After coming agonizingly close to winning it all earlier this year, the Philadelphia Eagles are on a mission to prove that they are the best team in the NFL. That mission took a nasty blow last weekend, as Philly fell to the lowly New York Jets. The Eagles shockingly mustered a meager 14 points against one of the weakest teams in the league, which was quite the way for them to lose their first game of the 2023 regular season.
On Sunday, Oct. 22, the Eagles will face an even tougher test in the AFC East against Tua Tagavailoa and the dynamic Miami Dolphins offense. The Dolphins look like a Super Bowl contender in their own right, as they also have a 5-1 record and the NFL's best offense. Miami is averaging a ridiculous 9.2 net yards per pass attempt, thanks to Tagavailoa's golden left arm.
Eagles fans will be thankful and optimistic going into this massive matchup because they are about to get several key boosts on both sides of the ball.
Eagles injury update: Lane Johnson and other key starters back vs. Dolphins
According to a report from ESPN's Adam Schefter, right tackle Lane Johnson, ace cornerback Darius Slay, wideout DeVonta Smith, workhorse tight end Dallas Goedert, and pass-rushing defensive tackle Jalen Carter have all been taken off the Eagles injury report. They are all expected to play.
Sunday Night Football often plays host to marquee matchups, and it's hard to think of a more enticing battle than the one between the Eagles and Dolphins this weekend, especially with so many key players back in the fold. Slay's return is going to be key against the Dolphins high-octane passing attack, but with 3.5 sacks in just 164 snaps, Carter's pocket-collapsing juice could also prove decisive against Tagavailoa and Co.
The Eagles have what it takes to win it all, as they already essentially proved last season by taking the Kansas City Chiefs to their limit in the big game. Fans around the league will be intrigued to see how they respond against the Dolphins now that Jalen Hurts is getting some of his support back and now that the defense is closer to its best with Carter and Slay expected to play.