NFL NEWS

Crushing loss as Eagles’ Sproles done for the year

The Sports Xchange

September 25, 2017 at 4:35 pm.

Sep 17, 2017; Kansas City, MO, USA; Philadelphia Eagles running back Darren Sproles (43) runs against Kansas City Chiefs defensive back Daniel Sorensen (49) in the second half at Arrowhead Stadium. Photo Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports

Sep 17, 2017; Kansas City, MO, USA; Philadelphia Eagles running back Darren Sproles (43) runs against Kansas City Chiefs defensive back Daniel Sorensen (49) in the second half at Arrowhead Stadium. Photo Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports

PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia Eagles suffered a major blow to both their offense and their special teams on Sunday when Darren Sproles suffered season-ending injuries in the second quarter of the team’s three-point win against the Giants.

The 34-year-old running back tore the ACL in his right knee and fractured his forearm on a running play. He injured the forearm when it came in contact with the helmet of Giants safety Darian Thompson. The knee injury was non-contact.

Sproles was invaluable to the Eagles as both a runner and receiver. He had an 11-yard run just three plays before he got hurt. He also is one of the league’s top punt returners. He averaged a career-best 13.2 yards per return last season.

The Eagles’ other three backs — LeGarrette Blount, Wendell Smallwood and undrafted rookie Corey Clement — will have to pick up the slack left by Sproles’ absence. Particularly Clement in the passing game.

Sproles often lined up wide or in the slot as a receiver.

The Eagles will need to add a fourth running back. The most logical choice is Byron Marshall, who is on the team’s practice squad. Marshall, who has the same kind of runner-receiver versatility as Sproles, played in three late-season games for the Eagles last season.

“He’ll be part of the thought process going forward,” head coach Doug Pederson said.

Wide receiver Torrey Smith handled punt returns Sunday after Sproles got hurt. Smith had never returned punts until this summer.

“He’s definitely a sure-handed guy back there,” Pederson said. “Right now, he’s the next guy up.”

If the Eagles promote Marshall, it’s likely he would also handle punt returns.

Pederson called the loss of Sproles “devastating.” But he said the Eagles still will be able to run everything in their offense.

“I think what you saw with Wendell yesterday, and even some things with Corey, it’s going to have to be that next-man mentality,” Pederson said. “But I think Wendell on third down specifically, and Corey as well, they’re going to have to step up and assume that role.”

–In his first game with the Eagles two games ago, kicker Jake Elliott missed a 30-yard field goal. On Sunday, he booted a club-record 61-yarder that lifted the Eagles to a three-point win over the New York Giants.

“It’s a little surreal,” the rookie said. “It’s the life of a kicker, though. You have your ultimate ups and ultimate downs.”

Elliott was a fifth-round pick of the Cincinnati Bengals in April. But he was released by them before the start of the season. The Eagles signed him after their kicker, Caleb Sturgis, suffered a hip pointer in the season opener against Washington and was put on injured reserve. He can be activated at mid-season. Whether he is will depend on how Elliott kicks between now and then.

–Struggling left guard Isaac Seumalo, who gave up four sacks in the Eagles’ Week 2 loss to the Chiefs, was benched Sunday. Stefen Wisniewski and Chance Warmack, who have started a combined 131 career NFL games, rotated at the position, with Wisniewski playing 44 snaps and Warmack 32. The Eagles had much of their running success — they rushed for 193 yards on 39 carries against the Giants — when Wisniewski was in the game.

“I think there were some positives with both players,” Pederson said. “Wiz is that veteran player you can just — you know when you put him in that he’s going to execute and do some nice things for you.”

Pederson said the coaching staff will make a determination later in the week what they’re going to do at left guard against the Los Angeles Chargers this week.

–Quarterback Carson Wentz’s passing numbers hardly were remarkable Sunday. He had 21 completions, only one of which was longer than 14 yards. He averaged only 5.7 yards per attempt and threw only one touchdown pass.

But he saved his best for crunch time, completing six of nine passes for 78 yards on the Eagles’ final three scoring drives in the fourth quarter, including his huge 19-yard completion to Alshon Jeffery that gave Jake Elliott his chance to be a hero.

Wentz had struggled on second down in the first two games, completing only 12 of 26 passes and averaging 5.4 yards per pass. Against the Giants, he was 8-for-10 and averaged 7.0 yards per attempt on second down. The Eagles had only eight passing first downs, but five of them came on second down.

Then there was his running. It’s clear that Doug Pederson is not going to be reluctant to use the 6-foot-5, 235-pound Wentz on quarterback sneaks. He did it on a fourth-and-1 on the Eagles’ 18-play, 90-yard touchdown drive in the first half. And he did it again on a fourth-and-1 on a third-quarter touchdown drive that put the Eagles up 14-0.

Wentz also had an 11-yard scramble for a first down on a third-and-8 play on that 18-play drive.

Wentz has made it clear that he is a thrower first. But his mobility is one of the things that appealed to the Eagles when they drafted him. Not only because he can extend plays, but also because he can move the chains with his legs.

He already has six rushing first downs, which is as many as Russell Wilson and Cam Newton and one more than Aaron Rodgers. Last year, he had 17 the entire season.

NOTES: RB Darren Sproles will miss the rest of the season after tearing an ACL and breaking his wrist in Sunday’s win over the Giants. … DT Fletcher Cox, who injured his calf in Sunday’s game against the Giants, should be fine, according to head coach Doug Pederson. He is listed as day to day and the Eagles think he’ll be able to play Sunday against the Chargers. … MLB Jordan Hicks, who injured his ankle against the Giants on Sunday, is listed as day to day by head coach Doug Pederson. It’s not known whether he’ll be able to play this week against the Chargers. He was replaced by Najeh Goode in the Eagles’ base package, and by Mychal Kendricks in their two-linebacker nickel package. … RB Byron Marshall, who is on the team’s practice squad, would appear to be the most logical roster replacement for Darren Sproles, who is out for the season with a torn ACL and fractured wrist. … LG Isaac Seumalo, who started the first two games, but struggled mightily, was replaced by Stefen Wisniewski and Chance Warmack Sunday, who rotated at the position. Head coach Doug Pederson said Seumalo “still is in the mix” to start this week, but that is unlikely, particularly given how well Wisniewski played in his 44 snaps.

REPORT CARD VS. GIANTS

–PASSING OFFENSE: B-plus — Carson Wentz completed 21 of 31 passes and didn’t throw an interception. He had only one completion longer than 14 yards, but it was a big one — a 19-yard sideline pass to Alshon Jeffery that made Jake Elliott’s game-winning field goal possible.

–RUSHING OFFENSE: A-plus — The Eagles finally got their ground game rolling against the Giants, rushing for 193 yards on 39 carries. Even without Darren Sproles, who left with a wrist injury early in the second quarter, the running backs averaged 5.2 yards per carry and had nine rushing first downs. They had four in the first two games.

–PASS DEFENSE: D-minus — The Eagles’ injury-ravaged secondary managed to keep the Giants’ passing game under control in the first half. But once they lost DT Fletcher Cox, they weren’t able to get pressure on Eli Manning, who torched them for 251 yards and three touchdowns in the second half.

–RUSH DEFENSE: A-minus — The Giants only ran the ball 17 times. The Eagles held them to 2.9 yards per carry. They gave up a costly 20-yard run to Paul Perkins in the fourth quarter that set up a touchdown, but that was pretty much it. The Giants had just two rushing first downs.

–SPECIAL TEAMS: A — Rookie Jake Elliott came up big, nailing a 46-yard field goal with 51 seconds left to tie the game, and then cooly drilling a 61-yarder with no time left to win it. Their coverage units neutralized Giants returner Dwayne Harris.

–COACHING: B – Head coach Doug Pederson went for it on fourth down three different times. Two of them, quarterback sneaks with 6-foot-5, 235-pound Carson Wentz on fourth-and-1s, made perfect sense. His decision to go for it on fourth-and-8 at the Giants 43 with the game tied in the fourth quarter, not so much. Defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz, his unit ravaged by injuries, kept the Giants in check for three quarters by keeping their dangerous receivers in front of them and limiting their yards after catch.

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