The Philadelphia Eagles are absolutely decimated heading into their Week 9 showdown against the New York Giants, with a staggering six players already ruled OUT. DeVonta Smith and Dontayvion Wicks, two key wide receivers, haven’t even played since Week 6. Talk about a tough break for new starting quarterback Joe Milton, who’s gonna need to find some chemistry fast with a seriously thin receiving corps.
Philly’s Receiving Corps is Scraped Bare and the Defense Has Holes
With Smith and Wicks on the sidelines, plus Britain Covey also out with a knee injury, the Eagles are down to just four active wideouts: Darius Cooper, Makai Lemon, Hollywood Brown, and Elijah Moore. Look, Makai Lemon is expected to see the most targets, but how is Milton supposed to truly gel with this group when they’re missing so much firepower? This is a massive challenge for their offense. It’s not just the offense, though. On defense, linebacker Jihaad Campbell is missing his second straight start due to hamstring and quad issues. That means Jeremiah Trotter Jr. is stepping in again next to Zack Baun. And get this: Michael Carter II, an important safety and nickel cornerback, is out with an abdomen injury, leaving the secondary thinner than usual. Plus, their top backup outside cornerback, Jonathan Jones, is sidelined with a hamstring issue. Covey’s absence means Cooper DeJean will be handling punt returns. You can’t just lose this many starters and key backups without feeling it.
McKee’s Mystery Ribs and Saquon Barkley Pushing Through Pain
Then there’s the Tanner McKee situation, and frankly, it’s just plain odd. The Eagles have him listed as QUESTIONABLE for Sunday. He was a full participant in practice on Wednesday, dealing with a chest injury. But then, on Thursday and Friday, he was limited, and the injury changed to a rib issue. What’s going on there? It makes you wonder if they’re just gonna make him the emergency third quarterback behind starter Joe Milton and backup Cole Payton. But wait, there’s more! Saquon Barkley was a DNP on Wednesday, then limited on Thursday and Friday. You’d think the smart move would be to rest him, especially with his workload, but the report says they’re not going to. The guy’s clearly dinged up, but he’s pushing through. Jalyx Hunt was limited all week in practice but is still expected to play. It shows you the kind of gritty determination, or maybe desperation, this team is dealing with right now. Guys like Jake Elliott, Jonathan Greenard, Jordan Mailata, Landon Dickerson, Dallas Goedert, Zack Baun, Jordan Davis, Moro Ojomo, Markel Bell, and Kenny Moore II were all on the injury report this week too, but they’re playing without a game status. That’s a lot of bruised bodies taking the field.
Giants Also Hurting, But the Eagles Have a Mountain to Climb
The New York Giants have their own issues, with leading rusher Cam Skattebo ruled doubtful with a hamstring injury, which is a big loss for them. Wide receiver Charlie Jones is also questionable with a hand injury. So, it’s not like the Giants are coming in completely healthy. But man, the Eagles are really up against it this week. With so many key players out, especially in the receiving game, and a new QB trying to find his footing, Sunday’s game is going to be a true test of grit and depth. It’s a next-man-up mentality, for sure, but they are going to have to dig deep to pull out a win.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bleeding Green Nation.
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