There wasn’t even a moment Thursday night when it felt like the Phillies were going to do it.
No big hit that made you sit up. No inning where the lineup started stringing things together. No “here we go!” moment. Aaron Nola gave up a three-run homer in the first inning of an elimination game, and from there, the Phillies mostly just watched their season end.
And maybe the most frustrating part is how familiar it all felt.
This team has become far too dependent on Harper or Kyle Schwarber hitting the ball out of the park. The Phillies haven’t won a playoff game without a homer from one of them since Game 4 of the 2023 NLDS. Sometimes you need a single up the middle. Sometimes, somebody just needs to get on base.
And now look at the trajectory: World Series in 2022, NLCS in 2023, NLDS in 2024, NLDS again in 2025, Wild-card exit in 2026. That’s not running it back. That’s running backward.
Everyone feared last winter that bringing back essentially the same core would produce essentially the same problems. Somehow, it produced an even worse result. And now changing course gets harder: Harper, Schwarber, and Realmuto will all be 34 or older next season, while Trea Turner turns 33 with seven years left on his contract.
The window isn’t necessarily closed. The rotation alone gives this team too much talent to say that.
But the chance to change this roster before another wasted October has already passed.
They can’t spend another winter convincing themselves that next year the same group will finally be different.
The pink, fuzzy, potato-shaped Awebot encounters an Uber Eats delivery robot in Old City, Philadelphia, Sept. 25, 2026. Awebot was created by artist Madison Polidoro.Jessica Griffin / Staff Photographer
Philly fights robots with a weirder robot: A
The Uber Eats robots rolling around Philly have been called dystopian, creepy, and a sign of our increasingly automated future.
Naturally, Philadelphia responded by making a much weirder robot.
Meet Orifice the Awebot, a two-foot-tall pink creature with blinking blue eyes, blond hair, a permanently hanging tongue and — because apparently those features weren’t enough — an actual orifice on its rear end, as Stephanie Farr reported.
Artist Madison Polidoro created Orifice for the Ministry of Awe to act as a lighthearted counterpoint to the delivery bots, and it now roams Old City remotely controlled by a human, startling tourists, confusing dogs, and occasionally confronting Uber Eats robots.
Imagine knowing none of this and turning a corner near the Betsy Ross House to find that thing silently rolling toward you. Is it less dystopian than an Uber Eats robot? Debatable. Is it significantly more Philly? Of course it is.
Video: Man throws cheesesteak through Pat’s window
A customer at Pat’s ordered a cheesesteak with Whiz and onions Wednesday, and instead of sitting down to actually eat it, the customer exchanged words with general manager Tom Francano, hurled the sandwich through the window at him, and ran away.
And yes, he was filming the whole thing.
The video later appeared online as a “food review” — titled “I Threw This Cheesesteak in His Face Geno’s Steaks.” Wrong cheesesteak shop, guys.
Police charged him with harassment, and YouTube terminated the account where the video appeared. As Olivieri put it: “Thank God for stupidity.”
Hopefully that brings an end to Philadelphia’s brief experiment with cheesesteak-based assault. But seriously, let’s just eat the cheesesteak. There’s no need to weaponize it.
Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Jalyx Hunt grabs Chicago Bears running back Kyle Monangai during the Chicago Bears game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Soldier Field on Monday, Sept. 28, 2026 in Chicago.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Can we stop embarrassing ourselves?: F
As if the Phillies hadn’t already done enough damage this week, the Eagles and Flyers decided to contribute.
The Eagles set the bar pretty low Monday night with a 27-7 loss to the Bears, a game in which the offense turned the ball over three times, the defense got picked apart by 38-year-old third-string quarterback Case Keenum, and Nick Sirianni acknowledged afterward that pretty much nobody played or coached well.
Two nights later, the Flyers opened their season at home with more excitement surrounding them than there’s been in years.
Thursday was better, if only because it would have been difficult to be worse. Backup goalie Joseph Woll made 41 saves against the Devils and somehow kept the Flyers in it. They even held a 2-1 lead in the third before giving up the tying goal and losing, 3-2, in overtime.
So, progress? Technically?
The Phillies are done. The Eagles just got blown out. The Flyers are 0-1-1 and have already been outscored 10-2.
We’re not even a week into October. Can everybody please stop embarrassing us?
Science educator Jake Cook lets visitors feel the skin of a pangolin — a scaly anteater — at the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University on Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026, on the last day that the museum is scheduled to be open.Tom Gralish / Staff Photographer
Drexel hasn’t said yes. It hasn’t said no, either. The university says it needs more specifics and that the building has significant maintenance needs, which are all reasonable things to be sorted out. But sort them out.
This people of Philadelphia just spent a month making it abundantly clear how much the Academy means to people. The money being offered wouldn’t solve every problem, but it could buy something Drexel claimed it didn’t have when it announced the closure: time.
The dinosaurs are already behind locked doors. At least give this a real chance before deciding they stay there.
A closer look at the Sixers’ black jerseys from the Allen Iverson era that are set to return for the 25th anniversary of their NBA Finals appearance.Courtesy of the Sixers
The black jerseys are back. Again.: A+
Last year, the Sixers brought back the Allen Iverson-era black jerseys for the 25th anniversary of the 2001 Finals team. They were supposed to be a one-season nostalgia trip.
Apparently, everyone took one look and said, actually, let’s keep those.
The Sixers announced their six-uniform rotation this week, and the beloved black alternates made the cut again, despite classic uniforms typically being reserved for anniversaries. Which means this season we get the slightly surreal sight of LeBron James wearing an Iverson-era Sixers jersey!
Honestly, what more evidence do we need? They looked great in 2001, they looked great last season, and they’re going to look great on LeBron, Tyrese Maxey, and Jaylen Brown.
Definitely a uniform we should NOT retire any time soon.
A normal NFL halftime typically lasts between 12 and 14 minutes, give or take, from the final first-half whistle to third-quarter kick.
For Eagles coaches, it’s a pretty frenetic period. Offensive coordinator Sean Mannion takes an express ride on an elevator down from the coaches’ booth and gets together with his staff. They talk about the looks they’re seeing, the notes they’ve taken.
“We quickly put together and chart our course for the second half, communicate it with the players, and then we’re out,” Mannion said Thursday.
Nick Sirianni, who usually is pretty guarded, didn’t want to go into too much detail about the halftime routine when asked about it a day later. But he did mention that the idea is to be making adjustments on the fly between series as the game goes on.
“That’s so important that they’re going through that process at that time because halftime, there may be certain things that you say, ‘OK, we can’t get that drawn up right,’” he said. “‘Hey, we want to put this in here. Hey, we can’t get that drawn up. Draw it up for halftime. We’ll put it in there.’
“There are some things that are saved for halftime, but the majority of it is happening within the game.”
Nick Sirianni and the Eagles are looking to bounce back after their first loss of the season.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
Regardless of when and how the Eagles are adjusting, whatever is happening at halftime might need a makeover. It’s only been three games, but no one is worse in the third quarter right now than the Eagles, who have eight three-and-outs on 11 third-quarter drives. That’s three more than anyone else in the NFL.
There have been various reasons for each punt. No series is identical. The Eagles have had negative runs, negative swing passes, penalties, and other detrimental plays. But the play sequencing and planning certainly has contributed. It’s something Mannion, a first-time play caller, said the staff is trying to correct.
“Certainly, as a staff and as a team, we’re working through getting better there,” Mannion said. “You hate to do a lot of nice things in the first half of some of these games and kind of fall into a rut in the second half.
“We’re working at that. We’re attacking it each day to be better there coming out of halftime.”
The Eagles and Rams kick off at 1 p.m. Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field. The game will be aired on Fox29 and called by the network’s top duo of play-by-play man Kevin Burkhardt and analyst Tom Brady. Erin Andrews and Tom Rinaldi are the sideline reporters.
As usual, Merrill Reese and Mike Quick will have you covered for the local radio broadcast on 94 WIP.
DeVonta Smith scored a big fourth-quarter touchdown against the Rams last season, but he won’t be available for Sunday’s game — and likely longer.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Eagles
Fixing the ugly third-quarter trend won’t get any easier with DeVonta Smith slated to miss Sunday’s game with a hamstring injury. He may be out beyond this week, too.
The Eagles also will be without a key defensive starter in Zack Baun, who remains in the concussion protocol. Those absences mean Dontayvion Wicks is slated to be the No. 1 wide receiver on Sunday while Jeremiah Trotter Jr. is the next man up at linebacker.
Out
WR DeVonta Smith (hamstring)
LB Zack Baun (concussion)
TE Dallas Goedert (knee)
S Marcus Epps (groin)
WR Hollywood Brown (ankle)
T Fred Johnson (knee)
Rams
Puka Nacua is on track to the return for the Rams, who, entering Week 3 and dating back to when he was drafted in 2023, were averaging 6.1 yards per play with Nacua on the field, compared to 5.1 yards when he’s off the field. But the big news of the day Friday came when Sean McVay ruled Aaron Donald (back) out.
Donald came out of retirement and rejoined the team after training camp. His absence means Los Angeles is without two of the better defensive front-seven players in the NFL in Donald and Myles Garrett, who is on injured reserve with a knee injury.
Out
DT Aaron Donald (back)
TE Terrance Ferguson (ankle)
CB Jaylen Watson (shoulder)
Questionable
TE Colby Parkinson (shoulder)
OLB Josaiah Stewart (groin)
Storylines to watch
Smith’s absence is a big blow to the Eagles. In previous seasons, they have withstood the loss of Smith or A.J. Brown knowing the other would be out there. Can Wicks provide the same comfort? We’ll find out Sunday, and maybe next week in London, too.
The team’s best pass catcher being out comes at a pivotal time for an offense that needs to start putting things together. The Eagles haven’t successfully married their run and pass games the way they said they wanted to. The running game showed some signs of life in the first half on Monday night, and the Eagles will hope to build off of that Sunday.
There are some defensive concerns, too, that may be amplified with Baun out. The Eagles had a key miscommunication Monday that led to a Bears touchdown, and Cooper DeJean said there’s not enough talking happening on the field right now.
What went wrong Monday, and what can we expect Sunday vs. the Rams? Plus, what are the biggest concerns so far for the Eagles? I broke it down with my colleague Olivia Reiner earlier this week in our latest Gameday Central pregame show.
The Eagles are a home underdog for the first time since 2023. They were 10-1 when they hosted the San Francisco 49ers in Week 13 of the 2023 season. A 42-19 beat down at Lincoln Financial Field started a late-season collapse.
Jordan Davis and the Eagles blocked a last-second field goal attempt last season to complete their comeback win against the Rams.David Maialetti / Staff Photographer
32.9% — That’s DeVonta Smith’s target share through three games. Brandon Graham, now away from football and in the podcasting world, got some traction last week after the Eagles’ Week 2 win when he said he thought Jalen Hurts was playing freely and not having to force the ball to certain players.
Maybe he meant the way the offense is designed gives Hurts more answers, or maybe he was referring to Hurts not having to force the ball to A.J. Brown. Either way, the numbers tell a different story. If Smith’s target share number holds up, he would have the highest single-season target share of any Eagles player since at least 2000, according to Next Gen Stats.
Smith is slated to miss this week’s game and possibly next week’s in London. Goedert still isn’t back from injury. Hurts is going to have to put his trust in others.
Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts against the Tennessee Titans on Sunday, Sept. 20, 2026 in Nashville, Tenn.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
“Who are we?”
Well, that’s kind of existential, Jalen.
But it’s the question the quarterback said he posed to the locker room in the aftermath of their 27-7 loss on Monday night.
“Ask yourself that question because that’s a choice you can make, and being deliberate and intentional on how we move forward, so we can continue to improve,” Hurts said.
Thanks for reading. The weekly Eagles newsletter will be back again next Saturday sent to your inbox all the way from London, where the Eagles take on the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 5.
For the first two days of 76ers training camp, coach Nick Nurse was installing defensive concepts. This was especially exciting for Nurse, whose eyes lit up when talking about what this roster allows him to do on that end of the floor.
“I don’t feel like I’ve been able to get into my bag of defensive stuff nearly as much as I would like to,” Nurse said of his previous years as Sixers coach. “And I think now we’ve got a little bit more depth, size, athleticism. It may take us a minute, but I think I’m most excited about that.”
A young, inexperienced team might not have the bandwidth to execute multiple coverages like switching one through five, drop coverage, or a high wall without some miscommunication and needing an extra beat to remember which is the current coverage.
A team lacking size and athleticism limits the kinds of coverages that could be deployed for the sake of ending up in unfavorable mismatches. What the Sixers seem to have is a good mix of that experience, athleticism, and basketball IQ to make it all work.
That they don’t have to just play one way throughout the course of a game, and Nurse can do different things with different lineups and match up better against specific opponents.
“We have so many defenders and athletes and good players that can do so many different things; we can really go deep inside the playbook and rotations and do things that other teams really don’t have the ability to do,” forward Dean Wade said. “That’s what’s going to separate us on the defensive end, too. We have so many great defenders, great help side defenders and great on-ball defenders.”
The Sixers were 17th in defensive efficiency a season ago, which speaks, perhaps, to the limited upside of what Nurse could do, especially with Joel Embiid only playing 38 regular-season games. But even when Embiid does take off games to maintain his health, the Sixers have a deeper roster that should still give them flexibility on defense. Wade figures to play a significant part in the team’s defensive success off the bench, while VJ Edgecombe said he will continue to burnish his reputation as a point-of-attack defender after getting “faster and stronger” from where he started a season ago.
Jaylen Brown on learning new defensive systems and terminology, an overlooked part of changing teams players have to get used to:
“It’s a whole new system, whole new calls. I got to like download my brain to a different algorithm to make sure I’m not calling the wrong stuff.” pic.twitter.com/ObZTebDajJ
“I’m just trying to make sure I’m in top-tier shape so I can do that,” Edgecombe said. “Obviously, that’s important. The league is full of great guards. And, like you said, that’s important to be that point-of-attack defense because that’s what kind of starts it with most of the possessions. And I want to be able to set that tone for us defensively, and we go from there.”
Then there’s LeBron James, who still can dial up the intensity defensively when needed. James relayed Monday that Tyrese Maxey previously said Jaylen Brown also was taking on primary defensive responsibilities and trying to set a defensive tone.
“What’s stood out to me so far is his communication and he’s willing to pick up the ball defensively, kind of just do whatever coach needs him to do right now,” Maxey said.
Brown mentioned Thursday that he was getting used to the terminology the Sixers use. One thing that might mean a certain coverage when he was in Boston might mean something different with the Sixers.
“It’s just getting him through it and getting him comfortable,” Nurse said. “I think we’ve covered a lot and probably calmed down on putting more stuff in and really started repping this out, so everybody gets comfortable with what the plays are called.”
The more Nurse can take out of his “bag,” the more versatility the Sixers can have defensively.
Up and down the roster, the Sixers have talked about the importance of that side of the ball. Nurse mentioned on Day 1 that James was “extremely loud” on defense, trying to set an example for the rest of the roster, while Brown said, “We’re focused on defense for a couple days, and I like that because that’s where the game is going to be won or lost.”
Considering the efficiency he has shown at second base, the brilliance he’s shown at third base, his capacity to play shortstop, his durability, his affability, and his age, Bryson Stott surely will be in somebody’s lineup for at least the next five years.
On Thursday, Stott was among the last of the Phillies to shower and dress after the Game 3 wild-card loss in Atlanta ended their season. But then, it’s always more of a challenge to get ready when you’re carrying the weight of personal failure on your shoulders with your future in doubt.
Stott, who will be 29 on Tuesday, is entering his final season of arbitration and will be a free agent in 2028 (all of this assumes, perhaps naively, that the 2027 season will not be affected by labor strife.)
He might not be expensive, but, if he continues to sputter, will Stott even be worth the roster spot for a Phillies team already heavily invested in contending for a title for the next five to seven years? As expensive, aging players like Trea Turner and J.T. Realmuto and their diminishing contributions are sure to occupy spots in the lineup, can the Phillies afford to carry even one player who isn’t dynamic at the plate?
Stott’s fun to watch. He is 100% baseball player. His aura is the closest thing the Phillies have had to Chase Utley’s since Ut was traded in 2015, all scruff and gristle muscle and bone and unsettling ferocity, possessed of baseball knowledge beyond his years and baseball instinct beyond his peers.
While his bat has been inconsistent, Bryson Stott’s defense at second and third base bring value to the Phillies.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
Nevertheless, considering Stott’s pedestrian offensive production in the recent regular seasons and his disappearances in the recent playoffs, it’s fair to question whether a player like Stott should be in any lineup intent on winning in October, particularly considering Stott’s last three Octobers.
Stott is 6-for-37 in the Phillies’ losses in their first-round collapses of 2024, 2025, and 2026. That’s a .162 average, and it has been consistent: He managed just two hits in each of those series. He has no home runs. Two RBIs. Thirteen strikeouts.
He was a first-round pick in 2019 who, at one point, was considered an option to lead off a lineup ahead of a batting champion, an MVP, and a home run king. It’s his baseball DNA. Stott hit leadoff at both UNLV and in the minor leagues. In his second big-league season, 2023, Stott batted leadoff 39 times in a lineup that included monied, veteran leadoff hitters Turner, who’d won a batting title, and Kyle Schwarber, who’d led the National League in home runs.
Stott finished 2023 with a .280 average, 15 home runs, and a brilliant future.
His future now is clouded.
Bryson Stott has hit .252 averaged 11 homers and 63 RBIs over the past three seasons.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
Since 2023, Stott’s batting average is .252, he has averaged 11.2 home runs, and he hasn’t moved the needle in eons. He has batted leadoff just 48 times.
He’s the poster child for long, freezing-cold streaks: He hit .216 with a .638 OPS through his first 58 games this season, hit .301 with an .832 OPS in his next 70 games, then reverted to early-season form for the remainder.
His defense is the only thing that keeps him in the lineup, because, as Donna Summer sang, when he’s bad, he’s so, so bad.
“I tell the hitting coaches, if I can just hit .230 in my bad months, my overall numbers will look a lot better,” Stott said. At issue: “Trying to find ways to get out of those ruts, those bad months, as fast as possible.”
That’s part of any hitter’s maturation. Pitchers find weaknesses and exploit them. The hitter must adjust in kind. Stott presents an intriguing history of weaknesses, though. In 2024, four-seam fastballs ate him up. Last year, sliders and curveballs. This season, curves and split-finger fastballs.
Stott studies. Maybe too much. That might be the issue with his postseason woes.
“You look at how a team pitches you all season and what they’re doing, and you plan going into a game,” Stott said. “Then you get to the playoffs and it could be a complete 180.”
And, after the first time not being served what you thought you’d be served …
“Your initial thought is, ‘That was one at-bat. They’re gonna go back to what they did for 12 or 13 games.’ But sometimes they don’t,” Stott said. “Then, you’ve got to adjust on the fly. It’s just a giant cat-and-mouse game.”
Bryson Stott, who will be 29 on Oct. 6, can be a free agent after the 2027 season.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
In that metaphor, Stott mostly has been the mouse.
He pointed to his feeble plate appearance against Braves left-handed reliever Dylan Lee in Game 2. Moments before, Schwarber and Bryce Harper, the former MVP, had homered and tied the game. When Stott came to the plate, the afterglow of those heroics overshadowed how badly Stott was overmatched.
Lee threw Stott four fastballs that averaged about 94 mph. The first one was high, and he took it for ball one. The next three were in the top of the strike zone: take, foul, whiff, sit.
The cat ate the mouse.
“I’ve never faced Dylan Lee that I didn’t see a slider,” Stott said.
Entering that at-bat Stott was 2-for-4 against Lee, with a hit in each of his previous two plate appearances, but losing this sort of mind game has been typical for him in the last three playoff series.
“I see sinkers and splitters and changeups from some of these guys all season, then see cutters and four-seamers that I didn’t see in the regular season,” Stott said. “So you want to stick to your plan going up there for that specific event, but sometimes it’s the complete wrong one.”
Every hitter faces this issue. The hitters who adjust are hitters who keep their spots on competitive teams. Stott has at least one more chance to adjust as a Phillie.
The hitters who can’t adjust?
If they aren’t a good fielder, then they start selling real estate.
If, like Stott, they’re 100% ballplayers, then they become placeholders on noncontenders until there’s no longer a spot on the roster for a light-hitting, 30-something, hard-nosed defensive specialist.
The Eagles host the Los Angeles Rams at 1 p.m. Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field. Here’s what you need to know about the matchup:
When the Eagles have the ball: If success on the ground in the first half of the Chicago Bears game didn’t convince Sean Mannion to lean into the run game against the Rams, DeVonta Smith’s absence should only reinforce to him that his best chance of turning the offense around is to feed Saquon Barkley the ball early and often. Yeah, Mannion is going to need Jalen Hurts to check to passes if Rams defensive coordinator Chris Shula stacks the box. But you’re cutting into your chances of winning if you’re consistently in third-and-long.
Saquon Barkley was effective in the first half against the Bears on Monday night. Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
The Eagles need early down yards. They had some impressive gains on outside-zone runs in Chicago. Left tackle Jordan Mailata was a mauler. Run behind that! Center Drew Kendall and left guard Cam Jurgens were effectively combo blocking and getting to the second level to create lanes for Barkley, too.
The Rams have a solid run defense, even if they got scorched by the San Francisco 49ers and gave up 174 rushing yards in the opener. They allowed only 2.9 yards a carry in the next two games. Shula has a deep defensive line, but future Hall of Famer Aaron Donald was ruled out Friday and the team will also be without all-world end Myles Garrett for another week.
It’s an aggressive front that Mannion may be able to exploit with crack blocks and counters. If he can get Barkley to the second level against the likes of linebacker Nate Landman, who is dealing with a shoulder injury, there could be opportunities for explosive runs. The Rams kept Barkley in check last season (18 carries for 46 yards), but he rushed for over 200 yards in each of their meetings in 2024.
If the Eagles can have even a modicum of success on outside runs, they should be able to incorporate more play-action when Hurts is under center. Mannion and offensive line coach Chris Kuper just need to find a better way to counter blitzes up the “A” gaps in those scenarios. Some of that has to do with blocking assignments and blitz pickup, but we’ve yet to see much of Hurts on naked bootlegs. Get him out of the pocket for layup throws.
Hurts was great on third down in the first two games, but it was unsustainable and he was crushed under that weight in the second half of the Bears game. This will be the best pass rush the Eagles have yet to face, even without Donald and Garrett. Byron Young is explosive, and defensive tackles Braden Fiske and Kobie Turner can win at the point of attack.
Smith’s hamstring injury obviously needed to be dealt with now. The Eagles can’t afford for it to get worse and for their No. 1 receiver to miss more than two or three games. They’re hoping it’s just a little short-term pain. Dontayvion Wicks’ emergence as a true No. 2 should lessen the sting. He’s just not of Smith’s caliber. Rookie receiver Makai Lemon, tight end Zach Ertz, and others are going to have to help fill the void.
Dontayvion Wicks ascends to the de facto No. 1 receiver role with DeVonta Smith out on Sunday. Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
Shula likes to mix up his coverages to keep offenses guessing. Recently acquired cornerback Trent McDuffie will be difficult to throw at, but the Rams are banged up in the secondary. Cornerback Jaylen Watson (shoulder) is out and safety Kam Kinchens (hamstring) and backup slot corner Josh Wallace (shoulder) were also on the injury report this week.
When the Rams have the ball: Sean McVay is going to want to run the ball early. He’s going to want to stay balanced. And he’s going to want to marry the run with the pass off play action. Kyren Williams is his ace in the backfield, but Blake Corum is a solid No. 2 counterpart. They average 5.6 and 5.3 yards per rush, respectively. McVay still employs a lot of the wide-zone blocking that is central to the Shanahan run scheme. But he’s incorporated more power blocking into his runs in recent seasons. He’s also utilized three-tight end sets more than most play-callers. His run offense is actually more effective running out of “11” and “12” personnel, partly because he has good blocking receivers like Puka Nacua.
But a collection of versatile tight ends in Colby Parkinson, Tyler Higbee and Davis Allen allows McVay to exploit base defenses through the air despite being in “13” personnel. He will be down at least one tight end though, as Terrance Ferguson (ankle) has been ruled out and Parkinson (knee/shoulder) is also banged up. Will Vic Fangio take the bait and match personnel, which would allow him to keep Cooper DeJean at safety over Michael Carter II? Or will he roll the dice with either nickel safety covering one of the tight ends?
Riq Woolen (2) is among the players who could use a bounce-back effort on Sunday. Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
Fangio has plenty to clean up after the Bears mess. His defense struggled vs. pre-snap motion and route concepts that forced switch releases and stressed his match coverage. Cornerback Riq Woolen especially had trouble in that regard. The Eagles’ linebackers and safeties were also often sucked in by play action.
Improving communication is imperative. It will be tested with linebacker Zack Baun (concussion) out. Jeremiah Trotter Jr. will take Baun’s place alongside Jihaad Campbell. Fangio sold out to stop the run in Chicago and Bears coach Ben Johnson preyed on that emphasis. He should get back to his preferred light boxes and let interior linemen Jordan Davis and Jalen Carter earn their paychecks. Carter has been playing with a hairline fracture in his right wrist. Davis (calf) and Moro Ojomo (calf/elbow) also popped up on the injury list this week.
Even if the Eagles can bottle up Williams and Corum, they have quarterback Matthew Stafford and two of the better receivers in Davante Adams and Nacua to contend with. Nacua is expected to play despite a hip injury that kept him out of the last two games. He specializes in contested catches, yards after the catch, and giving defensive backs fits. Adams is still dangerous. He has 18 catches for 358 yards and two touchdowns so far this season. He can beat defenses in man or zone and is one of the best ever in the red zone. Stafford, a first-ballot Hall of Famer, according to Fangio, can make every pass from the pocket. He can throw from multiple arm angles and even toss in a no-looker when needed.
Jalen Carter (right) will try to get after Rams QB Matthew Stafford on Sunday. Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
The Eagles have not tackled well. They missed 23 tackles total vs. the Tennessee Titans and Bears. Form matters, but it’s more a byproduct of players being out of position and the unit just not being as cohesive. Fangio still has top-tier corners in Quinyon Mitchell and DeJean. But with the outside corners playing sides this season, McVay could pick on Woolen by often motioning to the right side.
The 1-2 Rams aren’t perfect, of course. The offensive line is fine, but not impenetrable. Right guard Kevin Dotson is maybe the weakest pass blocking link. Stafford has shown that when pressured he can make mistakes. He’s not going to escape from many ambushes. If edge Jonathan Greenard can make more hay in his second game with the Eagles, it could be the key to unlocking a pass rush that has only three sacks.
Extra point: Nick Sirianni is 4-0 vs. McVay. It’s certainly a feather in his cap, although he declined to gloat when asked about the record on Friday. There were a lot factors in the four-game winning streak. It’s not just coach vs. coach. But Sirianni has done better in game management situations. McVay may be one of the best offensive play callers in the game, but he turtles up in fourth down situations. He coughed up a 26-7 lead a year ago by getting too conservative and the Eagles won on Davis’ blocked field goal return for a touchdown.
The Rams’ special teams units were brutal last season. They may have kept McVay from getting back to another Super Bowl. Perhaps Sunday’s outcome can turn on a kick return here, or a missed field goal there, or a special teams mistake there. The Rams cut punt returner Xavier Smith on Friday. They have candidates to replace him, but no obvious names.
Either way, I think Sirianni’s Eagles may finally fall to McVay’s Rams. I wouldn’t make a prediction based on the law of averages. Many of the reasons stated above should be ultimately why the Birds fall to 2-2. Can they win? Of course. I just think they still have too many issues to sort out before they can beat a team as talented as the Rams.
As Bryce Harper came to the plate, with two out in the eighth inning Thursday night and the Phillies trailing by four runs, the Braves prepared their final insult.
They brought in Chris Sale.
Sale is Harper’s Kryptonite and has struck him out in 14 of 25 at-bats through the years. This time, the Braves ace and future Hall of Famer slung four hellacious sliders. Harper flailed at three, the last of which wound up in the other batter‘s box and skipped to the backstop.
It wasn’t the last image from another early postseason ouster, but it will be the one that lingers the longest. The Phillies have made the playoffs five years in a row for only the second time in their 144-season history, but haven’t won a series since 2023. In fact, they’ve backslid one round every year since their unexpected run to the 2022 World Series.
Dave Dombrowski has one year left on his contract and is expected to get an extension. If there was even a sliver of doubt, it vanished last Sunday when owner John Middleton said interim manager Don Mattingly’s future is “Dave’s decision.”
Fixing the roster is up to Dombrowski, too. And neither Harper, who turns 34 in two weeks, nor the rest of the core that has been kept together through it all — Kyle Schwarber (33), Trea Turner (33), Aaron Nola (33), J.T. Realmuto (35), and Zack Wheeler (36) — is getting any younger. Their baseball biological clocks are ticking.
Derek Hill, Kyle Schwarber, and the Phillies begin “a long offseason” after losing to the Braves in their wild-card series.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
“It’s going to be a long offseason,” Harper said, in the most literal sense.
Everybody knows what’s coming. Baseball’s owners are pushing for a salary cap, a nonnegotiable issue for the players’ union for decades. The collective bargaining agreement expires Dec. 1, at which time the owners intend to lock out the players, effectively shuttering the sport.
Five years ago, a 99-day lockout preceded an agreement in mid-March and a slightly delayed 162-game season. This labor fight may last much longer.
In that case, so will the taste in the Phillies’ mouths, which is more bitter than a case of lemons.
Will the Thirtysomethings ever win the World Series that they need to cement their legacies as franchise greats?
Will the Phillies keep Turner at shortstop or move him to another position?
Amid industrywide speculation that Dombrowski will try again to hire Alex Cora, does he need to make moves that are more drastic than a new manager and the coaching changes that would come with it?
Is that even possible with $236.5 million in luxury tax commitments already for 2027?
“Yeah, I don’t know,” said Harper, never shy about sharing his State of the Phillies thoughts. “I mean, I obviously have trust in the organization and people that are in charge, you know? We’ll see where we go.
“I’d imagine this team is going to look a lot different next year, with the guys that are kind of leaving this clubhouse. So we’ll see.”
Video: John Middleton discusses Dave Dombrowski’s future with the Phillies
There will be opportunities for Dombrowski to find some answers in the next two months. In 2021, a flock of free agents signed before the lockout.
But there’s a lot of work to be done on a $322 million roster that only narrowly avoided a historic collapse in the last week of the season only to exit the playoffs one round earlier than the 2024 and 2025 runs, which were one round shorter than 2023.
Let’s dive in:
Kyle Schwarber (middle) and Trea Turner are part of a veteran core that hasn’t gotten back to the World Series.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
Is time up for the Thirtysomethings?
Dombrowski and his lieutenants push back on the idea of a “championship window,” noting that the Phillies added three rookies — Andrew Painter, Justin Crawford, and, later in the season, reliever Alex McFarlane — in meaningful roles.
Schwarber is clinging to that narrative, too.
“Maybe I’m just the positive outlook guy, right?” he said, mustering a smile. “But we had a lot of first-year guys here who came in and just got their feet wet, not just in the big leagues but also in the postseason. That experience is huge.”
Painter, in particular, appears poised to fulfill his top-of-the-rotation promise. The Phillies demoted him to triple A with a 7.06 ERA in mid-June. He returned 44 days later, posted a 3.65 ERA in 11 starts, then threw three scoreless innings in relief in Game 2 against the Braves, a performance that Realmuto called “career-altering.”
Crawford’s impact is less certain. His tendency to hit the ball on the ground and defensive imperfections put him in a center-field platoon with Derek Hill. But context is important: Crawford was among only 10 players this season with at least 400 plate appearances at age 22 or younger. And he impressed teammates and staff with his poise and confidence
Maybe he develops into an everyday player. Maybe not.
Phillies center fielder Justin Crawford was among only 10 players this season with at least 400 plate appearances at age 22 or younger.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
McFarlane, a converted starter who throws 100 mph, could be a bullpen fixture. Then again, the Phillies once said the same about the player drafted one round after him in 2022: Orion Kerkering. Once a late-inning mainstay, Kerkering got demoted in triple A in September.
The Phillies’ previous infusion of youth produced Alec Bohm, Bryson Stott, and Brandon Marsh, solid players who remained supporting actors. They need Painter, Crawford, and eventually Aidan Miller (more on him shortly) to be leading men.
But, mostly, Dombrowski must deepen an organization that lacked a No. 6 starter and had three catchers and only two trustworthy leverage relievers on the playoff roster.
“When you look at our team, it’s easy to kind of point to us older guys and say that that’s why we succeed,” Schwarber said. “I think the biggest thing is that it takes everyone.“
The Phillies’ proverbial window often is tied to Wheeler, who is under contract through 2027 and unsure if he will play beyond then. With Cristopher Sánchez, Jesús Luzardo, and Painter under control through at least 2031, the Phillies believe the window can stay open for longer.
Phillies shortstop Trea Turner has seven years and nearly $191 million left on his contract. Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
How do they fix the offense?
Over the last six years, Dombrowski’s solution to most problems has been to throw money at them.
That might not be possible now.
Even if the owners are unsuccessful in getting a salary cap, the penalties for the high-payroll teams almost certainly will be harsher in the next CBA. The Phillies had the fourth-highest luxury-tax payroll this season. After getting taxed $56.06 million last year, their 2026 bill is projected to be $61 million.
That’s a lot to pay for three postseason games — none at home — and one win.
The Phillies scored three runs or less in 72 games, including the postseason. They were 19th in the majors in runs, 22nd in OPS, and 23rd in on-base percentage. And they were 28th in on-base percentage from the right side of the plate.
Something needs to change.
Dombrowski’s impulse may be to sign a free-agent right fielder such as Seiya Suzuki or Randy Arozarena, right-handed hitters who will be 32 on opening day. It will help that $38 million in dead money for released Nick Castellanos and Taijuan Walker finally will be off the books.
But without knowing the financial rules of the sport, Dombrowski may have to get more creative. Marsh went from an All-Star starter in July to not cracking the Phillies’ lineup against a lefty opener in winner-takes-all Game 3 in Atlanta. His value went through the floor. But if the Phillies can spin him in a trade for a hitter who better fits their lineup (righty-hitting outfielder Jo Adell comes to mind), they should.
An All-Star starter in July, Brandon Marsh struggled after the break. Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
Bohm is heading into free agency. The 30-year-old third/first baseman grew up before our eyes after the Phillies drafted him third overall in 2018. He was miscast as a cleanup hitter, but 88 or more RBIs in three of the last four seasons won’t be easy to replace.
“I would love to be back if they would have me back,” Bohm said, though it’s unlikely after the Phillies dangled him in trade talks in consecutive offseasons.
With seven years and nearly $191 million left on his contract, Turner isn’t going anywhere — except maybe to a new position. The Phillies will talk internally about a move, maybe to the outfield, which would open shortstop eventually for Miller. But the 22-year-old top prospect missed almost the entire season because of a back condition that necessitated a spinal procedure in June.
Regardless, Turner understands his role in all this.
“I’ve got a lot of work to do to kind of just go over everything and figure out as much as I can, find answers, see what I did bad,” Turner said. “But I think this year is the biggest question mark for me offensively in a long time.”
It’s reasonable to expect a rebound from Turner after the worst season of his career. But it wouldn’t solve all of the Phillies’ problems, either.
Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski has long struggled to solve his bullpen issues.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
How do they fix the bullpen?
Dombrowski probably is bound for the Hall of Fame, if he ever stops working. But building a bullpen has long been a blind spot.
To be fair, the Phillies didn’t know Brad Keller would tear a ligament in his elbow three months into a two-year, $22 million contract. But they signed Keller based on one big season with the Cubs. And while Dombrowski won a reliever swap with the Royals to get Jonathan Bowlan for Matt Strahm, the Phillies needed more.
Instead, they banked on José Alvarado and Kerkering. Neither pitched in the postseason. Dombrowski acquired lefty Brooks Raley and Caleb Kilian at the trade deadline. The former was ineffective; the latter got injured.
Now, Dombrowski must recast most of the bullpen around closer Jhoan Duran. Alvarado is a free agent and needs a fresh start. Kerkering’s stock plummeted, but it’s in everyone’s interest to move on.
Dombrowski could throw money at pending free agent Adrian Morejon, although the hard-throwing lefty may be seeking a chance to close after setting up for Mason Miller with the Padres.
There isn’t much help in the farm system, unless the Phillies turn former first-round pick Gage Wood into a reliever. It wouldn’t be the worst idea. The fiery 22-year-old once was a closer in college at Arkansas.
Alex Cora was fired as Red Sox manager in April.Jim Davis
Who will be the manager?
Absent changes to the core, Dombrowski’s biggest move may be to hire Cora.
Dombrowski gave Cora his first managerial job nine years ago in Boston, and they won 108 games and World Series with a high-payroll team in their first season together. They’ve remained close, with Cora often calling Dombrowski a “mentor” and Dombrowski comparing Cora to Hall of Fame tacticians Tony La Russa and Jim Leyland.
Cora turned down Dombrowski’s offer to manage the team in April (while Rob Thomson still had the job). After getting fired days earlier by the Red Sox, Cora preferred to spend the summer at home with his young family while still getting paid.
Only then did Dombrowski elevate Mattingly from bench coach after firing Thomson. It’s notable that Mattingly’s interim tag wasn’t removed even though the Phillies went 79-55 under his leadership after a 9-19 start.
One thing is clear: If Cora is ready to get back in the dugout, Dombrowski surely will have him.
But Cora can’t bat cleanup or get three outs in the eighth inning.
Peace Ike was raisedChristian, but in 2017 she found herself in a “low-faith place,” as she describes it. Demoralized and uncertain of what to do next, she traveled to Greece with three close friends.
During hours of conversation and reflection there, she had a revelation: God wanted her to open a communal space. So upon returning to Philadelphia, she purchased a six-bedroom house in Germantown. She was single, without roommates, or a plan for how to pay the mortgage.
“When I hear things clearly, I go for it,” Ike, now 41, said.
Within two months, the rooms were filled, she said.
Originally, the house didn’t have a spiritual focus, though Ike, who works as a strategist on workplace culture and conflict, would sometimes host worship nights. She hadn’t selected for religious roommates, but she saw her role as helping people to “live well” and grow spiritually. She began her own mornings with devotional time; she would invite people to stay who had nowhere else to go, and pray with strangers who were suffering.
By its second year, the house had become an intentional “Christ-centered” place. As Ike described it in a recent post for a new roommate, “We range in ages from 29-47 and we truly love the Lord and each other … The greatest thing that bonds us is our passion for Christ.”
When a new roommate moves in, the women have a long hangout where they ask about pet peeves and personality types. Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
The house is now in its ninth year and is home to six women.
Christina Levy, 31, has lived in the home for almost six years. Levy was born into a Christian Apostolic home in Jamaica; her father was a minister and her mother did missionary work. When she enrolled in Penn’s Graduate School of Education, she moved directly from her family’s home in New Jersey into Ike’s house.
The women are all independent, with different schedules, but with a common vision for how they want to live. They joke that their kitchen island, where they bring their complaints and longings, is like church. Three of them also attend the same church in Bristol on Sundays.
“It really feels like we’re sisters and we’re all connected by the same Father, and that’s God,” Levy said.
The following, as told to Zoe Greenberg in separate interviews, has been edited for length and clarity and combined.
On deciding to move in
Levy: I tend to be the kind of person who looks for signs. Like, “Should I do this?” I felt like the Lord was really leading me toward this house.
Even before the house was intentionally Christian, Ike hosted worship nights for neighbors and friends. Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
On welcoming new housemates
Ike: Any time a woman moves into the house, we have a long hangout, and we get to know her. We go over personality types. We go over pet peeves. Are you a night owl or a morning person? How do you prefer to handle conflict? All of the things that you would want to know about someone that you’re going to be spending your life with.
On becoming a ‘house of discipleship’
Levy: No one’s trying to be Christian here. It’s not a rigid thing. All the girls that come in, it’s like they carry something that someone else in the house is going to need.
Ike: There’s a term called ‘disciple’ in Scripture. Jesus had 12 disciples. He taught them everything he knew, and he always directed people back to God. Oftentimes, I’ll talk about this as a discipleship house. When it started, I was certainly discipling a lot of young women who needed direction in life. Now it’s like we are discipling each other.
On whether non-believers can live there
Ike: I always tell people, you don’t have to share our faith to be a part of this home, but I want them to know that it is the central thing that glues us. It’s in all of our conversations. When someone comes home and they’re having a hard day, we sit and we listen and we pray with them.
On being a landlord among peers
Ike: I have been very adamant about that — don’t treat me like a landlord. I am just one of y’all, but when something needs to be done, come and call me, and I’ll get it done right away. It allows me to feel like I’m at home with my sisters and not on the job all the time.
On house rules
Ike: With six women, we do not have men overnight. My experience has taught me that it’s really easy to get into conflict when we don’t know your boyfriend as well as you know your boyfriend. If you want to go spend time at his house, that’s fine. We also don’t do drug use.
Peace Ike, right, bought the Germantown house after she had a revelation to do so. She lives there with five other women, including Kallie Jalal, left. Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
On kicking people out of the house
Ike: It hasn’t always been roses. There have been girls who’ve just been dishonest, wanting to do those things that we agreed we would not do as a home. Part of the contract is when you do that, then we ask you to leave.
On what comes next
Levy: If anything would make me leave my sisters here, I feel like it would be a door opening for me to get my PhD or career elsewhere. And of course a man.
Ike: When I pursue a relationship, I’m not going to live in the home with five other women with my spouse. The house can continue as a community house if there are women here who are invested in that. Anything is possible. I think that I am going to enter a season where I will enjoy some privacy with my spouse. I would love that for a short period. But then I know myself: Two years in, I’m like, “Oh, we should really rent out that spare room.”
This story is part of a series about life partners across the Philadelphia area.
If you want to share your story about who you’re navigating life with, romantically or otherwise, write to lifepartners@inquirer.com. We won’t publish anything without speaking to you first.
Despite her Philly sounding surname, award winning author Deesha Philyaw is not a Philadelphian — yet.
Philyaw, whose first book The Secret Life of Church Ladies(West Virginia University Press) won the 2021 PEN/Faulkner Award for fiction and was a finalist in 2020 for the National Book Award for Fiction, is planning to move to the City of Brotherly Love next spring.
Over the years she’s spent a fair share of weekends in the city visiting restaurants, shopping haunts, and art museums. Philly friends keep her up on the latest happenings. She already has plans to connect with the women and nonbinary literary group The Claw when she moves to town. And she’s on the BlackStar Film Festival’s host committee for its forthcoming gala.
And Philadelphia, she noted, is extra special to her because it is home to the preeminent Black church, Mother Bethel AME.
There is a lot of history here.
The highly anticipated debut novel ‘The True Confessions of First Lady Freeman” by Deesha Philyaw was released Sept. 29. Philyaw appear at a book signing on Oct. 5 at 6 p.m. at the Center City Barnes & Nobles.HarperCollins/Mariner Books
Philyaw grew up in the Black church and respects its storied past. Still, she says she doesn’t see eye-to-eye with the dogma, patriarchy, and misogynoir.
That was as apparent in The Secret Life of Church Ladies as it is in her latest novel The True Confessions of First Lady Freeman(HarperCollins, Mariner Books). True Confessions centers on the extravagant life of Atlanta first ladyScharisse Freeman as she tries to fit in with other first ladies in the mega church world. Just as she’s starting to fit in with the catty group, a sex scandal erupts. Scharrise is treated like a pariah and readers are left wondering how such cruelty can be perpetuated in His name.
“The stories in Church Ladies and True Confessions are not a middle finger to the church or its true believers,” Philyaw said. “They do, however, point out where the institutions have failed and hurt Black people, particularly Black women and queer folks. I don’t feel like I need to protect the church. That has been the problem. In doing so, we look the other way, remain silent, and down play these things.”
Philyaw, a mom of two who is queer, lived in Pittsburgh for 25 years before moving to Oxford, Miss. where she served as the 2022-2023 John and Renée Grisham Writer-in-Residence at the University of Mississippi before settling in Miami. She’ll be in town on Monday for a talk at Barnes & Nobles and in between book signing and book pedaling, she’ll be taking in the scene of her next homebase.
This is her idea of a perfect Philly Day.
One of Akwaaba Bed & Breakfast’s six overnight suites, The Blue Note, named after The Sound of Philadelphia’s most iconic group’s Harold Melvin and The Blue Notes.Akwaaba Bed & Breakfast
6:30 a.m.
I’m a woman of a certain age so I’m both an early bird and a night owl. On a wonderful morning, I’d wake up at Akwaaba, the West Philly bed-and-breakfast owned by Monique Greenwood. It’s so beautiful. I’d enjoy a lazy morning that would include having a breakfast of oatmeal without fruit. (Something about fruit and oatmeal irks me.) I’d also have some herbal tea and honey. I’m not a coffee girl.
Inside of the Barnes Foundation’s galleries. The Barnes Foundation
10 a.m.
I would check out one of the private collection tours at the Barnes. I really enjoy the art. They always have such great curated exhibitions like [Maori Karmael Holmes and James Claiborne’s] “Freedom Dreams.” On a perfect Philly day, that exhibit would still be open.
The oxtail cheesesteak from the Taste Cheesesteak Bar in Center City on Friday, June 14, 2024.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
Noon
I’d have lunch at Logan Square’s Taste CheesesteakBar for the oxtail cheesesteak. Then maybe I’d visit the BlackStar film offices in the Bok Building, and definitely catch a movie if the festival was going on.
Interior of Uncle Bobbie’s Coffee and Books.ALEJANDRO A. ALVAREZ / Staff Photographer
I still mask indoors so Sally in Rittenhouse Square is one of the few places where I can eat outdoors year round. My friend Tre Johnson took me there a few years ago when I was in town for the AWP Conference (the Association of Writers and Writing Programs). It was in March and they had heated seats. I’d start with the Japanese eggplant, move on to the fennel sausage pizza and I’d have to get that sangarita
The Philadelphia Parkway Central Library on Logan Square.
7:30 p.m.
I’d end the night at a talk and book signing at the Free Library of Philadelphia. These are great events for writers and readers. There is so much to pick from.
This interview was edited for length and clarity.
Deesha Philyaw will appear Monday, Oct. 5 for a reading, book signing and live recording of Barnes & Nobles Poured Over podcast hosted by Miwa Messer. The event starts at 6 p.m. Barnes & Nobles Philadelphia, 1708 Chestnut Street, at 6 p.m. Tickets include the cost of the book are $34.56. Ticket information here.
Hey there! Are you new to Love at First Bite? If so, click the arrow at the top of the page to check out episode one.
If you’re coming back for more, settle in because things are heating up in the pods.
This episode focuses on the connections building between Amy’s Pastelillos, Gilda, Out West, Doro Bet and Scampi. With some fun cameos by Rice & Sambal, Càphê Roasters, Ocho Supper Club, Pine Street Grill, and Emei. Plus, a tease for episode three featuring a hilarious convo between Paffuto and Gilda that has us a little concerned for Gilda’s future collab partner.
Check out the episode and then weigh in on this week’s poll.
Who should Amy’s Pastelillos collab with?
Thanks for voting
In this episode the chefs discuss which foods they enjoy working with most. Amy’s Pastellilos said plantains, Scampi said shrimp, prawns and lobster and Out West said lamb (with a few shout outs for their famous lamb scrapple).
Which chef’s answer are you vibing with most?
We’ll be back with episode three on October 5.
Want to taste what these chefs are cooking up?
Limited tickets are available for The Inquirer’s second ever Food Fest. Join us on Nov. 14, 2026, 11 a.m. for one day to taste it all.
ARIES (March 21-April 19). Have you ever courted someone who already knows you? It can be fun to watch their surprise at the tone change in the relationship. It’s exciting when relationships defy prediction.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20). Have you ever purposely made someone miss you? Life sometimes puts time and distance between people, but it’s different when you make this happen consciously. You’ll better understand the bond. You’ll find out what the relationship is made of.
GEMINI (May 21-June 21). Have you ever recreated a familiar dynamic with the roles reversed? A glimpse into the other person’s pressures, thrills, fears and wins will have you navigating your side of things with more insight.
CANCER (June 22-July 22). Have you ever revisited an old pleasure to see whether it still delivers? Return to what you once loved together — maybe a restaurant, song or game. By going to the past, you’ll learn about the current state of the relationship.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). Have you ever asked what your jealousy thinks it is protecting? Beneath its wild conclusions may be a wish for reassurance that the relationship with you is special. Jealousy can reveal what you want before you’re fully aware of it.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). Have you ever spent time apart just for the pleasure of reuniting? A little separation gives each person fresh material so when you come back together you have something new to exchange.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). Have you ever traded secrets with someone you love? Each person chooses one revelation and offers it without demanding an equal degree of scandal. The thrill lies in being trusted with private information and learning there’s still much to know.
SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). Have you ever studied the younger version of someone you love? Look through old photographs, play their former favorite songs and ask what once consumed them. Meeting the person they used to be can explain much about the person beside you.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). Have you ever stopped performing one of the qualities that helped attract someone? Retire the wit. Withhold a bit of competence. Dial back the glamour. Release the job of fascinating them and let another part of you take over.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). Have you ever asked, “What do you miss about me when we’re not together?” It’s a question best aimed at those with a deep appreciation for the details. You might be surprised what they notice.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). Have you ever tried to feel another person through objects? A sweater, key or borrowed book can hold the energy. Giving it back may end the waiting, change its meaning or clear space for another story.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). Have you ever counted those subtle affectionate gestures, such as when someone fills your water glass or remembers what you like? Some of the strongest evidence of love is in gestures as small as making a plate for you at the party.
TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (Oct. 3). You’re in your Year of Reverse Engineering when you simplify your path to the goal by beginning with the end in mind. Your brilliance really shines as you pinpoint the exact moves that will produce the desired result. More highlights: You let yourself be served and honored, as foreign as this may feel, and you’ll find that you can help people from this new position. There’s a calm assuredness around money and love. Aquarius and Aries adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 49, 2, 21, 6 and 17.
