Saquon Barkley continues to do incredible things for the Eagles, and it goes way beyond just statistics. His running back leap over Jacksonville cornerback Jarrian Jones on Sunday was a crazy athletic beauty.

It seemed like the Eagles needed some superhuman trickery to overcome Nick Sirianni’s questionable coaching and pull out a 28-23 victory over lowly Jacksonville. But they’re 6-2 with a meeting with suddenly lame Dallas on the agenda.

Sirianni continued to unleash his offense on fourth down and two-point conversion attempts, passing up chances to spoil the game with extra points and Jake Elliott’s field goals. The Birds were 22-0 and suddenly the Jags were back. Luckily for the home fans, DeVonta Smith made a breathtaking catch for what turned out to be the game-winning touchdown.

What ultimately saved the Eagles was the talent of two players: Barkley and Smith, Mike Sielski writes.

—Jim Swan @phillysport, [email protected].

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Fresh off a home loss to the Memphis Grizzlies that dropped their record to 1-4, the Sixers probably appreciated the opportunity to come out on top. This trip won’t be easy though, as they head West to take on the Phoenix Suns alongside the Los Angeles Clippers and Lakers. There’s a good chance the Sixers see Paul George’s debut tonight, which could help reverse the situation.

Joel Embiid could face disciplinary action from the NBA, which is investigating after the All-Star center punched and shoved Inquirer columnist Marcus Hayes during a game. altercation in the locker room.

The Jaguars had a chance to score a touchdown in the final minutes, but Nakobe Dean put an end to those plans. The 23-year-old linebacker pushed Trevor Lawrence into the end zone for achieve victory.

Sirianni twice attempted to convert fourth downs instead of short field goals, then opted for three failed two-point conversions, seemingly giving away points at every turn. The Birds had still had enough, writes Marcus Hayes, thanks in part to another consistent performance from Jalen Hurts.

Before LeSean McCoy joined the Eagles Hall of Fame on Sunday, he and DeSean Jackson had a lengthy interview with Ariel Simpson of the Inquirer.

More coverage on the Eagles’ fourth straight victory and its aftermath can be found here.

The Flyers are 4-7-1, so things could definitely be better. The shooting is low, the chemistry has been inconsistent and the overall level of play needs to be high, but one stat could be at the root of everything plaguing the Flyers: blocked shots.

“I think when you see this team blocking shots, they’re playing their identity,” coach John Tortorella said Saturday after the Flyers’ 3-0 loss to a struggling Boston Bruins team. “This is a team that works hard, this is a team that is ready to do it. I think it’s been very inconsistent as the start of the year has started here. The Flyers seem to perform better at both ends of the ice when blocking shots, Jackie Spiegel writes.

After two consecutive trips to the NIT, Villanova will open the college basketball season tonight with a home game against Lafayette. Coach Kyle Neptune’s job likely hinges on the Wildcats returning to the NCAA Tournament in March, and Nova has recruited plenty of new talent to attempt a turnaround. Eric Dixon is back for one more season as leader of the Wildcats. There are reasons to be optimistic and pessimistic, because Jeff Neiburg explains.

The Temple men and women finished strong last season, and both will open the season tonight in a Double program from the Liacouras Center.

It’s worth a look

On this date

November 4, 2009: Hideki Matsui homered on Pedro Martinez as the New York Yankees beat the Phillies, 7-3, to win the World Series in six games. Matsui was named series MVP.

The calendar

We compiled today’s newsletter from reporting by Olivia Reiner, Jeff Neiburg, EJ Smith, Mike Sielski, Marcus Hayes, Jackie Spiegel, Gina Mizell, Keith Pompey, Katie Lewis and Declan Landis.

By submitting your written, visual and/or audio contributions, you agree to the Terms of Useincluding the granting of rights in Article 10.

Thanks for reading. I’ll see you in Tuesday’s Sports Daily. -Jim