Vic Fangio just confirmed change could be coming at the back end of the Philadelphia Eagles defense.
Veteran safety Marcus Epps, who went on injured reserve on November 1 with an undisclosed injury, had his 21-day practice window opened by the team this week. According to Fangio, Epps is in the mix to start Week 14 against the Los Angeles Chargers if he shows he’s ready.
“He’s an experienced safety,” Fangio said about Epps on December 3. “He’s got good instincts, got a good feel for the game. We’ll have to get a feel, a barometer where he’s at [after] missing the last four, five weeks, whatever it was where he couldn’t practice.”
Will Marcus Epps Be the Starting Safety for the Philadelphia Eagles vs. the Chargers?
We’ll see. The 29-year-old Epps returned to Philadelphia in August, playing in eight games in a rotational role before landing on injured reserve.
Epps made 45 career starts coming into this season, including a full year as a starter on Philadelphia’s 2022 defense that reached the Super Bowl, and later served as a captain with the Las Vegas Raiders before an ACL tear in 2024. Thus, he’s experienced, and he couldn’t do much worse than Sydney Brown, who looked lost and out of place in Philly’s loss to Chicago.
Fangio lumped Brown in with a defense that “didn’t do a good enough job” against the run as the Bears piled up 281 rushing yards. To his credit, the Eagles DC acknowledged he and his staff had to “coach better,” as well.
The Eagles, who sit at 8–4 after a deflating Black Friday loss to the Chicago Bears, have had a hard time staying healthy at the position. Second-round pick Andrew Mukuba seized a starting job early and looked like the long-term answer before suffering a fractured ankle against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 12.
Reed Blankenship, the other starting safety, has dealt with his own bumps and bruises this year, including a thigh issue and rib problems. If Epps is healthy and can go against L.A., it wouldn’t hurt for Philly to see what he can do.
Week 14 Preview: High-Stakes Trip to L.A.
In the Chargers, the Eagles face another 8-4 squad. Los Angeles could be without starting quarterback Justin Herbert, however. Herbert is attempting to play through a fractured non-throwing hand after surgery following last week’s win over the Raiders.
Herbert has completed 66.9% of his passes for 2,842 yards, 21 touchdowns and 10 interceptions this season, and the Chargers enter the week holding an AFC wild-card spot. If Herbert can’t go, Trey Lance would get the start for L.A.
The Chargers are netting just over 122 yards per game on the ground, which is ranked 12th in the NFL. Given how Chicago gashed Philly’s ‘D’ on the ground, Fangio has put a focus on better tackling, and it’ll start with limiting the rushing attack.
On a Monday night with playoff seeding on the line for both teams, the Eagles will be looking to avoid their third straight loss. It would help greatly if Jalen Hurts and the offense played with some consistency.
Through 12 games, Hurts has thrown for 2,514 yards with 19 touchdowns to just two interceptions, yet the Eagles rank just 25th in total offense (300.1 yards per game), 28th in passing (184.9) and they also rank 29th on third down, even as they boast a league-best 75% red-zone TD rate and an NFL-low four turnovers.
It’s been a mixed bag — to say the least — for Hurts and company, but if Herbert is out, it’ll present the Eagles with an opportunity they can’t afford to waste.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Eagles Coach Says Lineup Change Could Be Coming Week 14 vs. Chargers appeared first on Heavy Sports.