The Eagles’ Week 9 loss to the Giants came with a fresh set of snap counts, and the numbers tell a pretty clear story about who the team is leaning on, who’s fading out, and who’s just trying to survive the injury grind.
On offense, Jordan Mailata remains the only Eagle to have played every single offensive snap this season. He’s also been on the field for 11.16% of the team’s special teams snaps. The starting offensive line group has now logged 100% of the offensive snaps in each of the last four games, which says plenty about how locked in that unit has been.
At receiver, Darius Cooper and Makai Lemon continue to sit atop the group while DeVonta Smith and Dontayvion Wicks have missed time. Saquon Barkley also logged his highest snap total of the season, though it was only his third-highest snap percentage. He carried the ball 13 times for 22 yards, and while it’s clear he wants to keep pushing through injuries, it doesn’t look like the Eagles are doing him any favors by keeping him out there when he’s clearly not at full strength.
Hollywood Brown’s time in Philadelphia should be over after this one. Elijah Mitchell had a rough day in ways that go beyond the stat sheet, first coming up short of the sticks on a play where he was wide open and then staying in bounds late instead of getting out with the Eagles out of timeouts. He’s out of practice squad elevations, and there doesn’t seem to be a reason to keep him around on the PS or the roster.
Elijah Moore also got a designed touch at a strange moment, with the Eagles trailing by eight in the fourth quarter and facing 2nd-and-7 at the plus 47. The screen went for a three-yard loss, and Moore’s season line now sits at four catches for 17 yards.
Johnny Mundt, meanwhile, posted his lowest snap count percentage of the season for the second straight week, which suggests the Eagles are moving away from him. Fred Johnson was used as a sixth offensive lineman, and the Eagles scored their only touchdown on one of those plays.
Willie Lampkin also saw work as a fullback.
On defense, Riq Woolen missed three snaps after getting banged up in the first half. Jeremiah Trotter Jr. again led the team in tackles with 11. Nolan Smith continues to quietly put together a solid season in what’s otherwise been a lost year for the team, and he now has five sacks in eight games played.
Marcus Epps returned as the safety next to Andrew Mukuba in nickel looks, taking over the role from Kenny Moore II. Jordan Davis added two tackles for loss against the Giants, giving him two on the season.
Jonathan Greenard may be getting healthier, because he played his highest percentage of snaps this year and turned in one sack, one TFL, and a team-high tie with Zack Baun for two quarterback hits. Pro Football Focus had Greenard down for a team-high five pressures.
Baun left in the third quarter with a back injury and did not return, but he still finished with a team-high seven stops. Jalyx Hunt remained on a pitch count while playing through injuries, while Smael Mondon stepped in for Baun. Kenny Moore II saw his role shrink, and with Jonathan Jones out, Kelee Ringo served as the top backup corner and briefly got on the field when Woolen missed time.
On special teams, Cole Wisniewski was active only in that phase after being temporarily elevated from the practice squad. Braden Mann had one of the stranger days you’ll see from a punter, booming an 86-yard punt and also dropping one for minus-2 yards in the same game.
Rocco Underwood recovered a muffed punt, A.J. Epenesa was limited to special teams for the second week in a row, and Jaydon Blue handled kick return duties.
The Eagles, clearly, don’t want to use him on offense.
In Other News...
Jeremiah Trotter Jr. Just Forced A Tough Eagles Linebacker Decision
Jeremiah Trotter Jr. gave the Eagles something to think about in their Week 9 loss to the Giants, and it went beyond the box score. The rookie linebacker was active all over the field, showing the kind of downhill presence and instinct that can change how a defense looks when it is trying to steady itself, and the performance landed well with Pro Football Focus as well.
That kind of showing matters because Philadelphia has been trying to sort out how best to use its linebackers, and Trotters tape only sharpened the conversation. Jihaad Campbell still brings value as a pass rusher, but his recent stretch in coverage has opened the door for a bigger role change, and the Eagles now have a real decision to make about whether the best answer is to keep Trotter on the rise or reshape Campbells responsibilities to fit what he does best. [Read more 🡒]
Eagles Bye Week Puts Siriannis Offensive Staff Under Real Pressure
Nick Sirianni used the bye week to acknowledge what has become a familiar question around the Eagles: whether the coaching staff needs a shake-up. He didnt sound eager to make moves for the sake of optics, stressing that any decisions would be weighed carefully and with the bigger picture in mind. With injuries piling up and the roster stretched thin, the staffs job has been less about polishing a finished product than finding ways to help available players function at a high level.
Still, the break gives the organization a natural pause to examine the offense and decide whether continuity is the right call or whether something more sweeping is coming. It is a tricky evaluation because the Eagles have spent so much time working around personnel shortages that separating coaching issues from roster problems is no easy task. However the front office and Sirianni sort through it, the bye week has put real pressure on the offensive staff to prove it can hold together the rest of the season. [Read more 🡒]
Eagles Collapse Has Fans Eyeing A Rare Draft Opportunity
The losing streak keeps stretching, and the latest setback was another ugly one, a 19-11 defeat to the Giants that marked Philadelphias seventh straight loss. For a fan base used to thinking about January football, the conversation has shifted hard in the other direction, with the focus now landing on where the Eagles might be picking if this slide continues to define the season.
That is where the long view gets interesting. Tankathons current projection has Philadelphia in rare draft territory, and with a premium selection potentially on the horizon, the early speculation is already turning toward blue-chip talent at premium spots. Edge rushers Colin Simmons and Dylan Stewart, quarterback Drew Mestemaker and wide receiver Jeremiah Smith are among the names being floated as possible fits, a reminder that even in a season going sideways, the Eagles may soon have a chance to reset the roster in a major way. [Read more 🡒]