The Ramos roundup is a weekly Philadelphia Sports column highlighting all the pertinent news of the week featuring the Eagles, Phillies, Flyers, Sixers, and Union.
Eagles Crush Cowboys, Barkley on the Cusp of History
Normally, we’d dedicate this space to a team-wide domination by the Eagles of their rival Cowboys. We’d talk about that 41-7 score, the Eagles winning the NFC East, Devonta Smith and Kenny Pickett’s fantastic days, etc.
But in this roundup, it’s all about Saquon Barkley and the NFL history books.
Saquon Barkley rushed for 167 yards on 31 carries, good for a healthy 5.4 average yards on the ground. Subsequently, Barkley becomes the 9th running back in NFL history to rush for 2,000 yards in a season. He therefore is just a 101-yard effort away from breaking Eric Dickenson’s single season rushing record. A record that’s stood for 40 years.
The kicker?
Barkley has the chance to break the record against his former team, the New York Giants, next week. Disney couldn’t write a better script.
Eagles Legend Bill Bergey Passes Away at 79
In other Eagles news, former linebacker and club legend Bill Bergey passed away this Christmas morning. Bergey, who played twelve seasons in the AFL/NFL for the Bengals and Eagles, is a member of the 1980 NFC Championship Eagles team and Eagles Hall of Fame member. Additionally, the South Dayton, New York native is a former AFL Defensive Rookie of the Year (1969) and a former 5x Pro Bowl Selection.
Bergey passed peacefully in his sleep in his home surrounded by family and friends in Chadds Ford, PA.
Sixers Defeat Jazz for Third Straight Win
After picking up a key Christmas day win over their rival Celtics, the Sixers picked up another big win on Saturday night. Philly got dominant starts in the first half from Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey, as the duo were the only Sixers to reach double-digit scoring in the first half.
Embiid went for 17 points, three rebounds and one block in the first half, while Maxey posted 15 points, three assists and one block as well. Embiid finished the night with 32 points and nine in the fourth quarter. Now healthy, the Sixers appear to be finding their sea legs in what is suppose to be a promising year for them.
The Sixers will head to Portland to close out 2024 before heading to Sacramento to take on the Kings on January 1st.
Flyers Fall to Kings 5-4
Despite goals from Foerster, Laughton, Michkov and Farabee, the Flyers blow a third period lead in a winnable game on Sunday night. The Kings are undoubtedly a talented team, but the Flyers could’ve certainly won this game with a timely save from Alexei Kolosov or even slightly better puck protection.
Philly was charged with 11 giveaways in the loss and just five takeaways. Moreover, LA made good with their size and speed, efficiently pressuring the puck each chance they got on the forecheck. The loss is the Flyers first of the season when holding a two-goal lead.
The orange and black will head to San Jose for a game on News Year’s Eve against the Sharks.
