Eagles News: Miles Sanders talks about his conversation with Damar Hamlin

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Sanders reflects on miracle conversation with Damar Hamlin - NBCSP
Four days later, Sanders was able to FaceTime Hamlin, who has made miraculous progress since going into cardiac arrest during the Bills-Bengals game Monday night. Sanders said Hamlin is breathing on his own and had his breathing tube removed overnight but was still using an oxygen mask. He said he’s speaking clearly and was alert and in good spirits. “It’s a miracle,” Sanders said. “I don’t know any other word for it. … His heart stopped twice on the field and a third time in the ambulance on the way to the hospital. “It scared me. It scared everybody else. But for me, being so close to him, it scared the bleep out of me, I’m not going to lie. I’m still a little shook up.” Sanders said he told Hamlin, “You’re the most famous person in the world,” and Hamlin laughed and said, “Yeah, for the wrong reason.” Not really. Hamlin isn’t out of the woods yet, but his miracle recovery is certainly inspiring, and the more people learn about the 24-year-old Hamlin the more people are drawn to his story.

Damar Hamlin has breathing tube removed, has spoken to Bills teammates - Buffalo Rumblings
Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin has been extubated, is breathing on his own again, and has spoken with Bills coaches and teammates as of Friday morning, according to multiple reports.

The Eagles’ defense has a Kyzir White problem - BGN
”I thought the defense played pretty well, the biggest takeaway for me that is long-term from this game is that the Eagles’ defense has a Kyzir White problem. Over the last two weeks, he’s been targeted ten times, he’s allowed eight receptions for 109 yards and a 112 passer rating. It’s frustrating because when you look at his numbers from earlier in the season he only allowed 114 yards in five games prior. So, how should the Birds go about solving these issues with injuries piling up and playoffs around the corner?”

Eagles-Giants preview + Risk of playing Jalen Hurts - BGN Radio
Brandon Lee Gowton and Jimmy Kempski preview the Eagles-Giants matchup in addition to making their NFL Week 18 picks against the spread. Interact with us on Twitter: @BrandonGowton, @JimmyKempski, @BGN_Radio, @BleedingGreen Use discount code BGN15 at RighteousFelon.com for 15% off your order!

NFC East: Is Carson Wentz’s time as an NFL starter over? - PhillyVoice
This past offseason, the Commanders strangely traded draft capital for Wentz and took on his salary. He’s started just seven games for Washington, going 2-5. He was injured, again, in Week 6 and lost his job to Taylor Heinicke. He came in relief for Heinicke in Week 16 (what a craptastic organization they got going on), started Week 17, threw three picks and lost his job again. Rookie Sam Howell will start the final game of the season for the Commanders. Wentz will not be a starter in the NFL in 2023. I’m left wondering if he’s interested in taking a clear-cut backup job given the previous heights of his career, his pedigree and the money he’s made. Will he ever start in the NFL again? What the hell happened?

Game Preview – NYG at PHI - Iggles Blitz
Dallas lit up that bunch and had a lot of fun doing it, but then put up only 17 points in the playoff loss to SF. Beating a cobbled together lineup doesn’t mean a thing, beyond the benefits of the win in the standings. That said, it would be nice to see the Eagles play well. The defense didn’t show up in the Dallas loss. The offense didn’t show up in the Saints loss. It would be good to see both units show up on Sunday. Nick Sirianni preaches a message of consistency. That means the Eagles can’t get too worked up on the losing streak. If they try to do too much, that can lead to mistakes. Still, they need to fix mistakes. I never would have guessed the Giants would be the team resting players, but here we are. This should be an interesting end to a wild regular season.

‘It’s pretty straightforward’ as Eagles need to win Sunday - PE.com
There is no secret sauce here, no hidden messages, or agendas: In Week 18, the Eagles have a job to do and that’s to finish the regular season by beating the New York Giants and earning the first seed in the conference playoffs and, with that, a bye next when Wild Card Weekend is played. “It’s pretty straightforward,” safety Marcus Epps said. “Our purpose is to go out and win on Sunday. That’s what we’re here for.” There are no other storylines. There are no other “matchups to watch.” The Eagles, after two consecutive losses for the first time this season, have focused in on the task in front of them and that’s to beat New York – no matter who is playing for the playoff-bound Giants. “I’ve noticed at practice this week that it’s business as usual. It’s the dawg mentality. I’ve drug myself through the mud for each and every one of us of what happened and held ourselves accountable to what happened in that football game, and then I move on and I fix those things in attempts to get better, and now I’m just worried about one day at a time,” Head Coach Nick Sirianni said on Friday. “To me, I felt like we had a really crisp practice yesterday. We had a great walk-through the day before. What I felt like it’s just been, ‘Hey, here we are. We’re here. We’re here. We’re here. We’re here. We’re not worried about there. We fixed what happened here.’ Because dawg mentality is not like, ‘Hey, here. You forget about this,’ – and this is the past, this is the future.”

2023 NFL Draft: What’s at stake in Week 18? Eight key subplots to follow on Saturday/Sunday - NFL.com
Eagles fans could have plenty to celebrate after Week 18: the NFC’s No. 1 seed, their first division title since 2019, a first-round bye and even a top-16 draft pick. Philly acquired the Saints’ first-rounder this year in a trade with New Orleans prior to last year’s draft, and while the value of this pick has see-sawed over the course of the campaign, it’s currently sitting at No. 11 overall. The pick is not likely to improve to anything better than No. 10 after this weekend because all three six-win teams have far lower strength of schedules (SOS) than the 7-9 Saints (.510). But a Titans win on Saturday night and a Saints loss to Carolina on Sunday would likely move New Orleans up one slot. Meanwhile, that relatively low SOS is also one of the reasons why the Saints’ pick shouldn’t end up any worse than No. 16 overall, as it would break ties with most of the teams that could also finish with eight wins (the Jags, Patriots, Seahawks — all currently in the playoff field and with lower SOSs — are the exceptions).

Eagles’ Collapse a Team-Wide Effort - Football Outsiders
This is the second play of the game. It really was a nightmare start for Philly, but I have a hard time blaming the offensive line for this. Sure, the right side of the offensive line could be better considering they end up with a double team, but where is Minshew going and why? You have a nice pocket—stick in there and make a throw. And if you are going to escape the pocket, maybe throw the ball away? It’s legal! It’s a huge pet peeve of mine when quarterbacks take 1- or 2-yard sacks instead of flipping the ball out of bounds when they’re on the sideline. Your completion percentage can take the hit.

Eagles-Giants preview: Jalen Hurts’ status, storylines to watch, game predictions - The Athletic
Wulf: I guess I’m just conditioned to think it won’t be so easy. The stakes are so high — a win would make the Eagles favorites to go to the Super Bowl, a loss could mean their season ends next weekend — that nerves are warranted. And the truth is we don’t know what to expect from Hurts, if he does play as expected. But I think the Giants’ expected absences will allow the Eagles to control the line of scrimmage and take advantage on the outside offensively. Maybe there will be some hairy moments, but the Eagles get it done thanks in part to a Reed Blankenship pick six. Eagles 29, Giants 18

2 defenses to start, 2 D/STs to fade in Week 18 fantasy football - DraftKings Nation
D/ST Starts: Philadelphia Eagles vs. New York Giants. The Giants have surrendered the tenth-fewest fantasy points to opposing teams this season, as Saquon Barkley has returned to form and Daniel Jones has flashed his dual-threat ability. But what are the odds that New York’s key offensive playmakers take the field for a majority of snaps on Sunday, if any at all? With little significance in this game after clinching a postseason spot, the Eagles’ defense could benefit from key players from the Giants being rested in Week 18.

Giants fans — rest starters vs. Eagles on Sunday - Big Blue View
It is sounding more and more like coach Brian Daboll is intending to rest as many key players as possible in Sunday’s season finale against the Philadelphia Eagles. With the Giants locked in as the No. 6 seed in the NFC playoffs regardless of Sunday’s outcome, that is a decision Giants fans appear to agree with. In our poll earlier this week, 56 percent of those who voted said the Giants should rest starters.

Cowboys playoff picture: Jerry Jones says team may not pull starters even if #5 seed seems inevitable - Blogging The Boys
It is certainly one thing for Jerry Jones, Mike McCarthy, or anyone else to feel this way now, but it is another if we (hypothetically) reach the second half on Sunday afternoon and the Eagles are up 30-0. You have to understand what is going on around you and how it impacts you. The Cowboys did rest Tony Pollard last week on a short week against the Tennessee Titans, but it’s not like he was an entirely healthy scratch. The Cowboys do have to try to win this game but it makes all the sense in the world for them to accept fate if they are not catching the breaks that they need.

Commanders fans want Rivera and staff gone, but don’t expect him to be fired with sale of team looming - Hogs Haven
As Washington heads into its Week 18 game with the very real possibility that the team will finish its third consecutive season under Ron Rivera’s stewardship with 7 wins and a losing record, there has been a lot of grumbling about the coaching staff in general, and Rivera and offensive coordinator Scott Turner in particular, as the winless streak has continued through the month of December and into January. Last year, Ron Rivera made use of a surprising strategy in press conferences by talking about how he sometimes regretted that the team had succeeded in winning the division title in his first season (2020) because it raised fan expectations and made them impatient. I will always contend that it was Ron Rivera himself, in his introductory press conference, who did that with talk of super bowls, of the great core of talented players that attracted him to the job, and having no patience for “a five-year plan”. What should fans expect from a head coach in Year 2 after those sorts of comments on his first day on the job?

Establish the Fun: Let Tom Brady cook - SB Nation
This is all for a team that ranks third in EPA/attempt on the ground, and a large part of that is Jones and Brian Daboll designing runs that not only fool opposing defenses, but play to Jones’ strengths as well. Jones isn’t the fastest QB (4.81 40 yard dash), but he’s fast enough to make defenders pay for not accounting for him in the run game. This rushing TD Jones scored against the Colts was really fun, and a concept that Brian Daboll used for Josh Allen in Buffalo. Naturally, he took it with him to New York and Daniel Jones. New York shifts the TE from one side to another, and flips RB Saquon Barkley to the other side. This prompts a shift by the defense, moving their defensive line strength to the same side the tight end is on. This creates favorable blocking angles for a pin-pull QB sweep concept away from the strength. A safety walks into the box, creating another favorable look for New York. A great block by the WR, combined with the pulling linemen, and Jones has a lane to the end zone.

Damar Hamlin latest, NFL announces playoff seeding plan, Pick 3, & Week 18 Preview - The SB Nation NFL Show
Rob “Stats” Guerrera, RJ Ochoa, and Brandon Lee Gowton share the latest update on Bills safety Damar Hamlin–who is awake and speaking with teammates. The NFL announced on Thursday night a possible plan for the playoff seeding pending an owner’s vote. We’ve got our weekly locks–and preview every game ahead of Week 18.

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