NFL: Chiefs overcome magnificent Hurts for Super Bowl win over Eagles

GLENDALE -- Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs overcame the inspired Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts to win their second Super Bowl in four years with a 38-35 win in a magnificent contest on Sunday.

Hurts produced four touchdowns, three of them rushing, and threw for 304 yards but ended on the losing side with a late field goal from Harrison Butker settling a ding-dong battle in Arizona.

Mahomes threw for three touchdowns and 182 yards but the Chiefs had game-winning displays across the field as they came back from ten points down at half-time to hand head coach Andy Reid a victory over his former team.

The game got off to an explosive start with the Eagles scoring a touchdown on the opening drive -- Hurts crossing with a quarterback sneak at the end of an impressive an 11-play, 75 yard drive.

But the Chiefs struck back swiftly with Mahomes connecting with Travis Kelce and Isiah Pacheco as he led the team down the field before crowning the drive with a perfectly floated pass to Kelce in the end-zone.

It was only the second time in Super Bowl history that both teams had scored on their first possession and that set the tone for the game.

Butker then missed a chance to put the Chiefs ahead with his 42-yard field goal drifting left and striking the post.

Hurts opened the second quarter in spectacular fashion with a brilliant 45 yard pass deep to A.J. Brown, who collected for the touchdown after his clever route left Chiefs cornerback Trent McDuffie flailing.

But Hurts gifted away the seven-point advantage on the next possession, dropping the ball without being challenged and Chiefs linebacker Nick Bolton scooped up the fumble and ran 36 yards into the end-zone to level the game at 14-14.

- Chiefs fightback -

The mistake didn't deter Hurts from running with the ball however and after his 28-yard rush for a first down took the Eagles into the red zone, he restored the Eagles lead with a four-yard run into the end zone.

There was though a reminder of Mahomes' recent ankle injury when, running out of the pocket, he was tackled by T.J. Edwards and limped off the field.

The Eagles added a field goal before half-time, after more impressive running from Hurts, to go in 24-14 up at the interval.

Chiefs fears over Mahomes' ankle allayed when he came out for the second half and promptly led a 75-yard touchdown drive, including a 14-yard rush from the quarterback and ending with a one-yard run from Pacheco.

The Eagles added a field goal to go into the fourth quarter with a six-point lead but then the Chiefs came roaring back.

Philadelphia left Kadarius Toney wide open to collect a five=yard pass from Mahomes and put Kansas City 28-27 up and then Toney produced a brilliant 65-yard punt return to set up a near identical play on the other side, with Skyy Moore the gleefully wide-open receiver.

But the Eagles responded again with Hurts hurling a 46-yard pass deep left to DeVonta Smith and the quarterback completed the drive with a two-yard run for his third rushing touchdown before adding a two-point conversion for good measure.

It was the first time a quarterback had scored three rushing touchdowns in a Super Bowl.

The two-point conversion levelled the score at 35-35 with 5:15 left in the game but the Chiefs managed the clock masterfully.

A controversial late holding call against the Eagles James Bradberry gave the Chiefs a fresh set of downs near the Philadelphia line, and when after Butker's 27-yard field goal, there were just eight seconds left on the clock.

There was no time for a miracle and Mahomes, the two-times MVP became a two-time Super Bowl winner.

Agence France-Presse

Tom Brady's two TD passes lead Bucs past Eagles

Tom Brady passed for two touchdowns and Leonard Fournette rushed for two as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers notched a 28-22 victory over the host Philadelphia Eagles on Thursday night.

Antonio Brown (nine receptions, 93 yards) and O.J. Howard caught scoring passes while Fournette rushed for 81 yards on 22 carries and caught six passes for 46 yards to pace Tampa Bay (5-1). Jamel Dean recorded an interception as the Buccaneers won their third straight game.

Brady didn't appear to be hampered by his sore passing thumb as he completed 34 of 42 tosses for 297 yards. However, his franchise record of 227 passes without an interception came to an end when Philadelphia's Anthony Harris picked him off late in the first half.

Jalen Hurts rushed for two touchdowns and passed for one for the Eagles (2-4), who lost for the fourth time in five games. Zach Ertz caught a touchdown pass and Alex Singleton racked up 15 tackles.

Hurts completed 12 of 26 passes for 115 yards and one interception. He also rushed for 44 yards.

Philadelphia had just 99 total yards through three quarters and finished with 213. The Buccaneers gained 399 yards and had 27 first downs to 16 for the Eagles.

Philadelphia moved within 28-22 as Hurts scored on a 1-yard run and followed with a two-point conversion pass to Quez Watkins with 5:54 left.

However, the Eagles never saw the ball again. Brady connected with Brown on a key 27-yard, third-down completion and he later got a first down on a third-down quarterback sneak, allowing the Buccaneers to run out the clock.

Tampa Bay scored on its first possession when Brady tossed a 2-yard touchdown pass to Howard.

The Eagles knotted the score on Hurts' 5-yard pass to Ertz with 6:01 left in the opening quarter. Tampa Bay went back ahead when Brady connected with Brown on a 23-yard scoring pass with 33 seconds left in the first period.

Fournette scored on a 2-yard run with 1:56 left in the half as the Buccaneers took a 21-7 lead into the break.

Fournette scored from the 1 to make it a 21-point margin with 5:47 left in the third quarter. Hurts scrambled in from the 6 as the Eagles trimmed their deficit to 28-14 with 2:15 left in the stanza.

-Field Level Media

Eagles survive Bears on bizarre missed FG

Nick Foles found Golden Tate for a 2-yard touchdown pass on fourth-and-goal with 56 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, and the Philadelphia Eagles held on for a 16-15 win over the host Chicago Bears on Sunday in the NFC divisional playoffs.

The Eagles were stuffed on three plays from the 2-yard line before Tate hauled in the pass just beyond the goal line with the season at stake.

The defending Super Bowl champions will travel south to face the top-seeded New Orleans Saints next week.

Bears kicker Cody Parkey missed a 43-yard field goal in the final seconds for Chicago as teammates watched in disbelief from the sideline.

Parkey's kick hit the left upright and then hit the crossbar before bouncing back into the end zone.

It was the sixth time he hit the upright this season.

Foles completed 25 of 40 passes for 266 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. Tate and Dallas Goedert each had a touchdown catch.

Mitchell Trubisky completed 26 of 43 passes for 303 yards and one touchdown in his playoff debut. His top target was Allen Robinson, who finished with 10 catches for 143 yards and a touchdown.

Robinson hauled in a 22-yard score along the right sideline to give Chicago a 15-10 lead with 9:04 remaining in the fourth quarter. Taylor Gabriel was stuffed in front of the goal line on a rushing attempt for a failed two-point conversion.

The Eagles grabbed a 10-6 lead with 5:20 to go in the third quarter. Foles looked to his left and connected with Goedert on a slant route toward the end zone for a 10-yard score.

The completion -- which came with only 10 Bears on the field -- capped a seven-play, 83-yard scoring drive.

Chicago pulled within 10-9 with 14:13 remaining in the fourth quarter. Parkey made a 34-yard field goal for his third strike of the game.

Philadelphia opened the scoring on the first possession of the game with a 43-yard field goal from Jake Elliott.

The Bears' offense had back-to-back punts before Parkey evened the score at 3 with a 36-yard field goal with 9:38 to play in the second quarter. An interception by Bears linebacker Roquan Smith on the previous drive helped to set up the score.

Chicago took a 6-3 lead as time expired in the half on Parkey's 29-yarder.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Super Bowl scores fewest TV viewers since 2009

One of the most exciting Super Bowls in league history actually saw a television ratings drop.

Despite two of the nation's major media markets being represented and a thriller that wasn't decided until a Hail Mary heave at the final whistle, Nielsen revealed on Monday that average television viewership fell seven percent for the Philadelphia Eagles' 41-33 heart-stopping win over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LII.

Sunday's average viewership of 103.4 million that watched the Eagles win their first Super Bowl in franchise history on NBC did rank as the 10th-highest viewed program in U.S. history.

But those viewer figures actually made it the least-watched Super Bowl since 2009.

The Patriots' historic comeback over the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl LI a year ago -- rallying from down 28-3 late in the third quarter for a 34-28 overtime victory -- carried a average televised audience of 111.3 million on FOX.

Sunday's Eagles-Patriots NFL title game peaked at 112.3 million between 10 and 10:15 p.m. EST in the final minutes of the second-highest scoring Super Bowl.

On the flip side from the drop in TV numbers, Nielsen also reports that Sunday's game in Minneapolis marked the largest digital audience ever, averaging 2.02 million viewers per minute.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Eagles stun Patriots to win maiden Super Bowl title

MINNEAPOLIS -  The Philadelphia Eagles upset the National Football League's defending champion New England Patriots 41-33 in a back-and-forth clash on Sunday to capture their maiden Super Bowl title.

For the Eagles, who previously lost title games in 1981 and 2005, the win capped a remarkable late-season charge that most observers considered unthinkable when starting quarterback Carson Wentz suffered a season-ending injury in December.

The Eagles, trailing by a point late in the fourth quarter, moved ahead for good when quarterback Nick Foles connected with tight end Zach Ertz on a 11-yard touchdown that held up after a review determined the catch was good to put his team 38-33 up.

"If they had overturned that (touchdown) I don't know what would have happened to the city of Philadelphia but I'm so glad they didn't overturn it," Ertz said in a post-game interview conducted on a field covered in silver and green confetti.

Philadelphia missed a subsequent two-point conversion attempt to leave the door open for the Patriots with a little less than two-and-a-half minutes to play.

But in a game when both offenses moved up and down the field effortlessly, Patriots quarterback Tom Brady had the ball swatted from his grasp by Brandon Graham and Philadelphia's Derek Barnett recovered the fumble.

The Eagles went on to kick a field goal to extend their lead to eight points and denied the Patriots from engineering a last-minute, game-tying drive.

Foles, making his Super Bowl debut, was named the game's Most Valuable Player after completing 28-of-43 passes for 373 yards and three touchdowns, along with one interception.

"I am speechless," Foles said after the game. "To be a part of this organisation, to be in this moment is something you dream about as a kid."

COSTLY TURNOVER  

Up 15-6, the Eagles had a chance to build a comfortable lead towards the end of the first half but intended receiver Alshon Jeffrey deflected a Foles pass that was intercepted by Patriots defensive back Duron Harmon steps from the end zone.

The turnover proved costly as the Patriots marched 90 yards back down the field in less than three minutes, in a drive that was capped by a James White touchdown to pull within 15-12.

However, the Eagles replied with an impressive drive of their own that resulted in a touchdown on a gutsy trick play on fourth down from the Patriots one-yard line.

The Eagles, opting not to kick a field goal, snapped the ball to rookie running back Corey Clement, who flipped the ball to tight end Trey Burton, who then threw to a wide-open Foles for a walk-in touchdown and a 22-12 halftime lead.

It marked the end of a wild opening half that included missed extra points, a missed field goal and a botched Patriots attempt at a trick play of their own when a wide-open Brady dropped an intended pass.

The teams, who combined for a whopping Super Bowl record 1,151 yards, kept up the relentless offensive pace in the second half and the Eagles refused to back down even when the Patriots grabbed their first lead with nine minutes to play.

"Credit to the Eagles. They deserved it," Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski conceded. "It stinks. You put all that hard work in all year."

(Reporting by Frank Pingue; Editing by John O'Brien)

source: news.abs-cbn.com

NFL: Vegas bookmakers backing Brady's Patriots in Super Bowl

MINNEAPOLIS—Las Vegas casinos are joining the Tom Brady fan club since their share of what is expected to be a record year for Super Bowl wagers will increase if the quarterback's New England Patriots beat the Philadelphia Eagles.

The defending champion Patriots are 4-1/2 point favorites heading into the National Football League's championship game in Minneapolis, with the bulk of the bets still to come in ahead of Sunday kickoff.

For MGM Resorts International (MGM.N), which operates 10 sports books on the Las Vegas Strip, the early action has them pulling for the Patriots to win but not cover the spread.

Jay Rood, vice president of the race and sports book at MGM Resorts, said he was already seeing good money coming in and was optimistic that this year's Super Bowl wagers would be big.

"It's a great match-up and the Patriots fanbase brings out really strong players," Rood said in an interview.

"And gamblers are used to playing the Patriots during the regular season because they perform well during the regular season most of the time and that sort of familiarity is sort of comforting to a lot of players."

The $138.5 million in Super Bowl bets that was wagered in Nevada's sports books last year easily surpassed the previous high of $132.5 million set the previous year, according to the Nevada Gaming Control Board.

This year's match-up, featuring a Patriots team seeking their third title in four seasons, and an Eagles outfit seeking their first Super Bowl, is expected to set a new mark for betting on the championship game in Nevada.

"It's a good match-up," said Mike Lawton, senior research analyst for the Nevada Gaming Control Board. "Obviously the Patriots are going to attract a lot of attention, so are the Eagles. The economy is doing good and that's going to help."

Aside from more traditional bets, gamblers can take a chance on proposition bets, like deciding which team will score first, whether a player will leave the game with a concussion and what color liquid will be poured on the winning coach.

Among some of the more unique proposition bets are how many times US President Donald Trump will tweet during the game, how long Pink will take to sing the national anthem and how many times Brady's supermodel wife Gisele Bundchen will be shown during the live broadcast. (Reporting by Frank Pingue; Editing by John O'Brien)

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Typecast Patriots take stage again as Super Bowl villains

MINNEAPOLIS - Every great drama needs a hero and a villain and on Sunday the New England Patriots will assume their role as the National Football League's most hated team when they take on the Philadelphia Eagles in the Super Bowl.

For the Patriots it is type-casting. On the NFL stage they play no other role. Fans criticise them for being just too successful in a league designed to not have dynasties and can not forgive two rule-bending scandals in the last decade.

The Eagles, however, are far from angels. Their fans after all once booed Santa and pelted him with snow balls.

But such behavior can be overlooked alongside what has become known as the New England Evil Empire, a championship machine that operates with ultimate efficiency.

They have reached the Super Bowl for the eighth time since 2002, hoisting the Vince Lombardi trophy five times, including twice in the past three seasons.

The Patriots, however, have also twisted the rules to their advantage -- including videotaping opposition coaches in 2007 and deliberately under-inflating balls in a playoff game in 2015 -- which have left a tarnish on their legacy.

It is a role Patriots owner Robert Kraft understands.

"When I actually bought the Patriots there were 23 lawsuits out. I know the league was thinking about buying the team and everyone was so nice to me for those first few years," Kraft told reporters during Super Bowl Opening Night on Monday.

"Once we went to the Super Bowl in 1996 a lot of the people who were kind and gracious, changed.

"Everyone loves a door mat in this league."

It is that kind of attitude that resulted in a Public Policy Poll released just before last year's Super Bowl that showed their quarterback Tom Brady and coach Bill Belichick were at the top of the most hated list.

Belichick could take some small comfort in that fans disliked NFL commissioner Roger Goodell more.

Brady, however, is a more enigmatic figure. The poll also found him to the NFL's most popular quarterback as well.

For fans outside of New England, however, he is simply too smug, too rich and too good.

In the Super Bowl setting it is hard to see what anyone could dislike about Brady.

He arrived at Opening Night, smiled, answered questions, was playful and disarming.

But there is also the win at all costs Brady who was suspended four games for his part in deflating the balls.

Belichick, on the other hand, emanates a 'keep your distance' vibe and appears to endure media conferences rather than enjoy them and rarely gives anything away.

Only Kraft is willing to offer a hint about the deeper philosophy. "I think it's good (there is a team like the Patriots) but there are 31 other cities that don't agree," said Kraft. "I understand everyone wants their team to win.

"I'm just happy we are in our position.

"Every roof has a leak, every heart has some sadness, you just work through it and you do your best.

"Someone out there will work hard and take us down but I hope it's not this Sunday."

(Editing by Greg Stutchbury)

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Oddsmakers like Patriots despite Brady, Gronkowski injuries

NEW YORK -- Defending champion New England has been made the biggest Super Bowl favorite since 2009 over the Philadelphia Eagles despite injuries to star quarterback Tom Brady and tight end Rob Gronkowski.

Westgate sports book in Las Vegas opened the Patriots as a 5.5-point favorite while the Wynn Las Vegas had the Eagles a 6.5-point underdog and Caesars Palace gave New England a 6-point edge with William Hill liking the Patriots by 5.

Brady said Monday on his weekly WEEI radio appearance that he will have stitches removed this week from a cut on his right hand suffered last week in practice and be fine for Super Bowl 52 against the Eagles on February 4 at Minneapolis, Minnesota.

"As the game went on, it got better and better and better," Brady said of the throwing-hand injury in New England's 24-20 playoff win Sunday over Jacksonville. "It won't be a problem in a couple of weeks, which I'm really happy about."

The Patriots were optimistic Gronkowski, who exited after a helmet-to-helmet blow in the second quarter caused a concussion, would be finished with the NFL's concussion protocol and available for the Super Bowl, the Boston Herald reported Monday.

A record $138.5 million was wagered in Nevada sports betting on last year's Super Bowl, when New England overcame a 25-point deficit to win in over-time.

Not since the Pittsburgh Steelers were 7-point favorites over Arizona nine years ago has a club been so lopsided a favorite as the Patriots, who chase their sixth Super Bowl title to match Pittsburgh's record and their third crown in the past four seasons.

"Every year has been different and every team is different and every season is different," Brady said. "This team earned it. If people don't like that, it's their prerogative. They can do whatever they want. But to get this far with this team is incredible."

The Eagles, however, are accustomed to underdog status, to the point of players wearing dog masks to revel in the snubs, defying oddsmakers in playoff wins over Atlanta and Minnesota.

"We haven't been talked about all year," Eagles defensive tackle Fletcher Cox said. "That's the story of the Eagles. If you go back and look, we're in the top five in a lot of categories. We keep finding ways to win and moving on. It's our motto. All we need is one more."

Brady detailed his injury, which happened when his right thumb was "bent back" after he collided with running back Rex Burkhead on a handoff attempt during a workout last Wednesday.

"It was just a crazy injury in practice," Brady said. "It didn't look good there for a little bit."

Brady said he "definitely wasn't sure" last Wednesday that he could play against Jacksonville, adding, "It turned out to be a lot of good luck that it wasn't more serious than it was. I think we're very lucky."

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Eagles QB Wentz out for season with torn ACL

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz has a torn ACL in his left knee and will miss the remainder of the season and playoffs, coach Doug Pederson announced Monday.

The 24-year-old Wentz, who was expected to be an NFL MVP candidate this season, underwent an MRI on Monday morning after suffering the knee injury in Sunday's 43-35 victory over the Los Angeles Rams.

It usually takes a player six to nine months to recover from the required surgery.

Wentz was injured when he took a big hit on a third-quarter touchdown run that was called back because of a penalty. He came up limping after absorbing multiple hits on the run but stayed in the game and threw a 3-yard touchdown pass to Alshon Jeffery four plays later to give the Eagles the lead.

Wentz was 23-of-41 passing for 291 yards and four touchdowns with one interception before leaving the game.


Nick Foles replaced Wentz on the next drive for the Eagles (11-2), who clinched the NFC East title with Sunday's victory at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum for their first division title since 2013.

Foles, who was 6 of 10 for 42 yards after coming into the game, will now be the starting quarterback.

"The reason we went out and got Nick Foles are for reasons like this," Pederson told reporters in his press conference Monday. "I hate it for Carson, and the season he's having."

With his four touchdowns passes Sunday, Wentz now has 33 to move past Sonny Jurgensen for the most TDs in a single season in franchise history, a record that stood since 1961. Wentz completed 60.2 percent of his passes for 3,296 yards with just seven interceptions in 13 games this season.

The Eagles next face the New York Giants this Sunday before a Christmas Day game against the Oakland Raiders and a season finale against the Dallas Cowboys on Dec. 31.

"I'm absolutely ready," Foles said after Sunday's game. "That's what I'm here for."

(Posted by Steve Keating in Toronto)

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Eagles clinch Division but lose Wentz

LOS ANGELES -- The Philadelphia Eagles clinched the NFC East divisional crown with a roller coaster victory over the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday but saw star quarterback Carson Wentz exit early with a serious knee injury.

Wentz threw for 291 yards and four touchdowns before limping off in the third quarter as the Eagles held on to claim a pulsating 43-35 victory at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

But the gloss was taken off the win after Wentz's injury.

ESPN reported Sunday that the Eagles star had suffered a season-ending torn knee ligament, dealing a massive blow to a team who had been many pundits' favorites for the Super Bowl.

The win saw the Eagles improve to 11-2 at the top of the NFC East, guaranteeing them their first divisional title since 2013.

The Rams meanwhile remain on top of the NFC West at 9-5, one game ahead of the Seattle Seahawks (8-5) who fell 30-24 to the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday.

The Eagles victory came after a gutsy fourth quarter fightback when they clawed back the momentum as the Rams appeared to be closing in on victory.

Wentz had earlier steered the Eagles to a 21-7 lead early in the second quarter to leave the hosts in trouble.

However the Rams hit back with touchdowns from Cooper Kupp and Sammy Watkins before a blocked Eagles punt allowed Blake Countess to score a touchdown to put them 28-24 up.

Wentz bravely regained his composure after suffering a heavy hit to find Alshon Jeffery with a two-yard touchdown pass to make it 31-28.

But the Eagles signal-caller then left the game with a left knee injury and was receiving treatment when Rams running back Todd Gurley rushed for his second touchdown of the day to make it 35-31.

The Eagles cut the Rams lead to one-point with a Jake Elliott field goal.

Crucially, Rams quarterback Jared Goff then fumbled to hand back possession to the Eagles, and Elliott subsequently kicked the go-ahead field goal.

With the final play of the game, Brandon Graham recovered a Rams fumble to complete the Eagles win.

   
- Dallas spoil Manning return -

Elsewhere Sunday, the Dallas Cowboys stayed alive in their quest for a wildcard berth with a 30-10 win over the New York Giants.

Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott finished with a career-high 332 yards as Dallas improved to 7-6 in the NFC East to stay in the postseason chase.

But it was a miserable return to the starting line-up for Prescott's Giants counterpart Eli Manning, who was cheered by fans but ultimately disappointed in his first start since he was benched last week.

Manning and the Giants were blown away by three fourth quarter Dallas touchdowns from Jason Witten and Rod Smith (2).

Dallas will realistically need to win their three remaining games against Oakland, Seattle and Philadelphia to have any chance of snatching a wildcard spot.

In other games Sunday, the Carolina Panthers jolted the Minnesota Vikings 34-21 after a three-touchdown rushing display from Jonathan Stewart.

Stewart grabbed the first of his three scores with a 60-yard gallop to the end zone in the first quarter as the Panthers boosted their playoff hopes to improve to 9-4. The Vikings slipped to 10-3 but remain atop the NFC North.

In Cleveland, the Browns looked poised to score their first victory of the season after leading 21-7 against the Green Bay Packers in the fourth quarter.

But two Packers touchdowns from Jamaal Williams and Davante Adams sent the game into overtime where Adams scored again to seal a 27-21 win.

In Buffalo, the Bills overcame blizzard-like conditions to beat the Indianapolis Colts 13-17 in overtime in a game played with thick snow blanketing the pitch.

"It was crazy," Colts quarterback Jacoby Brissett said of the conditions.

"I never played in this in my life or played in the snow. Every time it snowed, I was in the house. It was definitely a different experience."

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Soaring Eagles separate themselves from the pack

The Philadelphia Eagles were dismissed as long shots when the National Football League season began two months ago but they have taken the league by storm to emerge as serious Super Bowl contenders.

Each year it seems at least one team comes out of nowhere to make a run at the postseason but nobody could have predicted the sheer dominance shown by the Eagles as they cruised to the league's best record heading into their bye week.

Their chances this season rested on the shoulders of Carson Wentz and the second-year quarterback has answered the call, most recently on Sunday when he tossed four touchdowns in a convincing win over Denver that improved Philadelphia to 8-1.

Despite having at least two more wins than any other NFL team, the suddenly confident Eagles are far from complacent as they chase a maiden Super Bowl championship.

"We’re never going to settle,” said Wentz, who leads the NFL with 23 touchdown passes this season. "Touchdowns, whatever, that's all great but being 8-1 is what it's all about.

"I didn't know what to expect with stats and all that stuff, that doesn't really matter. But I will say I've always had high expectations for myself, for this team, so we’re fortunate where we're at."

The Eagles had an encouraging start to the 2016 season until Wentz began to struggle, as so many rookie signal callers do, en route to a 7-9 campaign.

But with a year of seasoning and upgrades to the team's offense and defense, Wentz has proved to be the real deal and the former second overall draft pick is making a strong case for being named Most Valuable Player.

   
READY TO GO

"As great as it is, we still have half a season and seven ballgames left," said Eagles coach Doug Pederson as they look forward to their bye week.

"We've got to come out and enjoy this time this week, reflect on what we've done, but we've got to come back ready to go next week.

"If you don't take care of business from here on out, it's all for nothing."

The Eagles' receiving corps was a major issue in 2016 but the offseason acquisition of Alshon Jeffery has helped bolster an offense that appears capable of going up against any defense.

The recent addition of former Pro Bowl running back Jay Ajayi -- who rushed for 77 yards on eight carries and one touchdown in his Eagles debut on Sunday -- as well as moves to shore up the defense, have also paid off.

"The sky is the limit, man. We're just working real hard, taking whatever the defense gives us," said Jeffery. "We just believe in ourselves."

Philadelphia have faced little drama as they opened up a seven-game win streak but will face perhaps their toughest test of the season so far when they return from their bye week.

Three of their next four games are on the road against the rival Dallas Cowboys, Seattle Seahawks and St. Louis Rams and should go a long way in determining how much chance the Eagles have of reaching the Feb. 4 Super Bowl in Minneapolis.

"We're staying grounded, all the way," Eagles right tackle Lane Johnson said. "We have a mature team, even though we're pretty young in spots. We know what we’re capable of doing."

(Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto; Editing by Ken Ferris)

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Pats pounce on Chargers mistakes, Eagles win again

LOS ANGELES -- The Super Bowl champion New England Patriots took advantage of the Los Angeles Chargers' mistakes on Sunday to notch their fourth straight NFL victory, 21-13 at Foxborough, Massachusetts.

Superstar quarterback Tom Brady threw for 333 yards with a touchdown and Stephen Gostkowski kicked four fields goals for the Patriots, who improved to 6-2.

Brady, who threw a two-yard touchdown pass to tight end Rob Gronkowski, recorded his 81st career 300-yard game. His fifth this season matches his total of 300-yard games last year.

"I'm glad we won, that's the most important thing," Brady said. "Starting 0-1 and then being 6-2, a lot of mental toughness. That's good. We've got to keep it going. Our biggest games are ahead of us so we have to go play well."

The Chargers, who lost their first four games of a season that saw them relocate to Los Angeles from San Diego, had won their last three.

But any hope of shocking the reigning Super Bowl champions evaporated in a string of errors.

The worst of them came when punt returner Travis Benjamin fielded a Ryan Allen punt near the sideline at his own eight yard line.

He ran backward and wound up fumbling the ball at the goal line, recovering it inside the end zone for the first safety on a punt return in the NFL since 2003, one that gifted the Patriots a 9-7 lead.

As the season reached the halfway stage, tensions continued to simmer over controversial national anthem protests, undertaken by players to address racial injustice but criticized by some, including US President Donald Trump, as unpatriotic.

All but a handful Houston Texans players took a knee during "The Star-Spangled Banner" before their game in Seattle, a response to Texans owner Bob McNair's comment in an owner meeting on the topic that the league "can't have the inmates running the prison".

McNair had issued a statement apologizing for his choice of words on Friday, after the comment was publicized in an ESPN story.

He also met Saturday with Texans players, some of whom were reportedly prepared to boycott the game in Seattle, where the Seahawks emerged from a back-and-forth battle with a 41-38 win.

Week eight action kicked off in London, where the Minnesota Vikings shook off a slow start to beat the still winless Cleveland Browns 33-16 at Twickenham Stadium.

The Browns seized an early 6-0 lead, but after five lead changes it was the Vikings who emerged with the victory as the Browns fell to 0-8.

   
- Eagles win 6th straight -

The Philadelphia Eagles won their sixth straight, improving to 7-1 with a 33-10 victory over the San Francisco 49ers -- the only other remaining winless team.

Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz threw two touchdown passes, taking his tally through the first eight games to a franchise record 19.

In New Orleans, the Saints marched to a fifth straight victory, 20-12 over the Chicago Bears.

Drew Brees connected on 23 of 28 passes for 299 yards, but for the first time since 2009 the Saints won a game without benefit of a touchdown pass from their star signal caller.

"We're playing really complementary football," Brees said. "Offensively, I felt we had good balance. It was closer than it needed to be with the two turnovers, but the defense came up with some huge stops."

Bears tight end Zach Miller was carted off with a grisly dislocated knee in the third quarter. To add insult to his injury, the play on which he was hurt was overturned on review as officials ruled that Miller lost control of the ball on what would have been a 25-yard touchdown catch.

Dallas running back Ezekiel Elliott ran for 150 yards and two touchdowns and the Cowboys had four field goals from Mike Nugent in a 33-19 win over the Redskins in rainswept Washington.

The Cowboys defense also played a key role, with five sacks and a clinching interception return for a touchdown by safety Byron Jones.

"Everybody had a piece of this. Offense, defense, kicking game. Everybody. This game was fight," Cowboys coach Jason Garrett told his players after the game. "We didn't blink."

source: news.abs-cbn.com