December 20, 2020
The Philadelphia Eagles are limping toward the finish line of an awful season, as they are particularly banged up on their offensive line, as well as in their secondary. In Week 15, they'll face a a Cardinals team that has been without their best defensive player for most of the season.
Here are the Eagles' and Cardinals' inactives, with analysis.
• CB Darius Slay: Slay, Avonte Maddox, and Rodney McLeod are all out for this game. When all three of those guys were out to finish the Saints game last Sunday, Jalen Mills and Nickell Robey-Coleman played corner, while Marcus Epps and K'Von Wallace were the safeties.
• WR John Hightower: Hightower is now a healthy scratch for the second straight week. 🤔
• WR J.J. Arcega-Whiteside: Oof.
• S Grayland Arnold: Undrafted rookie, but the Eagles could've used all the help they could get in the secondary. Unfortunately, he didn't even make the trip.
• RB Jason Huntley: Huntley has been a healthy scratch most weeks this season. This week, he didn't make the trip with an illness.
• QB Nate Sudfeld: Poor Sud.
• RT Lane Johnson: Johnson's season is over, as his recurring ankle issues continue. We covered Johnson in more depth here.
• WR DeSean Jackson: Jackson played three games, missed three games, returned for one game, and is probably done for the season. Predictably, relying on Jackson to stay healthy this season at this stage of his career was a mistake.
• S Rodney McLeod (knee): After a down year in 2019, McLeod bounced back and played well in 2020, before he tore an ACL against the Saints. That is his second torn ACL in 3 seasons.
• OL Jason Peters: As Doug Pederson announced last week, Peters' season is over. More on JP here, if you're interested. Jordan Mailata was already starting at LT. Nate Herbig started at RG last week.
• CB Avonte Maddox: Maddox had a rough year, miscast as an outside corner. He has been unable to stay healthy throughout his young NFL career.
• OT Jack Driscoll: Driscoll is done for the season with a knee sprain. He had trouble staying healthy as a rookie, but was effective enough when he played. More on Driscoll here.
• LB Nate Gerry: Alex Singleton has taken over Gerry's role as the Eagles' three-down linebacker, and has played better.
• DT Hassan Ridgeway: Ridgeway went on IR with a biceps injury. Because the Eagles were (previously) fortunate not to see any of their top three DTs miss any substantial time through the first six games, Ridgeway didn't get a a ton of snaps, but he was productive when he was on the field. Ridgeway had 11 tackles (2 for loss) and a sack on 137 snaps this year. His season is over.
• LB Davion Taylor: As a rookie third-round pick, Taylor was no better than the fifth linebacker in the Eagles' rotation.
• CB Cre'Von LeBlanc: Fan fave, but, eh.
• CB Craig James: Out with a shoulder injury.
• OG Sua Opeta: "Notable" is maybe a stretch here, but he did start two games.
• LT Andre Dillard (season-ending IR): Dillard struggled as a rookie, and he came into camp as a clear player of interest, as he was poised to start at LT this season. He was up and down in camp, with the "down" moments being alarming. Dillard injured his biceps, and is done for the season.
• RG Brandon Brooks (PUP): Brooks was in the conversation for 'best RG in the NFL," so obviously, losing him for the year has hurt. The Eagles have had a revolving door at RG all season.
• WR Marquise Goodwin: Goodwin was a veteran wide receiver with speed that the Eagles took a flier on, as something of an possible in-game replacement for DeSean Jackson.
• iDL Jordan Phillips (hamstring): 341-pound run-stuffing interior defensive lineman. As noted in the injured reserve list below, the Cards will also be without 335-pound run-stuffing iDL Corey Peters.
• S Jalen Thompson (ankle): Thompson is a starting safety, but he has only played 4 games so far this season. 14 tackles, 1 pass breakup.
• OLB Kylie Fitts (hamstring): 9 tackles in 12 games this season.
We'll update with the rest of the Cards' inactives when they become available.
• Edge Chandler Jones (IR): Jones suffered a biceps injury, and is done for the season. He is an elite pass rusher who before this season had five straight double-digit sack seasons, including 19 in 2019, 13 in 2018, and 17 in 2017.
• iDL Corey Peters (IR): Peters is a massive, 335-pound run stopping interior defensive lineman. He's done for the season with a knee injury. In the first 9 games with Peters, the Cardinals allowed 5 rushing TDs. In the last 4 games without him, they have allowed 7 rushing TDs.
• OT Marcus Gilbert (COVID opt out): Assuming Gilbert had recovered from a 2019 ACL tear, he was in line to start at RT this season, but he was a preseason COVID opt-out.
• CB Johnathan Joseph (IR): Joseph has been in the NFL since 2006. He has played in 211 games, starting 192. After the Titans traded for Desmond King at the trade deadline, they released Joseph, and the Cardinals picked him up. He abruptly suffered a neck injury and landed on IR. With the Titans, Joseph had 29 tackles, a pick, a FF, and 5 PBUs.
• DE Josh Mauro (IR-DFR): JAG DE. 5 tackles and a sack in 3 games.
• TE Darrell Daniels (IR-DFR): 6 catches for 83 yards and a TD in 9 games
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