Team news: Philadelphia Eagles | Page 21

Titans WR A.J. Brown, who left yesterday’s game early with a chest injury had negative X-Rays on his ribs, source said.

Rapoport went on to say Brown will have more tests Monday, and those can sometimes show more damage. But for now at least, it's a promising early return for Brown, the Titans and his fantasy owners. His status for Week 12 will need to be monitored. The team has an early game against a tough New England defense on the road next week.

Saquon Barkley might finally be past his latest injury. He's reportedly expected to suit up on Monday night though, per Jordan Raanan of ESPN, when the Giants visit Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to close out the Week 11 slate of games.

The 24-year-old suffered a severe ankle sprain in Week 5 after taking only two handoffs against the Dallas Cowboys, on a play that saw him roll his ankle on the leg of cornerback Jourdan Lewis. He was immediately helped off of the field before seeing his ankle balloon massively with swelling and being ruled out shortly thereafter, having not taken the field for the Giants since, the story said. The Giants are hoping Barkley is finally healthy for the final stretch of the 2021 season.

Sterling Shepard (quad) returned to practice on Friday so there was a chance he'd return but was ruled out for Monday's matchup against Tampa Bay. Saquon Barkley (ankle) practiced all week and looks likely to return while Devontae Booker (hip) was added to the report today. Both are ruled as questionable and create two situations to monitor up to game time. The Buccaneers' defense boasts a tough front seven but their secondary is banged up.

This boosts the opportunity for Kenny Golladay and Kadarius Toney with Shepard out, while the running back situation would figure to be closer to an even split if both backs become active. Saquon hasn't played since Week 4

Giants RBs Saquon Barkley (ankle) and Devontae Booker (hip) were limited Friday, while WR Sterling Shepard (quad) made an appearance but was listed as 'Did Not Participate.'

It appears the running backs are trending towards playing, while Shepard is at least another week away.

Eagles TE Dallas Goedert did not practice Wednesday because of a concussion.

Related Players: Tyree Jackson, Jack Stoll

The Eagles could be playing with a rookie starting tight end and a former QB who has yet to play in 2021 as the back-up.

Eagles HC Nick Sirianni told reporters Wednesday that RB Miles Sanders is the starting back when healthy. Sirianni also mentioned that Sanders could play Sunday if he looks good in practice.

Related Players: Boston Scott, Jordan Howard, Kenneth Gainwell Jr.

This backfield is about to get even more muddled. It is best to wait and see how the week's injury reports pan out before deciding to play any Eagles running back.

The Philadelphia Eagles have designated RB Miles Sanders (ankle) to return from IR.

Related Players: Jordan Howard, Boston Scott, Kenneth Gainwell Jr.

What is already a messy backfield will only get worse if/when Sanders returns in the next three weeks. Sanders may have lost his starting role with the emergence of Howard. The backfield touch distribution is going to be important to watch the first week Sanders is on the field.

While his passing numbers haven’t set the world on fire, quarterback Jalen Hurts has been in the thick of the surge. He’s completed 67 percent of his passes for 443 yards with three touchdowns and one interception in Philadelphia’s last three games. And he’s tallied 31 carries for 186 yards.

In his Monday press conference, head coach Nick Sirianni touted Hurts’ progress.

“I just see his arrow completely pointed up,” Sirianni said, via Reuben Frank of NBCSportsPhiladelphia.com. “I think we’ve all seen the way he’s played.”

Hurts is technically still a rookie, but he's clearly been helped but a running game and a more balanced offense. The Eagles didn't run the ball in the beginning of the season putting more pressure on Hurts. But that's changed over the team's recent surge. There is still no guarantee Hurts is the team's starter in 2022, the team is typically aggressive and has been linked to Deshaun Watson and Russell Wilson over the last year or so. But Hurts is making a push to earn the job going forward.

Saquon Barkley looks good. Trending well toward Bucs return.

Related players: Devontae Booker

It's a potentially tough matchup for Barkley in his return and perhaps facing an angry Bucs team following an unexpected loss to Washington. Ironically, the tweet went on to say RBs Booker, and Elijah Penny weren't at practice due to a “personal matter” for both. Booker is reportedly dealing with a hip injury, too.

Titans wide receiver Marcus Johnson came into the game with four catches for 60 yards on the season, but Julio Jones‘ trip to the injured reserve list opened up an opportunity for him to make an impact. Johnson turned a short slant into a 50-yard gain to set up a field goal in the first quarter and finished the day with five catches for 100 yards to lead the Titans in both categories.

Head coach Mike Vrabel said it was a “huge” performance and “what we needed to see” from a receiver who has flashed in practices without making a big impression in games.

Related players: Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, Chester Rogers, A.J. Brown

Jones is going to miss two more games at least so Johnson has a chance to continue to make his mark in that span. With no Derrick Henry, the Titans will likely throw the ball more than they have with Henry in the lineup, so Johnson could have some fantasy value at least for the short term. Both Westbrook-Ikhine and Rogers have flashed fantasy numbers this year so it remains to see if Johnson will take over the WR2 role. Johnson, himself, flashed for the Colts last year, including a 5-108-0 game but mostly fizzled out after that.