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Tag: DeAndre Hopkins

  • Delivering the Dagger. – Philadelphia Sports Nation

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    How Fearless Calls Are the Formula for An Eagles Repeat for the Franchise.

    It started here during Doug Pederson’s tenure, quickly becoming the hallmark of the franchise’s first two Super Bowl victories. Aggressive offensive play calls, placing dust on special teams units and leaving the offense on the field on 4th and short, and trading conservative play-calling for an attacking downfield mentality. But it’s one thing to make those calls during the NFL regular season — quite another during the Super Bowl.

    Photo Courtesy of Eagles Nation on X.

    With time running down in the second half — the Eagles already up (27–0 —) were one score away from putting the game away and securing the franchises’ second Super Bowl win. After Kansas City turned the ball over on downs courtesy of Avonte Maddox in one of his last plays as an Eagle knocking the ball away from DeAndre Hopkins — the entire globe thought that the Eagles would run the ball to keep the clock moving — almost.

    What followed was a play-action fake to Saquon Barkley and a 46-yard soaring strike to Devonta Smith. It not only sealed the game — but also broke the backs of the Chiefs. 

    For the Eagles — who open the season on Thursday night right here against the Dallas Cowboys and have one of the hardest schedules in the NFL — that brash approach to offense may just be one of the keys to success yet again in 2025. 

    The Eagles are the team that everyone is looking forward to on the schedule. Teams want play them — and want to be them. That means that they will go all out in order to stifle the Eagles potent offensive attack. Last season’s commitment by then offensive coordinator Kellen Moore to ride Saquon Barkley and the running game and develop passing off of that — will not be as easy in 2025.

    Eagles Head Coach Nick Sirianni has laid out the Eagles approach to 2025 already — no repeat championships — only a new championship for a brand new season with a fresh approach. It may be a good thought — though keeping the aggressive nature that not only has come to define the Eagles and their brash Head Coach — but has brought them hardware. 

    And incorporated into a fearless game-plan — can deliver even more this year — including the occasional dagger at just the right moment.

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    Michael Thomas Leibrandt

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  • Herbert rallies Chargers to 25-24 win over Cardinals

    Herbert rallies Chargers to 25-24 win over Cardinals

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    GLENDALE, Ariz. — Los Angeles Chargers coach Brandon Staley knew he was going for the winning 2-point conversion a few minutes before it actually happened, so when the moment arrived, there was no hesitation and no looking at his playbook.

    The result was even better than he imagined.

    “Smooth like chocolate milk,” Staley said with a grin.

    Justin Herbert threw a 1-yard touchdown pass to Austin Ekeler with 15 seconds left, then hit Gerald Everett for the decisive conversion to give the Los Angeles Chargers a 25-24 win over the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday.

    Ekeler barely got into the end zone for the TD that moved the Chargers within one, capping a seven-play, 38-yard drive that lasted 1:33. The ball hit the pylon as he dived toward the corner.

    That set up Staley’s bold if predetermined call. Herbert hit Everett for a clean catch despite plenty of traffic near the goal line.

    “We just believed in each other,” Herbert said. “That’s one of those plays that we’ve repped a ton over the last couple of years. We feel comfortable with the guys out there. Gerald ran a great route, made a great catch.”

    Herbert completed 35 of 47 passes for 274 yards and three touchdowns for the Chargers (6-5), who snapped a two-game skid while staying in the thick of the AFC playoff race. Arizona (4-8) has lost four of five, leaving it with almost no shot at making the NFC playoff field.

    Herbert now has led 10 fourth-quarter comebacks in his three seasons. But with opportunities to win the past two weeks in similar situations, the Chargers fell short.

    “That’s what it’s like when you’re a quarterback in the NFL,” Staley said. “You’re not going to make every 2-minute drive, but the thing he has going for him is that our entire organization believes he’s going to make it. He brought us back, game ball for him.

    “Big-time performance. We couldn’t have won without him.”

    The Chargers have trailed by 10 or more points at some point in the first half in each of their last four victories. They were down 14-0 against Cleveland and 10-0 against Denver, Atlanta and Arizona.

    The Cardinals took a 24-17 lead early in the fourth quarter when Kyler Murray threw a short pass to James Conner for a 6-yard touchdown. The veteran running back had 25 carries for 120 yards, his first 100-yard rushing game in two seasons with the Cardinals.

    Murray threw for 191 yards, two touchdowns and an interception and ran for a score after missing the previous two games with a hamstring injury.

    Arizona got some big defensive stops in the fourth quarter but the offense couldn’t run out the clock. The Cardinals got the ball back with 2:19 left, but went three-and-out in just 31 seconds.

    DeAndre Carter had a 20-yard punt return, and a 5-yard penalty set up the Chargers deep in Cardinals territory for the winning drive.

    “We had our chances,” Cardinals coach Kliff Kingsbury said. “I think both teams played well enough to win. They made the plays at the end, unfortunately we didn’t. Our offense got it back twice — went three-and-out — can’t do that against a good team.”

    Arizona took a 17-14 lead into halftime when Murray ran for a 5-yard touchdown just before the break, capping a 14-play, 75-yard drive.

    The Cardinals had their top two receivers, DeAndre Hopkins and Marquise Brown, on the field for the first time this season. Arizona jumped to a 7-0 lead late in the first quarter when Murray threw a pass over the middle to Hopkins, who spun out of a tackle and sprinted to the end zone for a 33-yard touchdown.

    Matt Prater’s 43-yard field goal on the Cardinals’ next drive made it 10-0.

    The Chargers quickly cut that margin midway through the second quarter when Herbert threw a 2-yard touchdown pass to Keenan Allen.

    After Murray was intercepted, Herbert found Carter for a 33-yard touchdown and a 14-10 lead. Carter finished with seven catches for 73 yards along with the key punt return.

    INJURIES

    Chargers: WR Mike Williams (ankle) was inactive. … RT Trey Pipkins III (knee) and C Corey Linsley (concussion) left the game in the second quarter.

    Cardinals: WR Greg Dortch (thumb), WR Rondale Moore (groin) and CB Byron Murphy Jr. (back) were inactive. … Arizona was missing four out its five starting offensive linemen. Left tackle D.J. Humphries (back) was put on injured reserve earlier this week.

    UP NEXT

    Chargers: At Las Vegas next Sunday.

    Cardinals: After a bye, host New England on Monday, Dec. 12.

    ———

    AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl and https://twitter.com/AP—NFL

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