By David Weinberg
There are several ways to get to the Jersey Shore.
Most folks from Philly take the Atlantic City Expressway, then either stay straight to Atlantic County beaches or head south on the Garden State Parkway.
Others opt for a more scenic trip that includes Route 55 South and 47 South. It features a bamboo farm, various roadside stands selling crabs, vegetables and fruit, and a strange patch of land that includes a giant dead fish hanging from a pole in front of some crops.
Both paths end at the same spots.
The same goes for the Eagles when it comes to the NFL playoffs.
They still have the most direct path to the Super Bowl after last Sunday’s 42-19 blowout loss to the 49ers. The Birds still lead the NFC with a 10-2 record, one game ahead of the Niners (9-3), Cowboys (9-3) and Lions (9-3). But one or two more slipups could result in them having to take an alternate route.
Such a prospect seemed preposterous a few weeks ago. The Eagles had no trouble handling the first two parts of what is supposed to be a daunting stretch of the schedule with a victory over Taylor Swift’s boyfriend and the Chiefs at Kansas City (21-17) and a thrilling, overtime win over the Bills (37-34).
That solidified their status as the favorites to win the NFC. Confident fans were already exploring hotels in Las Vegas, site of Super Bowl LVIII on February 11, 2024. If they timed it right, couples could even get married or renew their vows at the Hitchin Post Wedding Chapel inside Circus Circus on Valentine’s Day.
Don’t get ready to say “I do” just yet.
The Eagles remain the favorites to win the conference, but depending on how the rest of the regular season plays out, the NFC Championship Game could be played at San Francisco’s Levi’s Stadium, Detroit’s Ford Field, or even “Jerry World” in Dallas.
The Niners exposed some chinks in the Eagles’ midnight green armour last week, especially on defense.
The Birds’ pass rush was ineffective for much of the game, allowing Niners quarterback Brock Purdy time to find wide receivers Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel, and tight end George Kittle roaming free in the secondary.
Samuel and running back Christian McCaffrey ran through feeble arm tackles from the linebackers en route to the end zone. The Eagles were concerned enough to sign former Pro Bowler Shaq Leonard to a one-year deal.
“There were just some uncharacteristic missed tackles,” Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said. “In general, we’re a top-10 team as far as missed tackle percentages. And they also did a good job of getting the football to guys in space. Hats off to them.”
The offense also struggled.
Last week’s game marked just the second time this season the Eagles have scored less than 21 points. Quarterback Jalen Hurts and company moved the ball well in the first two possessions but were forced to settle for a pair of field goals.
Hurts threw for 298 yards and a touchdown, but 102 of the yards and the TD came on the final two possessions, after the outcome was already sealed.
Next Sunday represents a chance to regain their composure.
A win at Dallas would be huge, both in terms of the NFC East race and the team’s confidence.
A loss would make fans a little less likely to be booking wedding chapels in Vegas, not to mention Super Bowl tickets.
Boxing returns to A.C.
Professional boxing continues its resurgence in Atlantic City with a card at Showboat Hotel on Saturday night. It will be the ninth boxing show held on the boardwalk this year, the most since A.C. hosted 10 fights in 2018.
In the main event, popular Philadelphia heavyweight Joe Dawejko (26-10-4, 14 KOs) will take on Jesse Bryan (21-7-2, 16 KOs), of Jefferson City, Missouri, in an eight-rounder.
On the undercard, Somers Point featherweight Miguel Garcia (2-0, 0 KOs) will try to stay unbeaten in a four-rounder against Mychal Bynum (1-4, 0 KOs), of Rocky Mount, North Carolina.
In other boxing news, world-rated middleweight Thomas LaManna (36-5-1, 15 KOs), of Millville, will fight Reading, Pennsylvania’s Nicolas Hernandez (28-7-3, 12 KOs) on Dec. 29 at the Prudential Center in Newark.
LaManna, who is ranked fourth by the World Boxing Association, has the third-most victories among local fighters behind the late Richie Kates (44-6, 23 KOs) from Bridgeton and former Atlantic City heavyweight world champion Bruce Seldon (40-8, 36 KOs).
David is a nationally recognized sports columnist who has covered Philadelphia and local sports for over 40 years. After 35 years with The Press, he has served as a columnist for 973ESPN.com and created his own Facebook page, Dave Weinberg Extra Points.
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