Injury Update: Eagles Lose Alshon For the Season

Players unable to stay healthy has been a common theme for the Eagles during the Doug Pederson era. Our Super Bowl season featured the loss of an All-Pro QB, Hall of Fame left tackle, and young stud middle linebacker among other injuries. The year after, the same QB was lost again and basically, every cornerback on the roster missed significant time. To really understand how bad it got, remember that there were snaps in the divisional playoffs (and I still don’t know how Philadelphia made it that far) last year where Josh Hawkins was matched up with Michael Thomas.

The theme continues this year, and the wide receiver position has been the main victim of the injury bug. After a ridiculous performance in Week One that gave Eagles fans false hope, DeSean Jackson has only seen a few minutes of game time over the past 13 weeks. Alshon Jeffery missed a few games earlier this season and clearly never returned to 100% before suffering a season-ending injury on Monday night. Nelson Agholor was healthy and ineffective for most of the season before a knee injury forced him to miss some game action. Those are the Eagles top three receivers and they’ve all missed significant time. In Monday night’s comeback win over the Giants, the Eagles finished the game with one healthy receiver. That receiver was Greg Ward, the QB-turned-wideout who wasn’t even on the active roster until a couple of weeks ago.

Along with Alshon Jeffery now sidelined for the rest of 2019, Lane Johnson is “week-to-week” with an ankle injury. Carson Wentz fell on Johnson’s leg while sustaining a sack, and we should all be grateful that the injury wasn’t nearly as bad as it looked. Halapoulivaati Vaitai will step up in his absence, but the Eagles have been known to struggle when their All-Pro right tackle is shelved for any period of time. Jalen Mills suffered an elbow injury during the contest as well but he is fine according to Coach Doug Pederson. Then again, a lot of players were supposed to be fine and ended up disappearing. Remember how Jordan Howard supposedly had a stinger? Or DeSean Jackson was going to miss “a week or two”?

The full injury report from the most recent practice is as follows:

DID NOT PRACTICE:

WR Nelson Agholor (knee), DE Derek Barnett (ankle), T Lane Johnson (ankle)

LIMITED:

RB Jordan Howard (shoulder), CB Jalen Mills (elbow)

FULL:

LB Kamu Grugier-Hill (concussion)

The worst part about the Eagles injuries is that they seem to happen to starters only. Here’s the starting lineup from Week One and where they are now:

QB Carson Wentz (healthy) - Carson Wentz has played a game after December 10 for the first time since his rookie season

RB Jordan Howard (injured) - mysterious shoulder injury has kept him out for several weeks

WR Alshon Jeffery (injured) - out for season (foot)

WR DeSean Jackson (injured) - out for at least regular season (abdomen)

WR Nelson Agholor (injured) - has missed a few games (knee)

TE Zach Ertz (healthy) - still very, very good

LT Jason Peters (healthy) - healthy, has missed time, gets injured about once a game

RT Lane Johnson (injured) - week-to-week with a scary-looking ankle injury

LG Isaac Seumalo (healthy)

RG Brandon Brooks (healthy)

C Jason Kelce (healthy)

DE Derek Barnett (injured) - out with an ankle injury

DE Brandon Graham (healthy)

DT Fletcher Cox (healthy)

DT Malik Jackson (injured) - lost to injury in the first game of the season

LB Nathan Gerry (healthy) - started over Kamu Grugier-Hill who was injured

LB Nigel Bradham (healthy) - missed significant time this season

LB Zach Brown - no longer with team

CB Avonte Maddox (healthy) - started for injured Jalen Mills, missed time with a neck injury

CB Ronald Darby (healthy) - missed time with a hamstring injury

FS Rodney McLeod (healthy) - Now...

SS Malcolm Jenkins (healthy)

That is seven Week One starters currently injured and several others who have missed time or weren’t listed because they missed Week One. You can blame the training staff or you can blame luck, but regardless, it hasn’t been good.

-By: Micah Jimoh

Writer/Interviewer

Week 14: Carson Wentz and Boston Scott Will Eagles to Victory

Somehow, someway, the Eagles still control their own destiny.

After falling behind 17-3 at halftime, the Eagles reeled off 20 unanswered points to down New York in thrilling fashion. Takeaways:

1. Receivers

The Eagles came into the game with just three healthy wide receivers and finished with one. Alshon Jeffery left the game with a foot injury and J.J. Arcega-Whiteside was unable to finish the contest after getting hurt late. Jeffery’s injury looked serious, especially because it came without contact. That might be the last we see from the 29-year-old in Philadelphia. Greg Ward, the only receiver left, was responsible for an egregious drop in the end zone on a cross-body dime from Carson Wentz. Stepping up in the absence of the receivers was a reliable tight end, Zach Ertz. He scored the game-winning TD (his second score of the game) and finished with 91 yards on 9 grabs. The Giants couldn’t cover him, leaving him completely alone on several occasions. Third-string tight end Josh Perkins also played plenty at receiver Monday night. If that doesn’t show how bare Philadelphia is at the position, take note of the fact that 40-year-old backup QB Josh McCown was getting ready to play wideout if needed. The Eagles are going to have to do something at the depleted position if they still want a chance to do anything this season.

2. Offensive Line

The big story on the offensive line is that Lane Johnson suffered a gruesome-looking leg injury on a Carson Wentz sack and had to be carted to the locker room. If it turns out to be major (which it looks like), it may not even be safe for Carson Wentz to stand in the pocket over the last three weeks of the season. Defensive coordinators will be licking their chops if they get the opportunity to face Jason Peters and Halapoulivaati Vaitai for a full game. If Peters is up for it, the best move may be moving him to the right side and letting rookie first-rounder Andre Dillard man the left. Personally, I believe he is a better option than Peters already, and it would be difficult for Peters to be worse than Vaitai on the other side.

3. “Philly” Scott

Miles Sanders went down during the game as well, but 5’6 running back Boston Scott took the reins from there on out. He racked up 128 total yards and showed off some impressive cuts. He finished second on the team with six receptions and averaged just under six yards per rushing attempt. It was a surprising but needed performance from the little-used reserve.  If this isn’t a fluke performance, he can slide right into the role Darren Sproles was supposed to fulfill.

4. Carson Wentz

The cupboard was bare for the oft-criticized quarterback. His elite right tackle was out, nearly all of his receivers were out, his running backs were out, and yet he still found a way to pull this one out. Throwing for 325 yards and two scores with this group of “weapons” should be enough for immediate Hall of Fame enshrinement. Carson Wentz hasn’t been afforded the same excuses as Tom Brady, and is constantly expected to deliver with less help than the New England passer. Tonight, after being down 17-3 early, he did just that, and should be spared from bad-mouthing for at least the remainder of the week.

5. Cornerbacks

Ronald Darby is terrible at football. His only attribute is speed but he constantly gets roasted downtown. Like Mills last week, there are just too many times where he seems to be lost. He was the main man on Darius Slayton when the Giants rookie racked up over 150 yards in the first half alone. There’s no shot that he is with this team after this season, and I can’t wait to see his tenure end. 

Jalen Mills left the game with an elbow injury, but he wasn’t without fault either. His stellar first few weeks back from injury have been all but forgotten. His backup Rasul Douglas ended up hurt as well, and it was a surprise stop by Sidney Jones of all people that got the Eagles the ball back late in the contest. The cornerback position needs help, as it has for most of the decade. When you allow Eli Manning to turn back the clock eight years, maybe changes need to be made. Howie Roseman should look away from the lines for just a little bit.

6. The Eagles Are Tied For First Place in the Division

That’s right folks, the Eagles are tied for first place in the NFC (L)East.

The Eagles (6-7) travel to the Washington Redskins (3-10) on December 15.

-By: Micah Jimoh

Writer/Interviewer

Week 14 Preview: Eagles Need a Win vs. Giants on Monday Night

Monday, December 9 at Lincoln Financial Field, Eagles 9.5-point favorites

With Dallas falling again, the Eagles are somehow still only one game out of tying for first place in the NFC East. 

Injury Report:

OUT:

Philadelphia: Kamu Grugier-Hill (LB, concussion)

New York: Corey Ballentine (CB, concussion), Rhett Ellison (TE, concussion), Evan Engram (TE, foot), Daniel Jones (QB, ankle), Chris Peace (LB, knee), Jabrill Peppers (S, back)

QUESTIONABLE:

Philadelphia: Nelson Agholor (WR, knee), Derek Barnett (DE, ankle), Jordan Howard (RB, shoulder)

New York: None 

Welcome back, Eli Manning. Because of Daniel Jones’ ankle sprain, the man with the 116-116 career record will have to break .500 on Monday night. Evan Engram and Jabrill Peppers are other notable players out for New York. For Philadelphia, starting linebacker Kamu Grugier-Hill remains in concussion protocol and Jordan Howard’s mysterious “stinger” continues to keep him out of practice. If Nelson Agholor can’t go, Philadelphia’s only receivers will be Alshon Jeffery, J.J. Arcega-Whiteside, and Greg Ward. Ouch.

Analysis:

The Eagles were supposed to have what was basically a guaranteed win against the Miami Dolphins last week but they managed to squander a two-touchdown lead against one of the league’s worst teams. This week they hope to avoid the same fate. If they were able to conquer Miami last week and defeat New York this week, they would’ve been alone in first place in the NFC East even with their 37-10 defeat in Dallas. Now, they can only hope to tie. 

The key to this game is Saquon Barkley. He’s been less than impressive since his return from injury, having only one game with 75+ rushing yards and no games with a yards per carry average of more than 4.5. If the Eagles can bottle him up, Eli Manning will have to step up and try to lead this team through the air. I’d much rather have this game rest on his 38-year-old arm than the chiseled quads of Saquon Barkley. In two career games against the Eagles, Barkley has averaged a whopping 185.5 total yards. It’ll be up to the Kamu-less defense to ensure that he can’t maintain that massive average. 

The Eagles cannot take this game lightly. They’re already lucky that the incompetence of the Cowboys lightened the blow of last week’s inexcusable loss, but another letdown would effectively end their season (even if it would still be mathematically possible for them to take the NFC East). They didn’t seem to take Miami seriously, and it cost them. The Giants aren’t a team that should have a shot at beating us, but you just never know what version of the Eagles is going to show up on any given Sunday.

If Philadelphia can get off to a good start just like they did last week, they should remember to run the ball with Miles Sanders who has been effective as of late. Doug Pederson has abandoned him in the second half in a couple of recent games, and it can’t happen again unless you want to give the Giants to claw their way back into the game. Hoping that Golden Tate doesn’t channel his inner DeVante Parker in a potential revenge game.
Prediction: Eagles 27, Giants 16

-By: Micah Jimoh

Writer/Interviewer