Doug Pederson wouldn’t say if Alshon Jeffery will play on Sunday in Nashville, but he did confirm today that the Birds’ #1 wide receiver is cleared for contact.

That was the biggest takeaway from Pederson’s midweek press conference. The head ball coach also told media that he’ll have an update on Rodney McLeod later in the week, after one more test is completed on the safety’s injured knee.

More notes from Doug’s availability:

  • will find out later in the week whether Jay Ajayi and Darren Sproles are good to go
  • RE: safety depth: “we like where we’re at” (didn’t want to discuss plan if McLeod can’t go this weekend)
  • regarding the “weight on quarterback” rule:

“Officials have a tough job… to me as a former quarterback, those look like good, clean hits. I don’t make those decisions, obviously, but you just keep playing, quite honestly. Keep playing, keep coaching them to play hard. You just have to accept that something like that is going to happen, whether it’s to your opponent or to us. There are great examples to teach from and to learn from.”

More notes after the jump:

  • game will begin to slow down for Carson Wentz as he gets more reps and more weapons around him moving forward
  • even with Ajayi, Jeffery, and Wentz back, it’s going to take time for everybody to find their rhythm and get back to where they were in 2017
  • Tennessee is a 3-4 defense that plays out like a 4-3 based on their structure, strong defensive team, can play with more linebackers because of that
  • Marcus Mariota is athletic, attentive to detail, felt like he’d be successful in the right system and flourish, which he has
  • Fletcher Cox is showing more maturity, taking on responsibility and embracing role of being a leader, which might not have been the case in years past
  • Alshon gives the team a “shot in the arm” offensively, good red zone target, sometimes draws double teams and can help unlock defenses

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