Just two weeks into the 2019 campaign, the Philadelphia Eagles are so banged up that coach Doug Pederson canceled practice Wednesday, electing to conduct a walkthrough instead ahead of Sunday's home tilt versus the Detroit Lions.
"It's just a couple of things," Pederson said about the decision. "Number one, with the guys that are a little nicked up who have a chance to play in this football game, I want them to get the rep in practice. Normally we go padded day. Two, we got some young guys that might have to play and they're also servicing the defense or the offense. This way allows everybody to still practice and maintain their focus and get our work done that we need to get done today."
Among the Eagles walking wounded are receiver Alshon Jeffery (calf), receiver DeSean Jackson (groin), running back Corey Clement (shoulder), tight end Dallas Goedert (calf), and defensive tackle Timmy Jernigan (broken foot). Of the group, Pederson said Jernigan is the lengthiest injury and characterized the others as "day-to-day."
Jackson is expected to miss at least Week 3, and possibly beyond, and Jeffery's available Sunday versus Detroit appears iffy at best.
It's not unheard of for a coach to scrap a padded practice in favor of a walkthrough, but it generally doesn't happen this early in the season. Pederson employed the tactic last year in Week 16 and 17. The Eagles won both tilts.
The Eagles play two games in four days, with a Thursday night tilt versus the Green Bay Packers following Sunday's game against the Lions. The tight turnaround played a part in Pederson's decision to give his players a rest Wednesday.
"I want these guys as fresh as possible obviously for these next two weeks," he said. "I got to think of the big picture here obviously and keeping guys this early in our season and keeping guys as fresh as possible now, so we can make a push later in the season -- that's also a factor in this decision...
"I've done this before typically with a Thursday game the following week to adjust the schedule this way and keep guys fresh. I've done it too later in the year but obviously Week 3 and a Thursday game Week 4, which is a unique situation."
As for quarterback Carson Wentz, who got beat up in Week 2 versus the Atlanta Falcons, Pederson chuckled when asked if the signal-caller would have practiced had the Eagles stuck to their normal schedule.
"He's fine," Pederson said with a smirk.
We'll see how fine the rest of the Eagles squad is come Sunday.
