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The worst was assumed when Philadelphia Eagles left guard Evan Mathis left the team's game early against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday. Mathis had to be helped off the field by trainers and was unable to put any weight on his leg. The Eagles would go on to announce that Mathis suffered a knee injury and would not return.
Now that the game is over, however, there seems to be more information on Mathis' status. So far, the news looks relatively positive considering the situation.
I’m told MCL for Mathis, might not need surgery
— Les Bowen (@LesBowen) September 7, 2014
Another source confirms initial diagnosis of MCL not ACL injury to Evan Mathis' knee. "Hopefully that holds up," source said. MRI tomorrow.
— Jeff McLane (@Jeff_McLane) September 7, 2014
As McLane notes, the results won't be official until tomorrow, Monday, September 8th. Still, it's an encouraging sign. An MCL injury is less severe than an ACL injury. The recovery time-frame for an MCL injury is about two to four weeks whereas an ACL injury is often season-ending.
There also seems to be some relative optimism with the injury to starting right tackle Allen Barbre. The veteran offensive lineman left the game with an ankle injury and did not return.
Allen Barbre said he didn't know yet if he has a high ankle sprain. MRI, like Evan Mathis, tomorrow. #Eagles
— Jeff McLane (@Jeff_McLane) September 7, 2014
#Eagles OL Allen Barbre was in locker room. Ankle wasn't wrapped or braced. Looks like it's not too serious.
— Phil Sheridan (@SheridanScribe) September 7, 2014
With Mathis and Barbre out, the Eagles were forced to play backups Andrew Gardner and David Molk. Dennis Kelly was a healthy scratch on the team's game day inactive list prior to kickoff. Matt Tobin was also inactive with an ankle injury. This is what the Eagles' offensive line looked like without Mathis and Barbre:
LT: Jason Peters
LG: David Molk
C: Jason Kelce
RG: Todd Herremans
RT: Andrew Gardner
While that lineup doesn't exactly look pretty on paper, the backups played well enough to help Philadelphia towards a 34-17 comeback win over the Jaguars.
Once again, we won't know anything official until both players undergo their MRIs on Monday. In the meantime, there's optimism to be had. For now.
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