December 03, 2017
As we noted on Friday, the 10-1 Philadelphia Eagles have a short injury list this week against the 7-4 Seattle Seahawks. As we point out every week, the Eagles have lost a large number of key players for the season on injured reserve, however, the Seahawks' injury report and IR list is a mile long and full of great players.
The Eagles and Seahawks have announced their inactives for Sunday Night Football:
• LB Joe Walker: Walker has been something of a "starter" for the Eagles after Jordan Hicks was lost for the season. He's out with a neck injury. Dannell Ellerbe will see his first action of the season.
• RB Wendell Smallwood: Smallwood was inactive the last two weeks against the Bears and Cowboys. He is the fifth running back in the pecking order.
• DE Steven Means: Means returns to the inactive list after being up last week against the Bears.
• QB Nate Sudfeld: The Eagles promoted Sudfeld to the active 53-man roster from the practice squad, but he'll be inactive for the rest of the season, barring injury.
• OT Will Beatty: Beatty was signed last week after not having played for months. He'll need time to get back into football shape.
• WR Marcus Johnson: Shelton Gibson is up again in favor of Johnson, like he was last week.
• DT Elijah Qualls: With Beau Allen back in the lineup, Qualls returns to the inactive list.
• LT Jason Peters: Peters tore his ACL and MCL against the Redskins. While the Eagles certainly miss Peters, his loss has not devastated the team so far, as they have gotten competent play from Halapoulivaati Vaitai.
• LB Jordan Hicks: Hicks wasn't off to his best season this year when he went down with a ruptured Achilles. Still, it's a big loss for the Eagles' defense, though the Eagles have more than adapted.
• RB Darren Sproles: Sproles is done for the season with a torn ACL. On the field, Sproles was the Eagles' most well-rounded running back, as he can run inside, run outside, be a weapon in the passing game, and he's easily the team's best back in pass protection. Obviously, because of his small size, however, Sproles has been never been used as a 'workhorse' type of back, but he was typically on the field in the Eagles' most crucial situations. He was also the team's primary punt returner.
The Eagles' acquisition of Ajayi signals a change in running styles from the small elusive group the Eagles had back in May, to the bruising combo of Ajayi and LeGarrette Blount that they now have.
• CB Sidney Jones: Jones remains on the NFI list. If and when the Eagles activate him, Jones will be allowed to practice for three weeks before the Eagles will have to decide whether to add him to the 53-man roster or shut him down for the season. The Eagles still have time to decide to take him off the NFI list before his three-week practice period.
• K Caleb Sturgis: Sturgis was placed on IR with a quad injury suffered Week 1 against the Redskins. He was replaced by Jake Elliott.
• S Chris Maragos: Maragos suffered a knee injury against the Panthers, and was placed on IR. He was the Eagles' best player on their kick coverage unit on special teams and served as the Eagles' special teams captain.
• S Kam Chancellor: Chancellor is a great player (four-time Pro Bowler), and Seattle's enforcer in the secondary. His season is likely over with a neck injury.
• OG/OT Oday Aboushi: Aboushi is the starting RG. Rookie Ethan Pocic will likely take his place.
• DE Dion Jordan: The former draft bust has seemingly found employment in Seattle. Jordan has 3 tackles and 1 sack on the season.
• DT Nazair Jones: The rookie third-round-pick defensive tackle has 19 tackles and two sacks this season.
We'll update the rest of the Seahawks' inactives when they are made available.
• DT Rodney Coe: Back of the roster guy.
• RB David Moore: Ditto.
• CB Richard Sherman: You know who Richard Sherman is. Three-time First-team All-Pro, one-time Second-team All-Pro.
• DE Cliff Avril: Avril was perhaps the Seahawks' best pass rusher, as he had 20.5 sacks from 2015-2016.
• RB C.J. Prosise: Prosise is a skilled running back with receiving ability, who did this to the Eagles last season:
• RB Chris Carson: Carson became the Seahawks' primary running back early in the season, rushing 49 times for 208 yards before he was placed on IR.
• OT George Fant: Fant was the Seahawks' starting LT, but he tore his ACL during the preseason. The Seahawks have since traded for the Texans' Duane Brown.
• OG/OT Rees Odhiambo: Odhiambo started seven games for the Seahawks, but he wasn't very good. Still, it's one more starter the Seahawks have had to replace.
• CB DeShawn Shead: It's not just Richard Sherman that the Seahawks are without at corner. They also lost Shead, a 16-game starter in 2016, to a torn ACL.
• DE/DT Malik McDowell: McDowell was a second-round pick (35th overall) in the 2017 NFL Draft. He suffered a 'really bad concussion' in an ATV accident.
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