Week 2 in the NFL was rough for the Philadelphia Eagles. After winning against the Atlanta Falcons on the road, fans were sure that the Eagles had Sunday’s game against the San Francisco 49ers in the bag.
However, the team didn’t lose to the Niners; in all honesty, they lost to themselves. After several missed opportunities and careless mistakes, Philadelphia couldn’t pull off a second victory, leaving the Linc 11-17.
Along with their defeat, the Eagles also lost three Pro Bowl veterans in Brandon Graham, Brandon Brooks, and (as of today) Zach Ertz.
TWO EAGLES INJURIES AND A LOSS OF ON-FIELD MORALE
During the second quarter of yesterday’s game, right guard Brandon Brooks left early with a chest injury. Today, the injury is “only” a pectoralis strain, as opposed to a tear.
Nick Sirianni stated, “We’re thinking he’s [Brooks] probably going to go to IR, but it’s not a season-ending injury.”
If Brooks lands on the IR list, he will be ineligible to be activated over the next three weeks.
On Sunday, second-round draft pick Landon Dickerson replaced him, playing in his first game since December 2020. Dickerson did not participate in training camp this offseason and became a full participant in regular season practice last week. He allowed five pressures in 20 pass-blocking snaps, needing a great deal of improvement. With Week 3’s game already lingering, Dickerson will essentially compete for the spot with Nate Herbig.
Shortly after Brooks’ injury, defensive end Brandon Graham was carted off the field with an ankle injury. After speculation surrounding an Achilles tear, Graham took to social media following the game clueing fans in on his season-ending injury.
We still about to shock the world! I will just be leading from the sidelines this year working to be great for 2022. Appreciate all the love and now it is time for guys to step it up. U have to find the treasure in every situation! #eagles
— Brandon Graham (@brandongraham55) September 19, 2021
In a post-game interview, defensive tackle Fletcher Cox stated, “It’s always tough, and it was a pretty emotional moment for me to see BG limp off the field because I know me and Brandon played so much ball together, and to see him limp off the field was pretty rough for me. But we know Brandon, he’s in a good spot right now, and we’ll talk, and once he figures out what’s going on — at the same time, we’ve got his back, and we’ll go from there and get ready for the next game.”
Many of Graham’s teammates continued to react to the news. Linebacker Alex Singleton stated, “That’s obviously one of our captains, that’s huge. He’s that emotional leader. You guys all know him; he’s always got a smile on his face, always doing the right things. He’s one of those guys…I remember when I was still on practice squad, he was the guy, every day, telling me I would play one day. So, he’s that guy for this team, and he’ll still be that guy. I think that’s the best thing about him is, we might lose him on the field, but we’re definitely not losing him in the room, in the building.”
Nick Sirianni called Graham the “heart and soul” of the team, and in his absence, the head coach will now look to make adjustments to the line. The Eagles have Ryan Kerrigan on the left, and Josh Sweat and Derek Barnett on the right.
A THIRD EAGLES VETERAN LOSS
As of Monday afternoon, Philadelphia also placed tight end Zach Ertz, on the Reserve/COVID-19 list.
#Eagles TE Zach Ertz tested positive for COVID-19, per the transaction wire. Ertz is vaccinated, so there’s at least a chance he be cleared in time to play next Monday night against the #Cowboys, with no symptoms and two negative tests 24 hours apart.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) September 20, 2021
According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, Ertz tested positive during the team’s weekly checks, despite being vaccinated. However, the Pro Bowler could still wind up playing next Monday against the Dallas Cowboys. Per NFL protocols, vaccinated players need two negative tests at least 24 hours apart and no symptoms to return to the team.
In both games this season, he has caught three passes for 40 yards. The 30-year-old is just shy of 26 catches from setting the Eagles’ all-time record for receptions.
