two plays later, Purdy hit Robinson again with Mitchell trailing in the end zone for a touchdown. Rough series for Q, who was just named first-team All-Pro. Five plays, 74 yards, touchdown. First thought: Uh, what the hell, defense? Second thought: Not the first time we’ve seen the opposition have success on a first drive before Vic Fangio’s group tightened up after that. EAGLES 0, 49ers 7.
  • The Eagles took over at their own 37-yard line. The Eagles went with Saquon Barkley run for two yards and then a second for 29 yards into plus territory. Fred Johnson got banged up to force Matt Pryor into the game but just for one snap. The Eagles moved into the red zone with a Jalen Hurts completion to A.J. Brown. Facing 3rd-and-3, a Barkley carry picked up a first down at the 7-yard line. Facing 3rd-and-goal at the 1-yard line, the Eagles went with a handoff to Dallas Goedert (!) for the touchdown. Awesome opening drive for the offense to answer the 49ers’ score by going 63 yards in 10 plays for the score. But then Jake Elliott missed the extra point in windy conditions. EAGLES 6, 49ers 7.
  • The 49eres took over at their own 26-yard line. Mitchell bounced back from his very bad first drive with a pass breakup. Facing 3rd-and-6, Purdy’s pass was completed short of the sticks. Three-and-out.
  • The Eagles took over at their own 32-yard line after a mere 35-yard punt. Facing 3rd-and-7 after two Barkley runs, Hurts hit Darius Cooper (!) over the middle for a first down. Facing 3rd-and-2, a Barkley run resulted in no gain. Facing 4th-and-2, Nick Sirianni kept the offense on the field and Hurts’ pass for DeVonta Smith was broken up with the 49ers’ cornerback jumping the route. Nearly picked off. Liked the decision to go for it. Would’ve preferred trying to sneak twice starting on 3rd-and-2. Also looked like Hurts made the wrong read to hand off to Barkley instead of keeping on third down.
  • The 49ers took over at their own 48-yard line. Facing 3rd-and-9 after Cooper DeJean broke up a pass, Purdy took off running but was forced out of bounds by a hustling Moro Ojomo for just two yards. Second straight three-and-out for the 49ers offense.
  • The Eagles took at their own 6-yard line after Britain Covey let a punt take a 49ers bounce to pin the Eagles back. Hurts completed a pass to Brown for seven yards to end the first quarter.

SECOND QUARTER

  • Facing 3rd-and-10 after picking up two first downs, Jahan Dotson false started. Facing 3rd-and-15, Hurts hit DeVonta just short of the marker. Facing 4th-and-1 from their own 44-yard line, Sirianni kept the offense and went Tush Push for the first down! Love the aggression there. The Eagles moved into 49ers territory with a fake screen right and Hurts looking back left to get the ball to Barkley for 20 yards. Really nice design! The Eagles then started to feed Tank Bigsby (the team clearly saw my tweet) and he picked up 20 yards on three straight carries. Facing 3rd-and-5 at the 12-yard line, the Eagles went with a Barkley run to set up fourth down. Facing 4th-and-2, Hurts hit Dallas Goedert for a touchdown! But the score was called back for Cam Jurgens illegally being downfield … but then the refs announced no penalty. Jurgens was actively engaged with the defender and thus not illegally downfield. Legitimately excellent drive. Elliott barely made the extra point. EAGLES 13, 49ERS 7.
  • The 49ers took over at their own 23-yard line. George Kittle got carted off the field after a short reception. Purdy hit Jauan Jennings over the middle for another explosive play, this one for 45 yards with Cooper DeJean trailing (first Q and now Coop?!). Facing 3rd-and-1, Jordan Davis (who previously had a stop on second down) tackled Christian McCaffrey for a loss. Facing 4th-and-2, Kyle Shanahan kept the offense on the field … but took the 49ers’ second timeout. Facing 4th-and-2 for real, the 49ers quickly put their field goal unit on the team and Eddy Piniero made a 36-yard field goal in the wind. The Eagles will gladly live with the 49ers taking three in that spot. EAGLES 13, 49ERS 10.
  • The Eagles took over at their own 35-yard line with 2:50 on the clock and three timeouts to work with. Hurts took a deep shot to A.J. Brown, who was open, but missed him. Facing 3rd-and-4, Fred Johnson false started. Facing 3rd-and-9, Hurts had DeVonta Smith running wide open on a crossing route for a first down but Hurts went downfield to Brown again and the receiver couldn’t make the contested catch. Missed opportunities. Punt.
  • The 49ers took over at their own 23-yard line with 1:51 on the clock and one timeout to work with. Facing 3rd-and-11 after Jalen Carter sacked Purdy, the 49ers had a free play with the Eagles jumping early but the 49ers declined it with a Purdy first down completion to Robinson against Adoree’ Jackson’s soft coverage anyway. Not ready to run a play, the 49ers had to burn their final timeout with the clock already stopped at 1:02. Facing 3rd-and-10, Purdy hit tight end Jake Tonges for a first down. Facing 3rd-and-5 with 0:08 on the clock after the 49ers oddly didn’t spike the ball to stop the clock earlier, the 49ers intentionally ran Purdy to try to get him out of bounds for a long field goal attempt. The Eagles almost failed to get him out … but after review, it was determined Quinyon Mitchell forced a Purdy fumble that ended the first half and prevented a 49ers field goal attempt. Phew! Got lucky the 49ers really botched that there.

THIRD QUARTER

  • The Eagles took over at their own 30-yard line. Facing 3rd-and-3 after two Barkley runs, Hurts hit Barkley in the flat for a would-be first down but the running back didn’t look the ball in and started to glance downfield before securing the catch. Killer mistake. Three-and-out.
  • Braden Mann’s punt went 58 yards to be fair caught at the 5-yard line. The 49ers picked up two first downs to move to their own 33-yard line. Facing 3rd-and-1, the 49ers went QB sneak for the first down. Purdy was then intercepted by Q, who jumped the route! A much-needed momentum boost.
  • The Eagles took over at their own 48-yard line. The Eagles picked up a first down on a designed run for Jalen Hurts … that was called back due to holding on Cam Jurgens. Looked like a weak flag. For some dumb reason, the Eagles decided to run the ball on 2nd-and-18 and ran for a loss. Facing 3rd-and-19, Hurts checked down to Goedert for five yards. 3 plays, -9 yards after the takeaway by the defense. Another big missed opportunity.
  • The 49ers took over at their own 20-yard line after Mann’s punt bounced into the end zone for a touchback. Facing 3rd-and-9, Vic Fangio brought the blitz and Purdy got hit as he threw while also seemingly not being on the same page as CMC for an incompletion. Big stop by Fangio’s squad. Vintage 2025 Eagles: weak offense, strong defense.
  • The Eagles took over at the plus 46-yard line with after a mere 25-yard punt by the 49ers. The Eagles picked up a first down (what a miracle). Facing 3rd-and-3, Barkley took a draw into open space for a very easy first down run. Facing 3rd-and-13 after Barkley ran for a loss (MAYBE STOP RUNNING ON SECOND-AND-LONG?), Hurts took a designed run for four yards. Could’ve been good to do that on second down instead! Elliott came in for the 41-yard field goal attempt … and made it. 10 plays to gain just 23 yards, lol. EAGLES 16, 49ERS 10.
  • The 49ers took over at their own 33-yard line and only needed one play to move into plus territory. Facing 3rd-and-1 at the plus 31-yard line, the 49ers went QB sneak to get a first down and end the third quarter.

FOURTH QUARTER

  • The 49ers went with some trickeration to begin the fourth quarter with Jennings throwing a touchdown pass to a wide open CMC to give the 49ers the lead. Good call by Shanahan. EAGLES 16, 49ers 17.
  • The Eagles took over at their own 35-yard line. Hurts to Barkley resulted in a first down by a Cooper holding penalty (looked tacky to me) set the offense back instead. Then Goedert dropped a pass. Facing 2nd-and-20, the Eagles went with a RUN for seven yards. Facing 3rd-and-13, Hurts bailed a clean pocket, rolled right, and threw the ball away. Awful possession! 3 plays, -3 yards.
  • The 49ers took over at their own 31-yard line. The 49ers picked up one first down but then Purdy threw another interception to Q!
  • The Eagles took over at their own 38-yard line. Hurts ran for a first down and the 49ers got called for unnecessary roughness to add 15 more yards (BS penalty to me since Hurts slid into the defender but, hey, they often call that, so, smart play by Hurts). The Eagles moved just outside of the red zone by pounding the rock with Barkley. Facing 3rd-and-9 after the refs didn’t call what could’ve been pass interference on the 49ers, Hurts hit Will Shipley for six yards. Sirianni should’ve kept the offense on the field to go for it but he settled for a 33-yard field goal make. Not sure you can merely trust this offense to get in scoring position again. EAGLES 19, 49ERS 17.
  • The 49ers took over at their own 34-yard line with 7:55 left in the game. The 49ers moved into field goal range. The 49ers moved into the red zone with a Purdy sack wiped out by a Reed Blankenship holding penalty. The 49ers moved into first-and-goal at the 10-yard line. Facing 3rd-and-goal at the 4-yard line after a DeJean PBU, Purdy JUST stepped up to avoid Nolan Smith (who was clearly held by Trent Williams) and then hit CMC for the touchdown. 10-play, 66-yard TD drive by the 49ers. SF missed the extra point. EAGLES 19, 49ERS 23.
  • The Eagles took over at their own 35-yard line with 2:54 on the clock and all three timeouts to work with. Facing 3rd-and-5, Hurts hit Brown but the wide receiver dropped the ball. Ouch. Facing 4th-and-5 from their own 40-yard line, Hurts hit Goedert for a first down as the clock rolled down to the two-minute warning. Phew. Clutch completion. Another Hurts completion to DeVonta resulted in another first down. And then again for another. Facing 3rd-and-11, Hurts’ pass to DeVonta was a tad high (still catchable) and incompletion. Facing 4th-and-11, Sirianni called a timeout that left the Eagles with just two in the event the Eagles turned the ball over on downs. Facing 4th-and-11 for real, Hurts’ throw over the middle to Goedert in traffic was broken up and incomplete. Season.

EAGLES LINEUP NOTES

  • Michael Carter II was in at safety ahead of Marcus Epps on the Eagles’ second defensive drive.

EAGLES INJURY NEWS

  • Adoree’ Jackson briefly visited the medical tent after the 49ers’ first drive.
  • Fred Johnson got banged up and missed a snap on the Eagles’ first drive. Matt Pryor filled in at right tackle for that snap.
  • A.J. Brown got up slowly after seeing a deep attempt late in the second quarter. He gingered walked to the sideline and the re-entered the game after an offensive penalty (thus not missing a snap).
  • Saquon Barkley got banged up after taking a big hit low in the fourth quarter. Barkley re-entered the game on the next drive.
  • Tyler Steen got banged up on the same play that Barkley got injured on. He re-entered the game on the next drive.
  • Jordan Davis visited the medical tent in the fourth quarter. He was not initially on the field for the 49ers’ drive that started with 7:55 left in the game. Davis entered the game once the 49ers got into goal-to-go territory.

Los Angeles Chargers vs. New England Patriots – Browns fans’ open thread

Sunday’s Wild Card Round of the NFL Playoffs caps off evening at 8:00 pm ET as the Los Angeles Chargers take on the New England Patriots. The game will air on NBC, with the action being called by Mike Tirico and Cris Collinsworth.

The Patriots have been one of the most consistently dominant teams this season, as Drake Maye has had an MVP caliber season and Mike Vrabel should be up for Coach of the Year. Is the Patriots dynasty ready for a return to glory? For as good as they’ve been, though, I feel like they’ve been discounted as somewhat of an afterthought compared to the teams with more experience.

The Chargers have been a hot and cold team this year, but more times than not, Jim Harbaugh has his team playing fiery football with a defense that can put the clamps on, and Justin Hebert being able to make the big throw on any given play. The first four games have been great this postseason, but I think New England is able to have a somewhat commanding grip on this one late. Patriots 24, Chargers 14.

For Browns fans, the outcome of this game also dictates whether Cleveland will have the No. 23 or No. 24 pick in the draft.

What do you think, Browns fans? Use this as your open thread to discuss the game.

Best of Utah meet to feature all 4 instate collegiate teams Monday night

Utah’s Amelie Morgan reaches for the higher bar during her routine as BYU, Utah, SUU and Utah State meet in the Rio Tinto Best of Utah Gymnastics competition at the Maverick Center in West Valley City on Monday, Jan. 15, 2024.
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Scott G Winterton, Deseret News

Gymnastics fans across the Beehive State will come together Monday to cheer on their teams as the Best of Utah meet will feature Utah, SUU, BYU and Utah State.

Gymnastics is a favorite sport across the state with a rich history of club and collegiate accomplishments. Utah’s Avery Neff (South Jordan) and BYU’s Scarlett Sonnenberg (Springville) showcase some of the recent homegrown talent.

Neff, now a sophomore, joined Utah last year as the No. 1 recruit in the country, while the freshman Sonnenberg was a five-star rated recruit.

“Utah is a gymnastics state,” said Utah coach Carly Dockendorf. “As a whole, there are a lot of really good club programs. Best of Utah is one of my favorite meets all year.”

The meet will be at the Maverik Center and starts at 7 p.m. The events will be on a podium platform and on the NCAA championship equipment, which was brought in for this quad meet and the Sprouts Collegiate Quad meet Utah competed in Saturday.

Utah

The Red Rocks are coming off one of their most up and down meets in program history Saturday.

They dug an early hole after three beamers fell in their leadoff event but then recorded the highest event score of the competitive Sprouts meet later on vault.

The 49.6 vault total was reminiscent of Utah’s dominant years on the event, and a showing of what the group is capable of collectively.

“Typically, vault isn’t the place where we get it together and can build off of things so that was a really awesome highlight for us,” said Utah senior captain Makenna Smith.

The Red Rocks believe they have the best six gymnasts in every event lineup, but it won’t be surprising to anyone if the order within those lineups changes.

The end goal is to get a solid four-event effort and build from there.

BYU

The Cougars had a great start to their season, outpacing No. 7 Oregon State 195.675-194.525 Friday night.

Bars was the Cougs’ best event with a 49.15, but overall BYU felt it had a strong meet from the get-go.  

“From our opening vaulter Daisy Stephenson to go out there and stick a huge Yurchenko full as a lead off, I mean, what a way to start,” said BYU coach Guard Young.

“Bars, they’ve looked this good in training, so what I like is seeing them not changing, just doing what they’ve been doing for me for weeks and months now.”

Depth is a strong point for BYU this season. Notably, Stephenson is back in the lineup after having ACL surgery 13 months ago.

On bars, Young said he warmed up four extra swingers whom he considers as good as the six in the lineup.

Part of the depth includes arguably the best freshman class BYU has had, highlighted by Sonnenberg.

She and Hazel Smith both competed on Friday, with Sonnenberg recording a 9.875 on floor.

Southern Utah

The Flippin’ Birds are also coming off a big opening win, defeating Boise State Friday night 195.675-194.3.

Southern Utah had a number of strong performances, highlighted by Niya Randolph’s 9.9 on bars and 39.4 in the all-around. Mia Hampton recorded a 9.875 on beam, while freshman Berlin Hall had the same score on floor.

SUU is the reigning Mountain Pacific Sports Federation conference champion.

Utah State

Best of Utah is the first action of the season for the reigning Mountain West Conference champions. The Aggies were picked to finish second in this year’s conference preseason coaches poll behind Boise State.

Utah State has three first team all-conference gymnasts back this year in Avery Bibbey (bars), Nyla Morabito (vault, floor) and Sydney Jelen (beam).

Friendly reunion

A number of local gymnasts will be featured across the four programs. Several of them formerly trained together during their club careers.  

“I just have so many (old) teammates and so it’s so much fun, kind of like a family reunion to see them every Best of Utah,” Neff said.

There are also fun connections with coaching ties, as BYU has brought on Makenna (Merrell) Giles as an assistant coach after the former Red Rock worked as a volunteer coach for the Cougars.

Giles was an All-American at Utah from 2016-2019, while her sister Mickell competed for BYU from 2008-12.

Meet notes

The results of the preseason coaches poll left SUU, BYU and Utah State clustered at No. 29, 30 and 33, respectively. Utah was ranked No. 5 in that poll and moved up to No. 3 in the first poll based on scoring.

BYU and SUU had the same opening meet score of 195.675. This is the seventh Best of Utah meet. 

Eagles-49ers live updates: McCaffrey TD gives Niners lead late

PHILADELPHIA — Greetings from the press box at Lincoln Financial Field, where the Philadelphia Eagles will face the San Francisco 49ers in Sunday’s NFC Wild Card game.

The Eagles (11-6) and 49ers (12-5) will kick off at 4:40 p.m. The game between the NFC East champions and the NFC West squad will air nationally on FOX.

If they beat the 49ers on Sunday, the Eagles’ road to the Super Bowl will head to Soldier Field, where they’ll face the Chicago Bears in the NFC Divisional round.

The defending Super Bowl champs will have to take down San Francisco without one of their best players.

Offensive tackle Lane Johnson is inactive despite optimism that he would be able to suit up against the 49ers. Johnson, the future Hall of Famer and five-time All-Pro, will now miss his eighth straight game with a Lisfranc foot injury suffered in Week 11.

Veteran reserve Fred Johnson will start in his place at right tackle. The Eagles are 3-4 this season and 18-27 overall since 2013 without Lane Johnson in the lineup.

Still, Jalen Hurts, Saquon Barkley and the Eagles are 5.5-point betting favorites against San Francisco, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.

Our prediction? Eagles win, 24-16.

Stay tuned for updates from the Linc throughout the game.

FOURTH QUARTER

0:43 – 49ers 23, Eagles 19

Jalen Hurts’ 4th down pass is incomplete to Goedert on 4th and 11 at the SF 21. Thrown into triple coverage. Ballgame, after Eagles blew one of their timeouts on 4th down.

2:00 – 49ers 23, Eagles 19

Dallas Goedert keeps the season alive with 15-yard reception on 4th and 5. It came a play after a drop from AJ Brown over the middle.

Eagles need a TD.

2:54 – 49ers 23, Eagles 19

Touchdown 49ers. Christian McCaffrey on a 4-yard TD reception short middle from Brock Purdy to give Niners the lead again.

Dynamite drive behind McCaffrey, 10 plays over 66 yards taking up 5:06.

It’s Eddy Pineiro’s turn to miss PAT. He hooks it left and it’s a 4-point game.

8:00 – Eagles 19, 49ers 17

Field goal Eagles. Jake Elliott hits from 33 yards and Eagles regain lead. Drive was 8 plays, 47 yards over 3:55.

Barkley became the Eagles’ all-time leading rusher in playoff games, passing Brian Westbrook, during the drive.

9:13 – 49ers 17, Eagles 16

Barkley, who is over 100 yards rushing, comes up gingerly on 0-yard run. Eagles driving, 6 plays, 41 yards so far to the SF 21.

11:55 – 49ers 17, Eagles 16

Interception: Quinyon Mitchell INT again! The All-Pro undercuts a route and picks off Brock Purdy at the PHL 38. His second of the day.

13:31 – 49ers 17, Eagles 16

An awful response from Philly. Penalty and two incompletions lead to 3 and out. 49ers take over at own 31 after 46-yard punt.

14:52 – 49ers 17, Eagles 16

Touchdown. San Fran opens fourth quarter with massive TD play. Brock Purdy pitches to Jauan Jennings on jet sweep but he drops to pass and delivers a beauty over the shoulder of Christian McCaffrey for a 29-yard score.

The play-calling skills disparity between Kyle Shanahan and Eagles OC Kevin Patullo is rearing its head.

SF’s first lead since 6:10 of second quarter.

The missed extra point on Eagles’ opening score is the difference at the moment.

THIRD QUARTER

0:00 – Eagles 16, 49ers 10

49ers are driving to close the third quarter. Four plays for 38 yards, including Kyle Jusczcyk 27-yard reception, to reach the PHL 31.

2:56 3Q – Eagles 16, 49ers 10

Field goal, Eagles. Jake Elliott nails a 41-yard field goal to extend Eagles’ lead to 6 with a short field.

Still a one-score game after Eagles didn’t do a ton even while taking over at SF 48. Not much aggression in the play-calling as Hurts ran a QB draw on 3rd and 13 for 4 yards to set up the field goal.

7:22 3Q – Eagles 13, 49ers 10

The Eagles’ defense is more than holding up its end of the bargain. Birds allow Niners just one yard while forcing a three-and-out. A terrible punt from Tom Morestead gives the Eagles the ball at the SF 46, just a 25-yard net.

8:17 3Q – Eagles 13, 49ers 10

The Eagles offense does nothing with Mitchell’s INT. It’s a three-and-out in part due to a holding penalty on Cam Jurgens on 2nd down.

10:22 3Q – Eagles 13, 49ers 10

Interception for the Eagles. Quinyon Mitchell picks off Brock Purdy and Eagles take over at their own 48. It’s the first INT of the year for the All-Pro.

Eagles go 3-and-out to open second half. Braden Mann pins San Fran at the 5-yard line with his punt.

The San Francisco 49ers defense converges on Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith (6) who carries the ball during the first half of the NFL Wildcard playoff game Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026 in Philadelphia . Andrew Mills | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

HALFTIME: Eagles 13, 49ers 10

It was an eventful first half to say the least. The Eagles lead thanks to a havoc-creating defense, 71 rushing yards from Saquon Barkley and a pair of well-designed red-zone scores by Dallas Goedert.

The 49ers, meanwhile, will be without star tight end George Kittle, who was carted off the field and later ruled out with an Achilles injury.

The Eagles get the ball to start the second half.

SECOND QUARTER

2:50 — Eagles 13, 49ers 10

The 49ers have cut into the Eagles’ lead with a 36-yard field goal. But the bigger news on that drive was the loss of George Kittle. The All-Pro tight end had to be carted off with what some are fearing is an Achilles injury.

6:08 — Eagles 13, 49ers 7

Kevin Patullo, take a bow. That was a well-designed drive by the Eagles’ embattled offensive coordinator. The Eagles marched on a 16-play, 94-yard TD drive, capped by a fourth-down, play-action pass to Dallas Goedert. It was Goedert’s second TD of the first half and his 13th of the season.

Patullo mixed it up all drive, including a pass to DeVonta Smith out of the backfield and a nifty screen to Saquon Barkley, who put the San Francisco defense on skates. Good stuff from the Eagles as they take the lead.

FIRST QUARTER

6:16 — 49ers 7, Eagles 6

The Eagles answered San Francisco’s opening touchdown drive with one of their own. The Birds went 63 yards on 10 plays without a single negative play. Saquon Barkley got rolling with a 29-yard gain (and 45 yards total on six carries). The drive was capped by a jet sweep score for tight end Dallas Goedert. Kevin Patullo continues to call it right in the red zone. Jake Elliott missed his XP, though, so San Fran still leads.

11:51 — 49ers 7, Eagles 0

Well, that’s a less than ideal start by the Birds’ defense. The 49ers score first with a six-play, 76-yard touchdown drive, thanks in large part to a 61-yard catch and run by Demarcus Robinson. The drive was capped on a two-yard scoring strike to Robinson, taking the energy right out of the Lincoln Financial Field crowd.

On both catches, Robinson burned All-Pro corner Quinyon Mitchell. It’ll be up to Jalen Hurts and Co. to answer.

Eagles News

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Rangers Recall Brennan Othmann At Heels Of Astonishing Loss To Bruins

Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

The New York Rangers have recalled Brennan Othmann from the Hartford Wolf Pack of the American Hockey League. 

In a corresponding move, the Rangers assigned Anton Blidh back to the Wolf Pack.

This call-up comes at the heels of the Rangers’ 10-2 loss to the Boston Bruins, which may have played a part in this move. 

While Othmann has been called up a couple of times since the start of the 2025-26 campaign, he has only played six games for the Rangers, failing to record a point. 

It’s been a difficult few months for Othmann, whose name has been the subject of trade rumors. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported on Oct. 16 that the Rangers are open to the idea of trading Othmann. 

“I can’t really focus on that stuff,” Othmann said about the trade rumors in October. “That stuff is really all online, and I don’t know what’s true. I don’t know what’s false. I’ve just been super focused with Hartford and trying to get back up here. 

Rangers Struggle To Find Words And Feel ‘Embarrassed’ After Blowout Loss To Bruins The New York <a href=”https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-rangers/”>Rangers</a> allowed a season-high seven goals in their 10-2 loss to the Boston Bruins on Satrday afternoon, marking the lowest point of the season.&nbsp;

“I mean, it’s no secret. A couple of the guys in Hartford were asking me and telling me about it, but I honestly was just playing hockey and taking each day, day-by-day. Keep moving forward and focusing on getting back here and playing at the NHL level at some point this year. I think I did a good job with it.”

In 23 AHL games this season, Othmann has posted six goals, eight assists, and 14 points.

It’s unclear if the 23-year-old forward will slot into the Rangers’ lineup for their Monday night matchup against the Seattle Kraken.

Lakers hopeful Rui Hachimura will return from injury in the days ahead

Lakers forward Rui Hachimura dunks during a game against the Minnesota Timberwolves in October. Hachimura has missed the last six games because of right calf soreness. (Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times)

It’s still unclear exactly when Rui Hachimura will return for the Lakers after missing six games because of right calf soreness, but coach JJ Redick said the forward is trending toward playing soon.

That could be as early as Monday night when the Lakers play at the Sacramento Kings or Tuesday night when they play the Atlanta Hawks at Crypto.com Arena.

Hachimura practiced Sunday and took extra shots after the session. “He was able to do everything in practice,” Redick said.

Read more:Luka Doncic and LeBron James both falter at finish as Lakers lose to Bucks

Hachimura has been rehabbing for two weeks. He took part in a few practices and is eager to return.

Does he think he will play against the Kings?

“I think so. I think I felt good after [practice], but I got to check with the trainers and everybody and then we’ll see for tomorrow,” Hachimura said.

When he does return, Hachimura will be on a minutes restriction and will probably come off the bench, Redick said.

Hachimura said his calf has “healed,” giving him a chance to practice with the South Bay Lakers, the Lakers’ G League team.

Hachimura is averaging 12.7 points and 4.3 rebounds in 27 games. He is shooting 52.1% from the field and 44.5% from three-point range,

“I’m fine,” he said. “I feel good about it.”

Hachimura is aware how calf injuries have led to more serious ailments for NBA players. Although staying healthy is a priority with free agency looming at the end of the season, Hachimura said his main concern is helping the Lakers win games.

Read more:Luka Doncic has a triple-double, but LeBron-less Lakers lose to Spurs

“I think at the end of the day … I’m trying to help this team win. That’s the whole purpose of being here,” he said. “I’ve been here for four seasons now. I think I’m one of the guys that has been here the longest too, so I’m happy to be here playing with these guys. The coaches and everybody, I love these guys.

“Of course the contract and stuff is coming up. But at the end of the day I’m just trying to focus on everyday, just in the moment. … We got a second half that is coming. As a team too, but for me, I got to be ready for the playoffs.”

NBA suspends Kings guard Dennis Schroder

A day after the NBA suspended Sacramento point guard Dennis Schroder three games for confronting and attempting to strike Luka Doncic after a game on Dec. 28, Redick offered little insight into the incident.

“It’s a league matter,” Redick said. “So, I don’t really have a comment on it, to be honest with you. They made their decision. And it’s up to them.”

The league said the incident occurred approximately 40 minutes after the game when Schroder sought out Doncic in a Crypto.com Arena hallway and initiated the confrontation.

The two had been sniping at each other all game, with Doncic at one point taunting Schroder for not signing an $84-million contract with the Lakers in 2021.

After the game, according to people with knowledge of the situation not authorized to speak publicly on the matter, Schroder was hiding and waiting to attack Doncic in the hallway.

Redick was asked if he was aware of what happened.

“There’s very few things I’m not aware of,” Redick said.

For his part, Schroder posted on social media, “Attempting,” with several emojis.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Josh Hart officially returning to Knicks’ starting lineup Sunday against Trail Blazers

The Knicks are set to receive a big boost on Sunday night, as Josh Hart is officially available for the road meeting with the Portland Trail Blazers.

Hart will slide right back into the starting lineup and won’t face a minutes restriction. 

His return is certainly a welcomed sight for New York, as the forward has missed the last eight games with an ankle injury suffered in the win over the Cavaliers on Christmas Day.

SNY’s Ian Begley said on this week’s edition of the Putback that Hart had been “getting close,” and he was upgraded to questionable for the first time on Saturday night. 

Now, the training staff has deemed he’s made enough progress for a full return. 

The Knicks remain in second place in the Eastern Conference, but they struggled mightily with Hart sidelined, going 3-5 and dropping five of their last six games.

The 30-year-old had been playing some of his best basketball of the season before going down with the injury, putting together 14.5 points and 9.1 rebounds over his last 15 games. 

Alex Bregman reportedly signs with Cubs for five years, $175 million: Contract details, fantasy fallout

One of the biggest remaining dominoes of MLB free agency fell on Saturday night when third baseman Alex Bregman agreed to a five-year, $175 million contract with the Chicago Cubs. The soon-to-be-32-year-old gets a full no-trade clause and a contract with no opt-outs. Although, the deferred money, about $70 million, according to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal, makes the contract a little more palatable for the Cubs.

▶ What does this mean for the Cubs?

The Cubs love players with a strong sense of the strike zone and good contact ability. They could have an entire infield of players like that with Dansby Swanson and Nico Hoerner.

Bregman has a career strikeout rate of 13.4% and had a 91.5% zone contact rate last season, another elite rate. In his only season with the Red Sox, Bregman hit .273/.360/.462 with 18 home runs, 64 runs scored, and 62 RBI in 114 games as he battled a quad injury. That’s strong production for the Cubs in the middle of their lineup, and Bregman’s contact ability (along with Swanson and Hoerner) will help to offset some of the swing and miss from guys like Michael Busch and Seiya Suzuki.

Bregman also played solid defense again at third base, posting an Outs Above Average of 3 and an OAA of 8 in 2024 with the Astros. Him on the left side of the infield next to Swanson is a huge boost for the Cubs’ pitching staff and the team as a whole.

There are some injury concerns here with Bregman. He has not played over 145 games in either of the last two seasons and has been under that mark in three of his last five. He will be 32 years old when the contract begins, and since there are no opt-outs and a full no-trade clause, Bregman will be the Cubs’ third baseman until he’s 37 years old. That’s a bit of a gamble.

The other domino that will fall from this is what the Cubs do with Matt Shaw. The 24-year-old was one of the top 20 prospects in all of baseball heading into last season, but struggled to a .226/.295/.394 slash line with 13 home runs and 17 steals in 126 games. Shaw is still young and can slide over to second base, so the Cubs could opt to move him there and trade away Nico Hoerner, who hit .297/.345/.394 with seven home runs and 29 steals in 156 games last season.

Hoerner is the better defender and makes far more contact, but he is also signed to a three-year, $35 million contract and doesn’t quite have the upside that Shaw does if everything breaks right for the young Cubs infielder. The team will have to decide whether to roll the dice on the upside and settle for the safe floor in 2026.

Lastly, while this is a great signing for the Cubs, remember that Kyle Tucker remains a free agent. If the Cubs don’t re-sign Tucker, they will essentially be swapping Tucker for Bregman, which is a clear offensive downgrade for this lineup. As a team last season, the Cubs were 5th in runs scored, 6th in strikeout rate, 6th in wRC+, and 7th in OPS. Even without Tucker, they would likely remain a top ten offense thanks to the Bregman signing, but we’d expect a small step backwards.

▶ What does this mean for the Red Sox?

Many people assumed that Bregman would return to the Red Sox, where he was lauded for his leadership and relationship to young stars like Roman Anthony and Marcelo Mayer. In fact, MLB Network’s Jon Heyman reported that the Red Sox offered up to $160 million for Bregman but were simply outbid by the Cubs.

With Bregman off the market, the Red Sox will likely pivot to Bo Bichette, who they would slot in at second base and then keep Marcelo Mayer at third base. In many ways, that would be just as good a move for the Red Sox. Alex Bregman, Bichette is a plus contact hitter with pull-side power and would likely be an above-average defender at second base. Bichette hit .311 last season with 18 home runs and would likely put up 20+ home runs in Fenway Park.

The issue is that many people assume Bichette is destined to land in Philadelphia with his old bench coach, Don Mattingly.

If that were to happen, the Red Sox would need to turn their attention to Eugenio Suarez or trade for Isaac Paredes, who they have been linked to all offseason. They could also perhaps take a shot and trade for Matt Shaw to pair with other young players like Anthony, Mayer, and Kristian Campbell.

▶ Fantasy Fallout

On one hand, Bregman is moving from one solid lineup to another. He should be in another good spot for RBI production and runs scored, assuming he hits near the top of this Cubs’ order. On the other hand, this is a clear park downgrade for him. Last season, Bregman posted a 47.4% pull rate while playing his home games at Fenway Park with the Green Monster. He’s now moving to Wrigley Field, which is 40 feet deeper down the left field line than Fenway Park. Over his last three seasons, Bregman has only eight home runs that were NOT on pulled fly balls.

Once you add in the winds that tend to rear their ugly heads at Wrigley, you could see a power decline from Bregman next season. You would be looking at a guy who hits 20-22 home runs while hitting .265-.270 in a good lineup. That’s obviously a solid fantasy asset, but maybe not a game-breaking one.

The other fallout here will be from Matt Shaw or Nico Hoerner, whomever loses their starting position. Right now, it’s too early to make a call on that position battle, but it’s certainly something to watch as the season unfolds.

Ja Morant trade rumors: Destinations, trade ideas, Bucks among teams with some interest

With Trae Young in the nation’s capital and Anthony Davis missing time with a hand injury (which ends trade talk about him), Ja Morant becomes the biggest name potentially moved at the deadline.

Memphis should be able to get more of a return for Morant than Atlanta got for Young because teams are “more intrigued by his potential than Trae,” as one former front office person put it to NBC Sports. That said, Morant’s baggage, injury history, and salary mean the Grizzlies are not going to get near what they got last summer for Desmond Bane (Cole Anthony, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, four firsts, and a pick swap). Meanwhile, Morant remains sidelined with a calf injury.

There is a ton of news on potential Morant destinations, so let’s break it down in bullet points:

• The Milwaukee Bucks, desperate for more talent to put around Giannis Antetokounmpo, are interested in Morant, reports the well-connected Jim Owczarski of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

This pairing seems an odd fit because Morant and Antetokounmpo play a similar style of offensive game — they need the ball in their hands to drive downhill, get in the lane and score or create for others. Neither is great off-ball. This feels like it would be just two stars taking turns, and how much better does that make the Bucks?

Still, this is a legitimate rumor. Owczarski also reports the Bucks are still interested in Zach LaVine, a fit that makes more sense on the court.

• The Sacramento Kings are “lukewarm at best” on adding Morant, reports John Hollinger at The Athletic. Which is the smart move for Sactown, while this team needs talent, Morant is not the roll of the dice this team should take. However, as noted by Hollinger, the unpredictable Vivek Ranadive factor means they can’t be ruled out.

• One interesting name Hollinger brings up as a dark horse: the Brooklyn Nets. They will trade away Michael Porter Jr. at the deadline — he is the player most certain to be traded — and might be the perfect team to take a flyer on Morant, hoping a new situation is what he needs to return to his All-Star form.

• A lot of people bring up Minnesota because it could use a point guard, but league sources told NBC Sports not to expect them to get in the mix (the Timberwolves would have to give up too much depth to make the money work, like a three- or four-to-one deal, and they are looking for a less expensive option at the point).

• Toronto is another team mentioned, with the trade being Immanuel Quickley and other assets to the Grizzlies (which is what the Raptors offered to Atlanta for Young last summer). Does that make sense for Toronto now? The Raptors sit fourth in the East. Why would they mess with their chemistry and send out multiple players to bring in Morant, who would dominate the ball on a team best at sharing it? Expect Toronto to go after a center.

• Miami gets mentioned as having interest, although it’s fair to question if Morant is a fit with the Heat culture. Jake Fischer at The Stein Line reported that the Heat are asking themselves exactly that, “whether the organization could foster a productive environment for Ja Morant to bounce back to his All-Star best.”

• A Morant for LaMelo Ball swap of point guards — something speculated about early in the season — is very unlikely now, Fischer reported. With Kon Knueppel and Brandon Miller in Charlotte as key parts of the future, it’s hard to imagine why the Hornets would make this deal.