Let’s get to the Philadelphia Eagles news and links …
Roob’s Instant Observations: McKee outplays Dalton in Eagles’ preseason loss – NBCSP So much for that quarterback competition. If this game was any indication, Tanner McKee has to be the Eagles’ backup quarterback. Andy Dalton just isn’t very good. He had a couple nice completions to Darius Cooper Saturday night – 25 yards out to midfield on a 2nd-and-7 and 13 yards to Cooper on a 4th-and-1 on the Eagles’ first touchdown drive. But after an ineffective
3-for-6 for 20 yards against the Ravens last week, he finished 3-for-10 for 44 yards in New England, with all his completions going to Cooper. That leaves him 6-for-16 for 64 yards on nine drives this preseason with a miserable passer rating of 50.0. Dalton hasn’t been terrible in practice, but in the two games he just hasn’t brought any juice to the offense and has looked all of his 38 years. Tanner McKee needs to be the Eagles’ No. 2 QB, and he was sharp and decisive Saturday, going 16-for-22 for 173 yards with two touchdown passes, no interceptions and a 125.8 passer rating before giving way to rookie Cole Payton with 57 seconds left. And remember, Dalton was out there with the 2’s and McKee mainly with the 3’s. Maybe Howie can find a taker for Dalton for a bottom of the draft pick, but McKee needs to be Jalen Hurts’ backup.
Eagles vs. Patriots preseason: The good, the bad, and the ugly – BGN
Quarterback Tanner McKee completing 16 of 22 passes for 173 yards and two touchdowns, and in doing so,may have become the leader in the backup race, considering Andy Dalton has not looked good at all in two preseason games.
Tanner McKee outperforms Andy Dalton in the Eagles’ confounding backup QB competition — will it matter? – Inquirer
Tanner McKee outplayed Andy Dalton despite having to work with the Eagles’ mostly third-string offensive line and skill position players. Nick Sirianni may claim that there has been a fair competition for the No. 2 quarterback spot, and that Dalton has only started both preseason games because he has more experience. But McKee hasn’t had the benefit of performing with players who will actually make the Eagles’ 53-man roster. And yet, he looked like a far more viable backup to Jalen Hurts than Dalton did in the Eagles’ 24-21 loss to the New England Patriots on Saturday night. McKee wasn’t without his faults. He missed throws from the pocket and struggled at times when pressured. But it is worth questioning how Dalton could end up winning the job, let alone entice some quarterback-needy team into trading for him. There’s still another preseason game and a week until the roster deadline, but time is running out on the 38-year-old veteran.
Tanner McKee makes case for Eagles’ No. 2 QB, Joshua Weru pushes for roster spot – The Athletic
There are a few ways to look at this. Perhaps the Eagles are showcasing him to the league. I still think Dalton would be more of a trade chip one week before the season because of his experience. Perhaps the Eagles wanted to give McKee confidence after the way last week went. Although if that were the case, I’d think they would play McKee with the second-team offensive line (a group that played well, as Brooks Kubena wrote). The Eagles might have wanted to put pressure on McKee this summer after how they approached last summer. Head coach Nick Sirianni told reporters after the game that McKee needed more work than Dalton because of the experience difference. I still can’t imagine the summer has gone the way the Eagles would have wanted at the position. It was a curious approach given how they’ve viewed McKee in recent years (and the initial messaging that the Dalton trade had nothing to do with McKee), but this game was a step in the right direction. Compared to how Dalton played (3-for-10 for 44 yards on Saturday; 6-for-16 for 64 yards in the preseason), it’s harder to make a Dalton argument. Dalton has far more experience, including big-game experience. And as Sean Mannion could tell you, there’s more to a No. 2 quarterback’s role than how he plays in relief. Dalton’s background is valuable in the quarterback room. But Howie Roseman would be keen to tell you that no organization has benefited more from the backup quarterback than the Eagles. If Jalen Hurts goes down, which quarterback gives them a better chance to win games? I still think it’s McKee. The Eagles haven’t treated it as such this summer, but it looked that way Saturday.
Nick Sirianni: “It’s still a competition” between Andy Dalton, Tanner McKee for QB2 – PFT
As the Browns and Raiders work through their starting quarterbacks for Week 1, the Eagles are still trying to figure out their QB2. After Saturday’s preseason game between Philadelphia and New England, Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said “it’s still a competition” between Andy Dalton and Tanner McKee. “I think both the guys are battling, and I’m really confident in both of the guys,” Sirianni told reporters after the game. “We’ll see where that goes.” Dalton has been getting first dibs during the preseason games, but that’s apparently not a tipping of Sirianni’s hand. “The reason Andy is going in first — in practice they’re still rotating,” Sirianni said. “Andy is going in first because he’s not going to play as much as Tanner because he has had more experience and he has more experience within this type of system, and Tanner needs to continue to play there because I think you saw the improvements there from Tanner. So we got to continue to give both of them opportunities within practice and potentially games.”
2026 NFL preseason Week 2: Game takeaways, analysis – ESPN
Eagles: Who will back up QB Jalen Hurts this season? Andy Dalton has started both preseason games — seemingly an indication that he is ahead in the competition with Tanner McKee to be Hurts’ backup, despite the two splitting practice reps with the second team this summer. Dalton has not fared well in those games, however, going 3-of-10 for 44 yards against the Patriots and 3-of-6 for 20 yards versus the Baltimore Ravens. McKee tossed two touchdown passes against New England and was more efficient overall. But neither QB has clearly separated from the other, making for an interesting decision as the time nears to trim the roster to 53.
Three trades that make sense for the Eagles – PhillyVoice
Eagles QB Andy Dalton to the Patriots for WR Mack Hollins. Dalton had a decent couple of days in joint practices in Foxboro (though a poor game performance), and he would make some sense for the Patriots, seeing as their current QB2 is somehow Tommy DeVito. The Pats will have tape of Dalton from those practices, and he might be a valuable off-the-field sounding board for the young and talented Drake Maye. The Patriots are deep at receiver after trading for A.J. Brown and spending big money on WR2 Romeo Doubs. They also have a nice little slot receiver in Demario Douglas, a 2025 third-round pick in Kyle Williams, and a couple of backups with past modest production in Kayshon Boutte and Mack Hollins. Boutte has been the subject of trade speculation for the entire offseason, but I think the player who makes more sense for the Eagles is Hollins, who the Eagles selected in the fourth round of the 2017 draft. The Eagles cut Hollins during his third year with the team, and he was picked up by Miami, where he played out the rest of the 2019 season, plus two more seasons. He then played one year each with the Raiders, Falcons, Bills, and Patriots.
Eagles Lose Late to NE, 24-21 – Iggles Blitz
The Eagles struggled a week ago. They were much better vs New England, but still fell after blowing a late lead. The outcome isn’t as important as the fact the Eagles improved dramatically and played much better. Let’s focus on some players who shined. DT Ty Robinson was the star of the game. He had 4 tackles, 2 sacks, 3 TFLs and several QB hits. He was disruptive all game long. This comes after getting a sack last week and looking good in practice. The light has come on for Robinson. It will be fun to watch the tape and see how he won so many battles. He is clearly DL5 right now. That might not sound impressive, but he wasn’t secure in that role a few weeks back so it is a good thing.
2026 NFL Preseason, Week 2: What We Learned from Saturday’s games – NFL.com
Eagles’ second-string O-line plows the road. The 2026 offseason involved plenty of questions about the future of the offensive line in Philly, with the likes of Lane Johnson and others on the back nine. Saturday, the second-string unit mashed Patriots backups, particularly early in the contest. With the starters sitting, the Eagles backups pushed New England off the ball repeatedly, opening massive holes in the ground game. 6-foot-9, 346-pound rookie third-round tackle Markel Bell used his massive frame to stymie Patriots rushers and, alongside Willie Lampkin and Drew Kendall, opened up easy running lanes. On the second quarter touchdown run by Will Shipley, the offensive line moved the Pats seven yards downfield into the end zone. As the Eagles O-line bullied New England down the field, you could see the anger boiling in Patriots coach Mike Vrabel on the sideline. After last year’s offensive line issues and questions about the future, it’s a great sign to see the Eagles backup crew dominate.
Eagles lose to Patriots: Taking stock of Tanner McKee, Joshua Weru, and Chris Kuper – PHLY
Stock up, Carson Steele. Carson Steele cemented himself into Eagles preseason lore on Saturday night. The 23-year-old running back/fullback hybrid was the star of the Eagles offense for the better part of three quarters, logging two eye-popping hurdles in the open field while amassing over 100 scrimmage yards and one touchdown catch. I’d still be quite surprised if Steele earns a spot on the 53-man roster, but he’s got enough utility value that it’d make sense for him to be on the practice squad and an option if Sean Mannion intends to install a package with a fullback.
Spadaro: 10 observations from the Patriots preseason showdown – PhiladelphiaEagles.com
Let’s start with Will Shipley, one of the underrated players on this roster. He is one of those guys who just does everything the right way. In his third season, Shipley has added pop as he finishes his runs, he sees the field very well, and he is a multi-purpose back. Shipley also serves as the personal protector in the punting game, covers on special teams, and can catch the football. He ran hard and well in this game, gaining 56 yards and a nice touchdown run early. The backfield here is loaded with Saquon Barkley, Tank Bigsby, and Shipley. Will the Eagles carry more in the backfield? We find out in one week …
10 things we learned from Patriots vs. Eagles preseason game – Pats Pulpit
No running room for the offense. The Patriots had a tough time running the football on Saturday night. If you take away their longest runs of 20 and 10 yard, respectively, Jam Miller had 10 carries for 16 yards and Lan Larison had eight for 23. I thought they both ran hard but there was nowhere to go most of the night. The offensive line consisted exclusively of backups, yes, but the Eagles didn’t have any starters out there either, so you’d like to think you could have some level of success. That was not the case, unfortunately.
Cowboys 34, Cardinals 13: Joe Milton shines in win – Blogging The Boys
The Dallas Cowboys are 2-0 in the preseason for the first time in almost 20 years…. since 2007 to be exact. Saturday night, as late as it went, was a very impressive outing for the team. Joe Milton shined in serious fashion, and Malik Davis took a big step in the RB2 battle. Just like last week the Cowboys defense allowed only a single touchdown, and while these are “only” preseason games, right now everything is looking rather positive for this team. Below you will find a recap of everything as it unfolded. Another win! Let’s keep going.
Lions 17, Commanders 13: Five takeaways from Washington’s preseason loss – Hogs Haven
Commanders head coach Dan Quinn said a solid number of starters would play Saturday’s preseason game against the Detroit Lions. He was a man of his word in that regard. The Commanders deemed just 15 players inactive, and most all of them were hurt. Running back Bill Croskey-Merritt was the only healthy scratch, an obvious move to take unnecessary hits on Washington’s primary ball carrier. Every other healthy player was available, even the team’s biggest stars. That included quarterback Jayden Daniels, plus receivers Terry McLaurin and Stefon Diggs. They weren’t available long. The Commanders had a quick out for that trio and many others, preserving health on a team that has been battered by injuries over the past few weeks. That left those lower on the depth chart to decide this one, which ended with a 17-13 loss to the Lions at Ford Field. Let’s take a look at five takeaways from watching Washington’s second preseason game live.
Survey results: Giants fans split on the status of Malik Nabers – Big Blue View
One of the biggest stories hanging over the New York Giants off-season has been the status of wide receiver Malik Nabers. Nabers tore his ACL early in the Giants’ victory over the Los Angeles Chargers, also suffering meniscus damage in the process. Nabers tore his ACL on September 28th, but wasn’t able to have surgery until a month later on October 28th. Concerns were raised again in the off-season when it was reported that he had a second “clean-up” procedure, with fans and the media wondering if he would be available to start the season.So it was a bit of a surprise when Nabers not only avoided the PUP list to start training camp, but started taking part in individual drills on the first day. He was a regular participant in individual drills for the first two weeks of camp, with those in attendance consistently reporting that he looked good doing so. Nabers graduated to taking part in team drills — albeit in a red “no contact” jersey — this past week. In light of his progress, we wanted to ask fans if Nabers taking part in team periods made fans more confident that he would be available for Week 1 against the Dallas Cowboys. Most fans think he will be, but the fanbase as a whole doesn’t exactly seem to be brimming with confidence.
What is Scorigami, and how many will we see in the 2026 NFL season? – SB Nation
There have been 1095 unique final scores in NFL history as of the conclusion of the 2025 season. With teams scoring more points in games, the extra point moving out to a 33-yard kick, and teams deciding to go for two more often to gain edges, never-before-seen final scores are still happening despite the NFL playing for more than 100 years. These unique scores are also called “Scorigami”. Many of the Scorigami we are seeing are for 40-plus point games that have high scoring from both teams, but we’ve also been seeing scores in the 30s that have never happened. It’s not just high scores that have never happened, though. A game has never finished in a 2-2 tie, for instance. The NFL didn’t allow two-point conversions until 1994, and we’ve never seen an 8-7 game. A game has never ended in a 9-9 tie, among other scores still out there.
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