Eagles’ health gradually improving ahead of Vikings clash
Mailata gets blunt while old friends, and foes, await
From The Reporter: https://tinyurl.com/4aze782f
PHILADELPHIA — The Eagles are getting some of their muscle back — just in time to see a few familiar faces on the other sideline.
Defensive tackle Jalen Carter (heel) returned to full practice Wednesday off the “mini-bye.” Left guard Landon Dickerson (ankle) and cornerback Quinyon Mitchell (hamstring) were limited but cautiously trending upward. Dickerson and Carter missed last Thursday’s game against the Giants, and Mitchell exited early in the second quarter.
It could all be a timely infusion for a team trying to stabilize after two straight losses and several days of uncomfortable questions.
All-Pro left tackle Jordan Mailata didn’t mince words Wednesday about what’s been missing, beyond injuries.
“The focus isn’t there. The execution isn’t there. The emphasis on the little things isn’t there. So you know what? Do your (expletive) job. Dominate your job. That’s where it starts.
“You turn the film on and it’s right there in front of you — it’s not some mystery. We’re not locked in the way we should be. It’s attention to detail. It’s finishing. Execution fuels emotion, and right now, that’s what we’re lacking.”
Mailata, who was showing some stubble after recently shaving his beard, delivered his message with some smiles and charm and a few jokes mixed in, as he usually does, but he was serious.
“I think our focus hasn’t been there, quite frankly. And to be really blunt, we can talk all day about schemes or calls or adjustments, but it doesn’t matter if the execution isn’t there. We have to make that choice every single play to lock in and do our jobs.
“Every man in this room has to own it. That’s where it starts. That’s where it ends. Do your job. Dominate your job.”
That renewed edge will be tested against a 3-2 Vikings team coming off its bye — and potentially led by former Eagles QB Carson Wentz, with ex-Eagles corner Isaiah Rodgers now thriving in Minnesota’s secondary while the Birds’ cornerback room is thin.
Rodgers reunion adds layer to secondary issues
The Eagles’ secondary has been in flux since camp, particularly at the No. 2 outside corner spot. With their No. 1 corner Mitchell working back from his hamstring injury, their rotation could again be stretched Sunday.
Across the field stands Rodgers — who signed an affordable two-year, $15 million deal with the Vikings after Eagles general manager Howie Roseman let him walk — now entrenched as a playmaker in coordinator Brian Flores’ defense.
Rodgers has delivered early: 19 tackles, two forced fumbles, one recovery, one interception and a pair of defensive touchdowns through five games. His breakout moment came in Week 3, when he returned a pick for a score in a rout of the Bengals.
With the Eagles last season, Rodgers came up with a crucial late-game fumble recovery against the Rams in the playoffs.
For a Philadelphia defense that’s given up chunk plays in recent weeks, Rodgers’ emergence underscores the pressure on Mitchell’s availability — and on the rest of the cornerback group to hold up against Minnesota’s versatile passing attack that includes elite wideout Justin Jefferson.
Campbell’s role could expand
With the Eagles’ edge rotation still thin as well, linebacker Jihaad Campbell could see increased snaps outside. The first-round rookie has worked primarily on the inside but has flashed the burst and bend to help off the perimeter — something the Eagles could use against a Vikings team that spreads the field and attacks edges with tempo.
“I’ll do whatever they ask me to do,” Campbell said. “I’ve played outside before, so it’s not foreign to me. If it helps us win, I’m all for it.”
Edge rusher Nolan Smith (triceps) is still on IR, but Campbell initially played outside in college at Alabama before shifting to the middle.
QB question in Minneapolis
The Vikings’ starting quarterback position remains unsettled. Second-year passer J.J. McCarthy (ankle) was limited Wednesday, while veteran Carson Wentz (non-throwing shoulder) practiced fully.
If Wentz gets the nod, it would mark his second start against the franchise that drafted him No. 2 overall in 2016. (The first was in 2022 while he was with the Washington Commanders. The Eagles won 24-8.)
“He’s a good player who’s been in this league a long time,” Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said. “We’ve got to be ready for either one.”
The Vikings, in the middle of a competitive NFC North, are coming off a bye week with momentum, averaging 25.4 points per game on offense and tied for sixth in the league with nine takeaways.
Stopping Jefferson
No matter who lines up at quarterback for Minnesota, the Eagles’ defense will have to contend with Jefferson. The All-Pro wideout has 29 receptions for 449 yards and a TD through five games. If the Vikings — built to win now — had retained Pro-Bowl quarterback Sam Darnold, Jefferson’s numbers might be even better.
“When you play a guy like that, you’ve got to have eyes on him at all times,” Mitchell said earlier this month. Mitchell’s return could be pivotal in limiting Jefferson’s explosive plays and keeping the defense from getting stretched thin, but a hamstring strain can be tricky and take some time to fully heal.
Hurts embraces ownership
Quarterback Jalen Hurts has taken accountability after two straight losses. “Everybody’s got to look in the mirror, and it starts with me,” Hurts said. “We’ve got to keep our standard.”
Sirianni echoed that message, emphasizing consistency in the face of outside noise.
“When the noise or the adversity hits, you’ve got to focus on your standard — tough, detailed, together,” he said. “That’s what grounds you.”
Sticking to the process
Sirianni leaned heavily on one theme Wednesday: staying grounded through adversity.
“You can have two mindsets — a mindset of defeat or a mindset of getting up and fixing things,” he said. “We’re choosing the latter.”
The Eagles (4-2) have stumbled in consecutive weeks but view Sunday as a chance to reset against a playoff-caliber opponent. They’ll need to protect Hurts better, limit explosive plays and match the physicality of an even more rested Vikings team.
Injury report
• Eagles: TE Grant Calcaterra (oblique) did not participate in Wednesday’s practice. Limited were LG Dickerson (ankle) and CB Mitchell (hamstring). DT Carter (heel), DT Jordan Davis (shoulder) and LB Zack Baun (finger) were full participants.
• Vikings: QB McCarthy (ankle), S Josh Metellus (shoulder) and CB Byron Murphy Jr. (hip) were limited. QB Wentz (non-throwing shoulder), WR Jordan Addison (wrist) and CB Akayleb Evans (knee) fully participated.
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Follow Christiaan DeFranco on X at @the_defranc.