Saquon Barkley Ruled Out for Eagles in London

Saquon Barkley is out for the Eagles' London game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Philadelphia ruled out Barkley and DeVonta Smith, both with hamstring injuries, on Friday's final injury report, so the Eagles will face the Jags at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium without their two best offensive weapons, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported.

This could not come at a worse time. The Eagles are 2-2 and riding a two-game skid after blowing a double-digit lead at home to the Rams, a game where they went 0 for 12 on third down. Jacksonville comes in at 3-1. Barkley got hurt in that Rams loss and played only four snaps.

Who carries the ball now

With Barkley out and Tank Bigsby on injured reserve, the backfield goes to Will Shipley and Dameon Pierce, and the team signed Carson Steele to the active roster Friday. Smith misses his second straight game with a right hamstring issue that has lingered since training camp, and Hollywood Brown (ankle) is out for a third straight week.

Jalen Hurts popped up on the report with a calf injury, but he was a full participant and has no game status, per PFT. He needs a bounce back badly. Against the Rams he completed 12 of 27 passes for 93 yards and took four sacks, CBS Sports noted. Fan note for fantasy folks: if you were starting Saquon, this is a Shipley or Pierce coin flip, and neither one feels great.

The offensive line keeps shrinking

It has been a wild week up front. Lane Johnson retired on Tuesday, the team traded Cam Jurgens to Baltimore, and now projected starting center Drew Kendall (knee) is out after not practicing all week. Jake Majors, signed off the practice squad Friday, could make his first NFL start at center, and Willie Lampkin could start at left guard, according to the Inquirer.

There is some help coming back. Tight end Dallas Goedert (knee) returns after missing two games, and All-Pro linebacker Zack Baun is back from a concussion. Quinyon Mitchell and Jihaad Campbell are also available. Edge rusher Jonathan Greenard (ankle) is questionable after not practicing all week, and safety Marcus Epps (groin) is out.

What it means for Sunday

The NFC East is still wide open. The Giants are 3-1 but lost Jaxson Dart for the season, and the Commanders are 1-3. A win in London keeps the Eagles right in it.

So it comes down to this. A patched-up line has to give Hurts enough time to get the ball to Goedert, and the defense has to steal a few possessions. Do that, snap the skid, and fly home with Saquon getting healthy. Lose, and it is 2-3 with a lot of questions.