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Jalen Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles will be getting a key contributor back on the field for their Week 12 showdown against the Buffalo Bills at Lincoln Financial Field.
The Eagles activated WR Quez Watkins from injured reserve on Saturday, November 25, in time for Sunday’s game against Buffalo, adding depth to Hurts’ electrifying wide receiving corps.
We’ve activated WR Quez Watkins to the active roster and elevated LB Ben VanSumeren and TE Noah Togiai from the Practice Squad for tomorrow’s game.
In Watkins’ absence, Philadelphia struggled mightily to find a consistent third receiver option behind A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith. Olamide Zaccheaus caught just six passes for 87 yards with a touchdown, and veteran Julio Jones accounted for only four receptions for 16 yards with one touchdown.
Watkins returns, after missing five games due to a hamstring injury, having caught five passes for 21 yards in three appearances so far in the 2023 campaign.
The 25-year-old wide receiver fills the roster spot that came open when the Eagles waived defensive end Derek Barnett.
Through the first 43 games of his career, Watkins has pulled down 87 receptions for 1,128 yards and five touchdowns. Philadelphia is banking on Watkins giving the passing game a boost, against a Bills defense that just held the New York Jets to six points in a Week 11 victory.
The Eagles and Bills kick off at 4:25 p.m. Eastern time.
Eagles Among Favorites to Sign All-Pro LB Shaquille Leonard
General manager Howie Roseman and the Eagles haven’t been shy about bringing in veteran talent midseason, and might have the opportunity to add a dynamic playmaker to Philadelphia’s defense for the stretch-run.
According to a report from ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Eagles and division-rival Dallas Cowboys are among the two teams expressing the most interest in signing former Indianapolis Colts three-time All-Pro Shaq Leonard.
Leonard was waived by the Colts last week, amid a season that saw his playing time and role in the defense drastically diminished. Through the first 10 games of the season, Leonard has 65 total tackles.
If there is a weak link on the Eagles’ defense and a position that lacks quality depth, it would be at linebacker. Leonard would be a significant and immediate upgrade.
Jalen Hurts Dominating Brutal Stretch of Eagles’ Season
The Eagles are in the midst of a grueling stretch of the season that had the potential to determine Philadelphia’s chances of making a run at a second consecutive Super Bowl.
Beginning in Week 8, Philadelphia faced a gauntlet that included games against championship contenders such as the Miami Dolphins, two games against the Cowboys, Kansas City Chiefs, Bills, San Francisco 49ers and the Seattle Seahawks.
So far, the Eagles have dispatched the Dolphins, Cowboys, and Chiefs, to enter Sunday’s slate with a league-best record of 9-1.
Jalen Hurts has been instrumental in the Eagles’ dominance in recent weeks.
Against some of the toughest defenses Hurts will face this season, not to mention some of the league’s most explosive offenses the Eagles needed to keep pace with, Hurts has answered the bell.
Over the past four games, Hurts has completed 72.8 percent of his passes for 955 yards with 8 touchdowns, 2 interceptions, good for a 113.7 passer rating, while adding 92 rushing yards and 4 rushing scores over that span.
If Hurts can sustain any level of play approaching that dominance, the Eagles are going to be a difficult out the rest of this season, and beyond.
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Eagles Getting Key Contributor Back for Week 12 Showdown With Bills