PHILADELPHIA It could have been a storybook ending scripted around Darren Sproles, the quiet veteran who with the fourth quarter winding down, was a couple of plays away from football immortality.

The Eagles trailed by a field goal when Sproles hauled in a 25-yard pass from Carson Wentz on fourth-and-five, the gain putting the ball at the 20-yard of the Lions with 49 ticks left. Unfortunately, the 36-year-old veteran was flagged for pushing off Tavon Wilson, 14 years younger, a half-foot taller and some 30 pounds heavier than Sproles.

Both of us were going for the ball, Sproles said. Its tough, but the thing is weve got another one on Thursday that weve got to get ready for. Weve got to put this in the past.

At the opening kickoff, Sproles needed just 41 yards to pass Hall of Fame receiver Tim Brown for fifth on the NFLs all-time list for all-purpose yardage. He collected six yards in the game. The reception that was nullified would have drawn him within a first down of moving up on a list of elite players topped by Jerry Rice. That quest will have to wait for Sproles, who has 19,648 all-purpose yards and counting.

The Eagles lost rookie offensive tackle Andre Dillard to a knee injury in the first half. He was filling in for Jason Peters, who was ill at the time. When Dillard went down the Eagles turned to Halapoulivaati Vaitai, although Peters returned in the second half.

Defensive end Derek Barnett (foot-ankle) exited in the first half but played a limited role in the second half. Cornerback Ronald Darby didnt play in the second half due to a hamstring issue.

Eagles tight end Dallas Goedert (calf) was active but played sparingly. He was targeted once but dropped a Wentz bomb in the end zone. The Eagles scored on the drive anyway, Nelson Agholor hauling in the first of two Wentz TD passes.

The Eagles also had dropped passes from Agholor, Jordan Howard, Mack Hollins and J.J. Arcega-Whiteside, who was at the end zone. Wentz also was sacked three times and hit five times on a tough day.

The Eagles pass rush went without a sack. Last season they had eight straight games with multiple sacks. This year they have two sacks in three games.

Were not getting to the quarterback, especially me, Fletcher Cox said. Im getting there but Im not getting there quick enough. Ive got to do a better job but us also as a group, as a D-line, weve got to be better and I know we will.

Pederson was disappointed enough to say the Eagles would have to re-evaluate.

That is something we have to look at, generating a pass rush, whether with four, five, six, whatever it is, Pederson said.

NOTES >> With rookie Miles Sanders putting the ball on the ground twice, Eagles running backs have 11 fumbles since the start of 2018, most in the league. I thought he sort of rebounded from those in the second half with a couple of nice runs and his kickoff returns were good, Pederson said of Sanders. It was just a learning moment for a young running back in games like this." ... Wide receivers Alshon Jeffery (calf) and DeSean Jackson (abdominal strain) were scratched. The Birds also scratched running back Corey Clement (shoulder), linebacker Kamu Grugier-Hill (knee), center Nate Herbig and defensive tackle Tim Jernigan (back). ... Zach Ertz caught four passes for 64 yards to move into second on the Eagles all-time receptions list ahead of Pete Retzlaff (452). Harold Carmichael is the Eagles all-time leader with 589 receptions.

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Eagles Notebook: Sproles' shot at playing hero was a push - The Delaware County Daily Times