January 15, 2024
Nathan Ray Seebeck/USA TODAY Sports
Eagles S Reed Blankenship won't play against the Bucs.
The Philadelphia Eagles listed eight players on their initial injury report in advance of their wildcard matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Bucs are a healthy team, with only five players on their injury report, and only two notable players on injured reserve.
Here's the Eagles-Buccaneers injury report, with analysis:
Tanner McKee is the emergency quarterback. The Eagles elevated DBs Tristin McCollum and Mekhi Garner from the practice squad for this game.
• WR A.J. Brown: Brown finished the 2023 regular season with 106 receptions for 1456 yards and 7 TDs. He was by far the Eagles' best skill position player, and a rare example of a player who lived up to lofty preseason expectations.
No. 2 wide receiver DeVonta Smith missed the Eagles' Week 18 games against the Giants with an ankle injury, but he's good to go for Monday night. Otherwise, the Eagles will play a mix of Julio Jones, Quez Watkins, Olamide Zaccheaus, and maybe Britain Covey at receiver. Tight end Dallas Goedert will have to take on a bigger role in the passing game as well.
• S Reed Blankenship: With Blankenship out, the only healthy safety on the 53-man roster is Kevin Byard. Avonte Maddox could get some work at safety with Bradley Roby filling in at slot corner. As noted above, the Eagles called up a couple of safeties in McCollum and Garner from the practice squad for added depth.
• S Sydney Brown: Brown tore an ACL last week against the Giants. The didn't IR him for some reason.
• RB Rashaad Penny: Penny is back to the inactive list after dressing against the Giants.
• OL Tyler Steen: The Eagles' backup linemen will be Jack Driscoll, Sua Opeta, and Fred Johnson.
• DT Moro Ojomo: The Eagles will have five active interior defensive 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.
• S Sydney Brown: Brown's rookie season is over after he tore an ACL against the Giants Week 18. He finished with 45 tackles, 1 INT (a 99-yard pick-six), a forced fumble, and 3 pass breakups. Brown only played 16 snaps in the regular defense in the Eagles' first six games, and no snaps at all in four of those games. It was only after injuries to several safeties ahead of him on the depth that he got an opportunity to contribute. One of the mistakes the Eagles made this season, in my opinion, was not getting their rookie players more experience early in the season so that they'd be more game ready if needed down the stretch.
• S Justin Evans: Evans was the Eagles' choice to start opposite Reed Blankenship to begin the 2023 season, as he beat out Terrell Edmunds and Sydney Brown during training camp for that opportunity. He started four games for the Eagles, and when healthy, was a competent player. He landed on IR with a knee injury, lost his starting job when the Eagles traded for Kevin Byard, and reverted to season-ending IR when he was unable to make progress toward a return.
There's nobody of note among the Bucs' inactives:
Inactives for #PHIvsTB ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/4ela2QSXo9
— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) January 15, 2024
• C Ryan Jensen (IR): During 2022 training camp, Jensen tore his ACL, MCL, PCL, meniscus, and fractured his tibial head and cartilage, per Jenna Laine of ESPN. He somehow returned to play six months later in the Buccaneers' home playoff loss to the Cowboys, which turned out to be an ill-advised decision to rush back. The Bucs placed Jensen on IR late in August due to complications from his knee surgery:
The #Bucs will place C Ryan Jensen on season-ending Injury Reserve thanks to the complications from the knee injury that robbed him of nearly all of last season, GM Jason Licht announced. The injury is so significant that Jensen likely had played his last down in the NFL.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 27, 2023
• WR Russell Gage (IR): Gage is a solid No. 3 receiver who played four years with the Falcons before signing with the Bucs last season. He had 51 catches for 426 yards and 5 TDs in 13 games for Tampa in 2022. Replacing Gage as the No. 3 receiver is sixth-round rookie Trey Palmer, who had 39 catches for 385 yards and 3 TDs during the regular season.
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