The Eagles' defense has been a work in progress all season, and now, heading into a pivotal Week 14 matchup against the Chargers, they’re facing their biggest test yet-and they’ll be doing it without one of their most disruptive forces up front.
Jalen Carter, the second-team All-Pro defensive tackle and centerpiece of Philly’s interior line, is out for Monday night’s game in Los Angeles after undergoing surgery on both shoulders. And while the Eagles’ defense wasn’t exactly dominating with him-ranked 25th overall, 24th against the run, and 19th against the pass-losing Carter is still a major blow.
This isn’t just about stats. Carter’s presence in the middle of the line has been a difference-maker all year, even as he battled through multiple injuries, including a nagging heel issue and the shoulder problems that have now sidelined him. Despite all that, he’s posted two sacks, 11 quarterback hits, six pass deflections, and four tackles for loss-numbers that speak to his ability to impact the game in multiple ways, even when not at full strength.
Now, the Eagles will have to lean on their depth-and their youth.
“We’ve got a defense and a lot of guys that have more opportunities now,” said defensive tackle Moro Ojomo, who’ll see an uptick in snaps with Carter out. “Obviously a little sad for Jalen not to be there… but we’re going to be ready when he comes back.”
Ojomo’s not wrong about the opportunity. The Eagles still have four interior linemen on the active roster: Ojomo, Jordan Davis, Byron Young, and Ty Robinson. Gabe Hall is also on the practice squad and has seen limited action this season.
Carter’s been logging 58 snaps per game-by far the most among the group. Ojomo’s been averaging 44, Davis 42, and Young just 16.
Robinson has only played 35 total snaps across five games, and Hall has seen the field for just 13 snaps in two appearances. In other words, this is going to be a true test of the Eagles’ depth and player development.
But if you ask the guys in that room, they’re not backing down from the challenge.
“We’ve just got a lot of young, hungry guys,” said Young, who played a career-high 38 snaps in last Friday’s win over the Bears. “We all believe in one another.
The coaches believe in us. I think we can go out there and compete.
We can play with anybody.”
That belief will be crucial, because the Chargers are no pushover. Both teams come into Monday night’s matchup at 8-4, and with playoff positioning on the line, there’s not much room for error.
Young knows the expectations are high, especially with Carter out. “Obviously [Jalen] is a great player, one of the best in the league,” he said.
“But everybody believes in everybody in the group. There’s going to be different players that have to step up.
I’ll be one of them.”
The Eagles haven’t placed Carter on Injured Reserve, which suggests they’re hopeful he could return in two to three weeks. But in the meantime, it’s next man up-and that means Ojomo, Davis, Young, and potentially Robinson will have to carry the load.
The silver lining? This isn’t uncharted territory.
Carter missed two games earlier this season-one against the Cowboys after being ejected, and another against the Giants due to the heel injury. In those games, Ojomo averaged 59 snaps, Davis 51, and Young 30.
Compare that to their averages over the other 10 games (Ojomo 41, Davis 40, Young 13), and you get a sense of how the rotation might look on Monday night.
Ojomo believes those earlier experiences without Carter will help the group now that they’ve had time to prepare.
“Both times were kind of last-second things,” he said. “Now we kind of have maybe more of a game plan, more of an idea going into it. So we’re more aware and ready to perform.”
That preparation could make all the difference. Because while Carter’s absence is significant, the Eagles have built a defensive line room full of young talent that’s eager to prove it can hold the line-even without its star anchor.
As linebacker Jaelan Phillips put it: “You never want to have your guys missing time, but ultimately, I think it will be good for them to kind of deal with that now to gear for the long run.”
And with the postseason looming, the long run is exactly what the Eagles are trying to gear up for. Monday night in L.A. will be a big step in that journey-with or without No. 98 in the middle.