Eagles vs Cowboys: NFL Christmas Eve injury report I Will Jalen Hurts be able to play?
The Eagles released their final official injury report on Thursday ahead of their Week 16 game against the Cowboys and Hurts is officially ruled out.
The Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys will play this Saturday, December 24. There’s a lot at stake in this game with the NFC East title on the line. The Eagles need just one win in their final three games in order to clinch the title and receive home-field advantage in the playoffs. They have officially ruled out starting quarterback Jalen Hurts for this Christmas Eve road game.
An NFL Christmas: The Complete Week 16 Schedule
Eagles injury report
Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts has officially been ruled out due to a shoulder injury. It’s not too surprising considering he didn’t practice on Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday. The Eagles will instead start Gardner Minshew at quarterback against the Cowboys.
They have also ruled out tight end Tyree Jackson, who was limited in practice on Tuesday and Wednesday and did not practice at all on Thursday. If they put him on Injured Reserve, they could potentially add linebacker and special teams player Christian Elliss from the practice squad.
Wide receiver Zach Pascal is now listed as Questionable. He returned to practice on Thursday after missing Tuesday and Wednesday. Before he can be cleared to play, Pascal must pass the NFL’s concussion protocol.
Cowboys injury report
Several defensive injuries plague the Dallas Cowboys right now. As expected, linebacker Leighton Vander Esch has been ruled out against the Eagles. Linebacker Micah Parsons and defensive end Dorance Armstrong are listed as questionable after being limited in practice this week. Cornerback Trevon Diggs missed practice on Friday with an illness, but is not listed on the injury report.
Cowboys no. 2 tight end Jake Ferguson was limited in practice all week due to a concussion and is now listed as Questionable.
Can the Eagles win without Jalen Hurts?
First of all, let’s talk about Gardner Minshew. The Eagles backup quarterback is a pending free agent and will be determined to establish himself as a reliable starter, and a road win against the Cowboys could do just that. He has so far started in 22 of 30 career games. His most recent start was last season against the New York Jets, a game which the Eagles won 33-18. Minshew finished with 20-of-25 completions for 242 yards and two touchdowns (both to tight end Dallas Goedert) and no interceptions.
“[Jalen Hurts] is so tough, but we just felt like it’s the best thing that he doesn’t play this week. His body is not there yet,” Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said. “Gardner will be our guy and Gardner will be ready. Gardner worked his butt off for this opportunity against a really good football team and had a great practice… He’s ready to go.”
Dallas Goedert will return for the Eagles this week after being injured and was indeed Minshew’s favorite target in his last start, so we could expect to see the Eagles playing to that more than usual against the Cowboys. In general, Minshew has an impressive offense surrounding him, even better than last year.
Despite the Eagles’ shiny 13-1 record, they are considered the underdogs on the road against Dallas. The Cowboys are coming off of an upset loss against the Jacksonville Jaguars and an embarrassingly close win against the Houston Texans the week before that. With their injuries on defense, the Cowboys are less of a threat than they were when they lost to the Eagles earlier this season. That leaves a perfect opportunity for the Eagles to take advantage of the run just like the Jaguars did last week. Then again, the Cowboys are due for a comeback and with a newbie in at quarterback for the Eagles, this could be their chance.
I know better by now than to bet on the Cowboys. Saturday will be anyone’s game. Kickoff is at 4:25 p.m. ET from AT&T Stadium.