The Philadelphia Eagles have major issues at the right tackle position ahead of their Week 15 game against the Las Vegas Raiders. Moreover, lining up on the other side will be Maxx Crosby, who could be looking to take advantage of the situation.
Philadelphia already took a hit when Lane Johnson went down with a foot injury in Week 11, and now his replacement is dealing with an issue of his own. Fred Johnson, who had been absent from the injury report a day earlier, showed up on December 11 as a limited participant because of an ankle problem.
With their two right tackles in question for this contest and facing the possibility of going up against Crosby with a third stringer, Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni received a question about facing the Raiders star.
“You got to know where he is at all times,” Sirianni told reporters on December 12 about facing Crosby with his current situation at right tackle. “You’re always going to have to know where good players are and have a plan for them with different things that you do.
“Obviously, just like you have plans for things in your notes and things you’ve been through in your past for rain, snow, whatever, that’s the same deal with good players.
“He is a phenomenal football player. We’ve thought about him quite a bit this week, and that’s our job as coaches and as players to make sure that guys like that are accounted for and we have a plan for him.
Nick Sirianni on What Makes Raiders’ Maxx Crosby Special
Sirianni also went into further details regarding what makes Crosby a special player. Moreover, he highlighted key traits that will likely worry whoever is starting at right tackle in this game, whether it’s the backup or a third-stringer.
“One thing is his motor is always running,” Sirianni added. “He is relentless to the football, never stopping. I always say to our team there’s something dangerous about a team that doesn’t stop coming after you, and that’s how he is. That’s how good defensive ends are. He can rush the passer, stop the run, he’s physical, fast, quick, and athletic. He’s an outstanding football player.”
Eagles Are Confident With Their Right Tackle Situation
If a team is facing Crosby with a third-stringer or backup with a lingering injury, it would worry any coach; well, that’s not the case with Sirianni. He noted on December 12 that he’s content with the game plan heading into the Raiders game.
“We feel good about everybody that we have,” Sirianni said (h/t Pro Football Talk). “That’s why they’re here. Feel good about our depth that we have. Feel good about the guys that we have. You’ll see the injury report a little bit later today.”
Carrying out that plan is simpler if the Eagles can rely on their first- or second-string right tackles. Conversely, containing Crosby becomes much tougher without those key players. Even if Crosby is kept in check, the Eagles still face offensive struggles. A win is crucial, especially with the Cowboys closing the gap.
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