MRI For Mathis Monday Morning
Evan Mathis has missed only one game since joining the Eagles in 2011 and is known as one of the toughest guys on the team, so when Jason Peters saw what he saw and heard what he heard, he knew it had the potential of being serious.
“I just heard him start screaming and I looked back and he is on the ground,” said Peters. “And I was like, ‘Man, it must be bad if he’s laying on the ground like that.'”
The severity of Mathis’s left knee injury is not yet known. He will have an MRI in the morning. This team and its fan base will hold its breath in the meantime.
There is some optimism circling around the situation.
Kelce on Mathis knee injury: “Sounds like we’re hearing some decent news, so hopefully he’s not gone for the season.”
— Reuben Frank (@RoobCSN) September 7, 2014
Early indications on Evan Mathis’ injury is that it’s not a torn ACL. MRI tomorrow will reveal more. Probably a MCL. #Eagles
— Jeff McLane (@Jeff_McLane) September 7, 2014
We’re hearing the same thing but the whole story will be told when the MRI results come in.
The injury occurred in the second quarter when LeSean McCoy was tackled into the back of Mathis’ leg.
“Ah, man, we got rolled up on. We were running an inside zone to [our side], and when you’re doing that you’re blocking a guy and everybody is coming this way, and he got rolled up on. I almost got rolled up on that same play,” said Peters. “It’s a bad deal.”
Andrew Gardner replaced Mathis at left guard briefly but was quickly forced over to right tackle when Allen Barbre sustained a right ankle injury. Barbre, like Mathis, will have an MRI in the morning. He was walking around the locker room after the game and his injury does not seem as serious. David Molk, the only other reserve lineman active, filled in at left guard.
“Anytime you lose two starting offensive linemen in a game, that is a scary thing,” said Jason Kelce. “But the guys that came in, kudos to them, they played a great game.”
The Eagles are operating without Lane Johnson for at least the first four games of the season as he serves his suspension. The primary backup behind Barbre, Matt Tobin, is dealing with an ankle injury and did not dress Sunday.
The same five linemen started all 16 games for the Eagles last season. This year, the reserves are being tested early.
“It’s unfortunate, first game of the year and two of them go down. We’re already missing Lane,” said Peters. “Hopefully we can sustain the play that we came out with in the third and fourth quarter. We’re depending on the guys that came in there and will roll with it.”