Lineman Driscoll reportedly out for season
The hits keep coming to the Eagles offensive line unit.
Right tackle Jack Driscoll will miss the remainder of the season, according to a report by Mike Garafalo of the NFL Network.
Driscoll suffered a significant MCL sprain in Sunday’s 24-21 win over New Orleans, yet managed to play the entire game. It was the first time this season all five Eagles starters on the offensive line played every snap.
Driscoll was a fourth-round draft pick this year and provided depth to a veteran-laid unit. However, a slew of injuries forced Driscoll into a starting role. The Eagles have started 12 offensive line combinations in 13 games.
Last week, Driscoll said he was looking forward to building chemistry on the offensive line over the final month of the season. With rookie Jalen Hurts making his starting debut last week, the line didn’t allow a sack for the first time all season.
“It’s something that’s so important,” he said. “You look at the great O-lines that the Eagles have had in the past decade, no matter who’s out there, it’s not an excuse to play bad or it’s not an excuse to get the quarterback hit or not run the ball effectively. I think the thing that’s good about our room is we’re holding each other accountable. We’re not saying that we haven’t played next to each other or I’m a rookie or I’m a second-year guy. We’ve got to go out there help the Philadelphia Eagles win games, no matter what.”
Matt Pryor could be in line to take the place of Driscoll Sunday in Arizona.
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Rodney McLeod’s season-ending injury (ACL tear) is the latest blow to the Eagles secondary.
And once again, coordinator Jim Schwartz is working with new guys off the practice squad, most recently cornerback Kevon Seymour, who was promoted prior to Sunday’s game.
In addition to McLeod at safety, top cornerbacks Darius Slay and Avonte Maddox also departed Sunday with ailments.
“It’s certainly not an ideal situation,” Schwartz said during a Zoom call Tuesday morning. “I think the biggest thing is you have to balance your game plan versus the skillset of the guys that you have. Every player has strengths. Every player has weaknesses. Whether you’re up from the practice squad or you’re a six-time Pro Bowl player, every player has strengths and weaknesses, and you have to balance what you need to do in the game plan versus what your match-ups are and what the skill set of the players are.
“I think that every week is a little bit different depending on what the game plan is and as you adjust in the game, but I think you need to balance both of them. I think those guys really did a good job of stepping in and helping us win that game. It wasn’t always easy for them. Gave up a couple plays, but when it was all said and done, they made enough plays to win the game.”
The loss of McLeod, the quarterback of the secondary, will sting the most. Last week McLeod was the named the Eagles nomination for the prestigious Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award.
“If I know Rodney, and he’s done this before when he was injured, he stays really involved with the team,” Schwartz said. “He keeps his leadership up. He did that last time. ... He found a way to contribute, even though it wasn’t going to be physically on the field. That’s the kind of guy he is. That’s the kind of leader he is. That’s why he’s been such an important part of our defense over the last five years here.”
“I would say this about Rodney ... he’s proved he can come back from an injury like this.”
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Kicker Jake Elliot poured a cold bucket of water over the Eagles’ otherwise perfect first half last week when he botched a 22-yard field goal in the final seconds of the second quarter.
The fourth-year pro is 1-for-3 on field goal attempts inside the 30 and has made just 13 of 18 overall attempts, the worst percentage of his career. It’s been a bizarre downfall for Elliot, who was one of the most reliable kickers in the league the previous three seasons. He also missed extra points in the prior two games against Green Bay and Seattle.
Elliot’s struggles this year have been a constant topic of conversation for special teams coordinator Dave Fipp during his weekly press conferences.
“It’s unacceptable for us,” Fipp said. “I think just like any player in any times like this, you go back to fundamentals and your routine ... and you stay the course. He’s a talented player.”
Fipp mentioned that it could be a confidence problem, but was quick to point out that he misspoke.
“I don’t know if he has a lot of confidence, I’m sure he does have a lot of confidence in himself,” Fipp said. “I’m also not naive to the fact that he has struggled a little here the last three weeks, so I’m sure that takes a toll on you.”
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The strip sack by defensive end Josh Sweat in the fourth quarter against the Saints helped the Eagles seal an improbable victory over the 10-2 Saints.
But according the Schwartz, it was a blown call. Linebacker Shaun Bradley had to hurry back to cover wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders, who was left open in the middle of the field. This quick fix caused quarterback Taysom Hill to hesitate and hold the ball for a second too long, allowing Sweat the chance to swarm in and get the sack.
“Our worst execution of a defensive call was Josh Sweat’s forced fumble. They came out, we had miscommunication there,” Schwartz said. “But Shaun Bradley, who was out there pretty much for his first extended playing time, did a good job getting a receiver covered down the middle even though we didn’t have the overlap that we needed, we were able to buy a little bit of time for Josh to come back.”
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Pro Bowl center Jason Kelce is one of eight finalists for the Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award, the league announced in a press release Tuesday.
The award is presented each year to a player “who best demonstrates the qualities of one-field sportsmanship, including fair play, respect for the game and opponents, and integrity in competition.”
The other seven finalists are defensive tackle Calais Campbell (Baltimore), defensive end Justin Houston (Indianapolis), wide receiver Matthew Slater (New England), quarterback Teddy Bridgewater (Carolina), linebacker Lavonte David (Tampa Bay) and fullback Kyle Juszczyk (San Francisco).
A panel of former players from the NFL Legends Community selected the eight finalists, who will be listed on the Pro Bowl ballot under the NFL Sportsmanship Award category.
The award was created in 2014 in honor of late founding owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Art Rooney, Sr. Kelce is a firsttime nominee in 2020.