👋 Good morning! Happy Halloween, ya filthy animal.

And as reminder, this is the best that I have done over the past few years: Buddy Ryan, two years ago. All you need is the sweater, and then everything else (Birds hat, glasses, headphones, khakis) is all findable.

Speaking of Eagles coach-themed Halloween ideas, Blackhawks forward Nick Foligno really is dead ringer.

I was also Yesterday Years Old when I learned that Mischief Night is not something that is common around the country. Man, those people in St. Louis and Sacramento are really missing out. And mainly not just a Northeast Corridor thing, but a Delaware Valley thing. At the very least, we are Mischief Night HQ.

Even if a little unorthodox, you know what I would not mind getting in my trick-or-treat bag? Righteous Felon Craft Jerky. That Street Taco Pork flavor is straight-up delicious, I have had one in the office every day this week. Go get some here!

OK, let’s get you to the weekend. You can reach me at [email protected]

Not a lot of news right now, bye week and all, so let’s give you a five-pack…

(1) VJ, Part 1: Credit to the Sixers broadcast for putting this one out the other night: Valdez Edgecombe Jr. had the second-most points (75) by a Sixers rookie through his first three games. Name the other three Sixers rookie scorers in the top-four of that list. Hint: All of them debuted after 1990.

(2) VJ, Part 2: Prior to Edgecombe, only two players drafted from Baylor have logged regular-season time for the Sixers according to Stathead. Name one of them, and as another hint because I am feeling extra charitable on this Halloween, having read the newsy earlier this year just might help you for this one.

(3) Eagles in Green Bay, Part 1: Jalen Hurts was a gadget player for most of his rookie season in 2020, but he took over for Carson Wentz Week 13 in Green Bay. Who did Hurts throw his first career NFL touchdown pass to that afternoon?

(4) Eagles in Green Bay, Part 2: On the road to an NFC East title in 2013, Chip Kelly’s first season, the Birds beat the Aaron Rodgers-less Packers 27-13 in Green Bay. Which former University of Wisconsin quarterback threw for 280 yards for the Pack that day in a losing effort?

(5) Trevor Zegras: Would not be a newsy without some Zegras #content. Credit to the Flyers broadcast for this one: With last night’s goals, Zegras has points in his first seven home games as a Flyer. Name the last Flyer who debuted with a streak that long, which happened exactly 20 years ago.

We went with some scattered thoughts on the Eagles offense yesterday. Why don’t we do the same with the defense today?

My Official Cooper DeJean take: The more that I think about it, my guess is that Michael Carter II is the nickel in a month and Cooper DeJean is on the outside. And that is the pairing moving forward through the playoffs.

Maybe the Eagles do not know that for sure yet. Maybe it takes a disastrous game — Green Bay, Detroit and Dallas are the next three opponents, and all of those offenses are legit, with multiple pass-catchers that can do serious damage — for the current CB2s. It is nice that Kelee Ringo solved the puzzle that is Lil’Jordan Humphrey, but Matthew Golden, Jameson Williams and George Pickens are a different story. My guess is that Uncle Vic settles on Coop-Carter as the better overall combination than Coop-Current Guys.

Looking at most metrics, the Eagles defense has been mediocre to slightly below-average this season. 21st in success rate, which matches the eye test for a group that has trouble getting off the field. 18th in EPA per play, because of the big plays and stingy red zone defense. You are not breaking up last year’s juggernaut defense here, it very well might be the right move to put Coop on the outside.

I might be wrong, but I just do not see it from the current CB2s.

Myles Garrett: Jamie and I reacted to this one on yesterday’s Eagles Show here. I would not call it a “report” per se, more in the category of “hot goss.” But it is hot goss that we will nonetheless run with.

Oh yeah, the hot goss in question. This is what Charles Robinson said on the radio yesterday, credit to my guy BLG for transcribing.

So, the Browns absolutely should trade Myles Garrett if they can. They are in a rebuild, they do not have a quarterback and Garrett is a player the entire league would want. He had five sacks last week against New England! There is a funny video of our old friend Milton Williams on the opposing sideline losing his mind at how good Garrett is. And you could see Howie wanting to go into star-hunting mode. When he has shopped in the lesser edge-rusher aisles (Genard Avery, Robert Quinn) at trade deadlines, it has not gone all that well.

But I keep coming back to the idea that you have to look at it from the perspective of your trading partner. Three first-round picks is a ton, but there is very likely limited upside with the Eagles picks. There is even less likely upside with the Eagles With Myles Garrett picks. I dunno, maybe Adam Berry can do a mind-trick thing on his twin brother?

The Nakobe and Jihaad of it all: It was an easier day for the defense last week, but just 21 snaps for Jihaad Campbell as opposed to 33 snaps for Nakobe Dean. That was eye-opening. At his weekly presser, Uncle Vic blamed the lack of edge-rusher depth, and the need to train Campbell at that position, as a reason for the lack of playing time for the rook.

I do think the bye week has come at a good time for the coaches to sort this particular problem out. On a positive, Nakobe seems to look like Nakobe already. That is an awesome story, especially less than a year removed from a torn patellar. And Nakobe is a better run defender than Jihaad Campbell right now.

That said, Campbell is a talented kid you spent real resources on. He was playing pretty well and the best way for a rookie to improve is to play in more games. And as Fran broke down expertly here, Nakobe got burnt on a wheel route by a Giants running back in a way that Jihaad simply would not have. Uncle Vic has some thinking to do.

And for more on the pass-rush, Fran broke down Uncle Vic’s role in getting Jaxson Dart on the ground five times on Sundee.

And you know how you can read Fran Duffy on the Eagles, Charlie O’Connor on the Sixers, Derek Bodner on the Sixers and so much more? You can get 55 percent off your first year of being a Diehard, a deal which ends… TODAY!

Of course, you also get an included t-shirt from the store, 20 percent off all future merch, access to our Sickos-only Discord and a Diehard Welcome Kit. Join now for $36, today is the last day for the deal!

Flyers 4, Nashville 1: Woo! Tied for 10th in the NHL in points percentage right now. Bill’s instant observations are here, and I am sure Charlie’s monster post is on the site by the time you are reading this.

The Orange and Black did not play a particularly good game, which for the last few years, would have been kind of an issue. For the most part, those Torts teams needed to play well to win.

Well, two big things that are different about this team, and I apologize if I sound like broken record here:

Let’s start with Dan The Man, our favorite Czech netminder. 68 goaltenders have played so far this season in the NHL, and Vladar ranks tied for fourth with a .939 save percentage. So, this is what this feels like? And even better, the three guys ahead of Vladar have all appeared in minimum three games less than him. There is nobody who has played as much as Vladar that is also stopping the puck at above his level. Again, so, this is what this feels like?

And Vladar is gonna play more this week, because Sam Ersson maybe tweaked his groin again. We do not actually know that, as the hockey boyz just say “lower-body injury” and call it a day. But we do know Aleksei Kolosov will be up with the big club in Ersson’s place.

The Flyers have a back-to-back this weekend, and my, how the tables have turned. Both games are at home, Toronto on Saturdee and Calgary on Sundee. The Leafs are not off to a great start, but the Flames have been the worst team in the league. If you are looking to maximize your point total and win both games, you would probably go Vladar against Toronto and Kolosov against Calgary.

But Calgary is Vladar’s old team, and if you will recall, they basically threw him to the wolves last year and gave him every tough matchup while Dustin Wolf finished second in Calder voting playing against The Little Sisters of The Poor. The Calgary Way would be for Vladar to play against the sad-sack Flames. TBD on what the Flyers do.

As for Zegras, what else can you say about this guy? Two goals, an assist and a chill quote in this one. Pat Verbeek, you are a hero.

Really nice strength and skill by Matvei Michkov to keep play play alive at the blue line, The Mad Russian has definitely looked better the last few games. Goals have not come yet for Michkov, but only a matter of time. And then a beautiful snipe by Zegras. The Flyers’ nominal second power play unit (Brink-Foerster-Cates-York-Zegras) continued to cook later in the game, with another Zegras goal.

Only negative from this one is that Sean Couturier left with an injury, probably after a blocking a shot. Will have to learn more there.

Farewell, Samu! The Flyers traded Samu Tuomaala to Dallas for defenseman Christian Kyrou. And I like how Charlie put it, this was not just a “change of scenery” trade. It was a “reclamation project-for-reclamation-project” trade. When the Flyers’ prospect pool stunk a few years ago, Tuomaala was a big part of it. Not anymore, though.

Jared McCain news: I like how Jared McCain looks on the sidelines of these Sixers games, like a high school teenager at the mall circa 2002. Anyway, two quick bits of McCain news yesterday:

Delaware State won the DeSean-Vick Bowl at The Linc, and Coach DJacc got carried off the field by his players. Nice.

Busy bye weekend. In lieu of the normal format:

Your tentative Friday schedule at ​PHLY​:

And oh yeah, the trivia answers:

Have a great weekend. Let’s make it a good one today.

Rich Hofmann
Daily Newsletter Editor
PHLY SPORTS