Johnson with a rare miss due to ailing knee
PHILADELPHIA >> Eagles right offensive tackle Lane Johnson was scratched from a game against the Cowboys Sunday night with an ailing knee, marking just the second game he’s missed due to injury in a six-year career.
That’s a big deal because the Eagles are 48-29 (.623) in regular season and playoff games with Johnson lined up. He suffered the injury when quarterback Carson Wentz rolled into the back of his knee in the second quarter of the Birds’ win over the Jaguars two Sundays ago at Wembley Stadium.
The Eagles also deactivated cornerback Jalen Mills, who had gone 23 straight starts without missing a game due to injury. Mills was carted off with a foot injury in the third quarter of the win over the Jaguars. With Mills starting the Eagles have a 20-8 (.714) record, including the postseason.
Rasul Douglas replaced Mills at cornerback, and Avonte Maddox, who’d been playing safety, moved to nickel cornerback. Meanwhile, Halapoulivaati Vaitai made his sixth start at right tackle for the Eagles. The three-year veteran made 12 of his 13 starts last season at left tackle, including the playoffs.
Eagles coach Doug Pederson had been adamant in his expectations that Johnson would play against the Cowboys. Johnson was limited at practice throughout the week and listed as questionable on the injury report.
Johnson has been battling a sprained MCL and an ankle injury, the latter sustained in October. Last year he missed one game due to a concussion.
The Eagles also scratched quarterback Nate Sudfeld, cornerback Sidney Jones (hamstring), safety Deiondre Hall and offensive tackle Matt Pryor.
••• Speaking of Mills, the veteran got into a shoving match with defensive assistant Kris Richard and assorted Cowboys when the teams came out in uniform for warmups.
The officials stepped in to end the melodrama just as the crowd began getting into it.
••• George W. Bush, the 43rd president, and former First Lady Laura Bush came out for the coin flip. Bush won the flip for the Cowboys with a call of tails.
And that was booed. The Cowboys deferred.
••• The Cowboys scratched linebackers Sean Lee and Joe Thomas, wide receiver Tavon Austin, guard Connor Williams and defensive linemen Taco Charlton and David Irving. Wide receivers Lance Lenior and Noah Brown were active for the first time this season.
••• Eagles vice president of football operations Howie Roseman is the team’s nominee for the “Salute to Service Award presented by USAA.”
The award honors a league member who demonstrates an exemplary commitment to the military community. The winner gets recognized at the NFL honors awards show in Atlanta the day before Super Bowl LIII.
••• NOTES >> Eagles safety Corey Graham returned to the lineup after missing four games with a hamstring issue. He broke up Dak Prescott’s first pass. … The Cowboys lost All-Pro right guard Zach Martin to a knee injury on their second possession. Defensive tackle Daniel Ross exited in the first quarter with a concussion. … Speculation that Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett would take over the play-calling from coordinator Scott Linehan was just that.