Washington
Will Washington get its chance to hit Jalen Hurts like he’s a running back?
After being listed as a limited participant at Wednesday’s walkthrough, Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts was shown as a full participant at practice on Thursday and Friday on the NFL team’s injury report.
The Eagles advanced to Sunday’s NFC Championship Game against the Washington Commanders by beating the Los Angeles Rams 28-22 in the Divisional Round. The Rams sacked Hurts seven times, and the former Alabama QB is dealing with an undescribed injury to his left knee sustained in that contest.
On Friday, Hurts said he’s “been progressing” in his recovery from the injury, although he anticipated wearing a knee brace on Sunday.
JALEN HURTS: ‘I’VE SUBMITTED MYSELF TO DOING WHATEVER IT TAKES TO WIN’
Hurts’ mobility has been a facet of Philadelphia’s success since he became the Eagles’ No. 1 quarterback at the beginning of the 2021 season. In 15 regular-season and two playoff games in 2024, Hurts has run for 736 yards and 15 touchdowns on 163 carries.
In his first season as the Washington Commanders’ defensive coordinator, Joe Whitt Jr. is a former Auburn High School standout and Auburn wide receiver and student assistant. Whitt sounded something of a warning to the Eagles about using Hurts as a ball-carrier.
“If he’s going to run the ball and the coordinator makes the decision for him to run the ball, we’re going to treat him like a running back,” Whitt said on Thursday. “We’re going to hit him that way. That’s their decision if they want to get him hit the way he gets hit. If they don’t, they’ll keep him in the pocket.”
Washington pinned the only loss on Philadelphia since Sept. 29 when the Commanders came away with a 36-33 victory on Dec. 22. Hurts sustained a concussion while running with the football in the game, and the injury caused him to leave in the second quarter and miss the next two contests.
For Eagles coach Nick Sirianni, Whitt’s words were nothing a team with a mobile quarterback hadn’t heard before.
“We understand when he is carrying the football, they’re going to try to tackle him,” Sirianni said on Friday. “But nothing changes as far as we’re very cautious with what we do. I don’t think cautious is the right word actually. It’s more we’re very aware of everything. We try to put Jalen in safe situations. We want him to put himself in safe situations. And we understand that there’s a lot of things that Jalen does in the running game that help us run the football. As we go through it, we do whatever we got to do to win the game, but his safety is always at the forefront of our minds.”
If Hurts’ knee inhibits his ability to run, as he did against the Rams when he broke a 44-yarder for the first points of the game, then the hit-him-like-a-running-back directive won’t come into play.
“I think he’s had a good week of practice,” Sirianni said when asked about Hurts’ mobility, “and I think he’s done some really good things all week, and we’ll see.”
The Commanders and Eagles will square off at 2 p.m. CST Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. FOX will televise the game.
The Eagles are seeking their second trip to the Super Bowl in three seasons. Washington hasn’t been to the NFL championship game since the 1991 season.
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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X at @AMarkG1.
Washington
Washington faces Utah, aims to stop 16-game skid
Washington Wizards (16-55, 14th in the Eastern Conference) vs. Utah Jazz (21-51, 14th in the Western Conference)
Salt Lake City; Wednesday, 9 p.m. EDT
BOTTOM LINE: Washington heads into the matchup with Utah after losing 16 in a row.
The Jazz have gone 13-24 in home games. Utah ranks second in the Western Conference with 16.6 fast break points per game led by Lauri Markkanen averaging 3.3.
The Wizards are 5-29 in road games. Washington is 9-10 when it has fewer turnovers than its opponents and averages 15.3 turnovers per game.
The Jazz score 117.4 points per game, 6.7 fewer points than the 124.1 the Wizards give up. The Wizards’ 46.1% shooting percentage from the field this season is 2.9 percentage points lower than the Jazz have allowed to their opponents (49.0%).
The teams square off for the second time this season. The Jazz won the last meeting 122-112 on March 6, with Ace Bailey scoring 32 points in the victory.
TOP PERFORMERS: Kyle Filipowski is averaging 10.5 points and 6.9 rebounds for the Jazz. Brice Sensabaugh is averaging 19.9 points over the last 10 games.
Alex Sarr is averaging 16.5 points, 7.4 rebounds and two blocks for the Wizards. Will Riley is averaging 14.4 points over the past 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Jazz: 3-7, averaging 116.4 points, 43.3 rebounds, 27.7 assists, 9.9 steals and 4.4 blocks per game while shooting 45.9% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 122.7 points per game.
Wizards: 0-10, averaging 114.3 points, 37.4 rebounds, 24.5 assists, 6.9 steals and 4.5 blocks per game while shooting 47.1% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 130.6 points.
INJURIES: Jazz: Lauri Markkanen: out (hip), Isaiah Collier: out (hamstring), Keyonte George: out (leg), Cody Williams: out (shoulder), Walker Kessler: out for season (shoulder), Jusuf Nurkic: out for season (nose), Jaren Jackson Jr.: out for season (knee).
Wizards: Anthony Davis: out (finger), Tristan Vukcevic: day to day (back), Cam Whitmore: out for season (shoulder), Alex Sarr: day to day (toe), Tre Johnson: day to day (foot), Kyshawn George: out (elbow), D’Angelo Russell: out (not injury related), Trae Young: out (quad).
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Washington
Washington sues USDA, alleging billions in funds illegally withheld
OLYMPIA, Wash. — Washington Attorney General Nick Brown has filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Agriculture, alleging the federal agency is illegally withholding billions of dollars in funding and attempting to force states into compliance with unlawful demands.
The complaint, filed as part of a multistate effort, argues the USDA has threatened to cut off critical funding tied to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, unless states agree to federal conditions that exceed the agency’s authority, according to the Washington State Office of the Attorney General.
Other critical programs that would be affected include the school lunch program; Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC); The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP); and the Volunteer Fire Capacity Program.
Brown’s office said the funding at stake supports the administration of SNAP, a federally funded, state-run program that provides food assistance to millions of low-income Americans. Washington alone receives about $129.5 million annually to administer the program, and disruptions could have “catastrophic” consequences for residents who rely on it, according to the attorney general’s office.
In the lawsuit, the state alleges the USDA is effectively holding those funds “hostage” to compel states to comply with federal directives, including demands tied to program data and administration, according to the complaint and accompanying news release from Brown’s office.
The legal challenge contends the USDA’s actions violate federal law, including constitutional limits and statutory authority governing the SNAP program. The coalition of states argues the federal government cannot condition funding on requirements that were not authorized by Congress, according to the complaint.
Brown said the lawsuit is aimed at protecting both funding and the people who depend on it.
“The rule of law is on our side,” Brown said in a statement, adding that the state is seeking to ensure continued support for vulnerable residents and prevent federal overreach.
According to the attorney general’s office, SNAP serves as a key safety net nationwide, delivering billions of dollars in food assistance. States administer the program but rely on federal funding to operate it.
The lawsuit asks the court to declare the USDA’s actions unlawful and block the agency from withholding funds or imposing conditions the states argue are illegal.
The case is the latest in a series of legal challenges involving SNAP, as states push back on what they describe as unprecedented federal demands tied to the program’s operation and funding, according to the Washington attorney general’s office.
Washington
Washington Nationals acquire infielder Jorbit Vivas
Vivas, 25, hit .270 with 21 doubles, a triple, four home runs, 43 RBI, 64 walks, 12 stolen
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