A familiar Phillies radio voice will return to NBC Sports Philadelphia this weekend to call the team’s pivotal three-game series against the Atlanta Braves.
Scott Franzke, the veteran radio announcer in his 21st season calling Phillies games, will take his talents to TV to fill in for Tom McCarthy while McCarthy makes his annual trek over to the NFL.
Franzke and John Kruk will call all three Phillies-Braves games at Truist Park, beginning with Friday’s matchup. On the radio, pre- and postgame host Gregg Murphy will fill in for Franzke alongside Larry Andersen, who’s making his first road trip of the season.
Scott Franzke and John Kruk will call this weekend’s Phillies-Braves series. NBC Sports Philadelphia
While McCarthy’s jump to football isn’t anything new — it’s his 13th season as a play-by-play voice for CBS — the timing is unfortunate. The Phillies have a chance to cut into the Braves’ narrow lead in the NL East, but weren’t helped by Jhoan Duran surrendering a ninth-inning homer Thursday.
Instead, McCarthy will be about five hours south in Jacksonville, Fla., to call the Jaguars’ Week 1 matchup against the Cleveland Browns. This season he’s paired with a new partner: former Indianapolis Colts and Seattle Seahawks running back Robert Turbin, whois in his first season as an NFL color analyst.
“As the former voice of their preseason, I’m kind of used to it,” McCarthy said of the antics that seem to perennially plague the Browns.
The rest of the season, McCarthy benefits from a Phillies weekend schedule filled with national broadcasts.
Last season, Tom McCarthy called NFL games alongside Ross Tucker. CBS
Next weekend, McCarthy will miss the final two games of the Phillies’ four-game series against the New York Mets. The first two won’t air on NBC Sports Philadelphia — Thursday’s game is being broadcast by Fox, while the Sept. 18 game will be part of the Friday Night Baseball doubleheader on Apple TV.
He’ll also miss the final game of the season, Sept. 27 against the Tampa Bay Rays, which will feature former Phillies pitcher turned broadcaster Cole Hamels. McCarthy will call the first game of the Rays series Friday, while Saturday’s game will be broadcast on Fox.
McCarthy’s schedule also benefited from this year’s late Labor Day.
“It worked out that I’m missing less games this year than I normally do because the NFL season’s starting a week later,” McCarthy said.
The Eagles are set to appear twice on CBS — Oct. 18 against the Carolina Panthers and Nov. 22 vs. the Pittsburgh Steelers — but McCarthy isn’t in line to call either and has yet to broadcast a Birds game on TV.
“I would love to do an Eagles game. I think it’d be a hoot,” McCarthy said. “But it’s one of those things where I roll with wherever they send me.”
Why McCarthy hasn’t been posting on X
Tom McCarthy gives food to a fan during a broadcast from behind home plate at Citizens Bank Park in June. Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer
While social media tends to be a hateful cesspool of negativity toward announcers, McCarthy has been a prolific poster for years.
Sometimes that meant answering a fan’s question about why the Phillies game wasn’t on NBC Sports Philadelphia. Often it was a funny rebuke of a nasty comment. He’s also used Twitter, now X, to defend his allegiance to the Phillies because he spent a couple seasons calling Mets games and his son, Patrick, handles New York’s pre- and postgame coverage on radio.
But his last post on X was more than two months ago. Why the long silence?
“I just got to the point between the algorithms and all the negativity and all the stories that were untrue,” McCarthy said. “It wasn’t something I really wanted to be associated with it anymore.”
If you miss interacting with McCarthy on social media, you can always follow him on Instagram, where he posts photos from the broadcast booth and connects with fans. He also likes that his feed is focused on baseball and golf.
“I can reset it pretty quickly if I feel like it’s too, let’s say, political,” McCarthy said.
NL East standings
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NL wildcard standings
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Phillies magic number
That is the combined total of Phillies’ wins and/or losses by the teams on the outside looking in that are needed to secure at least the third wild-card berth and a spot in the playoffs.
A day more than eight months in the making is nearly here. After a myriad key offseason changes, the Eagles will take the field at Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday (4:25 p.m., Fox) looking to prove they’re still the toast of the NFC East, and a viable Super Bowl contender. They’ll do so against a Washington Commanders team trying to turn the page on a bleak 5-12 season in 2025. Here’s how our writers see Sunday going:
Jeff Neiburg
The NFL schedulers threw Sean Mannion a bone. The Eagles have a difficult schedule overall — Sharp Football Analysis rates it the eighth-hardest schedule — but they open with games against the following team defense ranks from 2025: 32, 29, 21.
It should give Mannion and the new-look offense a chance to work out some kinks. Besides the joint practices in New England, the first-team offense hasn’t gotten any work as a unit against a real opponent, and the playbook we saw Andy Dalton, Tanner McKee, and Cole Payton work with during the preseason games is only one small part of what the Eagles have implemented.
We’ll see Jalen Hurts taking more snaps from under center, more receivers in motion, more play action, more middle-of-the-field throws.
The guess here is the offense will have some good and some bad over the first few weeks, but I expect the running game and the new-look wide zone scheme to have some success against a bad defense that hasn’t gotten much better.
Saquon Barkley was my pick to be the NFL’s offensive player of the year, and he should start his 2026 campaign with a lot of yards. The Eagles should run the ball with relative ease and then find high-percentage throws, especially off play-action.
Defensively, the Eagles had an edge before Commanders left tackle Laremy Tunsil’s injury, and it’s even bigger now. They avoided playing Jayden Daniels in each of their matchups with the Commanders last year, but they shouldn’t have much trouble causing havoc Sunday.
Prediction: Eagles 27, Commanders 13
The official beginning of the Sean Mannion offensive era comes Sunday. David Maialetti / Staff Photographer
Ryan Novozinsky
The Mannion era is going to start with a bang.
Sure, the Commanders have a new, lauded defensive coordinator in Daronte Jones. But they didn’t exactly make any splashy moves on that side of the ball, which means they’re largely returning a unit that ranked No. 32 in total defense last season.
Their passing defense ranked fourth-worst in the league. Their run defense was even worse, ranking 30th. Mannion’s wide-zone scheme should feast against a unit like this, especially if the run game gets going early, which would set up a play-action attack through the air.
The Eagles have the backfield weapons to make that happen, too. Barkley looked like his 2024 self in Mannion’s offense this summer and even Tank Bigsby and Will Shipley had their moments. Couple that with the running threat of Hurts — he looked quicker in training camp, as defensive coordinator Vic Fangio pointed out in August — and you should get a relentless rushing attack.
Now, this game isn’t a guaranteed win. The Eagles’ receiver room — sans DeVonta Smith — could prove to be too green or Daniels could take over and drag Washington to victory (like he did many times in his rookie season).
But let’s face it: The biggest factor in this game is the Eagles defense, which is arguably their best unit in years. How can you count them out against a team like Washington, which will be without Tunsil?
Fangio’s unit will carry them to victory, but Mannion’s offense will show some flashes.
Prediction: Eagles 35, Commanders 10
Will Saquon Barkley have another day to remember against the Commanders?Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
Olivia Reiner
This could be a coming-out party for the new-look Eagles run game.
Mannion now helms the offense and is expected to bring a derivative of the Kyle Shanahan/Sean McVay scheme rooted in the wide-zone blocking scheme. The wide-zone runs could help set up the play-action passing game, marrying together both phases of the offensive attack.
Still, the exact playbook remains a mystery, which the Eagles can weaponize to their advantage. Plus, the Commanders have been susceptible to giving up yardage on the ground.
Last season, the Eagles ranked No. 18 in the league in rushing yards. The offense still eclipsed 200 yards on the ground in Week 16 against the Commanders (only one of two occasions last season).
The Commanders have a new defensive coordinator in Jones, who was previously the defensive backs coach and pass game coordinator with the Minnesota Vikings. But head coach Dan Quinn could still have his fingerprints on the defense given his defensive background. Plus, the Commanders didn’t make many dramatic defensive personnel improvements in the offseason that would give the run defense a significant boost.
The other matchup to watch is on the other side of the ball. The Commanders offensive line took a hit when Tunsil tore his triceps in training camp. He was one of the best left tackles in the league last season, allowing the seventh-lowest pressure rate (8%) among 35 offensive linemen with at least 250 pass-blocking snaps at that position, according to Next Gen Stats.
The Commanders could struggle to run the ball behind a shaky offensive line. The Eagles, meanwhile, could thrive. If so, the Eagles will maintain their win streak in Week 1 under Nick Sirianni.
Matt Campbell is familiar with Lincoln Financial Field. He has coached there twice, once as a graduate assistant at Bowling Green in 2004 and as Toledo’s offensive coordinator in 2011.
But it’s also the home stadium of his former Mount Union teammate and roommate, Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni. Campbell said he talked to Sirianni on Monday about playing at the Linc.
“Nick has been a great sounding board,” Campbell said Tuesday. “Obviously that relationship, that friendship, and having the ability to have somebody that’s kind of going through some of the same journeys has been huge.”
Campbell will face K.C. Keeler for the first time as head coaches when Penn State visits Temple on Saturday (noon, ESPN2). But the two coaches have crossed paths before. Keeler was the head coach of Division III Rowan and gave Campbell his only loss as a player at Mount Union in 1999.
The two in-state programs have played 45 times, with the Nittany Lions holding a 40-4-1 advantage. They last met in 2016, a 34-27 win for Penn State at Beaver Stadium.
“It’s the Super Bowl for Temple,” Penn State defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn said Tuesday. “We have to have that mindset when we go in there.”
Here’s how both teams stack up against each other:
The running game struggled, with starter Carson Hansen carrying the ball 11 times for 48 yards. Penn State averaged just 3.6 rushing yards in the game.
Penn State wideout Koby Howard (right) had a breakout game against Marshall last week.Barry Reeger
Quarterback Rocco Becht and his wide receivers made up for the run game struggles. Starting wide receivers Koby Howard, Brett Eskildsen, and Chase Sowell all present different threats for Temple’s secondary.
Howard excels after the catch, while Eskildsen is the fastest player on offense. Sowell, meanwhile, is the more physical wideout. All three had a catch of at least a 20 yards against Marshall.
Temple safeties Saboor Karriem and Kolin Dinkins and cornerbacks Denzel Chavis and Asa Locks, the secondary starters last week, may have their hands full disrupting the Nittany Lions’ passing game. The Owls’ defense, however, did account for three turnovers in the opener, which included two pick-sixes and a fumble recovery.
Temple’s offense vs. Penn State’s defense
Lynn’s first game as the defensive coordinator at his alma mater resulted in a shutout, allowing the Thundering Herd just 147 total yards. Lynn said Tuesday they kept the play-calling simple as the defense masters the “core concepts” before adding new things to the game plan throughout the year.
Temple’s offensive linemen also has taken a hit with injuries. Giakoby Hills and Luke Watson are confirmed out. Kevin Terry and Eric King arequestionable for Saturday’s game. It will be even more of a challenge to contain Penn State’s defensive line, who held Marshall to just 44 rushing yards last week.
“Got Penn State coming up, obviously it’s a big deal,” Keeler said. “I mean, they have all the Big Ten prototypical numbers — 6-foot-5, 6-foot-4, 310 [pounds], 330. [They are] long and athletic.”
The injury report doesn’t bode well for Temple running back Keveun Mason, who stepped in for the banged up Sam Brown and exploded for a career-high 158 rushing yards against Rhode Island. Brown’s availability is still up in the air for this weekend.
Temple’s trio of wide receivers, Colin Chase, JoJo Bermudez, and Jayce Freeman, remain a strong suit for the offense. Though Temple didn’t throw the ball much against Rhode Island, Chase and Bermudez were productive in their limited opportunities. Freeman caught the Owls’ lone passing touchdown in his team debut.
Another priority for Penn State will be Temple tight end Peter Clarke, despite his quiet season opener. Clarke had a career year in 2025 and earned second-team American Conference honors.
The Nittany Lions’ secondary was a key reason Marshall was held off the scoreboard, highlighted by cornerback Josiah Zayas, who became the first freshman defensive player to start a season opener for Penn State since John Reid in 2015.
Former Penn State QB Jaxon Smolik (left) got the start for Temple last week.Tyger Williams / Staff Photographer
Connections
Penn State had 50 players enter the transfer portal last December after its head coaching change. Four ended up at Temple: redshirt sophomore quarterback Jaxon Smolik, fifth-year defensive tackle Kaleb Artis, redshirt junior tight end Joey Schlaffer, and Dinkins, a fifth-year player.
Each played in the Owls opening win over Rhode Island, with Dinkins and Smolik starting. Dinkins had three tackles and his first career pass breakup.
Smolik, meanwhile, is in a quarterback battle. Both Smolik and Ajani Sheppard played in Week 1, and that’s not expected to change this weekend.
“No one took charge,” Keeler said after Temple’s victory over Rhode Island. “I mean, we’ll watch the tape, we’ll see how they each played. Ideally, we’d prefer not to play two equally, but we’re not going to live by any sort of, like, creed. Basically, we’re going to play whoever can help us win.”
Schlaffer and Artis didn’t log a stat in their first game with the Owls.
“I think both sides are just worrying about their team that they’re on right now,” Penn State offensive lineman Cooper Cousins said Tuesday. “Obviously have good relationships with all former players that have been here, in the program, outside of the program, but I think we’re all just kind of worried about our teams that we’re on right now.”
It’s starting to feel like the Flyers are forever young, which is not a bad thing in a league that is continuously showing “youth’s like a diamond in the sun, and diamonds are forever.”
After years marred by a limited prospect pool, the Orange and Black have restocked the cupboard with promising youngsters who are either looking to make their mark in the NHL this season or take the next step in their development.
Compared to a year ago, the list has seen movement, with some players graduating, some moving up, and others falling. Three notable absences from this year’s list include Hunter McDonald and Helge Grans, who have aged out at 24, and Karsen Dorwart, who did not re-sign. Matvei Michkov has played too many games to qualify, as we are using 100 NHL contests as our cutoff.
With several Flyers prospects converging on Allentown and Voorhees this week for rookie camp, here’s our updated top 20 prospect rankings.
1. Porter Martone, RW, Flyers (NHL)
2025 rank: No. 1
There was some huffing and puffing when the Flyers did not take a center with the No. 6 pick in the 2025 NHL draft, but Martone, who will turn 20 at the end of October, quickly quieted the naysayers. The Calder Trophy betting favorite this year, Martone put together a dominant freshman campaign at Michigan State and made a scintillating NHL start last season. He tallied 10 points in nine regular-season games before adding five points, including two game-winning goals, in 10 playoff contests. A 6-foot-3, 208-pound winger, Martone brings size, strength, a big-time shot, playmaking ability, and an edge. He’ll play a significant role this season for the Flyers in the top six and on the power play.
2. Denver Barkey, C/LW, Flyers (NHL)
2025 rank: 8
What a start to Barkey’s pro career. After just 26 games with Lehigh Valley of the American Hockey League, he found himself in the NHL and never looked back. The 21-year-old used his high-end motor and responsible 200-foot game to stake a spot in the lineup, and posted 17 points in 43 regular-season games. Although he only put up two points in 10 playoff games, the 5-9 winger stepped up in the postseason, showing his relentless play style and willingness to be aggressive on pucks despite his small frame, especially when called upon by coach Rick Tocchet in the second round of the playoffs to play center. Barkey played so well as a pivot that some are penciling him as a bottom-six centerman instead of a winger.
3. Alex Bump, LW, Flyers (NHL)
2025 rank: 2
Where Martone and Barkey go, so goes Bump, and the 22-year-old will round out the trio of expected NHLers at rookie camp. This was the consensus belief last year, but the winger fell short and started the year with the Phantoms. The difference now? Bump has learned what happens if he doesn’t showcase his innate high-end offensive attributes and goal-scoring prowess at camp, and now has a full year of pro hockey — and a taste of the NHL — under his belt. After being recalled following the trade deadline, the Minnesotan played 23 games between the regular season and playoffs, racking up seven goals, 11 points, and a team-best shooting percentage of 21.2%.
Flyers winger Alex Bump, 22, has one of the best releases in the system.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
4. Oliver Bonk, RHD, Flyers/Lehigh Valley Phantoms (NHL/AHL)
2025 rank: 5
The top blueline prospect in the organization, Bonk showed why during his NHL debut in the Flyers’ regular-season finale and his lone postseason appearance. A well-rounded defenseman, Bonk notched his first career goal and assist in April and has the tools to be an everyday top-four blueliner in the NHL. “I think you just have to be confident and believe that you’re good enough to be there, because you are there, and that’s pretty much it for me,” he said of the experience. “Just kind of working on that and realizing that I’m a good player and I should be there.” Last season he sustained an injury early in rookie camp and didn’t suit up until December; this year, a healthy Bonk, despite a short September, should strongly push for a spot with the main club.
5. Jack Berglund, C, Färjestad BK (Swedish Hockey League)
2025 rank: 11
The Swede skyrocketed up the Flyers’ prospect depth chart this season with his impressive play in Europe, Allentown, and for his country at World Juniors, where he captained Sweden to its first gold since 2012 and was one of the tournament’s standout players. Berglund linked up with the Phantoms for five games at the end of the season, and while he will return to the SHL this season on loan, he left quite an impression. “He drove play, he was around the puck, and his ability to play below the dots with the puck is exceptionally good,” Phantoms coach John Snowden told The Inquirer in May about the 6-4, 217-pound center. “He understands how to use his body and his frame to get guys on his back and get out of situations.”
6. Jack Nesbitt, C, University of Michigan (NCAA)
2025 rank: 6
After a strong season with Windsor of the Ontario Hockey League in which he scored at a 1.05-point-per-game clip, Nesbitt is off to the University of Michigan this fall. Tall and lanky, Nesbitt said at development camp he gained 10-15 pounds after the season by hitting the gym, and the 6-5, 193-pound centerman should only get stronger with the college hockey schedule. He’ll need that extra muscle to play his game of driving to the net and creating time and space with his body. Nesbitt has nifty hands for someone his size and is a player the organization believes has a long runway to develop as he grows into his frame.
The Flyers have high hopes for towering center Jack Nesbitt.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
7. David Jiříček, RHD, Flyers (NHL)
2025 rank: NA
The upcoming season will be a big one for the 6-4 blueliner who is on his third team despite being drafted just four years ago. A coveted right-shot defenseman with size, puck skills, and a booming shot, Jiříček is a bit of a project but will likely get a chance right away this season at the NHL level since he is no longer waiver-exempt. He impressed with the Phantoms after being acquired at the trade deadline — getting a chance to play at all strengths — and made his Flyers debut in the season finale. The Czech defender is someone Snowden says has “all the tools” to transition to the NHL, and the expectation is his “absolute missile” of a shot will get a chance to bolster the Flyers’ dismal power play.
8. Maksim Sokolovskii, LHD, London (Ontario Hockey League)
2025 rank: NA
When the Flyers selected Sokolovskii 27th overall in June, it turned a few heads. But watching the 6-7 defenseman play the body and skate like someone a foot shorter at development camp, it showed why he may prove to be a steal. Sokolovskii is still growing into his game as a mean shutdown blueliner, but the upside is tantalizing. Now that he’s no longer constrained to focusing only on his defensive game, he’s already shown in preseason action for London that he has an untapped offensive side. The 18-year-old, who will be at rookie camp this week, also showed that his confidence has skyrocketed evidenced by his heads-up plays through the neutral zone and in the offensive end for the Knights.
Here is another view of Maksim Solokovskii’s 1st Assist Yesterday against Erie. What a skater he is. @Flyers_Clips
9. Yegor Zavragin, G, Metallurg Magnitogorsk (Kontinental Hockey League)
2025 rank: 4
When will Zavragin come to the U.S.? It likely won’t be any time soon, as the goalie’s contract was extended by a year when he was traded to Metallurg of the Kontinental Hockey League in June. Last season the netminder split time between the KHL and the VHL, Russia’s second-highest league, but this season he should stick in the top flight. Zavragin, 21, has posted a .918 save percentage in 56 career KHL games, and in his first start of this season with his new team, he stopped 16 of 17 shots in a 2-1 win.
Russian netminder Egor Zavragin is the Flyers’ No. 1 goaltending prospect.Sipa USA via AP
10. Carter Amico, RHD, Boston University (NCAA)
2025 rank: 13
If anyone on this list has made the biggest transformation in the past year, it is Amico. This time last year, the 6-5 defenseman was still rebuilding his game after suffering a broken kneecap that sidelined him for most of his draft year. This past season, he left Boston University halfway through to get more playing time with Muskegon of the United States Hockey League. After a productive spell with the Lumberjacks, the Maine native will rejoin the Terriers this season, and if what he showed at development camp this past summer with his smooth skating and ability to close is any indication, it’ll be a good year. “He looks like a different player; he really does,” BU coach Jay Pandolfo told The Inquirer in June. “It was great for him to go there [to Muskegon] and just find his game again.”
11. Brek Liske, RHD, Everett (Western Hockey League)
2025 rank:NA
Taken in the second round in June by the Flyers, Liske is a versatile, well-rounded defenseman who needs to keep building his game, and he will do so this year alongside fellow Flyers prospect Luke Vlooswyk with Everett of the Western Hockey League. The son of a diehard Flyers fan from Manitoba, Liske is a strong skater and plays with confidence and smarts in his own end while adding some offensive punch. According to Flyers assistant general manager Brent Flahr, “he’s got some swagger,” and it has shown on and off the ice, notably when he was elevated to the top pair alongside projected 2027 No. 1 pick Landon Dupont amid the Silvertips’ run to the Memorial Cup final.
Brek Liske (left) will team up with fellow Flyers prospect Luke Vlooswyk this season with the Everett Silvertips.Courtesy of Luke Vlooswyk
While Amico and Berglund may have risen several spots, Luchanko fell considerably after a disappointing year in junior in which he scored just seven goals. There’s no denying there is talent within Luchanko, notably his speed and hockey IQ, but it was a tough slog for the center who was traded from Guelph to Brantford in the OHL and played sparingly for Canada at World Juniors. Luchanko has played in nine NHL games (including playoffs) but has yet to notch his first point. Expected to be a full participant at the rookie and main camps after undergoing core muscle surgery in June, this will represent a big year for the 20-year-old as he looks to get back on the trajectory that made him a lottery pick in 2024.
After two disappointing seasons at the junior level, Jett Luchanko, 20, is entering a massive season for his development.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
13. Spencer Gill, RHD, Phantoms (AHL)
2025 rank:7
Since getting drafted in 2024, the 6-4 Gill has dealt with several major injuries — a broken ankle two years ago with Rimouski of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League and a wrist ailment that required surgery last year with Blainville-Boisbriand — that limited his playing time. But now the 20-year-old will turn pro and is projected to spend this season with Lehigh Valley, where he can expand his 200-foot game and get acclimated to the speed of pro hockey. “I really love the way he was able to kill the play effectively in the D zone along the boards. Once he put his hands on someone, that player was not going anywhere,” Armada coach Alexandre Jacques told The Inquirer in June, noting the blueliner is good offensively at the blue line and [at] getting shots on goal “ … I think where he needs to improve to play at the pro level, and he knows it, is explosion of his first few steps backward and forward. So, if he’s able to improve that, which I know the Flyers have been working really hard with him … I think you can become a good player for the team.”
Projected to be a bottom-six forward, Ruohonen had a solid freshman season at Harvard, chipping in 19 points in 28 games while also playing for Finland — wearing an “A” — at World Juniors. A shutdown forward and pass-first center, he is hard on the puck and has started to sprout his wings offensively. It’ll be interesting to see how he does this upcoming season under a new coaching staff for the Crimson
15. Nikita Grebenkin, LW/RW, Flyers (NHL)
2025 rank: 10
The 23-year-old Russian spent his first full season in the NHL in 2025-26, serving as a pest and a powder keg regardless of where he slotted in the lineup. He scored his first NHL goal in an early-season nail-biter the Flyers won in overtime, finished with 14 points in 55 games, and dropped the gloves a few times in defense of his teammates. Grebenkin has an infectious personality, and it translates to the ice, making him invaluable on and off the ice. The winger suffered an upper-body injury in late March that kept him out of the lineup for the rest of the regular season and playoffs, but if he can bring some pop and energy this season, he could become a mainstay in the bottom-six.
16. Cole Knuble, C/RW, Phantoms (AHL)
2025 rank: NR
Despite being one of Flahr’s favorites in the system, the son of former Flyers forward Mike Knuble may not have drawn eyes in the past. But at this year’s development camp, the 22-year-old looked like a man on a mission to stand out. The forward, who has been playing more center, showed off his improved skating, a good motor, aggressiveness, high hockey IQ, and vision as he followed the advice from his dad: “He used to say, ‘If you have 12 eggs in your pockets, they should all be broken.’”
Cole Knuble is a prospect that the Flyers have long been higher on internally compared to the consensus rankings.Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer
17. Carson Bjarnason, G, Phantoms (AHL)
2025 rank: 9
As Snowden put it, it was a roller coaster season for the goalie who made the jump to the pros and suited up for the Phantoms for most of the season — he had a short stint in Reading of the ECHL — and posted 14-11-3 with a 3.43 goals-against average and .877 save percentage. A confident kid who should hit the ground running in Year 2, he will split this net in Allentown with Aleksei Kolosov. “It’s a good league, and you can’t guess; you have to understand the situations, and I thought he had a little bit of a stretch where it became pretty hard for him,“ Snowden said. ”But Brady [Robinson, Lehigh Valley’s goaltender development coach] did an incredible job with him, continuing to push him and teach the moments of where we’ve got to clean up.”
Another player who has snuck up the rankings is Quinn, who is coming off a 73-point season with the Remparts. He had 25 points on the power play and was tied for 10th in goals (34) and 17th in points in the QMJHL. Former Flyers forward Simon Gagné, who is now the general manager for Québec, expects a big year from the 5-11, 184-pound center he calls a force before he heads off to Northeastern University for 2027-28. “Quinners, more, maybe I’m going to say more passer … [but] he could surprise you,” Gagné told The Inquirer in June. “He’s got a really, really good wrist shot. He knows how to score a goal as well. He’s really a skilled player, really good high IQ, and is flying on the ice.”
19. Ty Murchison, LHD, Phantoms (AHL)
2025 rank: NR
Murchison hasn’t been quiet about his growth this past year. In his first full season in the pros — it lasted only 32 games due to an upper-body injury — he left impressions across the organization. So much so that in December he made his NHL debut and stuck around for three games, skating an average of 15 minutes a night. At 6-2, he plays a big, physical game while also being efficient with the puck, and is a strong skater despite a late start on the ice because he was a roller hockey player in his youth. “I think Ty Murchison is a guy you should keep on the radar,” Snowden said. “Obviously, an injury shortened his season, but he was trending in an incredibly good direction.”
Before transitioning to the ice, Ty Murchison got his start on rollerblades.Courtesy of Murchison family
20. Jack Murtagh, C/LW, Boston University (NCAA)
2025 rank: 12
Like most true freshmen, Murtagh struggled to find his footing in college hockey going up against bigger, stronger players. The Upstate New Yorker called his season at BU “a little bit inconsistent” and a “little bit rocky.” He learned he cannot take a single shift off, and the expectation is that the 6-1, 198-pound forward will put up more than the 11 points in 35 games he managed last season. “He needs to be consistent, shift after shift, game after game, like those are the big things for younger players, just learning to be consistent in everything you do,” Pandolfo said. “ … That’s the one thing that he’s gotten better at over the course of the season, and we expect him to have a really big jump in his play coming into his sophomore year.”
10 more to watch (alphabetical order)
Alex Čiernik, LW, Phantoms (AHL), Matthew Gard, C, Seattle (WHL), Max Laatikainen, RHD, Sport (Finnish Liiga), Ilya Pautov, LW, TBD, Noah Powell, RW, Phantoms (AHL), Martin Psohlavec, G, Saskatoon (WHL), KJ Sauer, C, Edmonton (WHL), Max Westergård, LW, Frölunda (SHL), Shane Vansaghi, RW, Michigan State (NCAA), and Luke Vlooswyk, RHD, Everett (WHL)
Villanova football is facing off against its annual FBS opponent tonight in a road matchup against Louisville.
After beginning the season ranked No. 7 in the FCS preseason coaches’ poll, the Wildcats have slipped to No. 18 over the last two weeks. And their FBS matchup at Louisville comes during a time when Villanova is trying to clean up all three phases of its game.
However, the Wildcats are looking to carry the momentum from their 17-16 win over Bucknell last week, which marked the team’s first victory in the Patriot League, to try to take down a Louisville program (7 p.m., ESPN/ACCN) that is ranked No. 24 in the Associated Press Top 25 Poll and lost, 41-38, to No. 9 Ole Miss on Sunday.
“We don’t talk a whole lot about it, to be honest,” said head coach Mark Ferrante when asked about playing an FBS opponent. “Nameless, faceless opponent. It’s not who we’re playing, it’s how we’re playing.”
Since the season-opening loss to William & Mary, Ferrante and his staff believe both sides of the ball cleaned up their penalties. The Wildcats had five penalties for 45 yards last week, compared to 15 for 107 yards in Week 1. They also didn’t turn the ball over.
As graduate quarterback Pat McQuaide becomes more comfortable with his receivers, Villanova’s offense is starting to show glimpses of what it was projected to be this offseason.
“Pat wasn’t here in the spring, wasn’t here in the summer, missed the first couple days of preseason practice, and then was able to rejoin the team based on all the stuff that transpired behind that,” Ferrante said. “I’m hoping that, again, Week 1 to Week 2, Week 2 to Week 3, and just keep progressing through the season, it’ll just be sharper, there’ll be better timing, there’ll be more understanding of each other.”
Against Bucknell, McQuaide had a couple of open looks that could have resulted in large plays or deep touchdowns, but he either overthrew or missed his receiver in stride.
Villanova football slides down to No. 18 in the AFCA FCS Coaches Poll.
“There were a few near misses last week where if he hits that one in stride, that might have been a touchdown,” Ferrante said. “ … Hopefully, with added reps, added practice, and more games on our belt, will tie them up better down the road.”
Villanova held on to its win against Bucknell thanks to linebacker Garrett Rogan’s blocked field goal at the end of the game, which would have put Bucknell up by two points. The fifth-year defensive back was one of Villanova’s preferred walk-ons at safety in 2022 and made the transition to linebacker this offseason.
Ferrante emphasized how important special teams is due to how many games are decided by a field goal. Villanova’s season opener was, and so was Louisville’s.
“Our two games, plus Louisville’s first game, plus SMU and Florida State’s first game all came down to field goals or field-goal attempts,” Ferrante said. “That goes to show you how important special teams can be.”
Villanova knows there is always room for improvement, even when it’s playing at its highest potential. That starts with Ferrante, then his staff, and finally the players.
Sophomore linebacker Omari Bursey is one of Villanova’s players who has grasped that concept early in his collegiate career. This offseason, Bursey was given the green dot on the back of his helmet, signifying that he communicates with the coaching staff and the defense while on the field.
Last week, he was named the FCS National Defensive Player of the Week after recording 14 total tackles against Bucknell.
Villanova LB Omari Bursey was named the FCS National Defensive Player of the Week. https://t.co/jBUiYG5LFK
“It’s honestly just a testament to this unit as a whole,” Bursey said of receiving the honor. “One of the biggest things I didn’t get to talk about last week is playing off of my nose guard, and we were able to show that this past week against Bucknell. [We] play so well off each other. It just allowed me to have a few more tackles than the rest of the guys.”
Ferrante said he has shepherd a team-effort mindset during his nine seasons as head coach. It’s an approach that’ll remain against Louisville, he said.
“From my perspective, from the head coach’s perspective, and that hopefully trickles down through their assistants, I approach every week the same,” Ferrante said. “I approach every season the same. People ask me that all the time, ‘So what do you think about this year?’ Well, one year to the next is never going to be the same.
“I enter every season, every game the same way, cautiously optimistic. I always feel if we play our brand of football and we play clean and we don’t shoot ourselves in the foot, and we’re not our worst enemy, we’re not the opponent, then I don’t care who we’re playing. I think we can go out there and compete with anybody.”
The 76ers are just over two weeks away from opening training camp on the most anticipated season for perhaps any team in the league this season. Usually, the NBA takes a pause in August and September, but with the excitement from Jaylen Brown and LeBron James coming to Philadelphia, there’s been plenty to talk and write about to fill the space while everyone waits for the games to get going opening night, Oct. 20 at Madison Square Garden against the New York Knicks.
As for me, I’m Chris Hine, the Inquirer’s new Sixers beat writer who will be covering the team in tandem with my good friend Gina Mizell. I spent the last eight seasons covering the Minnesota Timberwolves for the Minnesota Star Tribune, and I wrote a biography of their franchise player, Anthony Edwards.
I’m a Pennsylvania native who grew up in West Pittston, which is close to Scranton. So I’m really excited to be moving back closer to home and excited to cover what promises to be an entertaining and potentially historic Sixers season. Let’s get to your questions!
Q: What’s the Sixers’ single biggest issue heading into the season?” — (Bryan, @btoporek on BlueSky)
A: To me, it’s having the combination of health and availability with this roster to play enough minutes together to develop the necessary chemistry to become a championship contender. That talent is there. That’s step one in building a title winner. But I’ve learned, in covering the Timberwolves up close through two conference finals runs, that identity, reps and chemistry matter a lot during the regular season. The habits and characteristics a team develops, or doesn’t, show up in April. It’s one reason why the Knicks won the title last year. That team knew each other, it played together, it had an identity it could lean on when things got tough deep into the playoffs. That came after playing together through multiple playoff runs.
Getting LeBron James and his teammates enough regular season reps will be key come playoff time. Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
The Sixers will have to figure things out in one season, which is doable, but they’ll need their projected starting five to play together as much as possible. Of course, in back-to-back games, nobody is expecting James or Joel Embiid to play many, if any, of those. But I really feel that getting enough repetition as a five-man unit is paramount to what this team will or won’t accomplish in April, especially against some Eastern Conference opponents who have had the benefit of continuity year over year, like the Knicks, Detroit Pistons and Cleveland Cavaliers.
Q: What will the bench minutes look like? Will Nick [Nurse] go more than six deep in the playoffs? (@frantheman200 on BlueSky) and “Is there a role for Justin Edwards on this team?” — (@joephelan13 on Bluesky)
A: I’ll take these two together since they’re related in my eyes. Let’s start with Edwards. One of the butterfly effects of James deciding to sign with the Sixers is more than a few people on the team’s pecking order, in terms of minutes and role, went down a tick. Dean Wade, who I think could be a huge part of this team’s success, went from projected starter to the bench. And now with the other newcomers, including Anfernee Simons, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Labaron Philon Jr., the numbers just aren’t adding up in Edwards’ favor. That’s already nine potential players in the rotation — and those names don’t include any backup centers. It seems like he’ll be swimming upstream for rotation minutes as of now. With anyone looking to crack NBA rotations, defense is the way to the floor. Defend well, and coaches will usually find a way to get you out there.
As for the first part of this question, it’s hard to say as of now, and I imagine that’s something we’ll piece together as we get to speak with Nurse in training camp and hear his vision for some of the blended lineups he may have in mind with the starters. Wade should and will likely play a big role, Simons can provide microwave scoring, Caldwell-Pope has the championship pedigree and familiarity with James from their time in Los Angeles, along with the motivation that he still has something left in the tank at 33 years old.
In the playoffs, it’s going to be tempting for Nurse to stick with a tightened rotation, though, especially if the starting five can defend at a higher level than some analysts anticipate. Even coaches with supposedly deep teams sometimes get a little tense in going multiple guys into their bench when everything is on the line.
Q: In 1986, the Celtics made the always injured center Bill Walton the sixth man. He helped win a title and he won the sixth man award. Instead of wondering what nights Embiid can play, why not move him to sixth man? This way your starting five knows their roles, and he gives you instant offense off the bench. — (@tomg18 on Bluesky)
A: This is the kind of outside-the-box thinking we like in mailbag questions! Well, let’s start off by saying that this is an unrealistic scenario for someone like Embiid. Another thing I’ve learned in eight seasons covering the NBA, starting matters to players. It’s a source of pride and a sign of status, essentially, to say you’re a starter. Suggesting someone move to the bench can be a massive blow to that player’s ego, and a coach has to handle any such move with care.
Sixers center Joel Embiid could be asked to make major changes to his game to make room for LeBron James and Jaylen Brown. Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
If this ever happened with Embiid and the Sixers, it’d be the top story on all the ESPN talk shows for two weeks. But I think what you’re getting at here is Embiid taking on a reduced role, while not coming off the bench. That’s something that could make sense given the roster construction and efforts to preserve Embiid for the long haul. Having him play 25-30 minutes per night — especially if those minutes are with the other starters — and having him available for more games, is better than playing him a usual complement of minutes that risks wearing him out or injuring him. Better to cut back his minutes a bit first before ever considering asking him to come off the bench.
Q: Who are the best candidates for low usage glue guys with the new roster? Someone like KCP or one of the younger guys? — (@bremerdangorst on BlueSky)
A: Wade fits this. He hasn’t had a usage rate above 12.9% in his career, according to Basketball Reference. He can be a defensive contributor who cedes usage to those main scorers on the floor with him at the same time. As you said, KCP can also be this model of player (career-high usage rate of 19.5%). They seem to fit the profile of the exact kind of bench contributors a team like this needs.
It was Sept. 17, 2001, and the Phillies were back at Veterans Stadium as one of the first MLB games since the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11.
Dillon Minacci, then in fourth grade, was set to go with his dad, Jim, who grabbed a big American flag on a wooden pole and brought it with him.
“It was embarrassing, right?” said Dillon, who was just old enough to roll his eyes at his parents. “I was like, ‘What are you doing? Why are you bringing a flag to the park? What are we doing?’”
No one questioned it. The elder Minacci began his march around the stadium as fans chanted. He became known as Flag Man. Twenty-five years later, Dillon reflects on his dad’s “unifying visual.”
Hugh Douglas and Doug Glanville played for the Eagles and Phillies in 2001, and Larry Bowa was the Phils manager. They reflect on their memories from 9/11.
Eagles offensive coordinator Sean Mannion runs in motion with Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts during team drills before a joint practice with the New England Patriots on Aug. 20. Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
On Sunday, Sean Mannion will make have his close up in a new role. Mannion is just 34 years old and only three years removed from his playing career. He has never called plays in the NFL before and now is tasked with turning around an Eagles offense that was too stagnant in 2025.
In many ways, Mannion, the son and grandson of football coaches, has been preparing for this job for most of his life.
“His thing was, he wanted to play as long as he could,” his father said. “The unsaid part was that when those days were done that he would turn his attention to coaching.”
Jonathan Greenard, who practiced in a limited capacity on Thursday, is unsure but hopeful that he’ll be ready for Week 1 after missing all of training camp with a pectoral strain.
“I feel good, though. I will say, I feel I’m in a good spot,” Greenard said. “Just know that. I know that I’m working every day to continue to try to get this thing stronger. We’re close, I know that.”
Next: It’s almost here — the Eagles kick off the 2026 season vs. Washington on Sunday (4:25 p.m., Fox29).
Phillies pitcher Jhoan Duran gave up a tiebreaking home run on Wednesday.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
When Zack Wheeler started to run into trouble Wednesday, it would’ve made sense for interim manager Don Mattingly to go to his bullpen, maybe a leverage arm like Alex McFarlane.
It seemingly would’ve been an easy call in the postseason — assuming the Phillies make it — but Mattingly opted to stick with the veteran starter this time. And Wheeler got out of it, only to watch Jhoan Duran give up a tiebreaking homer in a 2-1 Phillies loss.
The Phillies still hold a one-game lead for the top wild-card spot, but they slid to four games behind the Braves in the NL East. And if they do make the playoffs, Mattingly has a simple strategy for catcher J.T. Realmuto, since he’s so good at challenges.
Next: The Phillies are gearing up for another huge series vs. the Atlanta Braves, this time at Truist Park. Aaron Nola (6-10, 4.76 ERA) is scheduled to face Chris Sale (14-9, 2.10) on Friday (7:15 p.m., NBCSP).
Quinn Sullivan (right) battles Cincinnati’s Kyle Smith for the ball. Sullivan and his younger brother, Cavan, were big factors in Wednesday’s win. Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer
Union teen phenom Cavan Sullivan continues to dominate the spotlight. On Wednesday, he and his older brother, Quinn, shared it as they started a regular-season game together for the first time.
The Sullivans became the Union’s playmaking engine when interim manager decided to start Ezekiel Alladoh at striker with Bruno Damiani amid a three-game week.
And, with his mother and brother in the stands, Damiani delivered a hat trick as part of a 5-0 rout of Eastern Conference foe FC Cincinnati. Jonathan Tannenwald offers his insight into the big midweek win.
Next: It’s a quick turnaround for the Union, who head across the country to face San Diego on Sunday (9 p.m., Apple TV).
Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber avoids a tag by Atlanta Braves third baseman Austin Riley on Saturday.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
We’re days from the start of Eagles season, but Philly’s summer sports teams — the Phillies and Union — are still going strong as they head down the stretch. As they do each Friday, Inquirer photo editors picked the best sports images from the last seven days to bring you this week’s Big Picture.
What you’re saying about titles
We asked: If you could win any major sports title, what would you pick and why?
Even though I’m a huge fan of the major sports I would be most proud to win either Wimbledon or the Tour de France. Both of these sports require tremendous personal sacrifice and training and winning at the ultimate challenge against the best in the world would be an accomplishment I would be extremely proud of. —Bob A.
Even though I am in no way a boxer or fighter I would wish to be the the welterweight and middleweight champion of the world like my boyhood boxing idol Sugar Ray Robinson. In truth though today I don’t like boxing at all, but as a kid I was a big fan. —Everett S.
No doubt it is World Series. The organized baseball season begins in February and those fortunate enough concludes with a championship in late October (or even early November). It is a grind for the players and coaching staff. Playing in cold conditions in April, the scorching heat in summer and cold (and sometimes) snowy fall. It is a marathon and only the focused and durable few will survive. — Nick S.
Winning any sports title in Philly is an exhilarating prospect — whether it’s the Phillies World Series, a Flyers Stanley Cup, or a Sixers NBA Championship. But Philly is football. Whether talking about the 1926 Frankford Yellow Jackets or the University of Penn Football dynasty of the late 1800s — we live for the autumn season.
When the Eagles won a Super Bowl in 2018 — it didn’t just feel like their first. It felt like the culmination of excitement that we had waited nearly a century to savior. When it comes to a which title that I’d like most to experience on a sideline as a player — whether in 2018, 2025 (and possibly 2027) — it’s all Eagles. — Michael L.
World Series Champion! The culmination of a long 162 game season and 4 rounds of playoffs. Starting in late March, ending in early November, baseball is the ultimate grind. — Bob C.
We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Matt Breen, Marcus Hayes, Jeff Neiburg, Ryan Novozinsky, Olivia Reiner, Scott Lauber, Gabriela Carroll, Jonathan Tannenwald, Mia Messina, Mike Livingston, and Jackie Spiegel.
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.
Thanks for reading along! We’ll have a special edition of Sports Daily in your inboxes tomorrow to get you ready for the Eagles’ season opener. Jeff Neiburg will take you through everything you need to know, from odds to the injury report and how to watch. — Maria
We’re days from the start of Eagles season, but Philly’s summer sports teams — the Phillies and Union — are still going strong as they head down the stretch. From Citizens Bank Park to Chester, it was a busy week for the two clubs, with the Phillies hosting the Braves and Astros and the Union hosting Cincinnati and Montreal. And at some point along the way, Temple opened its season with a win over Rhode Island at Lincoln Financial Field. The Owls will be back there Saturday when they host No. 16 Penn State, a day before the Eagles kick off against the Washington Commanders.
As they do each Friday, Inquirer photo editors picked the best sports images from the last seven days to bring you this week’s Big Picture …
Trea Turner hit a two-run home run in the sixth inning against the Houston Astros on Tuesday, but it wasn’t enough as the Phillies dropped the series opener, 6-5.Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer
Phillies outfielder Bryce Harper waits for a pitch during Monday’s series finale against the Atlanta Braves. The Phillies won, 1-0, to split the series with their division rivanl.David Maialetti / Staff Photographer
Jesus Luzardo pitched his first complete-game shutout in the Phillies’ 1-0 win over Atlanta on Monday.David Maialetti / Staff PhotographerA young fan named Jeremiah talks with Bryce Harper before Sunday’s game against the Braves at Citizens Bank Park, where the Phillies and Nemours Children’s Health hosted their Childhood Cancer Awareness Day.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Jeremiah rounds the bases after hitting an honorary home run before Sunday’s game. The Phillies could’ve used Jeremiah, as they lost to the Braves, 5-4. Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
José Alvarado reacts after striking out Braves first baseman Matt Olson to end the eighth inning of Saturday’s 4-2 Phillies’ win.Yong Kim / Staff PhotographerPhillies pitcher Andrew Painter walks off the field after giving up four runs in the second inning against the Houston Astros on Tuesday. The Phillies rallied but their comeback attempt fell short, 6-5.Elizabeth Robertson / Staff PhotographerCatcher J.T. Realmuto reacts after he lining into a crucial double play in the seventh inning of Tuesday’s loss.Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer
Temples quarterback Ajani Sheppard (right) cuts through Rhode Island’s defensive line during the second half of the Owls’ season-opening win.Tyger Williams / Staff Photographer
Temple running back Keveun Mason carried the ball 20 times for 158 yards and a pair of touchdowns in the Owls’ win.Tyger Williams / Staff PhotographerCincinnati’s Kyle Smith (left) and the Union’s Quinn Sullivan battle for the ball during Philly’s big 5-0 win on Wednesday.Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer
CF Montréal’s Wikelman Carmona (left) and the Union’s Jesús Bueno (right) chase after a ball on Saturday. The Union have won three straight.Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer
The Union’s Bruno Damiani (front), seen here tangling with CF Montréal’s Dawid Bugaj, netted a hat trick in Wednesday’s win over Cincinnati.Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer
Kyle Schwarber’s sixth-inning grand slam helped the Phillies to their only win of the series against the Astros on Wednesday.Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer
Brandon Marsh and the Phillies have cooled off, but are still in a wild-card spot with just over two weeks left in the season.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
Houston fans behind the Astros dugout celebrate their team’s win, while a Phillies fan in a red T-shirt shows his frustration over Tuesday’s loss.Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer
The Phillies are exactly where we probably should have expected them to be, which is exactly where they were a week ago. That is, four games behind the Braves with 15 to play heading into this weekend’s three-game series in Atlanta. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, believe it or not. Treading water is as important as making up ground.
Right now, the Phillies number one goal shouldn’t be winning the National League East. It should be avoiding the Braves in the wild-card round. The NL playoff picture has changed considerably with the Dodgers winning seven straight and the Braves losing four of six.
Now that L.A. has a 3½-game lead over Atlanta for the NL’s second bye, it’s looking increasingly likely that the eventual NL East division champs will end up hosting a best-of-three series against the No. 6 seed. Which means the Phillies should be just as focused on maintaining or growing their current 3½-game lead over the Padres, who entered Friday with a half-game lead over the Diamondbacks for the NL’s final playoff spot.
Some folks will scoff at the idea of the Phillies fearing the Braves in an October series. But best-of-three is barely a series. This isn’t about fearing the Braves. It’s about fearing Chris Sale.
Last weekend, the Phillies took their latest dose of medicine from one of the game’s all-time greats when Sale held them to two runs in six innings of a 5-2 Braves win. Atlanta’s presumptive Game 1 starter is not a problem the Phillies are magically going to solve just because the leaves are falling off trees.
The Braves are 3-0 in Sale’s three starts against the Phillies this season and they’ve won five of his seven since joining the team in 2024. His numbers should make you gulp. In his last five starts against the Phillies dating back to May of last season, Sale has allowed a grand total of four runs in 31 innings. He has struck out 40 of the 118 batters he has faced. That’s 33.9%.
Bryce Harper is one of the Phillies with bad career numbers against Chris Sale. He has just two hits in 18 at-bats against the lefty (.111).Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
In a longer series, the Phillies would have a clear starting pitching advantage over the Braves. Grant Holmes and Tyler Mahle have both had some success against the Phillies, most recently holding them to a combined two runs in 12 innings of last weekend’s series. Holmes has allowed just five runs in 20⅔ innings against the Phillies over the last two seasons, while Mahle held them scoreless in seven innings and 5⅔ innings in two of his three starts prior to last weekend (albeit dating back to 2021). Regardless, the Phillies would have a significant advantage in three of the first four games of a five-game series.
In a three-game series, Sale in Game 1 is a monumental equalizer of the odds. They’d much rather take their chances against the Cubs, who would presumably start Clay Holmes and Shota Imanaga, followed by a spin of the roulette wheel in Game 3.
A sigh of relief
Now, about that bullpen …
Give interim manager Don Mattingly credit for getting Alex McFarlane back on the mound in the eighth inning on Wednesday. The 25-year-old right-hander got ground balls from three of the four Astros batters he faced to deliver an 11-7 lead to Jhoan Duran in the ninth. McFarlane didn’t record a strikeout but threw strikes on 12 of his 15 pitches. This wasn’t exactly a high-leverage situation, at least not compared to the last time he walked off the mound. But it was a situation where a true set-up man gets the ball, and Mattingly gave it to him. Which is exactly what the Phillies manager should be doing.
Despite the homer he surrendered to Ronald Acuna Jr. last weekend, Alex McFarlane remains the Phillies’ greatest hope in the eighth inning.Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer
The underdiscussed aspect of McFarlane’s welcome-to-the-bigs moment against Ronald Acuna Jr. and the Braves on Sunday was the fact that he was on the mound at all. Mattingly easily could have pivoted after McFarlane allowed a one-out single to Mike Yastrzemski and a double to Drake Baldwin to bring Acuna up as the tying run in a 4-1 game with a base open. He had a lefty warming and Braves lefties Matt Olson and Michael Harris due up after Acuna. Conventional baseball wisdom says you don’t put the tying run on base. Still, it said something about the Phillies’ estimation of McFarlane that he both remained on the mound and challenged Acuna Jr. throughout the seven-pitch at-bat.
It also says something that Mattingly didn’t flinch after McFarlane allowed a three-run, game-tying home run to Acuna.
“I don’t think you learn anything yet,” Mattingly said after the Phillies’ eventual 5-4 loss. “I think we see how he responds. I feel about the way he’s going to respond. When everything’s going good it’s pretty smooth sailing. Everybody’s going to struggle, what happened to him today is going to happen to everybody if you play long enough. So we’ll see. I think he’ll be fine. He’s been a kid that’s handled everything. The disposition’s been good.”
The Phillies are doing exactly what they should be doing with McFarlane. The first goal is to get to the postseason with an eighth-inning option that is something better than a flip of the coin. The second goal is to get there with somebody who actually gives them a significant advantage like the one they have in the ninth inning with Duran. On both counts, McFarlane is their best hope. Overwhelmingly so. There is nothing like exposure therapy for a big-league reliever. There will be plenty of big spots in October. The Phillies need McFarlane to become a guy who thrives in them.
Mike Riley and Sean Mannion were having one of their catch-up calls when Mannion, who played quarterback at Oregon State under Riley, told his former coach the latest project he was working on during the nascent days of his own coaching career.
Mannion, the most prolific passer in Oregon State history, told Riley that he was putting together and digitizing all of the passing concepts he could find dating back to the 1960s.
“This is what he does in his spare time,” Riley explained recently.
Mannion is just 34 years old and only three years removed from his playing career. He has never called plays in the NFL before and now is tasked with turning around an Eagles offense that was too stagnant in 2025 under another first-year coordinator and first-time play caller Kevin Patullo. Nick Sirianni said in February that he was looking for someone who was detailed and had “conviction in what they believed and why they believed in it, and the vision and conviction of how they went about it.”
Those traits seem to describe Mannion, whose father, John, called him “a saver” who took and saved detailed notes at every stop along his football path and even has comprehensive notes on concepts that pre-date his own life by some 30 years. Eagles quarterbacks coach Parks Frazier raved recently about Mannion’s attention to detail and his ability to recall and reference something he has learned along the way.
“He remembers every detail about all of those things and he’s constantly applying it to what he’s doing moving forward,” Frazier said. “He has extreme, detailed, categorized notes and film of everything he’s been through.”
Eagles offensive coordinator Sean Mannion talks with wide receiver Makai Lemon during team drills last month. Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
Mannion is installing a new offense for Jalen Hurts and the Eagles, one rooted in the flavors of the trendy Kyle Shanahan-Sean McVay scheme. But Mannion’s history and influences suggest a style that ultimately will pull from every resource imaginable as he guides the Eagles offense into the future.
Sirianni and Howie Roseman took a calculated risk on a young and fast-rising offensive coach when they landed on Mannion, who spent two years on the staff in Green Bay, most recently as quarterbacks coach, before his big promotion. But a lack of experience doesn’t necessarily mean Mannion is any less equipped to succeed than a more experienced candidate. In many ways, Mannion, the son and grandson of football coaches, has been preparing for this job for most of his life.
“His thing was, he wanted to play as long as he could,” his father said. “The unsaid part was that when those days were done that he would turn his attention to coaching.”
Like father, like son
At its roots, coaching is teaching. In that sense, Sean isn’t just the son of a football coach; he is the son of two teachers, and his earliest influences can be traced to the classroom. He’d mess around in a playpen while his mother, Inga, an elementary school teacher, finished work in her classroom after school.
He was around his father’s football teams as much as he could be, too. One Saturday, John, who also has been a teacher for 36 years, was going to scout an upcoming opponent with a coaching friend and Sean wanted to tag along. He was around 7 years old and an inquisitive kid at the time, so he brought with him a yellow legal pad. While he watched the game next to the two adults, he doodled and drew notes and observations from the field.
“He spent a lot of time doing what we were doing,” John said of his son’s early days. “That notepad probably was a byproduct of all that time spent.”
Sean grew up in Pleasanton, Calif., Alameda County, about 20 miles east of the San Francisco Bay in a household that valued education. He was a good student who also excelled in sports. Football was his main sport, but he also played baseball and basketball.
When Sean was a rising sophomore at Foothill High School, John, a former assistant, was given the job as the school’s head football coach. He was nervous, though, about any appearance of nepotism, so from the outset of that season he had Sean playing on the JV team. Foothill was 12-1 the previous season and had two upperclassmen ahead of Sean on the depth chart. A week before the season, the senior quarterback hurt his ankle and was on crutches. Later that week, after throwing at least four touchdowns in a scrimmage, the junior quarterback showed up on Labor Day, the first practice of the first game week of the season, and complained about a back injury that eventually forced him to miss the season.
John called home right away. Sean had to get to the field and get to practice.
Sean’s freshman coach at Foothill was Mike Madden, the son of Hall of Fame coach John Madden. Mike approached John Mannion that first week and asked him if he was nervous for Sean.
“Gosh, I hadn’t thought about it,” John said. “I’m nervous for myself at this point.”
John Mannion (left) coached Sean (right) in high school.Photo courtesy of John Mannion
John’s first game as varsity head coach was also Sean’s first game as varsity starting quarterback. Asked if he remembered it well, John responded the way many coaches would, and the way the father of a detailed note-taker would: “Oh yeah,” he said. “Of course I do, yeah. We lost, 26-21, and Sean did really well. It was a really hot day and there was a lot learned by me.”
The team they lost to went to the state playoffs, but so did Foothill. Sean “knew the offense from all those years growing up around it” and “really absorbed a lot of things along the way,” John said.
“We kind of went through it together,” John said. “There was no plan of him ever being on the team that first year, but sure enough there he was. There’s challenges in there but I think it was a great experience for us to be able to do that.”
Sean finished his high school career as Foothill’s all-time leading passer and, after throwing for 3,521 yards and 27 touchdowns as a senior, was off to Oregon State.
That yellow legal pad Sean doodled on during that football scouting trip was part of a full-circle moment some 25 years later.
“When I got my first coaching job with the Packers, as a gift, he framed it for me,” Sean said. “So I still have it in my house. It’s pretty cool. The scheme has evolved since then, I will say, but it was a really cool, special gift that he kept.”
Riley’s favorite word to describe Sean is “diligent.” How many coaches born in the 1990s are digitizing passing concepts from the 60s?
Sean was the top quarterback Oregon State pursued in the class of 2010, and Riley and his staff were thrilled when he committed and later signed. The program had produced top quarterbacks like Derek Anderson and Matt Moore, and Riley thought Sean would be the next great one to come through Corvallis.
The diligence showed up right away. Sean was supposed to redshirt during his first season on campus, but the summer before his first camp with the Beavers, Sean got the keys to the facility from the graduate assistants to go in early and watch film.
“That was him the whole time,” Riley said. “He could really throw the football and he was a very hard worker physically, and then he was a very hard worker off the field. He wanted to know and learn and he’s one of the most diligent people that I’ve ever been around.”
That part of Sean made it easier when, during the second half of the first game the following season, Riley put Sean in the game over a junior who started. He was just a redshirt freshman, but he was Oregon State’s starter from that point until graduation.
“That was one of the first times probably in my career that I actually had the faith in a redshirt freshman to insert him sometime early in the year as a starter,” Riley said. “I think that said a lot about what we felt about his early development and what we thought he could do on the field.”
Eagles offensive coordinator Sean Mannion has worked diligently on offensive concepts dating back to his career as a player. Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer
Sean became a captain the following season. He is soft-spoken by nature, those closest to him say, but his leadership showed up in the way he carried himself and how he approached the game. By senior year, he had a nickname: “The Machine.” That year’s offensive coordinator, John Garrett, referred to Sean by that moniker during a film session one day and it stuck, much to Sean’s chagrin. Oregon State’s offensive linemen sometimes walked robotically around Sean.
“That is a pretty appropriate nickname because he was just like that,” Riley said. “He just went to work and put in the work and everybody knew that about him. I think he’s one of the most probably respected teammates that I saw through all my years of coaching.”
Sean exited college as Oregon State’s all-time leader in passing yards and ranked in the top 10 in college football history. He’s still 19th.
The quarterback and coach have stayed in touch over the years. Riley, who left Oregon State for Nebraska after Sean’s senior year, is now retired, though he’s still on the College Football Playoff selection committee. Sean isn’t the most recent Mannion whom Riley had talked to as of a few weeks ago, though. John, who no longer coaches, now writes a newsletter on Substack called “John Mannion’s Coaching Playbook,” and recently interviewed Riley.
Sean’s most recent catch-up call with his college coach came after OTAs this season and just before camp.
“He sounded excited and he sounded like he would be because he’s always prepared — he sounded confident,” Riley said. “And I could also tell he was having a lot of fun.”
‘A 30,000-foot view’
Sean has described his father and Riley as his two biggest influences along the way. But his most relevant football influences when it comes to his current job came into his life in 2017, when Sean was backing up Jared Goff with the Los Angeles Rams and the team brought in a new coach, McVay, who hired a new offensive coordinator, Matt LaFleur. Both had been schooled under Shanahan and brought to the Rams a new style of offense that Sean took to.
“I just felt like I was learning so, so much,” Sean said. “It was such an exciting way to match the run and pass. They had such a way about teaching the game where we could feel ourselves challenging a defense, but it felt simple to us.
“Those are the things that really stood out to me going through that experience that really resonated with me as a player and certainly resonate with me as a coach. That was a very exciting point in my football life, just the exposure to that type of teaching, that type of scheme. I know Matt, obviously a mentor of mine, getting to play for [McVay]. I learned so much from those people. It’s certainly a big part of molding me into the type of coach I am now.”
Eagles offensive coordinator Sean Mannion with members of the offensive line during training camp last month. Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
How the Eagles offense will look come Sunday still remains a sort of mystery. There certainly will be more motion, more snaps from under center, and more play-action. But the Eagles ran a bland offense during the preseason in an effort to hide most of their playbook, and the first-team offense was rarely fully healthy during training camp and also had to go against one of the best defenses in the league.
The Eagles have a new style of running the ball, which will be a key to unlocking the passing game and play-action. The base of the Shanahan-McVay offense is outside, wide-zone runs that stretch the defense horizontally. The Eagles and longtime offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland parted ways this offseason, and new offensive line coach Chris Kuper has been in charge of implementing the new blocking scheme.
Kuper was the offensive line coach in Minnesota when Sean spent part of the 2023 season with the Vikings.
“He sees the game from a 30,000-foot view as well as being on the sideline and being into it with the players,” Kuper said. “I think it speaks volumes, his experience as a quarterback in this league and being able to connect people and become a glue guy has been incredible.”
There may be a misconception that Sean, a quarterback by trade, just focuses on the quarterbacking. But Kuper described a coach who is involved in every facet of the offense.
“What I love about Sean is how much he loves the run game,” Kuper said.
Kuper said part of Sean’s responsibilities in Green Bay when he was an offensive assistant in 2024 was to draw some runs. The Eagles do have a run-game coordinator in tight ends coach Ryan Mahaffey, but Kuper is confident Sean could handle it all.
“Sean could game plan and call a game all on his own, I think, if he wanted to,” Kuper said.
First-time play caller
The Mannions relocated to Oregon when Sean was in college, and one spring after John had taken over as the head coach at Mountainside High, he needed help.
The 2021 football season came together rather late in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, and a shortened spring season was on the table. Sean was home in Oregon doing remote OTAs with the Vikings when John asked him to be the offensive coordinator that season.
Sean’s younger brother, Brian, was the starting quarterback. It was a family affair.
On the day of the first practice, John walked out on the field and handed Sean his handwritten practice plan.
“You know there’s software for this, right?” Sean quipped.
John was calling plays, but after Mountainside was shut out in the second of their six games, John made a change.
“I handed the torch to him. It was fun,” John said.
Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sean Mannion (4) kisses his daughter Sawyer after pregame warmups before a game against the Chicago Bears on Sunday, Dec. 29, 2019.Carlos Gonzalez / MCT
John has watched the oldest of his four children become a loving husband to his wife, Megan, and the proud father of three children. He always knew Sean could and probably would eventually become a successful coach, but that spring offered his first real chance to witness Sean’s future in person.
“I could see clearly he had a real knack for it,” John said.
Sean was still in the process of talking to the Eagles when he was tapped to call plays in January’s East-West Shrine Bowl. He called John during his father’s lunch break.
“You haven’t called a game since Mountainside vs. Grant High School back in March of 2021,” John joked.
The two shared a laugh. A few days later, Sean was hired to call plays for the Eagles.
All roads lead to Delco
Margaret Mannion was around 20 years old when she moved to California, but John’s mother spent her early days in Delaware County. She lived in Drexel Hill, graduated from Archbishop Prendergast High School, and worked at Villanova before moving west, where she met Jim Mannion, John’s late father.
Margaret, 84, has dementia now and still lives in California in an elder care facility, but John is pretty confident there will be at least one “proud Philadelphian” and Eagles fan watching the games this year from the elder care facility.
As for John, he’s a self-described “worrier.” When Sean redshirted at Oregon State, John loved the ease of watching the games with no pressure in the family section. After Sean was inserted as starter the next season, John called the box office. He wanted to sit in the far corner of the stadium in the last row. Tickets in the family section were free and required no work on his end, but every year he’d call the ticket office to secure his seats at the top of the stadium.
Sean rarely played in the NFL — he threw just 110 passes over nine seasons in the league — so Sunday Ticket usually sufficed. When Sean was hired by the Packers, they were on national television frequently enough, and for the games they weren’t, John would drive to his local Buffalo Wild Wings, where he’d watch quietly and hope the quarterback play was up to snuff.
Last year, while watching a game at the restaurant, a few Green Bay fans in their 20s complained to John about Packers quarterback Jordan Love. The group had a laugh when John told them, no, he wasn’t from Green Bay, his son coached the quarterbacks.
“I’m going to call him tonight and tell him there’s some guys in Oregon who say he’s got a lot of work to do,” John joked.
This year, it’s back to Sunday Ticket. John, who was in town for a few days in August observing the Eagles and Sean during camp, said he’ll build a fire at home, watch the game in peace, and “keep our fingers crossed.”
His son’s new job comes with a lot of pressure. Patullo was the most criticized person in the building last year and eventually took the fall after the team’s first-round exit, so all eyes will be on Sean as the season gets underway.
Margaret’s older sister, John’s aunt, still lives in New Jersey and called John after Sean got the job.
She was excited Sean was in a new, high-profile job back where his family has roots. But her excitement also had a tinge of nervousness: “Hopefully everybody is nice to him,” she said.
