With 13:54 remaining in Sunday’s game in New Orleans, the officials took their time whistling the play over when two defenders had DeVonta Smith wrapped up and his forward progress was stopped.
That’s when rookie Saints defensive tackle Khristian Boyd came in and crushed Smith, knocking his helmet off and landing the Eagles wide receiver in concussion protocol.
Birds safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson celled the hit “the dirtiest (expletive) I ever saw in football” and a “cheap shot.”
Boyd was fined virtually nothing by the league, $4,600, and the Eagles are still without Smith’s services.
Receiver/punt returner Britain Covey also got hurt. He’s on inured reserve (shoulder), meaning he’ll miss at least four weeks.
With all this carnage at the wide receiver position, the Eagles turn to Jahan Dotson, Johnny Wilson and Parris Campbell to fill the void on Sunday against the Buccaneers in a 1 p.m. game in Tampa.
“I think we’re ready for it, especially the guys in this receiver room, who are capable of making plays.” Dotson, who has been here since the third week of August, said on Thursday. “They’ll be able to showcase their talent and what they bring to the table.”
Dotson, the former Nazareth High School and Penn State star, and Campbell each had two catches against the Saints, and Wilson had one. Wilson said the trio is “more than prepared” for a larger role. Campbell echoed those sentiments.
“It’s big for us,” Campbell said. “We’ve got to go out there and make plays. We’ve always had to be ready for this type of opportunity. Now that this moment is actually here, there’s not any panic. It’s what I’m used to.
“You never know when your number’s going to be called,” he said. “From Week 1, I’ve been preparing like I was going to play.”
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With Covey out, rookie defensive back Cooper DeJean, whom the Eagles drafted 40th overall, will now regularly return punts. He had one return for six yards against New Orleans, and made some big punt returns in college.
“He did a good job in his career at Iowa,” Eagles special teams coordinator Michael Clay said. “Very fundamentally sound. He tracks the ball very well in terms of seeing it off the punter’s foot.
“Being thrust in there against a very good special teams unit, I don’t think he blinked,” Clay said. “He did a really good job with the fair catch down to the left. And he also showed that he could make a couple people miss down there. Getting that ball from the 9 to the 15 helps out in that field position and takes the pressure a little bit off the offense.
“We’re going to get him ready,” he said. “Going to get the confidence up and hopefully, if he does have the opportunity, he’s able to show his skill.”
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Right tackle Lane Johnson, also injured in New Orleans, is in the third and final phase of concussion protocol. He was on the practice field Thursday for non-contact drills. He is questionable against Tampa Bay.
Guards Mekhi Becton (finger) and Landon Dickerson (wrist) were full participants, as was cornerback Darius Slay (knee). Defensive tackle Milton Williams (groin) was limited.
Follow Christiaan DeFranco on X at @the_defranc.
Source: Berkshire mont
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