How will the Eagles use Alshon Jeffery in his comeback?

A victory in the shadow of the New York skyline on Sunday afternoon and the Eagles seize a second straight NFC East title will tighten, perhaps a hold that will be unbreakable by other struggling teams in the division.

Then there’s the return of Alshon Jeffery, which is a solid subplot for the game itself.

Jeffery hasn’t played for almost a month.

Ironically, his last game, December 9 of last year, was against the Giants. It was in this match that he suffered an injury in Lisfranc after 20 shots that required surgery and months of rehabilitation.

He’s 30 now and most fans of the franchise wanted him to leave before the season even started, and by all accounts none of those fans have changed their minds.

Buckle up, however, Jeffery will also have a role on Sunday.

“Hopefully he can just plug in and play, but in reality I think it’s going to take a while,” said head coach Doug Pederson. “It’s going to take him a bit of time to get comfortable with the game, to be up to the speed of the game, to fully reintegrate into football.”

I set the top / bottom for snaps to 15.

“It’s been a while,” Pederson said. “That’s why our plan must be his as a player and as an attacker. It’s just something that we as a staff have to be smart if they’re willing to do that – you know, I don’t want to crush Alshon physically and factor in fatigue or more injuries or whatever.

“So we have to be smart with this, but I also have to listen to Alshon and how he’s feeling this week.”

Expect Jeffery’s shots to come from the outside, as Jalen Reagor and Travis Fulgham both have the versatility of slots. Additionally, Greg Ward is not just a slot machine receiver. He can also stand in line outside.

That’s the thing about this WR band – it’s versatile.

Jeffery, however, is at his best away from home, but his presence will help this team win games.

Hear his wide receiver teammates talk, and they all say how good a teammate Jeffery was, from Jalen Reagor to John Hightower to Quez Watkins. No one has a bad word to say about the veteran.

Jeffery’s return gives the Eagles seven healthy receivers for the first time in a long time.

So who is seated?

Start with Watkins. The final season on the bench will likely be between John Hightower and JJ Arcega-Whiteside.

The bet here is JJAW.

But that’s okay because Jeffery’s return makes this team better and makes this WR group more dangerous.

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