You may not recognize the Eagles when they take the field Sunday in sunny San Diego.

Especially on defense.

The Birds’ defense has been battered by injuries, which does not bode well as they try to ground the Chargers’ high-flying defense.

Lineback Chris Gocong, himself just back from missing a game due to a bad hamstring, will be at middle linebacker. Will Witherspoon, acquired to fill the hole in the middle by injuries to both starter Stewart Bradley and Omar Gaither, will slide outside. That’s because Akeem Jordan looks like he might be able to go.

And that doesn’t even count the Eagles’ secondary, which will be without two of their key backup corners. Ellis Hobbs is out for the season with a neck injury; Joselio Hanson has been banned four weeks by the league for violating the NFL substance abuse policy over his use of a diuretic.

The Chargers don’t run the ball very well, but they have a fairly prolific pass offense led by QB Philip Rivers and tight end Antonio Gates. The Eagles best bet might be to send the house against Rivers, rather than let him go after an ailing Eagles secondary.

One other thing you probably won’t see on Sunday. Should Eagles tight end Brent Celek find the end zone again, don’t look for his “Captain Morgan” act that he unveiled last week.

In case you missed it, Celek did something of a caricature of the popular rum producer’s TV ad, featuring their trademark swashbuckling pirate with his leg up.

The NFL – which some mock as the No Fun League – has rushed in to squash the celebration when they learned it apparently was part of a wider deal to promote the image throughout the league.

Celek is pleading his innocence, but an account executive told Yahoo!
Sports that the Eagle was in on the deal.

No more posing. Aye, aye, captain!