By David Weinberg
Autumn is synonymous with changing colors, whether it be the leaves turning gold, summer tans fading, or blue jeans replacing white shorts.
It’s also evident in sports.
Phillies fans embraced “Red October” during the team’s thrilling playoff run. Once it ended with a crushing collapse in the NLCS to Arizona, however, the red-and-white jerseys and hats were tossed aside in favor of Kelly and midnight green.
Their Eagles garb doesn’t figure to change for a while, maybe not until February.
Last Sunday’s 38-31 victory over the Commanders left the 7-1 Birds with the best record in the NFL and cemented their status as one of the favorites to reach the Super Bowl.
Fans experienced a bit of a wardrobe malfunction.
The Phils rolled through the first two rounds of the playoffs, including a dominant display that saw them dispatch the 104-win Braves in four games of the NLDS.
After they took a 2-0 lead over the Diamondbacks and carried a 3-2 advantage back to Philly for the final two games of the following round, the town was already making plans for the World Series.
That group included my son, Kyle, who had scored World Series seats through the Phillies’ ticket lottery.
But as Philly sports fans know all too well, nothing is guaranteed.
The Phils lost the final two games during a letdown that ranks among the biggest collapses in franchise history. It’s right up there with the fateful fall of 1964, when they blew a 6 ½-game lead with 12 to play.
There was a lot of blame to go around the dugout, but the bottom line is they lost because the offense disappeared when it mattered most.
Their stars came up shockingly short in the clutch. Kyle Schwarber, Trea Turner, Bryce Harper and Nick Castellanos were a combined 1-for-28 in the last two games.
After hitting a home run in Game One, Castellanos went hitless in his final 23 at-bats of the series.
“We came up short,” Harper said. “It’s a disgusting feeling, honestly. It just devastates me. I let the city down. I needed to come through in that moment.”
The Eagles have the potential to heal the fans’ heartache, mainly because of their potent offense.
Quarterback Jalen Hurts has proven that he doesn’t need to run to be successful. With his mobility limited by a knee injury, he completed 29-of-38 passes for 318 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions – there was a fumble on a “Brotherly Shove” attempt – against the Commanders.
“That’s what you want from your quarterback, your leader,” Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said. “He played outstanding, completely outstanding. He played lights out.”
Wide receiver A.J. Brown has been a flat-out stud this season. He caught eight passes for 130 yards and two TDs against the Commanders, enabling him to set an NFL record with six straight games of at least 125 receiving yards.
A daunting schedule awaits, however.
Sunday’s showdown with the Cowboys (5-2) begins a difficult stretch that features games against the Chiefs (6-2), Bills (5-3), 49ers (5-3), a rematch with the Cowboys and the Seahawks (5-2).
That will determine if Philly sports fans will still be wearing green in January or be donning Sixers (blue) or Flyers (orange and black) gear.
Local H.S. football
teams excel
Congrats to Cedar Creek, Hammonton, Mainland Regional, Millville, Pleasantville on earning victories in the first round of the state football playoffs last weekend.
Cedar Creek opened with a 33-20 win over Wall Township and will meet top-seeded Timber Creek in the Central Jersey Group 3 semifinals.
Hammonton avenged a defeat to rival Ocean City in the regular-season finale by winning the rematch 23-22 in the Central Jersey Group 4 bracket. They will take on top-seeded Winslow Township Friday.
Both Mainland and Millville advanced in South Jersey Group 4. The Mustangs gained a 56-20 win over Manalapan and will next play host to Colts Neck. Millville, the defending state champions, will take on Shawnee after routing Northern Burlington 49-7 in the first round.
Pleasantville earned a berth in the Central Jersey Group 2 semifinals against Willingboro with a 55-22 romp over Johnson in the first round.
Two more local teams, Holy Spirit and St. Augustine Prep, will open the Non-Public playoffs this weekend.
St. Augustine, seeded fifth in Non-Public A, will play host to 12th-seed St. Peters Prep Friday. Holy Spirit, seeded fourth in Non-Public B, will take on No. 5 Immaculata in Absecon Friday.
Making history
Kudos to the Lower Cape May Regional girls volleyball team and Wildwood High School boys soccer squad on earning milestone victories last week.
Lower earned its first playoff victory in the seven-year history of the program with a 2-0 (25-20, 27-25) sweep over Cedar Creek in the South Jersey Group 2 tournament. The Caper Tigers (13-8) were due to face top-seeded Barnegat in the second round this week.
Wildwood gained its first-ever playoff win with a 2-1 upset over Buena Regional in the first round of the South Jersey Group 1 soccer tournament.
“The boys came to play,” Wildwood coach Sal Zampirri told CapeAtlanticLive.com. “They really brought it. It was great to see them get that achievement.”
The Warriors also played well in the second round before losing 2-0 at Woodstown.
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.Send comments to weinbergd419@comcast.net.
