Key players skip practice for Birds
PHILADELPHIA >> Five would-be starting Eagles sat out practice Wednesday, including Fletcher Cox, the club’s best defensive player.
Cox (ankle), defensive end Derek Barnett (shoulder), running backs Darren Sproles (hamstring) and Corey Clement (quadriceps) and wide receiver Alshon Jeffery (chest) got the afternoon off.
Offensive tackle Jason Peters (quadriceps) was listed as limited in practice.
Sproles hasn’t played since the opener. Clement was scratched last week, and Jeffery is coming off his season debut.
While head coach Doug Pederson was vague discussing the injuries, he conceded that the loss of the duo has impacted a running game that now can no longer turn the corner and get outside.
“When you don’t have Darren or Corey, those are kind of the guys that took the edge just a little bit,” Pederson said. “It changes. Not saying you limit yourself but at the same time you put in schemes that your backs are comfortable in running and that they’re good at.”
It doesn’t look like reinforcements are on the way at defensive tackle or in the secondary, where two weekends ago, the Eagles lost safety Rodney McLeod to a knee injury.
Though tackle Tim Jernigan is eligible to come off the non-football injury (NFI) reserve list in two weeks, Pederson was anything but optimistic when given the chance to say Jernigan would return this season.
“He’s a guy that we’ll just continue to monitor,” Pederson said. “I don’t want to put a cap on him. Don’t want to limit him in any way and any other expectation than just him getting better and healthy at this time.”
Jernigan had surgery for a mysterious back injury that occurred over the offseason. He was a force last year, the Eagles signing him to a big contract extension. In the Super Bowl, Jernigan clocked 39 snaps, one assisted tackle and two quarterback hurries. He played 27 snaps with zero tackles in the NFC title game and contributed one assist in 29 snaps in the divisional playoff round.
At safety, veteran Chris Maragos is eligible to come off the physically unable to perform (PUP) list in Week 7. While Maragos is hopeful of returning this year, the decision is out of his hands as it’s up to the doctors, and the team, to clear him.
The quad injury to Peters could be a graceful way of giving the
36-year-old a week to freshen up after he struggled last weekend.
“From time to time it flares up on him but he’s tough,” Pederson said. “He’s working through it. He’s managing it and getting treatment on it every day. You see it a little bit. It may show on tape a little bit here and there but he’s dealing with it. He’s fighting through it and playing pretty good actually.”
Halapoulivaati Vaitai is the fillin if Peters can’t play.
The Eagles have medical decisions to make as early as Week
9 with wide receivers Mack Hollins (groin) and Mike Wallace (fibula), and tight end Richard Rodgers (knee).
The group is on injured reserve. Two players can be activated before the end of the season.
••• Pederson referred to Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins Wednesday as “Kurt,” which brought back memories of Cousins’ tour with the Redskins.
Redskins president Bruce Allen alienated Cousins when contract talks broke off last year by calling him Kurt. Cousins ultimately exited to sign a fully guaranteed three-year, $84 million deal with the Vikings.
Cousins leads the league in attempts (189), completions (131), passes attempted per game (47.3) and passes completed per game
(32.8). Cousins has completed 69.3 percent of his attempts with 10 TDs, two interceptions and a 103.6 passer rating.
•••
The Vikings (1-2-1) are getting gashed by opposing quarterbacks, who have completed 65.6 percent of their attempts with eight TDs, three interceptions and a gaudy
105.9 passer rating.
They gave up 35 pass plays of more than 20 yards last season. In four games they’ve surrendered 17 of at least 20 yards.
“I think maybe we’ve gotten away from some of the principles that have gotten us good,” head coach Mike Zimmer said on a conference call. “So, we’ve just got to get back to doing things better. I don’t think it’s a panic situation. We’ve just got to do a better job of the things we’re trying to execute.”