December 03, 2023
After a 70-minute slugfest against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday evening, the Philadelphia Eagles listed 12 players on their initial injury report, though the majority of those guys will play. They'll face a mostly healthy San Francisco 49ers team coming off a mini-bye.
Here are the Eagles' and 49ers' inactives, with analysis.
Tanner McKee is the emergency quarterback.
• TE Dallas Goedert: There was some reporting that Goedert might be able to play in this game, but he is not yet ready. He'll likely return to the field Week 14 against the Cowboys.
Goedert is third on the team in receiving, behind A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith. In nine games, he has 38 catches for 410 yards and 2 TDs. His season began slowly, as he had just 13 catches for 88 yards and no TDs in the Eagles' first four games. However, over his last five games, his production picked up, as he had 25 catches for 322 yards and 2 TDs. Jack Stoll has started in place of Goedert.
• LB Zach Cunningham: Cunningham has been the Eagles' best linebacker this season. With Nakobe Dean on injured reserve, Nicholas Morrow and Christian Elliss will get the start, and the Niners will almost certainly try to attack the middle of the field in the passing game.
• RB Rashaad Penny: RB4.
• OG Sua Opeta: Jack Driscoll, Tyler Steen, and Fred Johnson will be the Eagles' backup offensive linemen.
• LB Nakobe Dean: Entering the 2023 season, Dean was the clear No. 1 linebacker on the roster, as the team was counting on him to take on a much bigger role than what he had as a rookie in 2022. That has not gone to plan, as he landed on injured reserve after suffering a foot injury Week 1 against the Patriots. He returned Week 6 and played in four games before again suffering a foot injury that landed him on injured reserve for a second time this season. When he has played, Dean has been fine as a run defender and as a tackler (PFF has him down for 0 missed tackles), but he has struggled in coverage. PFF has him down for 13 completions on 14 targets for 120 yards.
• CB Avonte Maddox: Maddox had surgery to repair a torn pectoral muscle. His season is likely over. The oft-injured Maddox missed games at three different junctures during the season in 2022, and was only able to play in two games in 2023. He also missed three games in 2018, four games in 2019, and six games in 2020. He is one of the best slot corners in the NFL when healthy, but it seems there will always be durability concerns. The Eagles had instability at slot corner for the bulk of the season with seemingly a different plan every week for a while, but Bradley Roby is beginning to settle in as competent answer in that role.
• S Justin Evans: Evans was the Eagles' choice to start opposite Reed Blankenship, as he beat out Terrell Edmunds and Sydney Brown during training camp for that opportunity. He started four games for the Eagles earlier this season, and when healthy, has been competent. However, he has a long history of injuries, missing 43 games from 2017-2022 (not including the 2021 season, when he was not on an NFL roster), and he lost his starting job when the Eagles traded for Kevin Byard. The Eagles opened Evans' 21-day practice window a couple weeks ago.
$9ers DT Arik Armstead was listed as questionable, but he is active.
Arik Armstead is active for #SFvsPHI.
— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) December 3, 2023
Week 13 @DignityHealth inactives: https://t.co/dfYUljhx9V. pic.twitter.com/8IgQ60a0OO
• S Talanoa Hufanga: Hufanga was a First-Team All-Pro in 2022, after collecting 97 tackles, 4 INTs (including a pick-six), 9 pass breakups, 2 forced fumbles, and 2 sacks. His season is over with a torn ACL. Rookie Ji'Ayir Brown (Penn State) has filled in for Hufanga, and has played well.
• S George Odom: Odom was a special teams First-Team All-Pro with the Colts in 2020, and a Second-Team All-Pro in 2022. He is also a backup safety, where the 49ers are already a little thin with the loss of Hufanga. His season is over with a torn biceps injury.
• DE Drake Jackson: Jackson was a Niners second-round pick in 2022. His season got out to a hot start in 2023, when he had 3 sacks Week 1 against the Steelers, but he has only played in four games this season. He's on IR with a knee injury (tendonitis).
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