Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
Pederson keeping a stiff upper lip
The hits just keep coming for the Eagles, but in the wake of their lastminute, 22-21 win over the wee-bit more woeful New York Giants at Lincoln Financial Field Thursday night, coach Doug Pederson is promising some of his many lost players are going to be coming back, too.
Among the holdover injury notables looking to soon return are tight end Dallas Goedert, receiver Alshon Jeffery and running back Miles Sanders.
Of course, there’s a big difference between wanting to return and actually doing it.
“Obviously, these guys are all rehabbing and working,” Pederson said of the three aforementioned injured Eagles. “(They’re) working today, working through the weekend. We’ll see where guys like Dallas and Miles and Alshon, we’ll see where they’re at in the beginning ... or really, the middle of next week.”
The Eagles won’t play again until Nov. 1, when they host the Dallas Cowboys in a Sunday Night Football showdown which likely will be for the NFC East lead.
Everyone invited should try to contain their excitement.
“Sitting on top of the NFC East, obviously, is a good thing,” Pederson managed to say with a straight face during his Friday Zoom show. “The fact that we were two scores down and came back to win (Thursday’s) football game, that’s a huge positive with the amount of injuries that have piled up on our offense. It shows the resiliency of our entire football team.”
The Eagles, then, are grateful for the extra preparation and healing time. Pederson said he’s optimistic that lesser known injured players such as linebacker T.J. Edwards and safety Rudy Ford, alongwith previously struggling future Hall of Fame lineman Jason Peters, have a shot to all get back onto the active list by then.
Jeffery and the much needed backfield weapon Sanders (knee) are also hopeful of returning to face the Cowboys.
But while hope springs eternal for players returning for one of the NFL’s most beaten up teams, the Eagles don’t have far to try not to look to know that other injuries are piling up.
Like fellow injury detainee Zach Ertz, who will likely miss at least a few more weeks with a high ankle sprain, Jeffery, 30, has been heavily rumored to be on the Nov. 3 Election Day trading block. But interest in Ertz likely fell off the map with his injury, and Jeffery, out all season with lingering effects of a Lisfranc injury, can only hope to get back into action against Dallas to at least give any interested parties a fair look at him.
Meanwhile, with Jeffery already missing, Carson Wentz’s choice of receivers was really stinging with DeSean Jackson missing three games due to a hamstring issue. He finally bounced back into the fray Thursday night, and had three catches for 34 yards. But on a punt return in the fourth quarter, Jackson was doubled up, getting hit in the head by New York’s Corey Ballentine, then hit low by Madre Harper, sending Jackson twisting to the turf.
Ball en ti ne would be penalized for leading with his helmet in dangerous fashion, and the Eagles responded in kind by shipping video of the hit to the league for disciplinary consideration.
“It’s unfortunate because of the injury, but that’s something that’s in the league’s hands,” Pederson said. “If there’s any ramifications, it will come down from them.”
But it was probably Harper’s hit which did the most damage, as Jackson was left with what an MRI confirmed to be a high ankle sprain. He’ll goon IR for a minimum of three weeks, but probably for longer than that.
“He’s going to miss significant time,” Pederson said of Jackson.
Another injury from Thursday night was worse, as Pederson said defensive tackle Has san Ridge way will miss the remainder of the season with a biceps injury.
Also sidelined will be offensive tackle Lane Johnson (again), this time spraining an MCL but apparently not all that severely. Johnson is considered week to week with the injury.
••• With both Goedert and Ertz sidelined, Pederson pointed to the yeoman’s work performed by backup tight end Richard Rodgers, who stepped in as a starter and filled in admirably.
“He had a really good ball game,” Pederson said of the seldom used Rodgers, who wound up with six catches for 85 yards on eight targets against the Giants. “(He) played tough, physical, he played fast, made some really good catches.
“He filled in really well and expect more of that moving forward with him in that position.”
••• While effusively praising Carson Wentz for leading a pair of late touchdown drives that earned a one-point victory, Pederson noted Wentz was off his game a bit early, especially with the decision to throw the pass that was picked off by the Giants in their end zone in the second quarter. “
“I think everybody knows that we can’t do that,” Pederson said. “That’s unacceptable for us and I think Carson
feels the sameway. In situations like that, you throw it away ... you throw it in the first row of stands. Just a mistake we’d like to have back.”
••• NOTES » If and when Peters comes back, Pederson said he’ll at least ponder moving him to guard, since Jordan Mailata has fared well in Peters’ stead at tackle. Still to be determined, though. ... Kicker Jake Elliott’s sliced chip shot in the second quarter represented his third straight week with a miss, and his first ever from inside 30 yards. Reason to worry? “I’ve got somuch confidence in Jake, he’s made so many big kicks for us,” Pederson said. “I’ve got a lot of confidence in him. It doesn’t affect my decision one way or another to put him out there or not put him out there. We’ve just got to keep working through it.”