Nick Sirianni said on Friday that he hoped for good news on his latest COVID-19 test, that he was optimistic that he could be on the sidelines for Sunday's big NFC East game against the New York Giants. On Saturday, he received the good news and, just like that, Sirianni was back at the NovaCare Complex in the morning making final-day preparations for the 1 PM kickoff.
The Eagles were prepared, just in case, as Passing Game Coordinator Kevin Patullo prepared to handle the game-management duties should Sirianni remain in the protocol. Now, everything is back to the way it's been all season and, just like that, there is no side story to observe on the Eagles' sidelines.
No muss. No fuss. The Eagles have made sure to be ready for all eventualities, and going through what they went through the last few days will serve them well at some point in the future.
As we all prepare for the game on Sunday, here are some last-minute news and notes as the Eagles look to climb above .500 for the first time since winning the opening game of the regular season at Atlanta ...
1. Linebacker Shaun Bradley has been placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list, so the Eagles will be down a top-rate special teams player and a reserve linebacker for this game. Defensive back Jared Mayden will once again join the gameday roster from the practice squad as a COVID elevation. Mayden was active for games at the Giants and Jets earlier this season.
2. The team also signed kicker Matt McCrane to the practice squad and released center Luke Juriga from the practice squad. McCrane played in five games in the 2018 season with three teams – Arizona, Pittsburgh, and Oakland. He made 8 of 12 field goals in those games – 3-of-3 from 20-29 yards, both of his kicks from 30-39 yards, and 3 of 5 kicks from 40-49 yards. McCrane missed on both attempts from 50-plus yards. He was good on all nine of his point-after attempts. McCrane has also spent time on Cleveland's practice squad (2020) and Arizona's practice squad (2021).
3. New York has not announced who will play quarterback on Sunday, although reports from New York indicate it will be Jake Fromm making his NFL starting debut with Mike Glennon as the No. 2. With Daniel Jones out for the season, Glennon started the last three games for New York and was replaced by Fromm late in last Sunday's loss to Dallas. He completed 6 of 12 passes for 82 yards late in the fourth quarter. "We're preparing for their offense, no matter who the quarterback is," linebacker Alex Singleton said on the Eagles Insider Podcast on Thursday. "We will be ready for what they do, no matter who is playing quarterback."
4. Speaking of the Eagles' defense, here are some numbers to digest: Since Week 8, the team has allowed 17.6 points per game, second fewest in the NFC and sixth fewest in the NFL. They've allowed 298 yards per game (5th in NFL and 2nd in NFC). Their 79.1 rushing yards per game allowed is second in the NFL and the third-down defense has permitted just 35.4 percent conversions, 8th in the NFL and 2nd in the NFC. And takeaways? The Eagles have forced nine in that time, tied for third most in the NFL. The Eagles this season have allowed 18 or fewer points in 8 games this season, second only to Denver in the entire NFL. That total is tied for most such games in a single season for the Eagles since 2008.
