PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — There is no mercy in the NFL when it comes to dealing with injuries.
Each year, teams are forced to deal with their share of injured players, which is why depth is so important in the NFL.
The Eagles have had their share of injuries in recent years and they've been especially hit hard at the start of the 2020 season, meaning players such as Carson Wentz have been dealing with interchangeable parts.
A host of players have gone in and out of the lineup on the offensive end, and the quarterback knows he has no choice but to do the best job he can with whoever is on the field each week.
"Chemistry is obviously a big part of the game," said Wentz. "With injuries and different things, it's something every year that's sometimes hard to develop within a season. Guys go down. Guys miss a game, two, three. Those things happen, it's part of the game."
With players going down with injuries, several inexperienced players have been forced to take on bigger roles to help keep the Eagles afloat in the early part of the season.
The NFL gives a whole new definition to "learning on the fly," where one mistake by a player can cost a team a game, or even a season.
Coach Doug Pederson knows the importance of showing the right patience with some of the newer players on his roster.
"We understand that we do have some young players playing and there's going to be mistakes that come up during games," Pederson said. "But we were able to sit down, watch the game film yesterday with the players, be able to go on the field with them or be in the meeting room with them and really show them the good plays. Also show them where we need to make improvements and those are things that these guys will learn, carrying over into this week."
It's not just the rookies who are looking to find their stride.
The veterans returning along with those who have stayed healthy must make improvements as the Eagles near the halfway point of the season. Wentz believes the more he improves, the easier it will be for everyone around him to settle into their work on the field.
"I can definitely always play better," Wentz said. "There's always turnovers, different things we can keep cleaning up and misses, but finding a bit of a groove and finding a bit of a connection with some of these guys has definitely been helpful."
It won't get any easier for the 1-3-1 Eagles this week when the Baltimore Ravens come to town.
On the offensive side, receivers DeSean Jackson and Alshon Jeffery may be ready to return.
Travis Fulgham has been one of the best stories of the year for the Eagles as the former practice squad player has turned into Wentz's top receiving target.
Pederson will not only have to decide who will get to play if the walking wounded return, but also how to divide up the hours for the current contributors.
"It's a difficult thing," Pederson said. "One, we have to make sure that the player in question is healthy, right? That's why we practice during the week and we let them practice today and we see how they feel tomorrow on a Thursday. Then we see how they feel on Friday. Then we can make a decision for game day."
