The Philadelphia Eagles were given some much-needed good news earlier this week with the team announcing that the practice window has opened for long snapper Charley Hughlett to return. Hughlett suffered a core muscle injury in late September that landed the special teamer on injured reserve and helped push what has been the recent Philly struggles. It is an aspect of the game that many fans overlook simply based on the repetitive and boring nature of the role.
However, there is an interesting note that Bleeding Green Nation's Brandon Lee Gowton pointed out.
Since losing Hughlett to injury, the Eagles have gone 4-5 while having a 4-0 record before losing the special teams starter. The long snapper's absence had an interesting correlation with kicker Jake Elliott's struggles as well. With Hughlett in the starting lineup, the Philly kicker missed zero kicks compared to six misses when working with replacement LS Cal Adomitis. It is an undeniably interesting correlation that will invite attention with Hughlett closing in on a return.
Eagles Need Charley Hughlett More Than Ever
Eagles fans could argue that Philly's struggles are primarily on the shoulders of the offense, especially quarterback Jalen Hurts. However, the statistical correlation of Hughlett's absence and Philadelphia's struggles will now be put to the test with his return. It is much-needed good news for a franchise that has dropped three straight and needs a bit of momentum going into an important matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders.
Losing to the hapless Raiders would unquestionably be the time to hit the panic button and demand that the Eagles consider every possible change. The Dallas Cowboys have a clear path to 10 wins, meaning the Eagles need to win three out of the next four to lock up the NFC East. The path for this is beating the Raiders and the Washington Commanders twice. Neither team has anything to play for, and the remaining game on the schedule is against a tough Buffalo Bills roster attempting to chase down the New England Patriots in the NFC East.
Needless to say, Hughlett's return couldn't arrive at a far better moment. The former UCF special teamer is clearly one of the main cogs in the Eagles' machine, and when he's not playing, things aren't operating as smoothly. Nobody knows that more than Elliott, whose future could be on the line down the stretch, hence why he needs Hughlett more than ever.
No question the Eagles need all hands on deck if they're going to successfully defend their Super Bowl title this postseason. The pressure is now on Hughlett to clear any remaining hurdles on his path to returning to action, hopefully, playing a big role in Philly's upcoming playoff run.