No DeVonta Smith. No problem. The Eagles have been dealing with a shortage of healthy receivers all year so when news broke late Friday that Smith would be out for Sunday Night Football, well, no one seemed to panic.
It’s always been “next man up” in a locker room devoid of excuses. Besides, the Eagles are expecting to get Britain Covey back from a broken scapula injury. The team opened his 21-day practice window earlier this week, increasing the odds the sure-handed slot receiver will suit up against the Rams. Everyone is hopefully optimistic.
“He’s done a nice job. Except we’ll see where he is by the end of the day. Don’t have to make any decisions quite yet, but he’s done a nice job. It’s nice to get him back out there,” head coach Nick Sirianni told reporters on November 22. “Can’t stress enough how good of a teammate Britain Covey is. And guys like being around him, so it’s nice having him back out there in the mix and interacting with his teammates on the practice field.”
5 Players to Watch: Eagles vs. Rams Matchup
CB Cooper DeJean: What else can we say about the 21-year-old freak? He’s the true definition of a Swiss Army Knife, stepping in at cornerback and punt returner — heck, DeJean played four snaps on offense last year at Iowa — while locking down the slot like Schlage. He’ll likely be a big part of Vic Fangio’s blueprint to shut down Cooper Kupp who has played inside on 67% of his snaps. DeJean enters the matchup with a 79.4 coverage grade (via Pro Football Focus).
WR Jahan Dotson: The former first-round pick has struggled to find his footing in Philly, embarrassingly exemplified by his crucial third-down drop in Week 11. He failed to give the Eagles anything of merit on 29 offensive snaps versus Washington. He only has nine catches for 106 yards (17 targets) this year, with a slew of botched balls and badly run routes on his resume. This could be his final chance to impress, especially if Britain Covey is healthy. Dotson may be (and probably should be) benched if Covey can go.
LB Nolan Smith: He saw a season-high 33 snaps versus the Commanders, turning them into one sack and one quarterback hit, plus a tackle for loss. It appears as if the 30th overall pick from the 2023 draft is finally growing into his skin. With high-priced pass rusher Bryce Huff on injured reserve, the Eagles are counting on him to keep molting. Smith should see plenty of snaps off the edge in this one — seeing red and scoping his sights on statue-doppelganger Matthew Stafford who has been sacked 21 times this season.
LT Jordan Mailata: Anyone looking for sign of rust following his four-game absence due to injury was gravely mistaken. He put Commanders star Dante Fowler Jr. in prison last week: no tackles, no sacks. In fact, Mailata has allowed zero pressures in three of his six starts so far this season. Dominant. Next up? Jared Verse. The Rams linebacker has 4.5 sacks while leading all defenders with a 19.7% pressure percentage (via Pro Football Focus). Then again, the Rams rookie has never faced the Eagles’ Giant. Ever.
K Jake Elliott: Look, you could make the case that Elliott is the greatest kicker in Eagles history. Apologies to David Akers. He’s ranked No. 2 all time in field goals made (182) and No. 3 in extra points made (296) while holding down an 85% accuracy rate. Yet, Elliott missed a 44-yarder and a 51-yarder, plus an easy extra point, in Week 11 — and some people in the press box started questioning whether he was starting to show his age. He has now missed five field goals in his last eight games. Just something to ponder.
Mandatory Credit: Caean Couto-USA TODAY Sports
