Philadelphia Eagles: The importance of being Ertz

As the Philadelphia Eagles seek an NFC East title on Sunday, they will be without tight end Zach Ertz, a large development that could have some serious negative consequences.

You could tell right away. When Zach Ertz got absolutely popped by a Dallas Cowboys defender as he attempted to make a leaping catch during last Sunday’s game, it didn’t look good. I had a visceral reaction to it myself. I felt the pain through the television.

And so it came as no shock when Ertz missed time during the game and then, even though he was able to come back to play, was declared out for this Sunday’s contest with a fractured rib. In addition, Ertz has an ailing back, which is probably also attributable to that hit.

More from Philadelphia Eagles

• 4 Eagles on the Bubble Who Have Clinched Their 53-Man Roster Spots
• Best Pennsylvania Sportsbook Promos: Win $650 GUARANTEED Bonus PLUS $100 off NFL Sunday Ticket
• 3 Punters the Eagles Must Target to Replace Arryn Siposs
• Cowboys Trey Lance Trade Proves How Screwed They Are With Dak Prescott
• Devon Allen Took Britain Covey’s Job on Eagles

That hurts.

For a Philadelphia Eagles team already hemorrhaging talent on offense, this could be the straw that breaks the camel’s back. No pun intended on the “back” reference.

For the past half-decade, no single player has been as important to the Philadelphia Eagles’ offense as Zach Ertz. No stats need to be spouted, except maybe for this one: Ertz will be missing just his sixth NFL game in seven seasons on Sunday, and it will snap his streak of 34 consecutive starts, which was the second-longest active streak among tight ends in the league.

This game against the New York Giants wasn’t going to be easy to begin with, regardless of the G-Men’s putrid record. But Ertz’s absence has made things more difficult in every facet of the game.

First, I feel for Ertz personally, who will finish the 2019 regular season 84 yards short of 1,000, which would have been an excellent benchmark for him to hit for a second consecutive season.

But, more urgently, this puts even greater pressure on the rest of the Eagles’ depleted receiving corps. And it really puts the onus on Dallas Goedert, who must step in and basically be Ertz this week.

The wide receivers, raw as they are, need to factor into the gameplan more prominently without the solid presence of #86 acting as a safety valve on nearly every play.

And fearless leader Carson Wentz, steadily robbed of his weapons all year long and now without his greatest asset, must make sound decisions all day long. If he starts turning the ball over or consistently misses his targets, the Eagles simply don’t have enough wiggle room to overcome such errors.

Zach Ertz has checked in every week for several years and shown an amazing ability to cover up a lot of blemishes. The Birds have been fortunate to have such a consistent and reliable performer to lean on for so long.

But Sunday, with their top target forced to spectate, the rest of the offense must pick up the slack. Then, and only then, will Ertz potentially have the chance to come riding in to save the day in the playoffs.

Yet even that is far from certain, because you can be sure that Ertz is hurting badly to miss a game like this Sunday’s. The extra week might not give him enough time to heal. Time will tell.

It won’t matter, however, if the rest of the club doesn’t get the job done in the regular season finale with the NFC East title on the line.