Wentz shines late, Fulgham for real

Only 2 starters from the original starting cast are still playing for the Eagles

PHILADELPHIA — No matter what they do, the Eagles keep losing players to injuries.

They were in a crisis before Sunday’s game against the Baltimore Ravens. By the end of their 30-28 defeat, it was beyond anything imaginable.

They finished with just two starters, quarterback Carson Wentz and center Jason Kelce, from the original starting cast assembled in the offseason.

“And I would even say that Kelce and Carson were banged up, too ,” coach Doug Pederson added.

Here’s a look back and what it port ends for the road ahead for this 1-4-1 team, which hasn’t had a record this poor after six games since 1998:

What went right

■ Wentz took command during a fourth-quarter comeback that put the Eagles on the brink of tying the game with less than 2 minutes remaining in regulation. He even scrambled for a 40-yard gain to set up one touchdown. This, despite being hit 16 times and sacked six times. The stats (21 of 40, 213 yards, two TD passes, one TD run) don’t reflect how well he did in this game.

■ Wide receiver J.J. Arcega-Whiteside was in the end zone to alertly pounce on the football that was punched from the grasp of teammate Miles Sanders at the end of a 74-yard run in the third quarter for the Eagles’ first points.

■ Travis Fulgham, onthe practice squad to start the season, solidified himself as the team’s No. 1 receiver perhaps even after DeSean Jackson, Jalen Reagor and Dallas Goedert return from their injuries. If they return at all. He finished with game highs of six receptions and 75 receiving yards.

What went wrong

■ The offense couldn’t get out of its own way in the first half, thanks in large part to amakeshift line that featured too many protection breakdowns and new right guard Jamon Brown, who was in over his head from the start.

■Once again, the defense failed to provide any takeaways and folded on both of Baltimore’s trips to the red zone in the first half. Baltimore did fail on a fourth-quarter red zone possession, thanks to quarterback Lamar Jackson taking a knee on the final two plays to mercifully kill the clock.

■ Rookie wide receiver John Hightower dropped another potential TD pass on their first series, which could have changed the complexion of the game.

■ Jake Elliott missed a 52-yard field goal and the Eagles failed on a pair of two-point conversion attempts in the two-point loss.

What stood out

■ Thedecision as well as the play Pederson called — a direct snap to backup quarterback Jalen Hurts, who was instantly stymied — to go for two points after their first touchdown. “At that time, it just gives you the best probability to win the game,” Pederson said. “In that situation, you go for two and then you’re down a touchdown and a field goal wins the game, obviously, if things stay status quo. Just gave us the best probability at that point to win.”

■ The deficient play of Brown, who was in for the injured Matt Pryor, who was in for Nate Her big, who was forced to switch to the left side when Isaac Seumalo was injured. All of this started when original right guard Brandon Brooks tore an Achilles tendon.

■ Tight end Zach Ertz caught just four passes for 33 yards on 10 targets before leaving with an ankle injury. Through six games, he has just 24 catches with a career-low average of 7.4 yards per reception.

■ The Eagles have so many injuries that their staff can’t even keep track. Despite having acquired backup tackle Brett Toth for their active roster before their game against Pittsburgh the week before, Toth still wasn’t listed on the updated rosters distributed to the media before this game. What’s more, his name wasn’t announced as one of the additions teams routinely make to their rosters after they’re printed three or four days ahead of time.

Cheers

■ Emergency tight end Jason Croom played just one snap with the offense and made it count by catching a 3-yard touchdownpass to start a fourth-quarter comeback that nearly enabled the Eagles to pull it out.

■ Sanders broke another long run (74 yards) and has finished with more than 100 yards from scrimmage in four of his five games this season.

■ In his first career start, linebacker Alex Singleton led the Eagles with nine tackles.

■ Defensive end Brandon Graham contributed two more sacks to run his season total to 5, putting him on pace at age 32 to surpass his career high of 9.5 sacks, set in 2017.

Jeers

■ The snap was good, the hold was good, the wind wasn’t much of an issue, but Elliott missed a field goal attempt from 52 yards on the final play of the first half, which sent the Eagles to the locker room with a 17-0 deficit. Elliott suddenly has become one of the least dependable kickers in the league from long range. He’s 1 for 4 this season from 50-plus yards and only 5 for 13 from that distance since they won the Super

Eagles injuries

The Eagles will be without some emerging players and bunch of established performers for Thursday night’s game against the New York Giants, according to ESPN’s Chris Mortensen.

Running back Miles Sanders (knee) will miss at least one game while the Eagles are looking at possible multiple-week absences for tight end Zach Ertz (ankle), defensive tackle Malik Jackson (quad) and offensive tackle Jack Driscoll (ankle).

Bowl.

■ The middle of the defense parted like the Red Sea for quarterback Lamar Jackson to go straight up the middle on third down and score on a 37-yard run in the third quarter.