PHILADELPHIA — With MVP leader and starting midfielder Jalen hurts right shoulder sprain treatmentThe signs are pointing to the backup Minshew gardener get a nod Philadelphia Eagles (13-1) in their biggest match of the year against dalas cowboy (10-4) on Saturday.
Hurts was injured in the third half of last Sunday’s 25-20 win Chicago bear when he was pushed into the cold battlefield by defending Trevis Gipson. He is still in the game and connected to DeVonta Smith on a route in the next playthrough. Then he typed wide receiver Brown AJ on a long ball.
If Hurts are eliminated in Week 16, here’s what it means for the Minshew and Eagles.
How worried is the Eagles about Hurts missing the time?
Fortunately, there were no alarm bells ringing inside the Eagles NovaCare Complex about the long-term availability of Hurts. From the team’s point of view, any missed period would be to get his throwing arm’s strength and function back to 100% for the knockout stages.
The Eagles have plenty of space, needing just one win in the remaining three regular games of the season to secure the top seed in NFC. They entered Monday with a 99.7% chance of finishing with the No. 1 seed in NFC and bye bye according to ESPN Analytics.
But they want to avoid any drama. Victory over Dallas Sunday will lock them in and allow coach Nick Sirianni to miss the start of the final two weeks as he sees fit.
What does Philly want to see from Gardner Minshew?
Minshew’s main job may be to secure Philadelphia’s spot for that playoff.
Minshew proved his ability on the spot mission. Last December in a match started for the injured Hurts against New York Jets, he went 20/25 in 242 yards and a few touches in the 33-18 win. The squad has been upgraded since his last meaningful act, with Brown (1,201 yards receiving, 10 touches) playing as a top scorer. tight ending Dallas Goedert also had a chance to come back from a shoulder injury for this one.
Working behind one of the best forwards in football and with one of the more skilled positions available, Minshew can play point midfield and not have to worry about carrying too much weight on his shoulders. .
What kind of challenge will the Cowboys defense present to Minshew?
Naturally, the opponent for Minshew’s first game of the season was far from ideal. The Cowboys have the second-best pass defense in the NFL (191.6 yards per game), first in goals scored (26) and second in pitches with 49. He’ll be on hand. full.
“I think they’re the best passing unit in the league,” right handle Johnson Lane speak. “[Linebacker] Micah Parsons is an active player. [Defensive ends] DeMarcus Lawrence, Sam William, all the guys on the board. So they’re not kidding. They play hard, they play well.”
Is Minshew an effective QB stop?
Hurts was performed at an MVP clip. His prowess as a runner (he had 13 hasty touchdowns, just one behind the all-time leader in a season for quarterback, Cam Newton) has made the defense struggled while his improvement as a passer (67.3% completion rate, up from 61.3% in 2021) kept the Eagles attack. become explosive.
However, Minshew was poised to succeed. Attack line ranks seventh in block win rate (64 percent); Brown (1st, 94th) and Smith (12th, 77th) are the highest-rated receivers in the league, according to ESPN data; run again Miles Sanders ranked fifth for dash yards (1,110) and hasty touches (11); and defense ranked first in terms of rush win rate (53%), clearance (55) and interception (15).
Nothing can take away from Hurts’ achievements this year. But with 41 career touches, 12 interceptions and 22 starts, the 26-year-old Minshew has proven he can get the job done. And he has never been better established in terms of supporting cast.
