Getty Eagles CB Darius Slay has been a revelation in his first season in Philadelphia.
The Philadelphia Eagles released their final injury report ahead of Sunday’s game. It included five names, including four starters, but only one player has officially been ruled out. Special-teams ace and backup safety Rudy Ford (hamstring) won’t make the trip to Green Bay.
The team also listed shutdown cornerback Darius Slay (calf) as questionable after he was limited for a second straight day. Defensive tackle Fletcher Cox (neck) was also limited on Friday but he’s expected to suit up. Meanwhile, tight end Zach Ertz (ankle) and linebacker T.J. Edwards (hamstring) were full participants and carry no injury designation. Both players are good to go, per head coach Doug Pederson.
Slay’s injury is a bit alarming since the Packers possess one of the NFL’s deadliest receivers in Davante Adams. He has 74 receptions for 908 yards and 11 touchdowns in nine games for the Packers. If Slay can’t play on Sunday, the Eagles would be forced to start undrafted rookie Michael Jacquet or move slot corner Nickell Robey-Coleman to the outside. Avonte Maddox remains the starter on the other side, looking to block out the memory from last year’s brutal concussion at Lambeau Field.
#PHIvsGB Status Report
“It’s not going to be on my mind,” Maddox told reporters on Thursday. “The only thing that’s going to be on my mind is the game. But when I first walk in, I’ll definitely thank God for still having this opportunity to play this game, because that definitely was a huge injury there.”
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Jordan Howard’s Time to Shine?
When the Eagles first brought back Jordan Howard two weeks ago, it was thought he would jump right into the backfield rotation. Unfortunately, it has taken the veteran running back longer than expected to get up to speed thanks to COVID-19 protocols. The team protected him on their practice squad earlier this week, but Pederson remained non-committal on if he’ll be elevated to the active roster.
“There is a possibility, you know, he had a good week,” Pederson said. “He had a really good game last year and it just comes down to today and tomorrow [at practice] to see where our numbers fall out, with special teams and Coach [Dave] Fipp and what he needs, and we’ll go from there.”
The game the head coach was referring to was Week 4 in 2019 agasint the Packers when Howard busted loose for 87 yards on 15 carries. He had three total touchdowns in that one, two on the ground and one through the air.
Ertz Expected to Play vs. Green Bay Packers
Ertz’s return should be a huge boost for the Eagles’ stagnant offense. The three-time Pro Bowl tight end has been out of commission since Week 7 and last played on Oct. 18.
“I think it can, for sure,” quarterback Carson Wentz said of Ertz giving them a jolt. “Just knowing what he can bring to the offense whether we’re in 12 [personnel] and putting him and Dallas [Goedert] on the field at the same time, great to create mismatches and do a lot of different things — and a guy I have built up a lot of trust and confidence in over the years. I think that will be a nice spark for this offense and hopefully, he’ll be ready to go.”
Wish granted. Ertz is ready to go this week.
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