The Eagles may be headed into Week 7 with more questions than answers off the edge, and that puts Arnold Ebiketie in the spotlight against the Cowboys.
Philadelphia listed Jonathan Greenard and Nolan Smith Jr. as “did not participate” in Friday’s injury report. Greenard’s ankle setback leaves his status in doubt and opens the door to him missing his fourth game of the season. Smith is still working back from the concussion he suffered in the Eagles’ Week 6 loss to the Carolina Panthers.
There is hope that Jalyx Hunt can return after sitting out one game with a lower-body injury. If he can’t, the Eagles may lean on A.J.
Epenesa or Ebiketie. And if Ebiketie’s number is called more often, Philadelphia needs a repeat of what he brought against Carolina.
He was one of the players who had to carry the load in Week 6, and he did it without much warning. Hunt was out after his scary Week 5 injury in the loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, Epenesa missed the game with a back injury, and at one point Smith and Greenard were also unavailable. That left Ebiketie with added responsibility, and he responded with a team-high nine tackles plus pressure in the loss.
It wasn’t a headline-grabbing breakout, but it was the kind of steady performance the Eagles needed in a pinch. Signed to a one-year deal in the offseason after leaving the Atlanta Falcons, Ebiketie showed why Philadelphia brought him in.
His season numbers through six games are solid: 18 tackles, seven pressures, five hurries and two quarterback hits. Pro Football Focus has him at a 60.5 overall grade, which ranks 75th among 115 eligible edge rushers. His 52.7 pass-rush grade ranks 104th, while his 68.7 run-defense grade sits 35th.
The profile is pretty clear. Ebiketie has burst off the line, and he’s been more noticeable against the run. What the Eagles need now is more consistency as a pass rusher, especially with the kind of challenge Dallas presents.
The Cowboys’ line has strength at left tackle, where Tyler Guyton has put together the best season of his young NFL career. But Terence Steele remains the vulnerable spot. He has allowed 13 pressures, one quarterback hit and one sack in 286 pass-blocking snaps.
That’s the opening Philadelphia has to find, and Ebiketie looks like the defender most likely to attack it. If the Eagles can target the right side of the Cowboys’ line the right way, they have a shot at stacking up sacks against Dak Prescott.
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 🡒]