Can The Eagles Keep Winning Without Lane Johnson?
Despite a lot of issues on offense, the Eagles are 8-2. Thanks in large part to an elite defense. But we have also seen this offense step up in important…
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – DECEMBER 29: Lane Johnson #65 of the Philadelphia Eagles looks on before the game against the Dallas Cowboys at Lincoln Financial Field on December 29, 2024 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
(Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)Despite a lot of issues on offense, the Eagles are 8-2. Thanks in large part to an elite defense. But we have also seen this offense step up in important spots. They have an issue now though. Lane Johnson is injured and is going to miss 4-6 weeks with a Lisfranc injury. It could be more. Jeff McLane reported that they are waiting for the swelling to go down to see if it needs surgery. If it needs surgery, that would be a season-ending injury.
The history of the Eagles when they have no Lane Johnson is pretty bleak. So will this type of injury derail the season? The Eagles are 15-23 when Lane Johnson can't play. Their worst game last season came when they faced the Bucs without Lane Johnson. But it is important to note they also played without Devonta Smith and AJ Brown in that game, and most of their defense got banged up in the game.
Go back to 2023, they actually went 2-0 without him. They beat the Bills and Giants without Lane. And they beat the Giants last year, albiet that was without most of their starters. Since 2022, they are 3-3 when Lane Johnson can't start a game.
Fred Johnson Can Be The Difference From Past Seasons
A big difference now from earlier in Lane Johnson's career, they have a viable swing tackle in Fred Johnson. The Eagles are 5-1 in games started by Fred Johnson. He is obviously a step down from Lane, but he has proven he can hold his own.
They beat the Rams with Fred Johnson at RT. Lane Johnson left that game early. It was not until they replaced Matt Pryor with Fred that they turned it around in that game. And their lone TD vs the Lions came with Fred in for Lane.
The Eagles Path Without Lane Johnson
In the next 4 games, the Eagles face the Cowboys, Bears, Chargers, and Raiders. In terms of a 4-game stretch, that might be the most manageable they have had all season. Not easy, Bears have been pretty good, and the Chargers are no pushovers. But it is definitely preferable to Lions, Packers, Rams, and Bucs.
If he misses 6 weeks, they will also need to face the Commanders and Bills without Lane. Commanders are not a big concern; they are a mess this season. The Bills game is obviously much harder. But as mentioned earlier, they had no Lane when they faced the Bills in 2023, and they managed to beat them in that game. That was with Jack Driscoll at LT.
If it really is a 4-6 week injury, and he will be back for the playoffs, they can survive. Fred is more than solid, the schedule is more manageable going forward, and they have put themselves in a good spot.
At 8-2, the NFC East crown is pretty much wrapped up, unless they completely implode. The best the Cowboys can go is 11-5-1. Their schedule gets much tougher, so winning out seems like a long shot. 3 more wins should be more than enough to win the NFC East.
The race for the NFC 1-seed is tighter, but they currently lead the way for it, and have the tie-breaker vs the Rams, Bucs, Lions, and Packers. They can earn it over the Bears in 2 weeks.
Plus, it is not like this offense is a well-oiled machine. It has been a serious struggle. Can it get any worse than it has been? They have not been winning because their O-Line outplayed teams. If this were last year, an injury to Lane Johnson might be more damaging. But as it stands, they have won in spite of the offense, not because of it. And they are 4-0 in games where Fred Johnson replaced Lane Johnson this year.
It is obviously not a good thing that they will be without Lane. But they are better equipped to handle it than they have been in past seasons.
