Back to basics for Birds with butterfingers
PHILADELPHIA >> It took a house fire, of all things, to throw national attention on the much less serious issue of dropped passes by the Eagles.
The Birds dropped just three balls entering their game Sunday against the Lions. Unofficially they doubled that total against the Lions with six drops, although the more official numbers coming out in a day or so.
Nelson Agholor already had a reputation from the previous game as he flubbed what could have been the winning touchdown pass against the Falcons, who prevailed.
Little did Agholor know the mistake would go viral in a video that had more than 34,000 likes early Monday afternoon.
Eagles fan Hakim Laws, according to reports, described the harrowing scene at a West Philly house fire with occupants trapped on the upper floors and for the father upstairs, no time to lose.
“My man was just throwing babies out of the window,” Laws said. “And we was catching them — unlike Agholor.”
Agholor, DeSean Jackson and Darren Sproles had one drop apiece entering this past weekend. Agholor, Mack Hollins (two), Jordan Howard, Dallas Goedert and JJ Arcega-Whiteside all dropped passes in the 27-24 loss to the Lions. Goedert dropped a pass in the end zone. Arcega-Whiteside couldn’t hang on to what would have been the game-winner. That’s two straight weeks Eagles receivers couldn’t finish.
Agholor also fumbled a ball away.
Eagles head coach Doug Pederson displayed his you’re kidding me look while rhetorically repeating a question about the drops.
“Teaching points? Catch the ball,” Pederson said. “It’s just focus. It’s just focus and concentration and we have to make sure that we do a better job there and we just continue to work it in practice, throw it to them, whether it’s in individual work or get on the JUGS machine like guys do before and after practice.”
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Pederson is optimistic that receive Alshon Jeffery (calf) will be ready to play Thursday night
Jeffery played hurt the past two seasons. But he sat out the Lions game.
“I’m hoping that he’s ready to go, we’ll see this week,” Pederson said. “We have a couple days.”
Jeffery was listed as questionable for the Lions.
Wide receiver DeSean Jackson is likely to sit out another game as he rehabs an abdominal strain. That’s the kind of injury which could turn into a sports hernia, which is never a good thing for a receiver.
Cornerback Ronald Darby (hamstring) has the worst of the new injuries sustained Sunday by the Eagles.
The medical staff is gathering more information on Darby, who also is coming off ACL surgery.
Pederson didn’t specify the injury but indicated that rookie offensive tackle Andre Dillard (knee) would be OK.
Dillard needed an injury timeout to make his way off the field Sunday.
Jason Peters left in the first half of that game due to a stomachache per Pederson. Peters returned in the second half.
Defensive end Derek Barnett (foot-ankle) exited in the first half but played a limited role in the second half.
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Rookie running back Miles Sanders avoided serious injury on a kickoff return when Lions 220-pound safety Miles Killebrew flew in from the edge, grabbed the facemask of Sanders and spun him around by it, popping the helmet off.
Referee Tony Corrente and his seven-man crew all whiffed on the call.
Pederson didn’t see it initially either, which is why his quote immediately after the game was hilarious.
Asked about the play on which his player’s head almost was ripped off, Pederson replied “It appeared on the field it might have been a face mask.”
Look for Killebrew to be fined despite the non-call.
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NOTES >> The Eagles are four-point underdogs versus the Packers (3-0) at Lambeau Field. The Packers are among four teams unbeaten this season that missed the postseason in 2018. The Bills, Lions and 49ers are the others … The Thursday night game will be televised by the NFL Network and by Fox 29. It’s also on Amazon Prime’s Fox stream.