Philadelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni has compared quarterback Jalen Hurts to Michael Jordan after his stirring performance in their 38-7 romp of the New York Giants on Saturday.
The Eagles crushed the Giants to qualify for their seventh NFC Championship Game since 2000, which is the most in the NFC during that period.
Hurts threw two first-quarter touchdowns before a second-quarter rushing TD, with the contest all but settled 28-0 at half-time.
That came in the Eagles' QB's second game back since missing two with a shoulder injury on his throwing arm sustained on December 18, which Sirianni said gave the team an emotional lift similar to Chicago Bulls great Jordan.
"I know this is high praise, but to have him out there is like having – I shouldn't even go there – it's like having Michael Jordan out there," Sirianni told reporters.
"He's your leader. He's your guy. Hopefully, that's the biggest respect I can pay to him, comparing his ability to being on the field to a Michael Jordan-type. This guy leads.
"He brings this calmness to the entire team. He plays great football. He's as tough as they come. To me, nobody has played any better football than him this year."
Hurts completed 16 of 24 passes for 154 yards and two passing touchdowns, along with rushing nine times for 34 yards with one TD.
When asked how the shoulder felt after the game, Hurts told ESPN: "I never really was in a situation to test it. Fortunate to come out clean. I'm in a good place."
The Eagles progressed to the NFC Championship Game for the first time since their Super Bowl-winning season in 2017. That comes after an outstanding regular season for the top seed, who finished 14-3.
"We had a lot of hunger built up in us," Hurts said. "I think we were just starving and eager for our opportunity to come out here and play.
"This is a division opponent, they're a really good team. They had a lot of momentum going. We just wanted to come out and play our best ball.
"I think we chose the right time to do that. We were very efficient on both sides of the ball. We scored early and often. We just want to keep it going. We want to be consistent."
The Eagles will take on the winner of Sunday's Dallas Cowboys-San Francisco 49ers Divisional Round clash in the NFC Championship Game.
Saints to start rookie QB Rattler against Buccaneers
New Orleans Saints coach Dennis Allen has selected rookie quarterback Spencer Rattler to make his first regular-season NFL start on Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Allen confirmed Rattler as the starter on Wednesday with usual starter Derek Carr to miss at least one game because of a left oblique injury that occurred in the fourth quarter of New Orleans’ 26-13 loss in Kansas City on Monday night.
The decision means that Rattler, for the time being, moves ahead of second-year pro Jake Haener on the depth chart.
Haener replaced Carr after his injury in Kansas City and also played late in a pair of lopsided victories to start the season.
“We just internally talked a lot about it and felt like in this particular game he was going to give us the best chance to win,” Allen said of Rattler. “He’s a rookie so we’re going to have some challenges that go along with that, but I think we’ll have a good plan for him.”
Rattler was selected by the Saints in the fifth round of last spring’s NFL draft out of South Carolina.
He will become the fifth rookie quarterback to start his season, joining Caleb Williams (Bears), Jayden Daniels (Commanders), Bo Nix (Broncos) and Drake Maye, who is scheduled to also make his first career start Sunday for the Patriots against Houston.
Root targets 'many more runs' as Cook backs England great to set all-time record
Joe Root is targeting "many more runs" after overtaking Alastair Cook as England's all-time leading Test run-scorer.
The 33-year-old surpassed Cook's previous high of 12,472 on day three of the first Test against Pakistan on Wednesday.
Root reached the mark by piling on 71 runs in the blistering Multan heat and reached 176 not out at the end of play with England 492-3.
"I'm obviously proud but still feel there is plenty more left to do, and many more runs left to get," Root is quoted as saying by BBC Sport.
"More than anything, the way we played as a team is what stands out - we've got ourselves back in a really good position."
Root's 12,578 runs consist of 35 centuries, 1,355 fours and 44 sixes, coming across 146 matches.
He is now fifth on the all-time list of run-scorers across all nations, with only Rahul Dravid (13,288), Jacques Kallis (13,289), Ricky Ponting (13,378) and Sachin Tendulkar (15,921) ahead of him.
And with time still on his side age-wise, Cook has backed the man who took his England record to overtake each of those legendary names.
"I would be betting on Root to do it," Cook told Test Match Special. "I don't see Root losing that hunger and ability to keep driving himself forward for the next couple of years.
"He's just this consistent run-scoring machine. There are other geniuses who can play genius innings, but Root is a genius with consistency."
England have never conceded as many as Pakistan's 556 and gone on to take a first-innings lead, but they trail by just 64 runs heading into day four.
"We've still got an opportunity to win the game, which is really exciting," Root added. "Hopefully we can kick on tomorrow."
Houston Texans put top receiver Nico Collins on IR
Nico Collins, the NFL's leader in receiving yards this season, will miss at least the Houston Texans' next four games after the team placed him on injured reserve Wednesday.
Collins, who has amassed 567 receiving yards during Houston's 4-1 start, injured his hamstring on a 67-yard touchdown catch during the first quarter of the Texans' 23-20 win over the Buffalo Bills on Sunday.
The standout wide receiver will be eligible to return for the Texans' Week 10 clash against the Detroit Lions on Nov. 10.
After recording 80 catches, 1,297 receiving yards and eight touchdowns during a breakout 2023 campaign, Collins was on pace for an even better season in 2024. His 32 catches are tied for third in the NFL, while his seven receptions of 25 or more yards are tied with Minnesota Vikings star Justin Jefferson for the most in the league.
Collins also tops the AFC South-leading Texans with three touchdown catches through five games.
“Nico has been the best receiver in the NFL this year," Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans said when updating Collins' injury on Monday. "So, do you replace him? No, everybody just steps up and whatever role you’re asked to do, just step up and play your role the proper way."
The Texans still have proven options at wide receiver despite Collins likely out for the next month.
Stefon Diggs is a four-time Pro Bowl selection who led the NFL in receptions (127) and receiving yards (1,535) with Buffalo in 2020, while Tank Dell produced 709 yards and seven touchdowns on 47 catches as a rookie in 2023 before having his season cut short after 11 games by a fractured fibula.
Diggs led the Texans with 82 yards on six catches last week in his first meeting with the Bills since being traded by Buffalo to Houston in the off-season.
"Nobody has to be Nico," Ryans said. "There is one Nico. He’s done a great job of that. Now, whoever is next, when your number is called, make the plays that you are supposed to make.”
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