OAKLAND – Now you know why the Eagles were so happy to acquire left tackle Jason Peters in a trade prior to the draft. Without him on the field Sunday against the Raiders, the offense struggled to do much of anything.

This is not meant to be a slap at young King Dunlap, who battled and did all he could against an aggressive Oakland front four. But taking Peters out of the mix created a huge problem for the Eagles, because Oakland's Richard Seymour came to play.

"It was tough to be on the sideline and watch the team, the whole team, struggle the way we did," Peters said. "It was one of those games where you just got to fight it out and try and get a win and we came up short."

Seymour had a sack, a few pressures and a batted down pass in the first half alone working against the Eagles. Oakland sacked quarterback Donovan McNabb four times in the first half, blitzing relentlessly and taking away the weapons the Eagles had used so well down the field in recent games.

Peters went down in the first quarter when he was plowed into by Oakland's defense that got to McNabb. Peters stayed on the ground for a few minutes before he limped off the field. Peters underwent tests and X-rays in the locker room, which were negative. He will undergo an MRI on Monday, according to head coach Andy Reid.

"I was blocking my guy and this guy rolled up on me somehow," Peters said. "I'm just going to get it treated and get ready for Washington."

Dunlap, a seventh-round draft pick last year from Auburn, spent his rookie season on Injured Reserve and then earned a roster spot as the Eagles suffered some offensive line injuries during the summer.

He played his first extended action on Sunday against a fired-up Oakland defensive line featuring Seymour, whom the Raiders acquired from New England prior to the start of the regular season at the expense of a first-round draft pick. Seymour played up to his reputation, coming off the ball quickly and charging upfield and harassing McNabb.

"I did all right. I just have to get better," Dunlap said. "We didn't win the game. We just have to go back and watch the film, learn from our mistakes and get ready for the division next week."

-- Posted by Dave Spadaro, 8:20 p.m., October 18, 2009