Report: Jonnu Smith’s ankle injury considered minor

Smith is expected to be questionable for Week 7.

Tennessee Titans tight end Jonnu Smith suffered an ankle injury during the Week 6 contest against the Houston Texans, but it looks like he’s avoided anything major.

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Smith’s injury is a sprain and is considered minor. He’s expected to be questionable for the Week 7 tilt with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Smith suffered the injury during the third quarter, and while it looked like he might return after testing it out on the sideline, he never did. He finished with one catch for 13 yards.

The fourth-year pro has been sensational for the Titans this season. He leads all Titans pass-catchers in receiving yards (234) and touchdowns (five) after five games of action.

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Titans’ Taylor Lewan reveals he has torn ACL, thanks fans for support

Lewan took to Twitter to share the bad news.

Tennessee Titans left tackle Taylor Lewan took to Twitter on Monday to reveal that he has in fact torn his ACL, which means he will miss the remainder of the 2020 season.

Lewan suffered the injury during the third quarter of the Titans’ Week 6 win over the Houston Texans.

“I wanted to let everyone know I got an MRI today. I Tore my ACL yesterday against Houston. Don’t feel sorry for me, I’m going to handle this rehab like a Pro and come back better than ever,” Lewan tweeted.

“I can’t wait to watch my guys crush it, I’m going to be the biggest titans fan each and every Sunday,” he continued. “We are doing something special here and this small set back doesn’t change a thing!”

The Titans substituted swing tackle Ty Sambrailo in Lewan’s place after he exited. Sambrailo has been the go-to guy for the Titans whenever Lewan has been forced to miss snaps this season.

However, it remains to be seen if Sambrailo will be the long-term solution after he struggled on Sunday. It’s possible the Titans move Dennis Kelly over to the left side and use either Sambrailo or 2020 first-round pick Isaiah Wilson opposite him.

Of course, that will depend upon how ready Wilson is. For now, we’d guess Sambrailo will get a shot at left tackle at first and the Titans will take things from there.

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Ron Rivera says rookie Saahdiq Charles proved he was ‘something else’ before injury

Saahdiq Charles only got to play two snaps in his NFL debut before getting injured, but Rivera noted that he turned heads in those two snaps.

One of the things that we were most excited to see on Sunday afternoon when the Washington Football Team took the field was how the revamped offensive line held up. With two new reinforcements at the guard position — Pro-Bowler Brandon Scherff and rookie Saahdiq Charles — it was expected to be a much more palatable performance, with the offensive line improved as a whole.

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Unfortunately, that excitement was taken away from us two plays into the game, when Charles went down with a knee injury after his leg buckled under him while blocking. He eventually walked off the field gingerly and made his way to the locker room. He later returned to the sideline with his helmet in hand but never made it back onto the field.

It may have been a disappointing debut for Charles, but head coach Ron Rivera is choosing to take some of the positives from it. He said when talking to the media on Monday morning that the rookie was very impressive in his two career snaps.

With almost as limited as a workload as you can have, take that for what it’s worth. The good news is that LG Wes Schweitzer looked solid in replacement of Charles, so the front line should at least be able to tread water while the rookie makes his way back to the field. We don’t yet have an update on his injury timeline, but it’s clear that when he does return, this coaching staff is all in on getting him onto the field and becoming one of their best offensive linemen.

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Eagles head coach Doug Pederson is non-committal on Matt Pryor starting at RG if he’s cleared on a short week

Eagles head coach Doug Pederson is non-committal on Matt Pryor starting at RG if he’s cleared on a short week

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The Philadelphia Eagles have a problem at the right guard position and it’s not certain that Matt Pryor will be available to provide a remedy or solution. Matt Pryor missed Sunday’s game against the Ravens after being placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list.

Jamon Brown struggled at right guard and on Monday when asked about the availability of Pryor for Thursday night, Pederson was non-committal on him returning with a short week.

Against the Ravens vaunted defense, Brown surrendered 2 sacks, 4 hits, 3 hurries, and 9 pressures, according to PFF. If Pryor can’t play, the Eagles could turn to Sua Opeta at right guard as well.

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Doug Pederson ‘optimistic’ the Eagles could have, DeSean Jackson, Alshon Jeffery and Lane Johnson for game vs. Giants

Doug Pederson has no update on the status of Lane Johnson, DeSean Jackson

The Philadelphia Eagles will enter Monday with a short week of preparation for the team’s Thursday night matchup with the New York Giants. As Pederson awaits medical updates on several Eagles players, the head coach was “optimistic” that he’ll have DeSean Jackson, Alshon Jeffery, and Lane Johnson available for a huge NFC East matchup.

Jackson has missed the previous four games and was hopeful for the game against Baltimore before being ruled out. Jeffery has been working to get back since having Lisfranc surgery and could be available as well.

Johnson has been dealing with ankle issues all season and could be held out until at least the Week 8 matchup with Dallas.

Eagles snap counts vs. the Ravens: Genard Avery loses reps with Vinny Curry’s return

Eagles snap counts vs. the Ravens: Breakdown, analysis

The Philadelphia Eagles overcame a 17 point halftime deficit to get within one two-point conversion away from pushing the Baltimore Ravens into overtime. There are no moral victories in the NFL, but the Eagles proved that they can play with anyone if they execute.

With the Ravens in the rearview mirror, we take a look at Sunday’s snap count.

***

Quarterback: Carson Wentz 72 snaps, Jalen Hurts 7 snaps

Hurts saw more action again on Sunday and his presence helped open things up for the Eagles offense against a Ravens defense that had been swarming. Hurts will likely see more action because the Eagles simply need to throw other defenses off.

Offensive Line: Jordan Mailata 72 snaps, Jamon Brown 72 snaps, Nate Herbig 72 snaps, Jason Kelce 72 snaps, Jack Driscoll 55 snaps, Bret Toth 17 snaps, Sua Opeta 4 snaps.

Brown was awful at right guard on Sunday and gave up a sack on the games first play from scrimmage. With Matt Pryor out, Brown was not the answer and the Eagles could look to shuffle some guys around before Thursday.

Running Back: Miles Sanders 29 snaps, Boston Scott 35 snaps, Corey Clement 7 snaps,

Sanders again broke off a long 74 run, he again went over 100 yards rushing in the contest despite not getting more than 9 carries and Sanders again left the game with an injury. The Eagles star running back will have an MRI on Monday for his ailing knee.

Wide Receivers: Greg Ward 58 snaps, Travis Fulgham 58 snaps, John Hightower 43 snaps, Quez Watkins 15 snaps, J.J. Arcega-Whiteside 12 snaps

Arcega-Whiteside finally got on the scoreboard, catching a two-point conversion and scoring a touchdown after recovering a Miles Sanders fumble on his long run. Ward and Fulgham were again consistent, with Fulgham getting the Eagles within two with a late touchdown over Marcus Peters.
Ward only saw three targets and had two receptions for 19 yards.

Tight End: Zach Ertz 48 snaps, Richard Rodgers 43 snaps, Jason Croom 1 snap

Ertz was targeted 10 times but only had four receptions for 33 yards, while Croom’s one offensive play resulted in a touchdown.

***

Defensive Line: Fletcher Cox 57 snaps, Brandon Graham 44 snaps, Javon Hargrave 42 snaps, Derek Barnett 40 snaps, Josh Sweat 36 snaps, Malik Jackson 32 snaps, Vinny Curry 19 snaps, Hassan Ridgeway 15 snaps

Graham now ranks tied for fourth in the NFL in sacks with five after logging two against the Ravens. Josh Sweat continues to ascend and the Eagles defensive front as a whole has been nasty lately.

Linebackers: Nate Gerry 68 snaps, Alex Singleton 65 snaps, Shaun Bradley 32 snaps, Davion Taylor 11 snaps, Genard Avery 7.

Vinny Curry’s return limited Genard Avery’s snaps in a big way, while rookies Shaun Bradley and Davion Taylor are slowing seeing more time on the field. Gerry and Singleton both logged 9 tackles on Sunday.

Defensive Backs: Rodney McLeod 73 snaps, Darius Slay 73 snaps, Nickell Robey-Coleman 62 snaps, Jalen Mills 62 snaps, Will Parks 39, Cre’Von LeBlanc 23 snaps, Elijah Riley 2 snaps, Craig James 1 snap

McLeod is channeling his inner Malcolm Jenkins this season, logging all 73 snaps on defense and leading the Eagles by example. Will Parks made a difference in his Eagles debut while Elijah Riley logged a snap at safety.

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Eagles open as 6-point favorites for Thursday night matchup with Giants

Eagles open as 6-point favorites for Week 7 matchup vs. the Giants

The Philadelphia Eagles badly need a win and the remedy could come in a Week 7 matchup against the New York Giants at home on Thursday Night Football.

Per BetMGM, the Eagles (1-4-1) have opened up as six-point favorites at home against the Giants (1-5).

DeSean Jackson, who was out Sunday against Baltimore due to a hamstring injury, is expected to return for Thursday night’s game and could help alleviate some of Philadelphia’s downfield passing woes.

Philadelphia Eagles to sign DE Shareef Miller to their practice squad

Shareef Miller signing to the Philadelphia Eagles practice squad

The Eagles are set to bring a hometown kid back home, as Tom Pelissero is reporting that former Penn State star pass rusher, Shareef Miller is set to sign with Philadelphia’s practice squad.

Miller was a fourth-round pick of Philadelphia during the 2019 NFL Draft but was waived by the Eagles prior to the start of the regular season and picked up by the Panthers.

The Panthers waived Miller after he was inactive for each of the first three games this season to clear roster space for Eli Apple’s (ankle/foot) return to the lineup.

Report: Titans’ Taylor Lewan might have torn ACL

If Lewan indeed suffered a torn ACL, it would be a devastating blow to the Titans.

Tennessee Titans left tackle Taylor Lewan suffered a knee injury in the third quarter of the team’s 42-36 win over the Houston Texans on Sunday, and it isn’t looking good.

According to FOX Sports’ Jay Glazer, it is feared that Lewan has a torn ACL, which would end his 2020 season. Lewan will get an MRI on Monday to determine the severity of the injury.

When Lewan initially went down, it looked like a non-contact injury and he appeared to be in serious pain.

If it is indeed the worst-case scenario, losing Lewan will be a huge blow to the Titans, as he’s one of the premier left tackles in the sport and replacing him will be impossible.

Lewan has missed some snaps this season with different injuries, and each time swing tackle Ty Sambrailo has taken his place. It remains to be seen if that will be the approach the Titans take if Lewan misses the remainder of the season.

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Packers lose LT David Bakhtiari to chest injury vs. Bucs

The Packers’ All-Pro left tackle left Sunday’s game against the Bucs with a chest injury.

The Green Bay Packers are down 18 points and now down their All-Pro left tackle on Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

David Bakhtiari went down on a third-quarter running play and exited the game with a chest injury. He walked off the field and eventually walked back to the locker room after consultation in the medical tent on the sideline.

The Packers say Bakhtiari is questionable to return.

Replacing Bakhtiari at left tackle was veteran Rick Wagner, who generally plays right tackle. A drive after Bakhtiari exited, Jason Pierre-Paul beat Wagner for a sack.

Bakhtiari is a four-time All-Pro and two-time Pro Bowler. He is playing the 2020 season on the final year of his contract.