As the Eagles prepare for a potential elimination game against the Packers on Monday night, they won’t have two key pieces of their offense.
Running back Ryan Mathews and right tackle Halapoulivaati Vaitai have been ruled out. Both have MCL sprains.
“It just wasn’t there,” coach Doug Pederson told reporters on Saturday regarding Mathews. “He had a pretty significant knee [injury]. I went back and looked at the film from the game and [the injury occurred] in the red zone, down inside the five [yard line]. On the run that he had, I went back and looked at it again, and it’s pretty significant. So it’s just not there yet.”
Mathews wasn’t able to practice all week.
“There’s always that fear [it could linger]; especially with the knee,” Pederson said. “We just want to make sure that it’s 100 percent before we put him back out on the practice field, but there is a concern that it could linger and maybe -- because now we will be coming off a Monday night game into a short week, and we’ll be going back on the road. So we’ve just got to find out again next Wednesday where he’s at.”
The good news for the Eagles comes from the fact that all other injured players will be able to go (according to Pederson), including running back Darren Sproles, who suffered a rib injury against the Seahawks.
“He actually has felt really good the last couple of days, so I don’t see anything that would keep me from not giving him the same amount of work in this game,” Pederson said.
The Eagles are 5-5, but they’re in last place in the NFC East. Even with a win, the Eagles will still be in fourth place despite moving above .500 with December looming.