Is Cam Jurgens playing in NFC Championship vs Commanders? Tush push could be doomed

The Philadelphia Eagles aren’t sure if they’ll get center Cam Jurgens back or not for the all important NFC championship game on Sunday against the Washington Commanders. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Jurgens’ availability will be determined by his pregame workout. 

Jurgens, who’s dealing with a back injury, was a non-participant early in the week and limited on Thursday. He was a full participant in Friday’s practice, which is optimistic ahead of Sunday’s championship game. Unfortunately for the Eagles, his status took a turn for the worse.

Having Jurgens available would have been critical for multiple reasons. The tush push had been a staple in Philadelphia’s offense and the center is obviously the key to allowing the play to succeed. Between that and having consistency on the offensive line, Jurgens’ availability is important. 

Per Stacey Dales of NFL Network, Jurgens will not play. Or will he? Yes, there is more. Jurgens is expected to dress for the Eagles but only as an emergency option. Ideally, the Eagles won't need him which would provide Jurgens with three weeks off to get healthy. But, as tend to happens during these championship games, you never really know.

How will Philadelphia’s offensive line look without Cam Jurgens for NFC Championship

According to NBC Sports Philadelphia, if Jurgens isn’t available for Sunday’s game, the Eagles will turn to left guard Landon Dickerson as the backup center. He took snaps earlier in the week in preparation. 

The Eagles would then insert Tyler Steen as the backup left guard. And all of this will be crucial for the Eagles’ run game. That’s been the one thing they’ve had to rely on with cold and blizzard weather. 

Saquon Barkley has been the key to the Eagles’ playoff success so far. He’s run for over 100 years in both games, including 200 rushing yards against the Los Angeles Rams. As good as Jalen Hurts has been, the offense thrives on Barkley’s success. 

With the bitter cold temperatures in store for the NFC Championship, look for Barkley to be the bell cow for the offense again. Hurts has just eight games with 200 or more passing yards, including the playoffs and he has just one game with 300 or more passing yards. 

The passing offense has been strategic, but it’s not been the reason why the Eagles were the No. 2 seed in the NFC. Jurgens hadn’t missed a game all season other than Week 18 when the Eagles rested their starters. 

The offensive line has to be healthy for the Eagles’ best chance to get past Washington. The Commanders are the hottest team in the NFL playoffs. Stopping Barkley has been Washington's biggest problem. The Eagles can’t afford for him and the offense to have their worst game in the most important game of the season, not to mention how it impacts the tush push on Sunday.