By Paul Bowman, Sports Talk Philly Editor
The Eagles head to Dallas at 3-3, tied for first place in the NFC East.
The team is banged up badly, but, hopefully, healing with reinforcements coming very soon.
While he was never on the injury reports because he was on the PUP list, Jalen Mills reports he will start this week, providing what could be a huge boost to a team that was starting a guy they signed off the street the last two weeks.
Injury Report
Eagles
Out
DT Tim Jernigan
Jernigan misses his fifth game with his “four-to-six week” injury. The Eagles miss Jernigan. Jernigan played just a game and a half and recorded a sack of his own, something that has barely happened for the Eagles outside the Jets game. The Eagles have been rotating an extra defensive end inside to help with the lack of inside pressure, but having Jernigan being able to spell Cox and/or play alongside him and allowing the recently productive Hassan Ridgeway to return to the third DT spot would be huge to limiting the use of players like Josh Sweat so much.
WR DeSean Jackson
Jackson will miss, for all intensive purposes, his sixth straight game if you don’t count the handful of snaps he played in week two while he was injured. His goal all along was returning for Dallas. His appearance on the list for that game is not good news. A move to add a speedy receiver the team’s practice squad may end up being a huge move with the potential for Jackson to re-injure himself and miss essentially the entire second half of the season, too.
CB Avonte Maddox
Andrew Sendejo put Maddox in the concussion protocol and left him suffering from a neck injury. His injury combines with those to Darby and LeBlanc leaves a desolated cornerback position.
RB Darren Sproles
Sproles is out for his second straight game and the punt return duties will remain with Boston Scott. Scott also got some offensive snaps at the end of the Vikings game and could grab a couple snaps where Sproles would have been in the game on offense.
OL Jason Peters
Peters left early on in the Vikings game with another injury. In his stead rookie Andre Dillard will start at left tackle. Peters has been very good when healthy and hopefully his coaching helps Dillard improve from his up and down game last week.
LB Nigel Bradham
Bradham is the Eagles best linebacker and his absence will result in an entirely new group of linebackers starting than those that have started every other game in 2019. Rookie TJ Edwards is also likely to see a significant amount of snaps.
Questionable
CB Ronald Darby
Darby missed the past three games and could miss yet another. The hope is that his poor play early in the season was influenced by his injury and his return is huge for the Eagles.
Cowboys
Out
CB Anthony Brown
Brown is arguably the third best corner on the Cowboys roster and that is why he is their slot corner. His injury combined with that of Byron Jones could be big. If the Cowboys have just two more of their corners get injured, their situation might be like the Eagles has been for essentially an entire season now.
Questionable
OL Tyron Smith
The Cowboys starting left tackle being out last week was bad news for Dallas as his replacement is nowhere near the level of player he is and it showed. The Jets were able to get regular pressure from the outside with Smith out.
OL La’el Collins
The starting right tackle was missing for the Cowboys last week, too. His replacement was ineffective and, combined with the Smith injury, allowed pressure from both side all day.
OL Zach Martin
The starting right guard, Martin has been on the injury reports all season long. There is almost no chance he isn’t active for this game.
OL Joe Looney
Looney is the backup center and his absence likely wouldn’t impact the game without other injuries occurring or the previous three guys being inactive.
DE Dorance Armstrong
Second string pass rusher who isn’t rotated in much and has no injuries to players ahead of him.
WR Amari Cooper
Cooper is easily the best receiver on the Cowboys roster and they don’t have too much behind him. With the Eagles depleted secondary expecting reinforcements soon, they may be able to hold up against a Cowboys team lacking a healthy Amari Cooper.
WR Randall Cobb
Cobb slots in as the Cowboys fourth passing option behind Amari Cooper, Michael Gallup and Jason Witten. He is really the last option at the position for the team. Eagles fans can think of him as a more sure-handed Nelson Agholor. Behind him are players like Mack Hollins and JJAW who have yet to show much of anything. Cobb being out would limit the Cowboys to three proven receiving threats and their top target isn’t even at 100%.
CB Byron Jones
Jones is easily the Cowboys top corner. Eagles receivers have struggled as of late, but Alshon Jeffery, Mack Hollins and Nelson Agholor could see a lot more targets if Jones is out, particularly if any of them manage to make it more that eight yards downfield.