The temperature at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa is expected to be about 90 degrees Sunday and the humidity will make it feel more like 100. This is football weather? The Eagles plan to fly to Florida tonight, one day early, in an effort to get acclimated to the sweltering conditions.
Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield doesn’t think that will make much difference. “One day doesn’t get you acclimated to this humidity,” he says. “I think, honestly, it makes them think about it more when they get down here earlier.”
Both teams will enter the Sunday’s game (1 p.m., Fox29) with 3-0 records, but the Eagles are 3.5-point favorites. “We’ll have a good game plan, obviously, to try and tire these guys out,” Mayfield says.
Tampa Bay has had the Birds’ number in the last few seasons, and Mike Sielski does a good job of recounting the many Eagles missteps in the series.
The Eagles could be a bit thin at cornerback, with Adoree’ Jackson recovering from a groin injury and Jakorian Bennett (pectoral injury) on injured reserve. This could be Kelee Ringo’s time to emerge.
Devin Jackson breaks down film on the two teams and determines two X factors: Saquon Barkley for the Birds and wide receiver Emeka Egbuka for the Bucs.
— Jim Swan, @phillysport, sports.daily@inquirer.com.
If someone forwarded you this email, sign up for free here.
Whether or not Trea Turner returns to the Phillies’ lineup over the weekend, the star shortstop has enough plate appearances to qualify for the batting title — and a .004-point lead over the Cubs’ Nico Hoerner. The Phillies haven’t had a batting champion since Richie Ashburn in 1958.
“It would be nice to win in a long season,” Turner said. “That’s a cool award and a tough one to win. Selfishly, it would be nice, obviously. But the postseason is more important.”
The Phillies, with input from Turner, are weighing the value of a handful of at-bats in meaningless games against the Twins this weekend with the potential risk of pushing his hamstring too soon.
Walker Buehler has turned his season around since joining the Phillies and that continued after pitching five scoreless innings against the Marlins in a 1-0 win. In three starts, he has a 0.66 ERA with the Phillies.
Next: The Phillies open their final series of the regular season at 6:45 tonight against Minnesota (NBCSP). Aaron Nola (4-10, 6.46 ERA) will start against Twins right-hander Joe Ryan (13-9, 3.47).
Join us before kickoff
The Eagles will revisit their recent house of horrors, Raymond James Stadium, for a rematch with the 3-0 Buccaneers. Join Inquirer beat writers Olivia Reiner and Jeff McLane before kickoff on Sunday for a preview on Gameday Central.
The Sixers will begin formal practices on Saturday ahead of their Oct. 22 season opener in Boston and already they are not off to the luckiest of starts. Jared McCain suffered a torn ligament in his right thumb during a workout on Thursday, the team confirmed.
McCain saw a promising rookie season cut short by a knee injury. Now he could need between four and 12 weeks to heal, depending on the severity of this injury.
Also on the Sixers beat:
Temple made the decision to shift Cam’Ron Stewart from defensive end to outside linebacker this season, and the move has paid off. Stewart has emerged as a fierce pass rusher for the 2-2 Owls, who hope to return to the win column on Oct. 4 at home against Texas-San Antonio. Says Stewart: “We’re trying to stay head down, just working so that we can be 1-0 next week.”
No. 3 Penn State aims to avenge a loss to Oregon in last season’s Big Ten championship when the Ducks visit Beaver Stadium on Saturday (7:30 p.m., NBC10).
Sports snapshot
Our best sports 📸 of the week
Each Friday, Inquirer photo editors will pick our best shots from the last seven days and share them with you, our readers. This week, photos include Jordan Davis’ game-winning rumble and Edmundo Sosa’s flex.
David Murphy’s take
Some people ooze charisma. Others ooze compassion. The Eagles offense just plain oozes. …
You’ve heard of Don Coryell’s Air Raid Offense? This is Kevin Patullo’s School Bus Driving Through a Residential Neighborhood. …
But Nick Sirianni has discovered a formula that works. Protect the football. Grind out tough yards. Win the possession game. Instead of worrying about getting to the goal line, worry about getting to third-and-short. Keep doing that and you’ll eventually get there.
What you’re saying about Sixers uniforms
We asked: Where do the black jerseys rank among the best Sixers uniforms of all time? Among your responses:
I didn’t like those black jerseys or the logo then, still not a fan of them. The classic red jerseys from the ’80s were my all-time favorites. They looked great on Dr. J. And the current PHILA jerseys, which echo the Chamberlain era, are right behind. — Mike R.
I’ll take the simple, straightforward look. Anything Wilt wore that had PHILA on the front. It’s about results, not the look. — Mike P.
We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Jeff Neiburg, Olivia Reiner, Devin Jackson, Scott Lauber, Lochlahn March, Gina Mizell, Jackie Spiegel, David Murphy, Mike Sielski, Gabriela Carroll, Ariel Simpson, Colin Schofield, Jonathan Tannenwald, Greg Finberg, Rob Tornoe, and Inquirer Staff Photographers.
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.