Eagles will try to stop Matt Ryan with gimpy corners

A starting cornerback with a hamstring issue is like a deer with a limp during hunting season.

Such is the dilemma facing Eagles corner Leodis McKelvin on Sunday. He can't run and Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan, who leads the NFL in touchdown passes and still is wiping the drool off his chin after watching the gimpy McKelvin struggle mightily last week in the Eagles' 28-23 loss to the Giants, sure as hell isn't going to let him hide.

McKelvin's fingerprints were on three of Eli Manning's four touchdown passes against the Eagles.

"He's a competitor,'' Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz said of McKelvin. "He wants to play his very best. He hasn't been able to do that really since the opener. But because of our corner situation, he's had to get out there.''

McKelvin sat out three of the Eagles' first five games hoping the hamstring would heal. But he keeps aggravating the injury. Trying to cover people such as Odell Beckham Jr. and Dez Bryant will do that.

McKelvin played 94 percent of the Eagles' defensive snaps in their overtime loss to the Cowboys two weeks ago, which didn't help the hamstring. Last week, he played just 59 percent of the snaps against the Giants.

When he was in there, Manning went after him like a heat-seeking missile. Ryan almost certainly will do the same Sunday.

In a perfect world, Schwartz would sit him down and go with someone else until the hamstring has completely healed. But his options are limited.

Jalen Mills has had his rookie ups and downs. Another rookie, C.J. Smith, was active the last two games, but didn't get any defensive snaps.

Aaron Grymes, who spent three years in the Canadian Football League and probably would have made the Eagles' roster this season before injuring his shoulder in the preseason, is on the practice squad and could be moved up.

"We've tried to manage it the best we can,'' Schwartz said. "Honestly, we were managing both corners Sunday. Nolan Carroll also had a hamstring issue from practice last week.

"So we tried to take an approach of keeping a rotation and keeping those guys fresh. But it's tough when you're on the outside part of the field.''

And now, Ryan and Julio Jones and the Falcons are coming to town to do some hunting.

"If you're an offensive lineman," Schwartz said, "a hamstring's not going to bother you as much" -- Allen Barbre might beg to differ, Jim -- "same with a defensive lineman or a linebacker.

"But when you're a skill guy – a wide receiver (or) DB – it's tough to manage. I commend those guys for trying to push through it. Everybody's beat up this time of year. They just have to find a way to get it done. We have to find a way to put them in positions to get it done.''

Schwartz rotated Mills on the outside with Carroll and McKelvin last week. The week before against Dallas, Mills also had been used inside in nickel.

But last week, with the Giants playing three-wide receiver sets almost the entire game, Schwartz opted to use safety Malcolm Jenkins at nickel and put Jaylen Watkins at safety.