Tag: Philadelphia Eagles

Will A.J. Brown play in Week 16? Injury updates for Eagles WR

A.J. Brown may be dealing with a knee injury. Here are the latest updates on the Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver

The Eagles are set for a critical NFC East matchup with the Washington Commanders, and A.J. Brown could be a player to watch over the next 48 hours.

Brown appeared on the injury report following Thursday’s practice with a knee/rest designation.   Asked if Brown suffered an injury during that session, Nick Sirianni referred to his star wide receiver as limited ahead of Friday’s session.

Asked if Brown will play, Sirianni stated, “we’ll see.”

Brown appeared to avoid a serious injury late in Philadelphia’s win over Pittsburgh when James Pierre got away with a hip-drop tackle after the Eagles star secured a late fourth-quarter catch.

Even with Brown’s injury/rest day, Everyone on the active roster was on the Eagles’ practice field on Thursday. Second-year safety Sydney Brown, who suffered a concussion in Sunday’s win over the Steelers, returned to practice.

Brown has 56 catches (tied for 35th in the NFL), 946 yards (11th in the NFL), five touchdowns, and a 16.9 yards per catch average.

If Brown can’t play, Johnny Wilson or Jahan Dotson would get the start, unlike DeVonta Smith.

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Jalen Hurts fined for wearing cleats that weren’t Eagles team colors

Jalen Hurts fined $5,628 for wearing cleats that weren’t Eagles team colors

The Eagles have a Kelly Green and Midnight Green look, but Jalen Hurts violated an NFL rule by debuting two different cleats in the 27-13 win over the Steelers.

Last Sunday, Hurts decided to wear mismatch cleats, and the league fined Philadelphia’s star quarterback close to $6,000.

Earlier in the season, Hurts turned heads when he was forced to wear one white Jordan and another Green Jordan cleat after having his foot stepped on and not wanting to miss a play.

Kliff Kingsbury takes blame for offensive woes vs. Eagles in Week 11

Commanders OC Kliff Kingsbury explains what went wrong vs. Eagles in Week 16.

The Washington Commanders were flying high ahead of their Week 11 matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles on Thursday Night Football. At 7-3, the Commanders had led the NFC East through nine weeks but trailed the Eagles by a half-game before Week 11.

Washington had won seven of its last eight games before Week 11, with rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels leading the way.

Things started well for the Commanders that day, as Daniels led Washington on a four-play, 58-yard drive on their second drive of the game to take an early 7-0 lead. However, the offense would stall against Philly’s top-ranked defense but still managed a 10-6 lead heading into the fourth quarter, thanks to a terrific defensive effort.

For whatever reason, Washington’s offense wasn’t up to the task of pulling off the road upset. The Eagles pulled away for a 26-18 win, and Philadelphia outscored Washington 20-8 in the fourth quarter.

The Commanders’ second and final touchdown came on their final drive when Daniels found tight end Zach Ertz with less than a minute remaining. It was a 15-play, 70-yard drive.

Washington finished the game with 264 total yards. Almost half of those yards came on the two touchdown drives early in the game and at the end. So, in between those two drives, the Commanders managed only 136 total yards.

What went wrong?

Offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury discussed that first meeting, taking the blame for offensive struggles.

“I think the ability to learn from what we did the first time we played,” Kingsbury said. “I’m on a short week. I mentioned this before, but I had way too much in, and I felt like we played tentative. I didn’t call a very good game. So, now I have the full week process and just see how they played this the first time, try to make the proper adjustments and then see how far we’ve come since then.”

That’s not an excuse from Kingsbury; it’s a reality. Thursday night games are difficult for everyone, which is why we see so many sloppy games. Remember, Washington was coming off a close, physical battle with the Steelers on Sunday. Pittsburgh, like Philadelphia, had one of the NFL’s top defenses.

Something else Kingsbury didn’t mention was Daniels’s health. The rookie passer injured his ribs in a Week 7 win over the Panthers, and the injury lingered for weeks. Daniels has looked more explosive over Washington’s last two games, which is a good sign heading into Sunday.

Unfortunately, the Commanders are more short-handed on offense, with running back Austin Ekeler and Noah Brown on injured reserve. Also, Ertz is in the NFL’s concussion protocol and his status for Week 16 is uncertain.

Former Wisconsin safety, Super Bowl champion named head coach at St. John Neumann High School

Former Wisconsin safety, Super Bowl champion named head coach at St. John Neumann

Former Wisconsin star defensive back Chris Maragos was named the coach at St. John Neumann Catholic High School on Wednesday.

Maragos, a Racine, Wisconsin, native, heads to Naples, Florida, for his opportunity with St. John Neumann. He takes over from former coach Rich Crosby. He enters the high school coaching world after one of the more successful NFL undrafted free agent stories in Wisconsin football history.

After transferring from Western Michigan following the 2006 season, Maragos switched from wide receiver to free safety for his two years with the Badgers (2008-09). He recorded 94 tackles and five interceptions during his 26-game UW tenure.

Despite going unselected in the 2010 NFL draft, Maragos played eight NFL seasons with the San Francisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks and Philadelphia Eagles.

Maragos spent the bulk of his pro career as an ace on special teams. He played in all 16 games for the Seahawks during their Super Bowl season in 2013. He earned a multiyear contract with the Eagles (2014-17) and was the special teams captain for Philadelphia during its Super Bowl run in 2017.

The Racine native finished his NFL career with 93 total tackles, two tackles for loss, a forced fumble and two fumble recoveries in 99 career contests.

Now, he’ll lead a Celtics program looking to become one of the premier private schools in a crowded Florida football landscape.

Maragos becomes the second former Badger in as many days to assume high school coaching responsibilities. Former star running back Brian Calhoun became the coach at his alma mater, Oak Creek High School, outside of Milwaukee on Tuesday.

Commanders vs. Eagles: 3 reasons for optimism in Week 16

The Washington Commanders host the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 16 and there are three reasons for optimism.

The Washington Commanders host the Philadelphia Eagles in a divisional matchup at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Maryland on Sunday. It will be a tough test for the Commanders, who really need to win to keep the playoffs within reach.

Winning won’t be easy, though, as the Eagles have soared behind Saquon Barkley and haven’t lost since Week 4. They sit solidly atop the NFC East and already defeated the Commanders once this year.

For their part, the Commanders have won their last two games, barely squeaking by the New Orleans Saints in Week 15. The team has plateaued in recent weeks, and if something doesn’t change, their season will be shorter than they’d like.

Still, the Commanders have plenty of talent and opportunities to keep their season going. There are three reasons for optimism heading into Week 16.

Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) and Washington Commanders wide receiver Olamide Zaccheaus (14) celebrate a touchdown against the New Orleans Saints that was later called off due to a penalty against Washington during an NFL game at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images

It’s a home game

It may not seem like much, but playing in front of your home crowd after getting to sleep in your own bed makes a huge difference. No, Philly isn’t that far away, but those guys will still have to travel and sleep in a hotel. The Commanders had to travel right after their bye week, which likely played a role in allowing the Saints to come back last week. But they’re back home now and ready to defend their territory from a division rival and keep their playoff hopes alive while doing it.

Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images

There’s a lot of fight in this team

One thing you can say about the Commanders this season is that even when they are down, you never see them give up. They continue to fight and push and do whatever they can to move the ball or stop the other team, depending on which side of the ball they’re on. No one gives up; no one stops playing—effort matters, especially in a division game with playoff implications. Look for the Commanders to buckle down and hold their ground on Sunday. Whether they are effective remains to be seen, but if they put forth 100% effort and keep fighting until the end, they’ll make Philadelphia’s life so much harder.

Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

The defense is healthy

It might not seem like much, but the defense has struggled all season, so having everyone healthy (save the guys on IR) is huge. Yes, Jeremy Chinn is in concussion protocol, but everyone else is good to go as of right now. When you’re talking about defending Jalen Hurts, A.J. Brown, and Saquon Barkley, having your defense healthy is a big deal. The Eagles have a dynamic offense capable of doing many different things, but the Commanders have plenty of personnel to pull from this week, which will make their efforts more successful.

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What did Commanders’ DC think of Marshon Lattimore’s debut?

Commanders DC Joe Whitt Jr. weighs in on Marshon Lattimore’s debut.

Commanders defensive coordinator Joe Whitt noticed some things he really liked in Marshon Lattimore’s debut last Sunday.

The Commanders traded for Lattimore a month ago, but his injured hamstring kept him from playing against Dallas and Tennessee before the bye week. So he debuted last week in New Orleans against his old team, the Saints.

“There was a couple things,” Whitt said. “He played with a lot of confidence. He communicated well. There was two reductions where he was the one, and he wasn’t supposed to be the one that led the communication on those reductions, but he did. And that was really positive to see.”

One reason GM Adam Peters went after Lattimore was his experience. The former Ohio State Buckeye had seen action in 97 NFL games prior to last week.

Another reason is Lattimore’s ball skills, he employs, playing defense. He sees the ball well, and he catches the ball well, intercepting 15 passes thus far, including two he has returned for touchdowns.

Whitt liked how Lattimore was also prepped well and ready, referring to “just the command that he had of the defense. And like I said, I give a lot of that credit to [Assistant Defensive Back Coach] William Gay because he was with him from day one, teaching him and being that mentor that we asked William to do with a lot of these guys. So, but I was just really pleased with the command that the young man had of his game.”

Of course, everyone on the defense, including the coaches, is well aware that this Sunday will be a greater test for Lattimore. Quarterback Jalen Hurts is completing 69 percent of his passes this season.

Hurts’ top two receivers, A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, both have 56 receptions this season, and both have missed three games. Tight end Dallas Goedert and Saquon Barkley have also contributed 38 and 31 receptions, respectively.

Therefore, Whitt knows he will need a good game from Lattimore this Sunday.

Cam Heyward tears into controversial Week 15 officiating vs Eagles

Cam Heyward calls out poor officiating in the Week 15 Steelers-Eagles game that saw several questionable penalty decisions made.

As viewers of the Week 15 contest between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Philadelphia Eagles are well aware, the officiating was—to say the least—terrible.

Veteran Steelers DT Cam Heyward took exception with two poor calls in particular, one that saw his little brother TE/FB Connor Heyward being punched, and the other was TE Darnell Washington being slugged by Eagles CB Darius Slay.

On the most recent episode of Not Just Football with Cam Heyward, the Steelers defensive tackle discussed both of the atrocious officiating decisions: “The reasoning behind those two plays just felt idiotic.”

Heyward would continue to rip into the officials’ decisions and vision on these penalties, arguing that it “did not feel like they even looked at the plays.”

Heyward concluded his analysis and criticism of the officials from Week 15’s contest, describing that, at the very least, the penalties should have offset between Washington and Slay.

Heyward will need to recompose himself, as the team has little time to focus on the poor officiating from Week 15. The Pittsburgh Steelers have the potential to take the AFC North title by defeating the Baltimore Ravens in Week 16, and to do so, every bit of energy and effort will need to be spent on stopping the Lamar Jackson-led offense.

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Micah Parsons hates the Eagles so he won’t be rooting for a Birds win over Commanders

Micah Parsons says he hates the Eagles so he won’t be rooting for a Philadelphia win over the Washington Commanders

The Cowboys (6-8) are currently the 12-place team in the NFC, tied with the 49ers (6-8), one game behind the Cardinals (7-7), Falcons (7-7), two games behind the Seahawks (8-6) and three behind the 7th place Commanders (9-5) with three games left in the regular season.

Dallas needs a win over Tampa on Sunday and a Philadelphia win over Washington to remain in that tight playoff hunt.

On Thursday, Cowboys star pass rusher Micah Parsons was asked about potentially rooting for the Eagles to remain in the playoff hunt. Parsons didn’t hold back his contempt and disdain for the NFC East rivals, telling Dallas that “he hates the Eagles.”

Parsons has dealt with injuries in a quiet season production, logging 7.5 sacks, 13 QB hits, and six tackles for loss over the past six games.

Parsons will be able to speak his peace in person when Dallas visits Philadelphia in Week 17.

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WATCH: Darius Slay on Mike Trout wanting to join Eagles end zone fight with Steelers

Darius Slay says Philadelphia fan and Angels outfielder Mike Trout wanted to to join Eagles end zone scuffle with Steelers

Mike Trout might play for the Angels of Anaheim. Still, the South Jersey native is Philly personified and proved his worth to Eagles fans during the dustup involving Darius Slay and Darnell Washington.

During a recent episode of his ‘Big Play Slay’ podcast, the Eagles’ star cornerback discussed Trout’s readiness to jump in the fight and help.

Trout is an Eagles season ticket holder and usually can be found seated right in front of that section of Lincoln Financial Field where the Steelers tight end and Eagles cornerback were engaged in blows getting thrown after Washington attempted to block Slay out into the street.

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Jason Kelce breaks down why the Eagles should go for the NFL rushing record

Jason Kelce breaks down why the Eagles and Saquon Barkley should try and break Eric Dicerson’s NFL rushing record

The Eagles are 12-2, and just one win away from securing the NFC East with a win over the Commanders on Sunday. Along with weighing their options for the season finale based on the No. 1 seed is Saquon Barkley’s to break Eric Dickerson’s record of 2,105 rushing yards in a season.

Barkley has been adamant that winning the Super Bowl is the bigger goal. Still, one former Eagles legend believes the All-World running back should have the organization’s absolute support in pursuing this goal.

During his regular appearance on 94 WIP, Jason Kelce said he wants Barkley to break the NFL rushing record and that the Eagles should fully embrace the chase.

“I really want them to try and make an effort to get this record,” Kelce told Joe DeCamara and Jon Ritchie during his weekly in-studio Thursday 7:30am appearance on the 94WIP Morning Show.

“I think that, to me, obviously the Super Bowl is the pinnacle, the ultimately goal. But I think the rushing title record is the coolest record in the NFL and the fact that this offensive line, Jeff Stoutland and Saquon Barkley have a chance to obtain that is pretty remarkable.

“I think it would just be really awesome for Philadelphia to have that record…Listen, I think this is probably the week—don’t want to give up game plan, I don’t know what they’re going to do. But if you really dedicate to trying to get him a big day this week that can lighten the load for the next two games.”

Barkley has 1,688 rushing yards, 276 receiving yards, and 13 total touchdowns this season and needs to average 139.3 rushing yards per game in the next three contests to break Eric Dickerson’s record of 2,105 yards in a season.

The Eagles face the Commanders on Sunday, followed by the Cowboys and the Giants, at home to finish the regular season.

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