Ryan Mathews takes handoff from Carson Wentz in practice, October 5…

TE Zach Ertz is moving well in practice. Expect him to get limited reps against Detroit.

The Eagles are in full practice game plan mode in preparation for meeting the Detroit Lions on Sunday. While the Eagles expect to have RB Ryan Mathews and TE Zach Ertz back in action, the personnel situation is looking a bit grim for the Lions.

LB DeAndre Levy has missed three straight games with a quadriceps injury and is not expected to play in Sunday’s game against the Eagles at Ford Field (1 p.m., Fox). Levy missed most of last year with a hip injury that eventually required surgery and has played in parts of just two games since signing a four-year, $33-million extension in August 2015.

“I feel for him,” former teammate Stephen Tulloch, now with the Eagles, said in a conference call with Detroit reporters today. “To get that big contract, and I know he wants to be out there and prove his worth. But you can’t stop the injury bug. It is what it is.”

“Obviously, he wants to go out there and play and he’s a big piece of that defense,” Tulloch said. “Let’s face it, he’s a guy that can run sideline to sideline, makes big plays, just a fantastic player, and it’s unfortunate that he’s not healthy right now. If I know Levy, I know he’s doing everything in his power to get back healthy and I hope to see him out there, not just as friend but as a fan of his.”

Levy was one of seven Lions who did not practice today, along with Ziggy Ansah, Marvin Jones, Eric Ebron, Dwayne Washington, Nevin Lawson and Don Carey.

Ansah, who has missed the last two games with a high ankle sprain, also is expected to miss Sunday’s game.

One consequence of injuries to two of Detroit’s best defenders is we may see a slightly more mobile Carson Wentz on Sunday. There have been zero designed runs or rollouts for Wentz so far, but head coach Doug Pederson says that could change:

“…For us, it’s our fourth week of the season, and obviously as a staff we have to be extremely smart on how we handle that aspect of the game. Probably the deeper as you go into the regular season, if you’re in a position to make the postseason, you might increase that a little bit.”

“One of the things that I think defenses sometimes forget, I’m not saying they forget that completely, is the quarterback and the ability to run. I think that was an advantage to us in Kansas City with Alex Smith, and his strength was the ability to run the football. And as we got deeper into the season, we dialed up a few more of those for him. And I think it could be the same type of formula with Carson.”

For context, Alex Smith rushed 84 times (21 of which were designed) for 498 yards and two touchdowns in 2015 for an average of 5.25 rushes per game.

“So far, I can’t complain about the play-calling,” Wentz said. “I think it’s been tremendous. [Pederson] has done a really good job of putting us in situations to make plays, and I trust that he will the rest of the year as well.”

As for the risky prospect of taking hits downfield?

“I think Russell Wilson does a really good job of protecting himself. He obviously makes plays with his feet,” Wentz said. “Cam Newton takes some shots here and there, but I thought last year he was a guy that I always thought did a good job with all the designed quarterback runs of just protecting himself and taking the shots very sparingly.”
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