Through the first three weeks of the 2024 NFL season, the Philadelphia Eagles have rapidly become the walking wounded, with their top wide receiver, AJ Brown, suffering a hamstring injury that could keep him out of action for at least the next week and DeVonta Smith taking a massive hit from Khristian Boyd that led to an early exit with a concussion.
So, with the team potentially forced to start some combination of Jahan Dotson, Parris Campbell, and/or Johnny Wilson against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 4, how will the Eagles overcome the odds to push their record to 3-1? Asked this question during his weekly media availability, offensive coordinator Kellen Moore praised the rest of his receivers room, especially Dotson, who hasn't exactly lit the world on fire since being acquired just ahead of Week 1.
“Excellent job of guys being able to play adjustment football. Those guys ran around, probably ran a few plays they never ran necessarily other than watching other guys run them over a number of weeks. To be able to hop in there and play those adjustments in positions they probably didn’t anticipate lining up in and being able to execute those plays,” Moore told reporters.
“Towards the end, [WR] Jahan [Dotson] handling some of those mesh plays, and doing really well, doing a great job with those, that’s an awesome example. That was [WR DeVonta Smith] Smitty earlier in the game, and now all of a sudden Jahan is in there and able to execute at a really high level. We feel really confident and comfortable with those guys. Especially you give them a few extra days, they can keep continue to develop and handle all the different adjustments through a game plan, and so we feel very fortunate to have those guys.”
Through his first three games in midnight green, Dotson has only been targeted five times, catching three passes for 14 yards while largely being a major afterthought in Moore's offense. While only time will tell if he's able to put it all together with a more expansive opportunity, it's safe to say Dotson will be targeted early and often by Jalen Hurts if the team is down Britain Covey, Brown, and Smith against the Buccaneers.
Discussing the Eagles' receiver position during his own media session, Nick Sirianni was similarly complimentary of the depth Howie Roseman has assembled, especially Dotson, who, again, really hasn't shown it on tape.
“Yeah, obviously we’ll see as the week goes on. We’ll see who is going to be available. We’ll plan for everything. Like I said from the very beginning, I really have a lot of faith in that wide receiver room,” Sirianni told reporters. “We have [WR] Johnny [Wilson], we have [WR] Parris [Campbell], we have [WR] Jahan [Dotson]. I know Jahan hasn’t had a ton of catches, but I think he’s been playing efficient football. And sometimes it’s just a matter of seeing it and then going out there and planning some more things for him and doing some more things to get the ball in his hands.”
Since being drafted by the Commanders in 2022, Dotson has averaged 520.5 yards and 5.5 touchdowns per season as a pro, including a yards-per-game average of 33. If Dotson can recapture some of that spark in Week 4 as a potential number one option, who knows, maybe he can settle into a bigger role as a WR3 moving forward.
