By Gia Lanci, Sports Talk Philly Staff
The Eagles take on the division rival Redskins in the final game of the regular season. The two teams are arguably the two most devastated by injuries, so there is a lot to cover in the injury reports.
Injury Report
Eagles
Out
LB D.J. Alexander
D.J. Alexander is suffering from a hamstring injury and he has officially been ruled out on Friday. He had light practice all week but did not practice Friday. Alexander has played a role in the special teams but this will be the second week they play without him. Special teams has improved week after week, and his absence will not make much of a difference.
CB Sidney Jones
Jones is still dealing with his hamstring injury. He will be replaced by Avonte Maddox and Rasul Douglas. These two have stepped up to fill the role for Sidney. Since Jones has been out for a few weeks now, Douglas and Maddox are used to starting at the position. The secondary as a whole must continue to play man-to-man. They should not struggle too much against the Redskins besides keeping on top of Adrian Peterson.
LG Isaac Seumalo
He was injured during the game against the Cowboys and has not played since. He did practice this week but just needs a little more time. Wisniewski replaced Seumalo at starting left guard. He did a pretty good job against really good defensive fronts like the Rams and the Texans. He should be okay with the Redskins defense. It is essential he protects Foles because of the Redskins good sack record.
WR Mike Wallace
Wallace was on injured reserve until this week. His ankle is still recovering from when he was injured in week two. He had light practice all week but was ruled out for Sunday. He would be great to add into the mix for the offense. They have a great variety of players to use in different situations, and he would be a good addition. However, he is not ready to play just yet. If they get into the playoffs, he could make an appearance.
QB Carson Wentz
Carson Wentz has been ruled out for the rest of the regular season because of his back. Foles has taken his place, which has worked out for the entirety of the team. With Foles as starting QB, the ball has been spread around more and the plays have been more comfortable and relaxed. Carson rushed himself into getting back too quickly, and his confidence is not there because of it. He needs some time to rest, mentally and physically.
Questionable
DE Michael Bennett
Bennett did not practice until Friday, which is not a good sign. Bennett has been a huge part of the defense. He is leading the team in sacks with eight. If he does not play, Chris Long needs to do what he did against the Texans and put a ton of pressure on the quarterback along with someone else to take Bennett’s spot.
LB Jordan Hicks
Hicks has been on and off the injury report a lot throughout his career. He played last week after sitting out a few weeks. There was apparently inflammation in his calf so he has been taking it easy. Last week he was a little shaky after sitting out a few weeks however, he always is a huge help for the defense. He still is the third on the team for tackles, even though he sat out for three weeks. He is a really aggressive player and there is an obvious gap when he does not play.
C Jason Kelce
Jason Kelce is questionable with a knee injury. He is a great player who is always very attentive and good at making impulse decisions. He is a very good blocker for whoever is behind him. If he does not play, Wisniewski will have to slide over to the center and Chase Warmack will take his spot at left guard. This will affect the offensive line with some backups in. Since the Redskins have an effective defensive front, that will be a disadvantage for the Birds.
T Jason Peters
Jason Peters is likely to play on Sunday, but for how long is the question. Vaitai will most likely come in at some point when Peters is in pain. This could possibly be the last time Peters plays in an Eagles uniform, so I’m sure he will play for a little bit. Big V is used to coming in for Peters, and there should be no concern there.
Redskins
Out
T Ty Nsekhe
He is a second string tackle out with a concussion. This team has an injured offensive line that is already depleted.
WR Maurice Harris
The Redskins are now lacking three wide receivers. Their offense is definitely struggling right now. This is something the Eagles need to take advantage of. They need to take advantage of the backups and be really aggressive with them. Be smart players that make plays out of the mistakes made by those filling in.
Doubtful
TE Vernon Davis
Davis had light practices all week, but did not practice on Friday. He will most likely not play on Sunday because of a concussion. He is one of their top tight ends, which is another aspect of the offense that will struggle against the Eagles on Sunday. Their other top tight end, Jordan Reed, was placed on IR this week. Jeremy Sprinkle and Matt Flanagan will be their only two options for that position. Jeremy Sprinkle only has seven career catches, and Matt Flanagan has none since he is a rookie. They will definitely be lacking at tight end.
Questionable
LB Ryan Anderson
He is questionable with a hamstring injury. He had eighteen tackles and two sacks this season. He will not make a huge difference if he does not play, but, at this point, the Redskins need what they can get. Especially because they are going to try and get as much pressure on Foles as possible. Since he has two sacks, they are going to be trying to get him in.
OL Tony Bergstrom
He is one of the many injured guards that make up their offensive line. Even if he does play, he is injured, and the Eagles defense will exploit their offensive line.
WR Josh Doctson
He is sick with an illness and will most likely play because they are without a bunch of their top receivers. If he does not play, that adds another one. This is great for the Eagles because their secondary is still in the works, and the front line is doing pretty well. This will help the Eagles be able to get more stops.
DE Matt Ionadonnis
This will be a huge loss for the Redskins if he does not play. He is a starting lineman, and he has seven and a half sacks. It would be an advantage for the Eagles if he doesn’t play or he is hurt and plays because there will be less pressure coming onto Nick Foles. It’ll be less of a job for the offensive line.
OG Zac Kerin
Yet another depleted member of the offensive line for the Redskins. They are going to have a tough game against the Eagles with such an injured list. This means the Eagles need to demolish them. There needs to be so much pressure on the quarterback, with a lot of sacks and turnovers.