Dislocation, but no break for Eagles' Ronald Darby; MRI to determine whether he's done for year

LANDOVER, Md. — Eagles cornerback Ronald Darby suffered a dislocated right ankle, but not a break, after his gruesome misstep in the second quarter of Sunday's 30-17 Eagles victory over the Washington Redskins at FedEx Field, a source with knowledge of the situation said.

The source said an MRI will determine whether Darby, 23, the Eagles' top corner, is done for the season. The team acquired him a month ago  from Buffalo for wide receiver Jordan Matthews. The determining factor on a time frame will be the extent of ligament damage. If there is a lot of damage, Darby will require surgery and won't play again this season. Otherwise, he could return around midseason, the source said.

Also injured Sunday for the Eagles were kicker Caleb Sturgis (hip flexor) and left tackle Jason Peters (groin). Sturgis, a source said, suffered his injury on the opening kickoff and continued to play. He seemed to be in more and more pain, though he nailed a 50-yard field goal at the end of the first half. After Fletcher Cox's 20-yard return of what was ruled a Kirk Cousins fumble iced the game with a minute, 29 seconds remaining, Eagles coach Doug Pederson opted to go for two, so Sturgis wouldn't have to kick the extra point. Sturgis squibbed the final kickoff.

Peters, replaced late in the second quarter by Halapoulivaati Vaitai, said he merely "tweaked my groin." He said he would be able to play next Sunday at Kansas City.

After underachieving in his first two seasons, Nelson Agholor might have found new life as the Eagles' slot receiver. He followed a strong training camp with a good opener, finishing with six catches for 86 yards — both career highs — and a touchdown.

"I think it was big for him," quarterback Carson Wentz said. "But honestly, going back to the offseason, I just saw a more confident player. I saw that he was working and we were always talking about what he could do different, different things, and you just kind of see a new, confident player. Starting the season off the way he did was huge for him."

Wentz targeted Agholor eight times. The 58-yard touchdown was the longest reception of his career and the biggest gainer of the day for either team. Doug Pederson said that he has seen Agholor perform this way and show this type of confidence throughout the spring and summer, so Agholor is right where the coach expected him to be. Pederson lauded the way Agholor played on third downs, a role that Jordan Matthews helped with last season. Two of Agholor's catches were for third-down conversions, including the TD.

"I know where I belong on this team and my mind-set is that I'm here to help this team win football games," Agholor said.

Running back Corey Clement was active, a milestone in the young career of the Glassboro native who made the team as an undrafted rookie. Clement tallied the first tackle of the season on the opening kickoff and was used on special teams. He was active over fourth-round pick Donnel Pumphrey, who was one of four draft picks inactive for the Eagles. Cornerback Rasul Douglas, wide receiver Shelton Gibson, and defensive tackle Elijah Qualls were the others.

Douglas and fellow cornerback Dexter McDougle were both inactive, leaving the Eagles with only three listed cornerbacks entering the game. Jaylen Watkins is a safety/cornerback hybrid, and he was pressed into play cornerback after Darby left with the injury.

Defensive end Steven Means and guard Chance Warmack were also inactive.

Backup quarterback Nick Foles was the only active player who did not enter the game.

Jones: Dorenbos 'in shock'

Eagles punter Donnie Jones, like Jon Dorenbos, is 37 years old, which makes him the oldest Eagle but hardly ancient in the real world. So Jones was astounded Friday to hear that Dorenbos, the long-snapper the Eagles traded to the Saints Aug. 28 for a seventh-round draft pick in 2019, would need surgery for an aortic aneurysm discovered in a follow-up exam in New Orleans. Dorenbos almost certainly will never play again.

"Your life changes in an instant," Jones said. "It's fortunate they were able to catch that ."

Jones said Dorenbos called just before Jones headed onto the field for practice. Friday.

"He was just kind of in shock and awe about how everything had happened," Jones said. "I just let him know, 'Hey, everybody here is asking for you, thinking about you and praying for you.' He was really appreciative."

Jones said he doesn't know when Dorenbos will undergo surgery. The Eagles have returned the draft pick they received in the trade, a team spokesman said.

Birdseed

LeGarrette Blount's 1-yard touchdown catch was his second NFL receiving touchdown, in his eighth season … Terrelle Pryor, the Redskins' new receiving threat, caught six passes for 66 yards on 11 targets, almost all of the damage coming after Ronald Darby's ankle injury … A couple of near-miss bombs from Carson Wentz to Torrey Smith left Smith with one catch for 30 yards … The Eagles won on the road for the first time since last Sept. 19, at Chicago. They had lost seven in a row away from Lincoln Financial Field … Just three catches for 14 yards for Jamison Crowder, Washington's dangerous slot receiver. He also fumbled away a punt to Trey Burton.

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