The Linc – DeVonta Smith still on pace to break DeSean Jackson’s rookie record

Philadelphia Eagles news and links for 12/19/21.

Let’s get to the Philadelphia Eagles links …

10 all-time Eagles records that could fall in the next month – NBCSP
CAN DEVONTA CATCH DESEAN? He’ll have an extra game to try to get there, but despite just four catches for 37 yards the last two games, DeVonta Smith is still on pace to break DeSean Jackson’s Eagles rookie receiving record of 912 yards. Smith has 701 yards in 13 games, which puts him on pace for 917. He needs to average 75 yards per game the rest of the season to become the Eagles’ first 1,000-yard WR since Jeremy Maclin in 2014.

Carson Wentz has played enough snaps for the Eagles to get the Colts’ first-round pick – BGN
Even if somehow Wentz dipped slightly below the 75%, the Colts are currently in good position to make the postseason in the AFC playoff picture. And since he’s definitely above 70%, the Eagles would still get the pick in that case. The bad news for the Eagles about the Colts making the playoffs is that the pick can be no more favorable than No. 19 overall. The exact positioning will depend on how Indy finishes their season. The worst-case scenario (for more than one reason) is the Colts winning the Super Bowl and the pick falling to No. 32. Doesn’t seem like an incredibly likely outcome.

Odds and End Zones #12: COVID Breakout Postpones Eagles Game – BGN Radio
Shamus and Zo vent about the NFL moving the Eagles-Washington game to Tuesday night.

Mailbag: Why can’t Gardner Minshew be the Eagles’ long-term answer at quarterback? – PhillyVoice
Credit Minshew for getting the most out his ability, but he is always going to have a limited ceiling because of his lack of physical attributes. He has great pocket presence, he’s crafty and creative in his decision-making, and he rarely turns it over. That makes him very appealing as a backup, especially since he’s still on his rookie contract. But he is what he is. He does not fit the profile of a player that a team should be taking a long, hard look at to determine if he can be a long-term answer, whereas Hurts was at least worth that look after the team whiffed on other options.

Eagles remain focused on task at hand – beat Washington! – PE.com
Sirianni and his coaching staff, then, are using the scheduling change to impart a very important message to the players: You prepare to be at your very best for Washington and don’t think beyond that NFC East battle. As the Eagles spent Saturday in meetings and continued their conditioning – they will have meetings and a walkthrough practice on Sunday, and then will conduct their mock game on Monday, as they would do on a normal Saturday – the coaches were able to do some advance work on the opponent the following Sunday, the New York Giants. It’s something the coaches do when there are other short weeks – a Sunday game followed by a Thursday night game, for example – so the coaching staff is accustomed to this kind of double duty. As for the players, they understand. Let’s take the example of veteran safety Rodney McLeod, a team leader and someone who has pretty much seen it all in his NFL career. When the NFL announced the change of schedule on Friday, emotions were high at the NovaCare Complex. It’s fair and honest to say that, and McLeod expressed himself in a Tweet at 3:12 that afternoon.

Thoughts on the NFL Postponing Three Games – Over The Cap
With Washington is where we get into a little bit more of the questionable area. They have 56 players available which is a pretty solid number. They only had three players added on Friday so while their situation is not ideal it is not trending the same way as the Browns and Rams which were still exploding. They only have three fewer players available than the Giants who have a 59 man roster this week, though the Giants are less impacted by Covid and are simply beat up.

Ron Rivera Presser: 10-12 players are asymptomatic; Some are trending in the right direction to be cleared – Hogs Haven
Today should have been a travel day for the Washington Football Team, but this week’s game has been postponed to Tuesday night in Philadelphia. Washington has been getting some good news about both injuries and players on the Reserve/COVID-19 list. Five more players were activated off the list today(Khaleke Hudson remains on IR). WR Terry McLaurin has been in the concussion protocol, and was limited the last two days. He was a full participant in today’s practice an should be available for the Eagles game. Ron Rivera said RB JD McKissic has cleared the concussion protocol as well, but did not practice today due to a neck injury.

The Dallas Cowboys can effectively put their regular season on ice with a win on Sunday – Blogging The Boys
The Cowboys will probably not be the top team in the NFC with the only first-round bye, but a win on Sunday just about puts them in the place that you want to be when the season starts with multiple weeks to properly get right before it starts taking place for real. For the team to to know that they are postseason-bound, with three weeks left to properly calibrate themselves to be as perfect as possible can be for the playoffs is a bit of a luxury. This is the type of benefit that comes with winning on Sunday. So let’s all hope that it happens and we can start figuring out how exactly to end the all-discussed drought.

Report: Kevin Abrams strong contender to replace Dave Gettleman as Giants GM – Big Blue View
I am on record a number of times saying I believe the Giants need to cast a wide net in a search for a Gettleman replacement. I recently offered a list of 11 names, mostly with connections to the New England Patriots and head coach Joe Judge, If the Giants’ search leads them to Abrams it will certainly mortify at least some of the fan base. It would certainly feel like the Giants doing a very Giant-like thing, being loyal and turning to a familiar face to fill an important position.

5 burning questions for Week 15 in the NFL – SB Nation
Is the NFC East’s battle of the bubble the game of the week? The most stakes for the playoffs this week comes in Eagles vs. Washington. Philadelphia is on the outside looking in, Washington is currently seeded. However, Washington has been bitten by the Covid bug too and finds themselves missing swathes of personnel. Another game that’s a shame it’s being affected in this way, we really could see a playoff spot being decided by the Reserve/Covid list in this one. Still, I think event a depleted Washington is good enough to stand with the inconsistent Eagles, so this is all really interesting.

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