Eagles rookie report card from the loss to the Commanders

The Eagles lost their first game of the season after a sloppy showing against the Washington Commanders. Despite the refs making themselves the main character of this Monday Night Football game, there is plenty for the Eagles to address as they look to maintain their dominance over the rest of the season. For the Eagles rookies there are quite a few notable things to mention.

Jordan Davis: Get Well Soon

For the second week in a row, the Eagles gave up over 150 yards on the ground. While the Commanders were far less efficient rushing the ball than Houston in the week prior, Jordan Davis’ absence is still very obvious.

While Milton Williams, Javon Hargrave and Marlon Tuipulotu played valiantly, Jordan Davis gives the Eagles unique flexibility when it comes to alignment and play calling. Davis’ presence means the Eagles can play with lighter boxes and not worry about getting gashed or picked apart in the middle of the field. Without Davis, the Eagles defense is much more vanilla. The last two games really illustrate how unique of a piece he is in this unit and how valuable he will be when he returns.

Britain Covey: F

The Britain Covey experiment needs to end. Maybe he was such a dominant kick returner in college because he was several years older than most of his opponents. The 25.5-year-old has failed to look dynamic at all in the return game. His speed is a nonfactor, he can’t make anyone miss and can’t break a tackle to save his life. The special teams at large has been a problem, but it is clear Covey is not a net positive returner in the NFL.

Grant Calcaterra: C

Grant Calcaterra didn’t see a pass in the Washington game, but his involvement level is about to change quite a bit. Dallas Goedert was hurt on the dirty facemask play by Washington and is likely out a few weeks. Replacing Goedert’s production in the passing game will be a huge challenge, and it will likely mean more targets for the Eagles wide receivers. For the tight ends, Jack Stoll is mostly a blocking specialist, so it will be Calcaterra who will be relied on as a pass catching option. While he won’t see Goedert’s volume, he will need to show he can be dynamic in limited opportunities.