The Eagles may be walking into Monday night with a stripped-down passing game, and that puts Makai Lemon in the spotlight whether he’s ready or not.
Philadelphia heads into its Week 7 meeting with the Dallas Cowboys at 2-4, and there’s a real chance its top three pass catchers are unavailable. DeVonta Smith (hamstring), Dallas Goedert (knee), and Dontayvion Wicks (ankle) have all missed the last two practices, leaving their status for Monday Night Football in doubt. If they’re out, the Eagles would be leaning on Darius Cooper, Johnny Mundt, and Lemon to help fill the gap.
That’s a big ask for a rookie first-round pick who still hasn’t had his breakout moment.
Through six games, Lemon’s production has been modest: 18 catches for 127 yards, a 7.1-yard average, and no touchdowns. He’s third on the team in receptions, but only fifth in receiving yards, and he hasn’t delivered the kind of spark the Eagles were clearly hoping for when they drafted him. His longest catch has gone for 19 yards, and his best single-game output has been 43 yards.
The usage hasn’t exactly set him up to fly. Sean Mannion has tried to get Lemon going with screen passes, but those plays have routinely gone nowhere and, in some cases, backwards.
That’s part of why the fit still feels unfinished. Lemon has worked in the slot, but his best traits are supposed to show up on short-to-intermediate routes, where he can separate quickly, work after the catch, and make defenders miss.
That was the formula at USC. Philadelphia just hasn’t tapped into it yet.
The setup against Dallas should, at least in theory, give him a better chance to show it. With Tanner McKee at quarterback, the Eagles are unlikely to spend the night attacking deep.
Short throws and quick-developing routes figure to be the plan, especially if Smith and Wicks are sidelined. That would leave Cooper and Hollywood Brown/Elijah Moore on the outside, with Lemon working from the slot.
And if the Eagles want Lemon to matter, the answer isn’t more screens. It’s moving him on crossing routes, getting him five yards downfield, and letting his speed and quickness do the rest. The Cowboys’ secondary is weak outside of Joey Porter Jr., and Darius Cooperdraw will most likely be on Darius Cooper.
For a team in desperation mode, this feels like the moment where Lemon has to stop being a name on the roster and start being a difference-maker. If there was ever a time for him to finally break through, it’s now.
In Other News...
Makai Lemon Suddenly Faces A Huge Eagles Test Against Dallas
The Eagles are piecing together their offense at an awkward time, with DeVonta Smith, Dontayvion Wicks and Dallas Goedert all missing practice and leaving their availability for Monday night against Dallas up in the air. That uncertainty only adds to the challenge for a unit that is already adjusting to a new look under backup quarterback Tanner McKee, and it puts even more pressure on the depth chart to hold up when the lights come on against a familiar division rival.
Makai Lemon is one of the players who could be asked to do more, and the rookie has already logged a significant share of offensive snaps this season. He has sounded comfortable with his progress, even as the workload has grown around him, and Philadelphia may need that kind of readiness in a hurry if the pass-catching group remains thin by kickoff. [Read more 🡒]
Eagles Face A Brutal Cowboys Test With Their Season Slipping Away
The Eagles season has entered a far more precarious stretch with the kind of Monday night matchup that can either stabilize a team or push it further into the weeds. Dallas comes to Lincoln Financial Field in Week 7 with both clubs carrying losing records but still hanging around the playoff picture, and the national spotlight on ESPN and ABC only adds to the pressure for Philadelphia as it tries to regroup after a difficult run.
Philadelphia has already had to absorb a major blow on offense, and the response now matters as much as the result itself. The Cowboys offer a bruising test in prime time, and the Eagles will need to find some footing in front of their home crowd if they want to keep the season from slipping further away. Kickoff is set for 8:15 p.m. ET. [Read more 🡒]
Eagles Still Have One Big Jalyx Hunt Question Before Dallas
Jalyx Hunts path back has been a careful one since the knee and ankle scare at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, where he came out of the game banged up enough to miss the Panthers matchup. He was back at practice the following week, but the return has not changed the reality that the Eagles are still managing his recovery closely as Dallas approaches.
Hunt has made it clear he does not want to rush back before he is medically ready, and that leaves his availability for the Cowboys game in question. For a Philadelphia defense that values every healthy edge it can get, the final decision on Hunt is one of the more important injury watch items heading into the weekend. [Read more 🡒]