Following the Philadelphia Eagles' loss to the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday night, rookie safety Andrew Mukuba was on crutches and in a walking boot. The verdict: It's a broken ankle that will require surgery, per the NFL Network:
Mukuba has had an up and down season, but was beginning to earn the trust of defensive coordinator Vic Fangio.
"Early in the year, he had some bad plays that led to big plays for the opponent, and we haven't had that lately," Fangio said of Mukuba last Tuesday. "I think I told you guys a story, Bud Grant always used to say, ‘For every rookie you play, add a loss to your loss column.’ I heard another guy say, ‘You’ve got to pay taxes on when you play rookies.’ But now it's game eleven coming up, he's not a rookie anymore."
Reed Blankenship, the Eagles' other starting safety, also left the Cowboys game and did not return. He suffered a thigh injury, and had trouble walking off the field.
Third-year pro Sydney Brown filled in for Blankenship, and seemed to be at least partly responsible for some Cowboys completions down the field.
The Eagles also lost CB Adoree' Jackson, who left the game with a head injury, was evaluated for a concussion, and did not return. With Jackson out, Cooper DeJean moved from his normal spot in the slot in the Eagles' nickel defense to the outside, and Michael Carter came off the bench and played in the slot.
Mukuba's injury occurred very late in the game. The only snaps he missed were two Cowboys kneeldowns and a spike to stop the clock before the Cowboys' game-winning field goal. The safeties on those plays were DeJean and Brown, with Kelee Ringo filling in at corner.
Mukuba feels like a good bet for injured reserve. If some combination of Mukuba, Blankenship, and Jackson are unable to play on Friday against the Bears, it will be interesting to see how Vic Fangio juggles the lineup in the secondary. But certainly, the Eagles suddenly have major concerns in their secondary.
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