The Philadelphia Eagles, as usual, are dealing with their share of injuries. Their opponent, the Green Bay Packers, had a boatload of guys appear on their injury report early in the week, but they are mostly healthy for this game.
Here are the Eagles' and Packers' inactives, with analysis.
• WR DeSean Jackson: Without Jackson, the Eagles are absent a true threat to take the top off a defense, which allows opposing defenses to allocate more resources toward stopping the run, as well as the short-to-intermediate areas of the field in the passing game. Jackson could be back from his abdomen injury Week 5.
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• CB Ronald Darby: Darby should be out for about a month with a hamstring injury. This is a rare occasion where the Eagles may be better off with a player hurt, as the not 100 percent Darby has clearly been a player opposing offenses have gone out of their way to target.
• DT Timmy Jernigan: Jernigan became a starter when Malik Jackson was likely lost for the season with a Lisfranc injury Week 1. Jernigan is expected to be out for more than a month.
• QB Nate Sudfeld: Sudfeld is healthy, which means that Josh McCown is clearly the No. 2 quarterback.
• OL Matt Pryor: Pryor was active Week 3, because the Eagles had a ton of injuries. He's back on the inactive list Week 4, and doesn't seem ready to play in a real game yet.
• DE Shareef Miller: Developmental pass rusher won't see the field barring multiple DE injuries.
• iOL Nate Herbig: If Jason Kelce goes down, Isaac Seumalo will move over from LG to C.
Notable players on IR/Suspension/Other
• DT Malik Jackson (IR): Originally, the loss of Jackson hurt most when the Eagles forced obvious passing downs, as the Eagles don't have a clear replacement for him in those second-and third-and-long situations. In the base defense, however, Jernigan was a capable replacement who played well Week 1, after missing almost the entirety of the 2018 season with a mysterious back injury. With Jernigan now out as well, the Eagles are digging deep into their DT depth, and they'll need guys like Hassan Ridgeway and Akeem Spence to step up.
• CB Jalen Mills (PUP): Mills' foot injury has been extremely slow to heal, and he'll be on PUP through at least Week 6.
• CB Cre'Von LeBlanc (IR): LeBlanc was a contributing in-season addition in 2018 who "really solidified the nickel spot," according to Jim Schwartz. In eight regular season games with the Eagles in 2018, LeBlanc had 24 tackles, but no INTs. He did intercept a Drew Brees pass early on in the Eagles' playoff loss to the Saints. LeBlanc is out with a Lisfranc injury. He'll be allowed to practice after Week 6 of the regular season, and can return to the active roster after Week 8.
• OT Jordan Mailata (IR): Mailata has a back injury, but he's mainly on IR because the Eagles need the roster spot.
• DE Joe Ostman (IR): Ostman was having a great camp, before he was lost for the season with a torn ACL.
Aaaaand here are the Packers' inactives:
Nothing super notable there. Edge rusher Za'Darius Smith was listed as questionable for this game, but he'll play.
Notable players on IR/Suspension/Other
• LG Lane Taylor (IR): Taylor, the Packers' starting LG, injured his biceps, which required surgery, and his season is likely over. Rookie Elgton Jenkins took his place.
• OT Jason Spriggs (IR): Backup OT. Played in 13 games in 2018, starting 2.
• WR Equanimeous St. Brown: 21-328-0 in 2018.
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