January 05, 2024
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Bill Streicher/USA TODAY Sports
Eagles WR DeVonta Smith walking back to the team's locker room late against the Cardinals on Sunday with an injury.
The Philadelphia Eagles just faced their Week 18 opponent, the New York Giants, in Week 16, but both teams have some new injuries to report.
Here's the Eagles-Giants injury report, with analysis:
| Player | Injury | Wed | Thurs | Fri | Status |
| WR DeVonta Smith | Ankle | DNP | DNP | DNP | Out |
| DT Jordan Davis | Ankle | DNP | Limited | Full | - |
| Edge Haason Reddick | Illness | DNP | Full | Full | - |
| CB Darius Slay | Knee | Limited | Limited | DNP | Out |
| CB Avonte Maddox | Elbow | Limited | Full | Full | - |
| LB Zach Cunningham | Knee | Limited | Full | Full | - |
| RB D'Andre Swift | Illness | - | - | Limited | Questionable |
Wednesday notes:
• Smith's injury isn't believed to be serious.
• Davis went down against the Cardinals, and Jalen Carter played the nose while he was out. Marlon Tuipulotu was (oddly) a healthy scratch for that game.
• If the Cowboys win as expected, the result of this matchup is meaningless, so the team may as well be cautious with Slay, Maddox, and Cunningham.
Thursday notes:
• Maddox and Cunningham are trending toward playing, given their full participation on Thursday.
Friday notes:
• Smith and Slay are out. This will be Smith's first missed game of his career. My understanding is that while the Eagles are trying to win this game — as in, not rest starters — they are making sure Smith and Slay are are healthy as possible for the playoffs.
• Cunningham will make his return to the field. I didn't think anyone thought they would think, "Thank God Zach Cunningham is back."
• Swift was a late addition with an illness.
• 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.
Dean was seen on a Roll-A-Bout in the locker room a couple weeks ago. He graduated to crutches and a walking boot last week. He's likely done for the season.
• 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.
| Player | Injury | Wed | Thurs | Fri | Status |
| C John Michael-Schmitz | Shin | DNP | Limited | Limited | Questionable |
| S Jason Pinnock | Toe | DNP | DNP | DNP | Out |
| QB Tyrod Taylor | Back | Limited | Limited | Limited | - |
| CB Deonte Banks | Shoulder | Limited | Limited | Limited | Doubtful |
| CB Darnay Holmes | Foot | Limited | Limited | Limited | - |
| LB Carter Coughlin | Shoulder | Limited | Limited | Limited | - |
Wednesday notes:
• The Giants are banged up in their secondary, and as noted below, they have a bunch of offensive linemen on injured reserve.
• Taylor is expected to start at quarterback.
Thursday notes:
• No noteworthy changes.
Friday notes:
• The Giants will be a little thin in their secondary with Banks likely out, and Pinnock out.
• Michael-Schmitz is ranked 36th out of 36 centers, per PFF (🧂), so he's not exactly a world beater, but the Giants need him, given the high number of offensive linemen on IR (as noted below).
• QB Daniel Jones: Jones tore his ACL in October. His season is over. His final stat line of the season: 108 of 160 (67.5%) for 909 yards, 2 TDs, 6 INTs, 30 sacks, and 4 fumbles in 6 games (1-5 in those starts). 😬
Tyrod Taylor initially took over for Jones, followed by Tommy DeVito after Taylor went down, and now the Giants are back to starting Taylor after DeVito was benched for his performance against the Eagles Week 16.
• RT Evan Neal: Neal has had a rough start to his career after being selected seventh overall in the 2022 draft. He was replaced in the lineup at RT by Tyre Phillips, who was on the Eagles' practice squad earlier this season.
• OT Tyre Phillips: Phillips was on the Eagles' practice squad earlier this season. The Giants poached him to start in place of the injured Neal, and he wound up being an upgrade. His season is now over though with a quadriceps injury. Matt Peart filled in at RT after Phillips went down.
• OL Joshua Ezeudu: Ezeudu started five games at LT for the Giants early in the season in place of the then-injured Andrew Thomas.
• OG Shane Lemieux: Lemieux has appeared in four games, starting 1.
• K Graham Gano: Gano has been a good kicker in the NFL for a long time, but he had a rough season, going 11 for 17 on field goal attempts before going on IR with a left knee injury that required surgery. Gano was replaced by Randy Bullock.
• K Randy Bullock: Bullock was injured Week 15 against the Saints, and the Giants then turned to 39-year-old Mason Crosby.
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