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The Philadelphia Eagles had an early bye week this season but it might have come at the perfect time for the middling NFC East squad. Coming off their Week 5 bye, the Eagles expect to get a trio of offensive stars back from injury for their Week 6 matchup against the Cleveland Browns.
Philadelphia is “hopeful” wide receivers AJ Brown and Devonta Smith, along with right tackle Lane Johnson, will return to practice and suit up this week, per ESPN's Dan Graziano.
Brown missed the last three games with a hamstring injury he suffered in practice during Week 2. He caught five passes for 119 receiving yards and one touchdown in the Eagles' Week 1 win over the Green Bay Packers.
Smith and Johnson exited Philly's Week 3 win against the New Orleans Saints with concussions. They were held out in Week 4 but neither head injury appears to be a long-term concern.
To note, Johnson and Brown practiced in a limited capacity the Friday before Philly's Week 4 contest.
The Eagles' offense struggled mightily without their top two passing weapons and their two-time All-Pro tackle. Philly produced only 227 yards of total offense in a 33-16 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. That's the lowest amount of yards the Eagles gained in a game since Week 6 of 2021 when they totaled 213 yards of offense. Ironically that game was against the Bucs as well.
Getting one of AJ Brown, Devonta Smith or Lane Johnson back is massive for the Eagles. If all three can make it on the field Sunday, Philly's chances of winning increase exponentially. Currently, the Eagles are more than a touchdown favorite over the Browns at most sportsbooks.
Changes coming to Philly's defensive backfield?
While the offense has inconsistently put points on the board through four games, Philadelphia's defense hasn’t done the team many favors either. If the Birds are looking for a spark on defense, perhaps a rookie can help.
It's expected that second-round pick Cooper DeJean will take over the nickel corner duties from longtime Eagle Avonte Maddox, perhaps as soon as this week, per ESPN's Jeremy Fowler.
DeJean was a consensus All-American and won SEC Defensive Back of the Year in 2023. He had first-round draft grades but slipped to the second where the Eagles traded up to select him 40th overall.
Maddox hasn’t necessarily played poorly, but Philly knows what they have in him in his seventh season with the team. Giving DeJean a chance to shine is likely what the Eagles envisioned when they drafted him, but a preseason injury limited his defensive reps.
Outside of their best performance against the Saints when they allowed 12 points and limited the hottest offense in football through two weeks to 219 yards, the Eagles' defense has been putrid.
In their other three games, Philly allowed an average of 414 yards and 28 points per game. The Eagles went 1-2 in those games. Overall through five weeks, they rank 27th in total defense and 22nd in points allowed per game.
Most of Philadelphia's struggles on the defensive side of the ball come from its lack of pass-rushing. An area that was once arguably the franchise's best strength has become its biggest weakness. The Eagles recorded six sacks in four games.
Philly has a great opportunity to get its season on track with the Browns and New York Giants next on the slate.
