Eagles Handling COVID Spike Better Than Most
PHILADELPHIA - The only scoreboard that matters when it comes to Sunday's virtual must-win game between the Washington Football Team and the Eagles will be the one illuminated at Lincoln Financial Field at about 4 p.m on game day.
There is already a tally sheet that is foreshadowing that things will go in Philadelphia's favor this weekend, however, and it reads 18 to 2.
When it comes to the reserve/COVID-19 list in the NFL it's better to be on the short end of the stick and that's where the Eagles find themselves.
By Wednesday afternoon the WFT's COVID list resembled a CVS receipt:
The Eagles, meanwhile, were down just two players, starting wide receiver Quez Watkins and practice squad running back Jason Huntley, almost a best-case scenario as cases rise throughout the country.
"Well, you nailed it with all the uncertainty," Washington coach Ron Rivera said on a conference call when discussing his team's issues. "We’re for the most part having to look at potentially guys that we would have to elevate and slot them into positions. It’s on both sides of the ball."
There's not much Rivera can do so it's about keeping things as normal as possible.
"For the most part, we’ve changed nothing," he said. "We’re practicing the way we normally would. We’re going through the reps that we normally would. Unfortunately, we are meeting by Zoom. And we’re in the [intensive] protocols. So that’s probably the biggest difference. ... we’ve had to move a few guys around and elevate a couple of guys, and we’ve plucked a couple of guys.
"Other than that, hey, business as usual."
A former well-regarded assistant in Philadelphia under Andy Reid who remains close to Eagles team owner Jeffrey Lurie, Rivera was stoic but the hope that potential competitive inequities spawn quick change in how the NFL does business with the pandemic that is rapidly becoming endemic is being monitored.
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On Wednesday the NFL was seeking input from the CDC and other public health authorities on a potential plan to allow vaccinated, asymptomatic players who test positive to return to team activities following just one negative test.
That negative test potentially could even be a game-day rapid test. Currently, such a player has to pass consecutive tests 24 hours apart to be cleared to play.
Rivera admitted he's heard frustration from some of his players that are vaccinated and asymptomatic.
"Yes. A couple that I did talk to, just to check on, the first thing they said is ‘Coach, I felt fine. I’ve got no issues,’" he said. "But you did test positive, so we’ve got to wait and follow the rules. Several of them are tremendously frustrated because they don’t feel anything … that was the hard part."
The Eagles have weathered the COVID storm better than most.
"We're very aware obviously of everything that's going on and we're taking precaution of what we're doing," head coach Nick Sirianni said. "I'm not going to get into everything that we've done that's different, but we're taking precautions to make sure that we have a competitive advantage over other teams."
While the head coach was playing coy, some players explained the mindset.
"Coach has really taken the approach of just getting ahead of things," safety and team captain Rodney McLeod said. "Honestly. Prevention. That's what it's all about. We understand what's at stake for us. Not only this game but down the stretch and we need everybody so we want to make sure we take the proper precaution and just distance ourselves a little bit, wearing a mask.
"... I think we're practicing great safety habits and hoping that you know it does calm down around the league. That was a very eye-opening [experience] to see that COVID is still here and it still exists and we got to make sure we do our part."
Pro Bowl center Jason Kelce also noted the added precautions.
"Obviously, we want to have as many guys available as possible and try to be as safe as possible in this building," he said. "So guys are wearing masks inside, and we’ve done some things to try to be a little more cautious. But at the same time, trying to also be a team and be connected.
"There’s that fine line that you’re trying to walk where it’s hard to be close and be together as a team when you don’t go six feet between each other. Right now, we don’t have an outbreak, but we’re trying to be cautious to prevent something like what’s going on with Washington or Cleveland or some of these other places, which is unfortunate."
Quarterback Jalen Hurts, who remains iffy for Sunday due to a high-ankle sprain, also boiled it down to competitive advantage.
"We want to try to put ourselves in an advantage any way we can," Hurts said. "You see things going on in the league and in the sports world, a lot of people are getting sick for whatever reason. That’s their business and I know it happens, but for us, we want to control what we can and we’re going to try to put our best foot forward and try to be safe and doing it whenever we might not have to.
"So we decided to do it as a team and hopefully it pays off."
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-John McMullen contributes Eagles coverage for SI.com's EagleMaven and is the NFL Insider for JAKIB Media. You can listen to John, alongside legendary sports-talk host Jody McDonald every morning from 8-10 on ‘Birds 365,” streaming live on both PhillyVoice.com and YouTube. John is also the host of his own show "Extending the Play" on AM1490 in South Jersey. You can reach him at jmcmullen44@gmail.com or on Twitter @JFMcMullen
Ed Kracz is the publisher of SI.com’s Eagle Maven and co-host of the Eagles Unfiltered Podcast. Check out the latest Eagles news at www.SI.com/NFL/Eagles or www.eaglemaven.com and please follow him on Twitter: @kracze.
