Eagles Backfield Down to Duct Tape and Dameon Pierce as Saquon Barkley Ruled Out
Mike Garafolo reported that Barkley will miss a second straight game with a hamstring strain.
The ' backfield is currently held together by duct tape and practice squad elevations. is officially out for a second straight week, turning a minor panic into a major structural problem.
Mike Garafolo reported that 's hamstring strain will keep him sidelined Sunday against the . With Will Shipley already parked on injured reserve, the rushing attack is down to Dameon Pierce, Carson Steele, and whoever happens to be walking past the stadium with a pair of cleats.
The math here is bleak. originally tweaked his right hamstring in a Week 4 loss to the . Then Shipley tore his plantar fascia in last week's brutal 19-17 London loss to the . That leaves Pierce, who managed a truly inspiring 14 yards on 11 carries against the Jags, as the primary option.
Handing the ball to Pierce right now feels like trying to pay your mortgage with Monopoly money. The Eagles are sitting at 2-3, riding a three-game losing streak, and fielding an offense that ranks 29th in scoring. When your star running back is in street clothes and your backup is averaging just over a yard per carry, the game plan shrinks to a post-it note.
Anyone looking at the rushing props for this game is basically throwing darts blindfolded. You have to factor in practice squad guys like and Ian Wheeler potentially getting real snaps just to keep Pierce and Steele from collapsing out of pure exhaustion.
desperately needs a win against to stop the bleeding and get back to .500. If and fellow hamstring-sufferer DeVonta Smith cannot get right soon, this season is going to spiral from a rough patch into a full public audit.