This is a special weekend for the Philadelphia Eagles, a surging team looking for its fourth consecutive victory. For the first of two times this season, the Eagles will wear their iconic Kelly Green jerseys. At halftime of Sunday's game against Jacksonville, former running back LeSean McCoy will be inducted into the franchise's Hall of Fame.
Oh, and there is a game to be won against the 2-6 Jaguars, coached by former Eagles Head Coach Doug Pederson and that just adds to the pageantry of the late afternoon kickoff at Lincoln Financial Field.
The most important part in all of this is that the Eagles continue to play good football and ascend against a Jags team that has lost three of its games in the final 18 seconds, including two losses on walk-off scores. Jacksonville is talented, hungry, and still has visions of a playoff run this season.
There are some storylines to follow other than the above, so let's dig into them now …
1. Injuries again play a key role in Sunday's game
For the Eagles, well, they've grown accustomed to lineup challenges because of injuries this season and they have shown great depth in crafting a 5-2 record. Left tackle Jordan Mailata is on Injured Reserve, so Fred Johnson, who played so well last week in the win at Cincinnati, again starts there. Grant Calcaterra and Jack Stoll have teamed up to replace Dallas Goedert, who remains out with a hamstring injury. On defense, cornerback Darius Slay is out with a groin injury, and Isaiah Rodgers is a likely candidate to step in and step up, as he did last week with a tip-drill play that safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson completed for a big-time late-game interception.
Rodgers, an example of how Executive Vice President/General Manager Howie Roseman has built the roster here – the Eagles signed Rodgers in 2023 after he was suspended by the NFL for violating the league's gambling policy and then released by Indianapolis – is continuing his rise.
"I look at it like it's an opportunity and that's something I've always cherished," he said. "The journey I've been on, it's still growing. Getting back on the field and being here, I love everything about it, so to have the chance to get on the field and help this team win is something that is very gratifying for me."
Jacksonville won't have left guard Ezra Cleveland, and wide receiver Christian Kirk is out, and the Jaguars have a bunch of players listed as questionable with injuries that have limited their practice time this week.
2. QB Trevor Lawrence is the focus for the defense
One of the more gifted quarterbacks in the league, Trevor Lawrence has a lot on his shoulders with all of the uncertainty given the injuries. The Eagles know that Lawrence can make every throw in and out of the pocket, he's extremely mobile, he can take off and run (105 rushing yards this season), and when things are cooking, Lawrence is as good as they come.
"Big guy, strong, can throw from any angle," linebacker Zack Baun said of Lawrence, who has 11 touchdown passes and 4 interceptions this season. "If he has a chance to run, he's going to take it and hurt you."
The Eagles need to win on first and second downs and get after Lawrence with a contained, yet aggressive, pass rush. He has only been sacked 16 times this season and in a last-second loss to Green Bay last week, Lawrence completed eight passes of 20-plus yards to six different receivers.
3. Win the turnover battle, win the game
It seems like pretty straightforward stuff: The Eagles haven't turned the ball over in the last three games and they've won all three. Great trend. Excellent ball security. Quarterback Jalen Hurts has led the way for a dynamic offense since the bye week and he seems to be growing more and more into Kellen Moore's offense. The Eagles have spread the ball around and have been balanced offensively.
Note on Trevor Lawrence: He has 22 lost fumbles and 65 giveaways since 2021, most in both categories in the NFL.
4. Which numbers matter?
Jacksonville ranks 29th in the NFL in total defense, allowing 382 total net yards per game. The Jaguars allow 28 points per game. The run defense has only allowed 111 yards per game (ninth in the NFL), but the pass defense permits 271 yards per game, and that ranks 31st in the league. So … what does it all mean?
It means the Eagles' offense needs to create favorable matchups and win on third down. Jacksonville defensive end Travon Walker has 6.5 quarterback sacks and he's a really good football player, so the offense has to be aware of him. Green Bay ran for 170 yards last week on the Jaguars. The moral of the story is that Hurts has to take what the Jags are giving him, not force things, and continue to keep this offense operating smoothly.
5. Eagles defense is rising
The Eagles have been outstanding since the bye week on defense and they will look to continue against a Jags offense that features Lawrence, a lot of two-tight end sets, and a strong group of running backs (Travis Etienne, Tank Bigsby). But the odd part here is that both Etienne and Bigsby are listed as questionable for this game with injuries, so who do you prepare for? At wide receiver, Brian Thomas Jr. is an impressive rookie, but he's also questionable with a chest injury. Gabe Davis, who has 18 receptions, could be the main target for Lawrence on the outside with former Giant Evan Engram working the middle at tight end.
6. Keep the main thing, the main thing
There are no mysteries here: Just keep playing good, winning football. That is the formula. Come out fast and finish strong. The Eagles scored on their first offensive drive last week and didn't slow down. The defense had three takeaways (OK, including a fourth-down stop) to pull away from the Bengals. This is what this team is built to do, so on Sunday, in Kelly Green jerseys, with a stadium decked out in those colors, with a Hall of Fame halftime ceremony, the Eagles just need to keep playing the kind of football they've been playing.
