Kendricks out, which gives more work to subs

THE EAGLES' final injury report of Week 5 contained no major surprises yesterday, and for the defense, that means it will officially once again be without one of its best playmakers.

As expected, the calf injury Mychal Kendricks suffered in the Week 2 win at Indianapolis will sideline the Pro-Bowl caliber inside linebacker for a third consecutive game. The third-year pro did not practice all week, and, at this rate, it is certainly plausible to suggest he could miss next week's prime-time meeting with the Giants, then return after the Week 7 bye.

Eagles coach Chip Kelly said before Thursday's practice that Kendricks was "moving a little bit better" and had shown improvement but hadn't yet been reinserted into drills. In his stead, expect Casey Matthews and Emmanuel Acho to again rotate tomorrow next to DeMeco Ryans at the other inside linebacker spot.

Kendricks' absence leaves an obvious void - he entered the season primed for a breakout year - but thus far the defense has managed to overcome his injury. Defensive coordinator Bill Davis has split defensive snaps between Matthews, the oft-maligned fourth-year linebacker, and Acho, a second-year former sixth round draft pick, and mixed in the occasional rep for 2014 first-round draft pick Marcus Smith.

By using Matthews and Acho on first and second downs and playing nickel and dime formations on third down, the Eagles have gotten by. In the team's lone loss, both inside 'backers held their own. Sure, they didn't necessarily stand out as Kendricks typically does, but you didn't witness any glaring blunders by them against the 49ers, either.

"They've done a good job," Kelly said. "They're giving it what they've got. They're both very intelligent football players, can key and diagnose really well.

"They're obviously a lot better in the run game. We've gotten into some more nickel and dime sets in passing situations to get them off the field, but both of those guys have really contributed."

Acho, 6-2, 240 pounds, has seemed to perform the better of the two. The 23-year-old Texas product has an above-average grade on Pro Football Focus after recording four tackles against the 49ers while playing 35 percent of the snaps. He hurried Colin Kaepernick on a fourth-quarter, 10-yard completion and had a first-quarter sack negated by a San Francisco holding penalty.

With Acho starting against Washington, and Matthews getting the nod against San Francisco, the two have rotated in and out in the staff's effort to split their snaps as evenly as possible. Over the last two games, Acho has been on the field for 33 percent of the snaps, Matthews for 34 percent.

In the San Francisco game, Matthews, 6-1, 245 pounds, recorded three tackles and combined with Connor Barwin on a third-quarter sack of Kaepernick.

Interestingly, entering the Eagles' fourth preseason game, neither Matthews nor Acho was expected to make the final 53-man roster. But when Travis Long tore his ACL in the preseason finale, it opened the door for Matthews to stick around. Acho was a victim of final cut day but was brought back on the practice squad. After top reserve Najee Goode tore his pectoral muscle in the season opener, Acho was promoted back to the active roster.

Both Matthews and Acho intimated this week they feel more comfortable now than when they first stepped in for Kendricks late in the Indianapolis game. They combined to play 60 of the Eagles' 83 defensive snaps against the 49ers. Smith, drafted as an outside linebacker but moved to the middle for numbers reasons, played only seven defensive snaps, down from 16 against Washington.

A week after San Francisco netted 218 yards on the ground, the Eagles' defense could use an improved performance against the run tomorrow. St. Louis features a pair of second-year backs in Zac Stacy and Benny Cunningham, a duo that, thus far, has accounted for only 82 yards per game.

According to Matthews, the Rams try to beat defenses with misdirection. Acho noted that they do a good job utilizing their tight ends, Jared Cook and Lance Kendricks.

"Coming off a bye week, things change," Acho said in reference to the Rams, who, coming out of their bye this week, announced Austin Davis as their starting quarterback. "They have time to do a little bit of self scouting and so your keys and the different things you may pick up on will change a little bit, so you have to keep that in mind.

"The Rams do a good job running the ball and setting up that play-action pass, but we just have to do a good job stopping the run and make them one-dimensional."

Aside from Mychal Kendricks, the only other player ruled out for tomorrow is center Jason Kelce (hernia). Cornerback Brandon Boykin, who suffered a hamstring injury against the 49ers, is officially listed as questionable. If Boykin can't play, safety Malcolm Jenkins will play the nickel. Rookie wide receiver Josh Huff (shoulder) was upgraded from questionable to probable . . . The Eagles waived practice-squad linebacker Jake Knott with an injury settlement. Knott was re-signed this week after serving a four-game suspension, then injured his knee. He was seen limping after practice Thursday.