November 07, 2021
The Philadelphia Eagles will head into Week 9 of the NFL regular season reasonably healthy, as they only have one player designated as "out." Of course, they do have four starters on injured reserve. The Chargers are a little more banged up, with some significant issues in their secondary and on their offensive line.
Here are the Eagles' and Chargers' inactives, with analysis.
• WR J.J. Arcega-Whiteside: JJAW still doesn't have a target this season.
• QB Reid Sinnett: Joe Flacco is out, Gardner Minshew is the new No. 2, and Sinnett is now the weekly inactive.
• CB Mac McCain: McCain hasn't yet been active since being added to the roster after Week 1.
• CB Kary Vincent: The new guy will be on the shelf initially.
• CB Tay Gowan: The other new corner.
• CB Josiah Scott: So four inactive corners then, lol.
• OL Jack Anderson: Jack Anderson is an offensive lineman.
• RB Miles Sanders (IR): Sanders was carted off against the Raiders in the first game this season that Nick Sirianni appeared to prioritize the run game. Sanders' injury isn't season-ending. He'll likely be out for just a few weeks. In Sanders' first game out of the lineup, the trio of Boston Scott, Jordan Howard, and Kenny Gainwell combined for 37 carries.
• DE Brandon Graham (IR): Graham's season is over with a ruptured Achilles. On the field, Graham was arguably the Eagles' best defensive player in 2020. It's clear since his loss that the Eagles miss his contributions as a pass rusher and run stopper, and the Eagles have not been able to adequately replace him. Off the field, Graham has unlimited energy and positivity, and he is a player that you just want to have around if you're a head coach in the NFL.
• RG Brandon Brooks (IR): Brooks suffered a pectoral injury against the 49ers. It's "only" a pec strain, as opposed to a tear, so while he'll likely miss time (about 8 weeks, per Lane Johnson) on injured reserve, it's not a season-ending injury.
• LG Isaac Seumalo (IR): Seumalo was carted off the field in the Eagles' loss to the Cowboys. His season is over after having surgery for a Lisfranc injury.
• CB Michael Davis: The Chargers are the latest in a long line of teams the Eagles have faced that have had major injuries issues at cornerback this season. So far, they haven't really capitalized on that.
Davis is a starting CB who earned a three-year, $25 million contract after a strong 2020 season.
• CB Asante Samuel Jr.: Eagles fans are of course very familiar with Asante Samuel Sr., and many draft enthusiasts wanted the Eagles to select Samuel Jr. with their second-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. He has started all seven games for the Chargers this season, picking off two passes.
Tevaughn Campbell, Chris Harris, and Ryan Smith will likely be the Chargers' top three corners on Sunday.
• RB Justin Jackson: Jackson is a good reserve back. 5.1 yards per carry on 151 career rushes.
• S Alohi Gilman: Gilman is a role player for the Chargers who has played 130 defensive snaps this season, with Derwin James and Nasir Adderly serving as the starting safeties.
The rest:
• RT Bryan Bulaga: Bulaga was the Chargers' starting RT, but he's on IR with groin and back injuries. Storm Norton has filled in for Bulaga, and as noted in our five matchups to watch, Norton has not been good.
• RG Oday Aboushi: Aboushi was the Chargers' starting RG, but he's done for the season with a torn ACL. Journeyman guard Michael Schofield has filled in. The Chargers' biggest roster weakness is probably the right side of their offensive line.
• LB Kenneth Murray: Murray was a first-round pick of the Chargers in the 2020 NFL Draft. He'll likely return from IR next week. With Murray out, the Chargers are thin at LB.
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