[ad_1] Our Philadelphia Eagles writers Zach Berman and Bo Wulf preview Sunday’s matchup against the Chicago Bears. Wulf: Hi, Zach. Wet enough for ya? The Eagles travel to Chicago for the meat of their NFC East road-game sandwich as nine-point favorites over Justin Fields and the Bears. Working in Chicago’s favor? It’s coming off a bye, so it figures to be rested and armed with extra prep time. Head coach Matt Eberflus also presumably knows Nick Sirianni’s tendencies well from their time together as coordinators under Frank Reich. Working against…

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[ad_1] ASHBURN, Va. — Ron Rivera receives opinions about players on his team from countless factions. Not that the Washington Commanders’ head coach always seeks or, in some instances, desires feedback. That the sources offering praise on rookie offensive lineman Chris Paul came from others in the trenches grabbed his attention. “Chris Paul is somebody that’s gonna make a mark,” Rivera said. “I say that because when you talk to some of our veteran defensive linemen, they talk about him as being a guy that can lock you up. And…

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[ad_1] FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — Zach Wilson stood on a blue field in Idaho, wearing a “CHAMPIONS” hat, smiling, laughing. Adoring BYU fans cheered behind him. In a postgame interview, Wilson cracked a joke about thanking a teammate for making a remarkable catch by taking him out for some “hash browns, or something crazy.” Simpler times. It’s been nearly a month since Wilson was benched by the Jets, less than two years into a once-promising career. After a couple of brutal performances against the Patriots, the Jets opted for a…

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[ad_1] The interview was scheduled for 9:15 a.m. Naturally, my phone rang at 9:10. Tom Coughlin was on the other line, still as fastidious about punctuality as ever. Only the former Giants coach is no longer fining players for tardiness to meetings. Now, he’s promoting “A Giant Win,” a book about the Giants’ improbable Super Bowl 42 upset of the Patriots. Coughlin spoke about that magical 2007 season, his relationship with quarterback Eli Manning, his own Hall of Fame candidacy and the current Giants in a wide-ranging interview. The interview…

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[ad_1] Melbourne City goalkeeper Tom Glover is receiving medical treatment for a “likely” concussion after being hit in the head with an object by a fan during a pitch invasion. Glover, 24, was targeted by supporters at AAMI Park during the city derby against Melbourne Victory after some ran onto the pitch in the 22nd minute of the A-League match. Fans were seen throwing flares and bottles before one ran onto the pitch and hit Glover with a silver object. Referee Alexander King halted the match with Melbourne City 1-0…

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[ad_1] STATE COLLEGE — December is a weird month in any college football facility. Once the grind and the routine of the regular season stops, everyone is forced to think about what’s next and whether or not they’re staying, entering the transfer portal or playing in a bowl game. “Every meeting we have, you look around to see if someone is missing, like, ‘Oh, he’s not here,’” Penn State defensive end Adisa Isaac said. The empty chairs in the meeting room always help tell the story — or at least…

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[ad_1] Which breakout NHL teams are legitimately imposing and who’s simply masquerading as a playoff contender? The timing is excellent for that question as we approach the December 19 holiday roster freeze. We’re deep enough into the 2022-23 campaign that the skeleton of the NHL standings is starting to form, yet with more than half the season remaining, there’s more than enough time for pretenders to fall off the map. Last year, for example, the Anaheim Ducks held the Pacific Division crown with a 17-9-5 record going into the Christmas…

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[ad_1] BOSTON — The fans hopped to their feet to welcome back Robert Williams. The Celtics bench did the same. Hardly anybody remained seated as Williams, sidelined by a knee issue for Boston’s first 29 games, walked over to the scorer’s table to check in for his first minutes this season. As the building roared for him, Williams tried to settle his emotions. “Just calm down a little bit, man,” Williams thought to himself. “Don’t mess up. Find a way to help your teammates the best that you can.” The…

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[ad_1] TORONTO — Scottie Barnes’ second NBA game was his first big NBA moment, but it was a game against the Brooklyn Nets when he showed he could be a star. In response to Kevin Durant slaying his Raptors with jumper after jumper, Barnes had an electric turn, keeping the Raptors alive with a wide array of shots — drives, hook shots, jumpers. It wasn’t enough for a win, but it was enough to produce aftershocks of hope. That was 367 days prior to Friday night. Everyone was hoping Barnes…

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[ad_1] TEMPE, Ariz. — The starts have been better, a result of a change in philosophy from the beginning of the season. But the long stretches of the Islanders getting pinned in their own end, while failing to get two points against a lesser opponent, remain disturbing trends. The Islanders dropped their third straight game on Friday in Arizona, 5-4 to the lowly Coyotes, and are now just 2-5-1 in their last seven games. They’re perilously close to dropping out of the Eastern Conference’s top eight, and are 0-1-1 on…

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