Team is unified, focused on reality

Off the field, Fletcher Cox has been where Derek Barnett is now

PHILADELPHIA – When news broke of Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Derek Barnett's older brother being killed by an alleged drunk driver on Tuesday, at least one of his teammates instantly knew the grief his friend would experience.

Like Barnett, defensive tackle Fletcher Cox lost his older brother too. Like Barnett, Cox didn't get a chance to say goodbye when Shaddrick Cox, who was 34, died of a heart attack in 2015.

Barnett's older brother, David, was 33.

“I texted him,” Cox said. “We all reached out to him. He's with his family right now and I would be the same way. I just told him, ‘stay strong and from my perspective, from my understanding, from what I've been through, people always tell me that it'll get better, and for me it doesn't. It's the truth.'

“I just told him to just stay strong for his family. I know the pain of losing a brother, and when you come back we'll talk about it.”

Cox said he feels his brother is looking down on him and that “I go out and play for him every time that I get a chance to go play.” Barnett is on injured reserve and is out for the season.

Injury updates

Coach Doug Pederson, in Friday's pre-practice press conference, was somewhat vague about the condition of some of his players.

He hinted that defensive tackle Tim Jernigan (back spasms) will be a game-time decision (Sunday, 4:25 p.m. at the Dallas Cowboys). Same for cornerback Avonte Maddox

(knee, ankle).

He did say he expects DE Michael Bennett (foot) and T Jason Peters (ankle, personal issues) to play.

On their final injury report, which came out after practice, LB Jordan Hicks and (calf ) and CB Jalen Mills (foot) were listed as out, which was expected.

Bennett, Jernigan and Maddox

were listed as questionable.

Hicks, Jernigan, Maddox, Mills and Peters (personal issue) did not practice on Friday. Bennett returned to full participation after being limited the day before.

Rock bottom

Since losing by the most lopsided score ever in the Pederson era (48-7 to the New Orleans Saints), the Eagles have rebounded to win two in a row.

Pederson was asked what kept the team from continuing

to descend after that debacle.

“I just credit the leadership of the football team, the guys, the leadership committee, our veteran players, guys that have been … in situations like that,” he said. “It's one thing to, I think, lose a football game, but life goes on outside of this building, and what you see with wildfires and shootings and what life has sort of — what our lives are now, it puts things into perspective.

“And so, yeah, we know we didn't play well. But you know

what? We have players on this team that their lives are affected by having family members around the country that have to go through life struggles, and I know I'm kind of going off on a tangent, but it's just a football game. We do everything we can to win the game, but life is a lot more important than winning a football game.”