Part of the reason the Philadelphia Eagles are widely regarded as one of the best teams in the NFL, and perhaps the best in the NFC after the Detroit Lions were eliminated, is a revamped defense led by a parade of newly drafted young stars. Chief among them is cornerback Quinyon Mitchell.
Mitchell's services are going to be needed against the Los Angeles Rams, as Matthew Stafford has been capable of beating teams by leaning almost solely on Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp in the passing game. After sustaining an injury on the first drive and immediately heading to the medical tent, Mitchell's status for the rest of the game was thrown into chaos.
Mitchell has officially been ruled questionable to return in this game due to a shoulder injury sustained on Los Angeles' first drive. With an experienced quarterback like Stafford at the sticks, this is a nightmare injury for Philly.
UPDATE: Mitchell has been ruled out for the rest of the game.
Quinyon Mitchell injury update: Eagles CB out with shoulder injury
Mitchell hasn't been piling up interceptions this season, but it's hard for a cornerback to get a ton of picks when offenses are scared to throw at him. Mitchell and fellow rookie Cooper DeJean may end up determining the victor of this one if they can put the clamps on Nacua and Kupp.
Former Colts cornerback Isaiah Rodgers will need to step up in Mitchell's absence. Rodgers, DeJean, and veteran cornerback Darius Slay will take the field in Philly's base defense if Mitchell is injured. Slay is coming off a tremendous performance in a dominant home win against the Packers.
Losing Mitchell, who has held multiple Pro Bowl wide receivers to fewer than 30 yards receiving during his rookie year, deprives the Eagles of a lockdown corner that enables a more aggressive style of defense. Rodgers needs to play the game of his life if he wants to replicate that production.
If the Eagles are unable to get that same level of production from their replacements on the outside, they may find it incredibly difficult to stare down a red-hot Sean McVay coached-team and come out of it fully unscathed.