In a significant blow to their offense, the Philadelphia Eagles have announced that star wideout A.J. Brown will miss Sunday’s crucial wild-card playoff rematch against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Brown has been sidelined since the season opener with a nagging hamstring issue and, despite practicing in a limited capacity on Friday, was ultimately deemed unfit to play.
Brown’s absence will be compounded by the loss of fellow receiver DeVonta Smith, who suffered a concussion in last week’s matchup against the New Orleans Saints. Smith’s injury occurred in the fourth quarter when he was hit high by defensive tackle Khristian Boyd, resulting in a $4,665 fine for the Saints player.
To bolster their depleted receiving corps, the Eagles have promoted veteran wideouts Parris Campbell and John Ross from the practice squad. They will join Jahan Dotson and rookie Johnny Wilson on the active game-day roster.
In the absence of Brown and Smith, the Eagles will rely on tight end Dallas Goedert, who had a breakout performance against the Saints, hauling in 10 catches for 170 yards. Running back Saquon Barkley also played a key role, accumulating 156 all-purpose yards and scoring two touchdowns.
Quarterback Jalen Hurts will face a stiff test against the Buccaneers’ defense, against whom he has struggled in the past. In four career meetings, Hurts has thrown four touchdowns to five interceptions, completing just 58% of his passes. The Eagles will be looking to avenge their 32-9 defeat to the Buccaneers in January’s playoff game, which capped off a disappointing 1-6 finish to their season.
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