Eagles should treat London like a ‘scheduled loss,’ leave Quinyon Mitchell, Jalen Carter, et al in Philly
Doc Rivers had it right: Some games are just un-winnable. There's no shame in hoisting the white flag for one week and playing Kelee Ringo.
Where’s Doc Rivers when you need him?
The Eagles are a team in disarray. They are reeling, after a slew of injuries; the sudden retirement of right tackle Lane Johnson; and the stunning trade of Cam Jurgens, the center they were misplaying at guard.
If ever there was a moment for a scheduled loss in football, this is it. If they beat the Jaguars in London on Sunday, great, but there are more important concerns for the 2026 season.
Sometimes, you’ve got to wave the white flag and accept the scheduled loss
» READ MORE: ‘Schedule loss’ comment puts Doc Rivers on the Sixers hot seat again. It shouldn’t.
You might recall that term was coined phrase was coined by Glenn “Doc“ Rivers, the condescending, unpopular, and unsuccessful 76ers coach. In late November of 2022, Rivers referred to a game in Cleveland as a ”Schedule Loss.“ It was the team’s sixth game in nine days, and James Harden and Tyrese Maxey were injured, and the Cavs were pretty good.
In Rivers’ estimation, the Sixers had little real chance of winning that game. They lost by 28 points, and Doc gave us another in a long list of his infamous utterances.
Marcus Hayes alerts
This is exactly the situation the Eagles face Sunday. Resistance is futile. They should rest every injured player. If it turns out to be a scheduled loss, so be it.
Better to rest, reset, and regroup for next Sunday, when the Panthers visit, and beyond. Unlike the Jaguars, the Panthers are a conference opponent, and conference records are a significant tiebreaker. The three games after the Panthers are all divisional opponents. Those are more important games. This game is not only less important, it is un-winnable.
The Eagles are dropping like flies in a cloud of Raid.
Fourteen of the top 24 players on the roster are either definitely out, markedly limited, recently retired, or stunningly traded:
Johnson, Jurgens, Saquon Barkley (hamstring), DeVonta Smith (hamstring), Quinyon Mitchell (knee), Jonathan Greenard (ankle), Dallas Goedert (knee), Jihaad Campbell (knee), Zack Baun (concussion), Marcus Epps (groin), Dontayvion Wicks (hamstring), and Drew Kendall (knee). Backup running back Tank Bigsby landed on injured reserve on Monday; he needed core muscle surgery. He joined former Pro Bowl left guard Landon Dickerson, who’s landed on injured reserve after Game 1 with a lingering knee issue.
What’s more, defensive tackle Jalen Carter, perhaps the best player on the team, has been playing with a fractured wrist, and he has been playing poorly. That makes it 15.
Some of these players will be ruled out by the time the Eagles’ charter takes off Friday night, but, really, none of the wounded should get on the plane bound for England.
» READ MORE: If Jeff Stoutland was still the line coach, would Lane Johnson and Cam Jurgens still be productive Eagles?
The Eagles are faced with a red-eye flight Friday that will move them five time zones to the east (which is a bizarre decision; they should’ve been there for three days now). They will play a game Sunday with a start time that their body clocks will believe is 9:30 a.m. They will play a Jaguars team that won the AFC South last year and is 3-1, with three good wins.
They’re 8-point underdogs on some sportsbooks.
For now.
Carter and Mitchell fully participated in practice Thursday. So what. Why not give Carter a week to get healthier? Why risk further injuring Mitchell’s knee?
There is no point.
They have no chance.
The Eagles are too beaten up. Too thin.
The offensive line, the worst unit on the team, will be reshuffled again: undrafted, 5-foot-11, second-year center Willie Lampkin will get his first NFL start left guard next to Kendall, if Kendall plays. If Kendall does not play then Lampkin will start next to undrafted second-year center Jake Majors, who will be making his NFL debut.
They will be key cogs in a newly installed offense that remains a mystery to everyone, including the Eagles themselves.
It seems unlikely that Barkley will play. Smith already missed the last game. Wicks popped up on the report Thursday. If you’re going to war with backup receiver Darius Cooper and ancient tight end Zach Ertz as Jalen Hurts’ most dangerous weapons, then it’s time to negotiate a truce.
It gets worse. Receiver Hollywood Brown (ankle), offensive lineman Fred Johnson (knee) are also hurt, and they’re frontline backups.
» READ MORE: With center Drew Kendall the Eagles’ latest O-line injury concern, Jake Majors might get the starting call
The best player on the roster right now is probably kicker Jake Eliott. Hope he’s on your fantasy team this week.
Denuding your roster of hobbled players when you’re at .500 and floundering is a tough pill to swallow, but medicine isn’t supposed to taste good. It’s supposed to make you better.
This is a game where a lot of guys can get a lot better ... as long as they stay in the good ol’ U.S. of A.
Different year, different offensive coordinator, yet still, it feels like Déjà vu all over again. The Eagles had little margin for error Sunday vs. the Rams because of injuries. They played hard despite being shorthanded, but in the end, couldn’t put the Rams away, mainly because of poor execution on offense. Why hasn’t Sean Mannion's scheme clicked? How culpable are head coach Nick Sirianni and quarterback Jalen Hurts in the offensive rut the Eagles find themselves in? The Inquirer's Jeff McLane and David Murphy analyze the fallout from the 24-20 loss to L.A. Listen here.
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