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Alshon Jeffery reaches another benchmark in his return. It can’t come soon enough. | Early Birds

More on Alshon Jeffery's progress and former Eagles starting for Tampa Bay.

Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz throws the football to wide receiver Alshon Jeffery against the Denver Broncos on Sunday, November 5, 2017 in Philadelphia. YONG KIM / Staff Photographer
Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz throws the football to wide receiver Alshon Jeffery against the Denver Broncos on Sunday, November 5, 2017 in Philadelphia. YONG KIM / Staff PhotographerRead moreYONG KIM

Good morning. The Eagles will be back on the practice field at 1 p.m. There are no scheduled news conferences. The big news came Wednesday, when Doug Pederson announced Nick Foles as his Week 2 starter. (Carson Wentz has not yet been cleared.)

This is the Early Birds newsletter, which will arrive in your inbox Monday through Friday for the rest of the season. If your friends haven't subscribed to Early Birds, it's free to sign up here. I want to know what you think, what we should add and what you want to read, so send me feedback by email or on Twitter @ZBerm. Thank you for reading.

— Zach Berman

Alshon Jeffery is getting closer to return. It can’t come soon enough

There was a new sight when watching practice Wednesday. Alshon Jeffery stretched with the team and took part in individual drills – even catching passes from Carson Wentz. That doesn't mean he's going to play this weekend, but Wednesday was a step in the right direction. Wentz's benchmarks were tracked throughout the summer, and it's worthwhile to mark Jeffery's benchmark, too. He's not Wentz, but his importance to the Eagles offense cannot be overstated.

"He's a presence," quarterback Nick Foles said.

There's been a lot of discussion this week about the offense's struggles in Week 1. A big part of it was not having Jeffery. As has been written in Early Birds before, Jeffery makes the other receivers better because they fit into a natural order when Jeffery is on the field. Nelson Agholor becomes the primary slot receiver, and Mike Wallace is the deep threat. Without Jeffery, the offense simply looks different. The Eagles don't have that threat on the outside, and defenses can play them differently.

"I think it's too early to say that right now with one game," offensive coordinator Mike Groh said when asked how defenses play the Eagles differently. "I don't know if there is enough of a sample size to be able to accurately describe that. Alshon is a big part of what we do. We know that defenses have to account for him. When he's out there, there are certainly plays that we know that he's made in the past for us that we got to find other guys to make."

So who can do it? It's hard to find a 6-foot-3, 218-pound wide receiver with his catch radius and ball skills. That's why the Eagles wanted him in free agency in 2017 and why he signed a $52 million contract last year. The Eagles don't have another receiver comparable to him, and Mack Hollins' injury took away another big-bodied receiver. The Eagles signed Kamar Aiken, but the offense is not the same without Jeffery.

The passing game should have more success Sunday because the Buccaneers are missing pieces on defense, and they looked vulnerable last week while allowing 40 points. But it probably won't look like it would if Jeffery plays.

If Jeffery is out, Agholor will continue to be the top receiver, but he'll also be a priority in the Buccaneers' defensive game plan. Zach Ertz will play better than he did last week. It will help to get Wallace going. He was held without a reception in the debut. Doug Pederson was not concerned, crediting the Falcons for their defensive looks. Wallace is a proven deep threat, and I expect the Eagles to hit on a deep ball soon. Those are not high-percentage passes, but the reward is great. Foles said the Eagles "need to get the ball in his hands."

Regardless, the offense will need to get by until Jeffery returns. And when he does – with Wentz passing to him, too – the entire offense will benefit.

What was ‘eye-opening’ to Dirk Koetter?

Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz said Tuesday that the Buccaneers' 48-point performance in New Orleans was "eye-opening." Was there anything about the Eagles' 18-12 win that was eye-opening to Buccaneers coach Dirk Koetter? Yes and no. He was impressed with the Eagles defense against the Atlanta offense, although after studying the Eagles throughout the offseason, he wasn't necessarily surprised.

"As you know, I used to be at the Falcons, I know some of those players really well, and I think Matt Ryan is one of the top quarterbacks in the league, and to hold them to 12 points with Matt and Julio and the other talent they have there" is eye-opening, Koetter said. "We've known this game was coming, so we watched a lot of Eagles film from last year as well. It's no secret what kind of defense they have."

Seeing Vinny Curry, Beau Allen again

When you watch Sunday's game, you'll notice some familiar faces on Tampa Bay's defense. Vinny Curry and Beau Allen start on the Buccaneers defensive line after signing with them during the offseason. Both were contributors on the Eagles' Super Bowl team. Curry spent six seasons in Philadelphia, and Allen spent four.

"Those two could not be better team-first guys," Koetter said. "Part of the whole deal of us having a good training camp and practicing harder is guys like Vinny and Beau setting the tempo every day. They come to work every day. They're serious about football. They're just great guys. They're the kind of guys you'd go have a beer with."

Bucs quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick said their personalities are infectious. Allen has quickly become Fitzpatrick's cribbage partner.

"There's a professionalism about them," Fitzpatrick said. "Obviously, coming from a Super Bowl champion, you listen a little more to what's coming out of their mouth."

What you need to know about the Eagles

  1. Nick Foles will start — for at least one more week. Carson Wentz is progressing, but he has not yet received medical clearance. 

  2. Zach Ertz had a subpar Week 1 performance. Paul Domowitch finds out how Ertz will rebound.

  3. Doug Pederson said some Eagles didn't need the preseason. Marcus Hayes writes that Pederson was right.

  4. DeAndre Carter is trying to hold onto a roster spotBob Ford writes. Carter had a lot of playing time in Week 1, but didn't do much with it.

  5. Alshon Jeffery practiced on a limited basis for the first time since the Super Bowl. Plus, the Eagles signed Kamar Aiken.

From the mailbag

Not unstoppable, but that would be an awfully good position. There are some tough games on this schedule, especially on the road (New Orleans, Los Angeles, Jacksonville in London, etc.). But the fact that the Eagles escaped with a Week 1 win over Atlanta while playing far from their best game is a good sign.

I think they will win this weekend in Tampa Bay. They should win next week at home against Indianapolis. They'll get Carson Wentz and Alshon Jeffery back soon and be even better. Of course, there will likely be other injuries, too. But if the Eagles can keep winning games with their backup quarterback (even if he's the Super Bowl MVP) and without their No. 1 wide receiver, they're going to be a tough out when nearing full strength.

As I mentioned above, Jeffery is so important to offense. And Wentz was on his way to an MVP last year before the injury. Although the Eagles are winning with Nick Foles, Wentz's consistency is a major asset. Of course, he needs to show he can return to that level. My guess is he does. The Eagles are legitimate contenders, and it's a credit to the depth on the roster and the coaching staff if they can get by early in the season without two of their best players.