By: Alex “Shaggy” Shragis

Photo By: Shawn Lanzillo

The Philadelphia Phoenix suffered a loss this past weekend against the DC Breeze, and despite outscoring DC 7-5 in the second quarter, Philly lost the game 28-17. The Phoenix were unable to generate any offense outside of the aforementioned second quarter, and had three separate stretches where they gave up two or more breaks in a row. All that turmoil may have led to a resurgence in 2025 MVP candidate Scott Heyman, as the Phoenix veteran had one of his best games of the season, with 3 blocks and over 600 yards throwing and receiving.

An offensive player having three blocks is indicative of the state that the Phoenix offense was in throughout this game. Philadelphia converted on just 2 of 7 hucks, both the worst completion percentage and the fewest hucks attempted by the Hotbirds all season. With their deep game stymied, the connective spaces for the underneath cutters dried up, leading to several short field turnovers, including six points where the Phoenix turned it over in the first five throws. The injuries and roster turnover fully caught up with Philly, as they ran out their 10th different starting offensive lineup in 11 games.

Although this is certainly a dispiriting loss, there are bright spots to the season that continued to shine even during a dreary day in DC. Rookie distributor Ezra Beidler-Shenk may lead the league in turnovers, but he is also fourth in total yards for the season despite playing just eight games, and first in yards per game among players who have played more than six times. While the turnovers are to be anticipated — Ezra himself has remarked at the difficulty transitioning from college disc to pro frisbee — having a teenager shoulder such a heavy load this early into his career speaks volumes for the future.

Chase Rawlins also had his best game in months, with three assists, a goal, 36 completions, and no turnovers. Few veteran players in the league have had a larger role transition — from the secondary defensive unit to the primary offensive target — and Chase has done a good job navigating a sometimes turbulent offensive roster from Philly. Rookie Nolan McCloskey also had a great O-Line debut, with three assists and two goals. 

While the Phoenix were unable to force many turns on the Breeze offense, they were very efficient when given the opportunity, converting a Philly season best 67%. With constant offensive struggles, the coaching staff has had to reconfigure offenses during the game, rather than continue to run out the same seven guys to get broken over and over. The result has been lots of offensive opportunities for players up and down the roster. It may not seem helpful now, but for the Phoenix to turn the corner for upcoming seasons, this is valuable playing time for a very young roster.

The Phoenix now set their eyes on the final game of the season, a Friday night rematch against the New York Empire. With the playoffs out of reach, the Hotbirds need to find small things to play for in this last match. I would look to drive individual accolades, and focus on improvement from the previous game against New York. Philadelphia came out strong in that game, with an even first quarter, but were outscored by seven in the second, and five in the fourth. Maintaining pace while keeping your lapses more manageable is an attainable goal for the 1-10 Phoenix.

Philly also needs to focus on their effort, particularly after a throwaway or drop. Turnovers are bound to happen to this young Phoenix offense, but how Philly responds to those turnovers is the true test for the team. In the first game against the Empire, New York was 13 of 16 on break chances, and two of those were end of quarter scenarios, including in the fourth quarter where the Empire defense effectively took a knee and ran out the clock rather than try to stretch their lead. If the Hotbirds can earn back two or more possessions, particularly against a New York squad that still has a potential one seed to play for, that would be a massive success in a game that may seem one sided at the end.

This may not have been the season many Phoenix fans expected, but it is important to keep perspective on the 2026 Hotbirds. Braden Eberhard, founder of Shown Space — a next generation Frisbee analytics engine — had the Phoenix ranked number one in terms of roster losses from 2025. On offense, no team lost more pieces than Philly, and on defense only Chicago had more turnover from a year ago. 2026 was about rebuilding, adding new fuel to the ashes of past Phoenix flames. A strong showing against the Empire would be a testament to the foundations being laid in Philadelphia.