Eagles most costly injury down the stretch isn’t Jalen Hurts

While the Philadelphia Eagles are missing quarterback Jalen Hurts due to injury, this player being sidelined has been much more significant.

The Philadelphia Eagles are on a two-game losing streak ever since quarterback Jalen Hurts was sidelined due to a sprained throwing shoulder. They lost their Week 16 game to the rival Dallas Cowboys and this past Sunday against the New Orleans Saints. They were unable to clinch the No. 1 seed in the NFC during that stretch, and will have to do so in Week 18.

While not having Hurts available has been a detriment to the team, so has offensive tackle Lane Johnson’s absence.

Johnson is dealing with a torn adductor, but he will not undergo surgery. With this, Johnson is expected to return for the playoffs. In Johnson’s first game missed, the Eagles lost to the Saints. As recent history shows us, the Eagles really struggle without Johnson, as Jimmy Kempski of The Philly Voice points out.

Lane Johnson’s injury costly to Eagles down the stretch

As Kempski points out, the Eagles are 9-22 when the are without Johnson in their starting lineup since 2016. That’s not necessarily surprising, considering he is one of the best offensive tackles in the NFL not just this year, but throughout his career.

In the Eagles loss to the Saints, they surrendered six sacks and nine quarterback hits on Gardner Minshew.

Philadelphia has the easiest path to the No. 1 seed in the conference this weekend. All they have to do is beat the New York Giants, and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs is theirs. They may have more than a good shot of doing so, considering the Giants are locked in at the No. 6 seed, and could opt to rest starters ahead of the postseason.

If the Eagles lose, they can still clinch the top seed with a Dallas Cowboys loss to the Washington Commanders and a San Francisco 49ers loss to the Arizona Cardinals.

It is also a possibility that Hurts does make his return in a must-win game for the team. Of course, that will be all dependent on how his shoulder is doing and if he will be near 100 percent for the game.

The Eagles will be in the playoffs, but you have to believe that fans will be waiting to see if Johnson will be able to play in any of those games.