The Philadelphia Eagles might not have Jonathan Greenard or Nolan Smith Jr. for their Week 7 game against the Dallas Cowboys. That leaves Arnold Ebiketie as the man who needs to step up if they are out.
In Friday's injury report, the Eagles listed Greenard and Smith as "did not participate" for their practice. Greenard had an ankle setback, leaving his status uncertain and raising the potential that he could miss his fourth game of the season. Smith is still recovering from the concussion he suffered in the Eagles' Week 6 loss to the Carolina Panthers.
The hope is that Jalyx Hunt will be able to return from his lower-body injury after missing one game. Alternatively, the Eagles could turn to A.J. Epenesa or Arnold Ebiketie. If Ebiketie gets more reps, he better play as he did against the Panthers if the Eagles have any chance of beating the Cowboys.
Arnold Ebiketie stepped up in Week 6 against the Panthers
Philly was without Hunt for the game after his scary Week 5 injury in the loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. They also missed Epenesa, who was dealing with his back injury. At one point, Smith and Greenard were also hurt and didn't play in the contest.
That put pressure on Ebiketie to step up as the veteran edge rusher and play well for the Eagles. He led the team in tackles with nine and added pressure in the loss.
It wasn't the Earth-shattering performance Eagles fans would have liked, but Ebiketie was called up on short notice. He played well and showed why the Eagles signed him to a one-year deal in the offseason from the Atlanta Falcons.
For the season, Ebiketie has racked up 18 tackles, seven pressures, five hurries, and two quarterback hits in six games. Pro Football Focus gave him a 60.5 overall grade, ranking him 75th among 115 eligible edge rushers. He also earned a 52.7 pass-rush grade (ranked 104th) and a 68.7 run-defense grade (ranked 35th).
Eagles need more from Arnold Ebiketie in Week 7 against the Cowboys
The signs point to Ebiketie as a good pass rusher. He has shown a great burst off the line and has made a bigger impact against the run.
It's more important than ever that he becomes a better pass rusher and shows why he was great at creating pressures with the Falcons over the last few seasons. This is all about getting more consistency from Ebiketie.
Dallas is strong at left tackle, and Tyler Guyton has had the best season of his young NFL career. Terence Steele, though, is the Cowboys' offensive line's weakest link, and the line could be exploited if the defense knows how. Steele has allowed 13 pressures, one quarterback hit, and one sack in 286 pass-blocking snaps.
This should be the matchup that has Ebiketie foaming at the mouth, ready to pounce on Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott. The Eagles can get multiple sacks if they attack the right side of the line correctly.
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Philly really needs Ebiketie to step up and perform well in what could be a big role for him in Week 7. If he can match his performance against the Panthers with a few extra pressures, the Eagles' defense might carry them to a win.
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