The Eagles became Super Bowl champions on a foundation based in culture—a winning ethos built on talent, effort, intelligence and attitude.
None of those traits collectively surfaced this past week.
The Eagles concluded a bad week of practice with a poor effort against the visiting Cleveland Browns on Saturday at Lincoln Financial Field, which translated into a pretty ugly 22-13 loss.
Quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson was, well, awful. He may have taken a step back in the race for the No. 3 quarterback
spot behind rookie Kyle McCord, who was credible.
But it was pretty bad everywhere. The Browns piled up 331 yards of total offense, while the Eagles finished with a scant 88 yards. Cleveland, which did very well in the two-day joint practices against the Eagles’ ones, converted nine of 16 third-down attempts and averaged 5.3 yards a play to the Eagles’ meager 2.0—and one offensive touchdown.
Eagles’ rookies Andrew Mukuba and Jihaad Campbell did well, as did new acquisition Jakorian Bennett.
Though overall, chalk this week up to a learning moment for numerous players looking to make this team.
Yes, it is preseason, but shouldn’t the expectation level continue to be held high for the defending Super Bowl champions—regardless if is the ones, twos, or threes playing?
There was a touch of good, some bad, and a pile of ugly in the Eagles’ 22-13 yawning preseason loss to the Cleveland Browns.
The Good
Rookie safety Andrew Mukuba’s 75-yard pick six on the first play of the second quarter. Mukubaread Browns’ rookie quarterback Dillon Garbiel perfectly. As Gabriel rolled left, Mukuba stayed with him, shadowing him across the field. Mukuba eyed Diontae Johnson and Blake Whiteheart, and once Gabriel let the ball go, Mukuba pounced. He showed great anticipation in stepping between Johnson and Whiteheart, taking the ball 75 yards for a touchdown. It was the first positive in what had been a dismal first quarter offensively and defensively for the Eagles. And Gabriel and the Browns then proceeded to return chewing up the Eagles’ defensive twos. Mukuba came up big later in the first half when he picked up a fumble on a botched handoff exchange. Mukuba has a great sense for finding the ball. He had two turnovers on eight snaps in the first half. Is Mukuba worthy of pairing up with Reed Blankenship at safety? Sydney Brown has been an Eagle for three years and has still yet to see considerable playing time. That says something.
Rookie linebacker Jihaad Campbell making an impact early, getting a four-yard sack on the Browns’ opening drive. He came through the center-right guard gap to pull down Browns’ rookie quarterback Dillon Garbiel. The first drive may have been a sneak peek as to how Eagles’ defensive coordinator Vic Fangio may use Campbell this season. They had him blitz through the interior of the line, and used him in the edge, flushing Gabriel out of the pocket. It’s ideal for Campbell’s dynamic athletic skillset, forcing teams to guess where No. 30 is and where he will be coming from.
New corner acquisition Jakorian Bennett coming up to read and then undercut a pass route to bat away a pass intended for Gage Larvadain on the Browns’ second drive. It came on a second-and-two at the Eagles’ 42, and it also came as a bright point while Gabriel was chewing up the Eagles’ secondary. Bennett was actually on the receiver, not yards away as other Eagles’ defensive backs were in the first half.
Free-agent edge rusher Azeez Ojulari’s seven-yard sack on the Browns’ second drive on a third-and-three at the Eagles’ 21. The play forced Cleveland into a field goal. If the Eagles could get that kind of pressure during the regular season from Ojulari, it would ease the losses of Brandon Graham and Josh Sweat.
Quarterback Kyle McCord got very little time in the first half, but the time he got was certainly more productive than what Dorian Thompson-Robinson did. Replacing the inept Thompson-Robinson late in the first half, McCord was a modest two-for-two for 15 yards, including a nine-yard TD pass to Ainias Smith with 1:59 left in the first half. McCord seemed more assured in what he was doing than Thompson-Robinson was. He completed eight of 16 for 47 yards and a touchdown.
Receiver Ainias Smith continues to impress. He followed a strong game last week with pair of first-half catches for a combined 19 yards, including a nine-yard TD reception. Last week, he had a 46-yard punt return to set up the Eagles’ third touchdown in the first half and made a nice TD catch coming across the middle of the field.
Linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Jr. for the second-straight week led the Eagles in tackles. He continues to show a great awareness, an ability to read quickly and react, and be there at the point of attack. There are still plays he knows that he is leaving on the field, like the great penetration he had on one play during the Browns’ second drive that he undercut, but failed the make the tackle in the backfield. He finished with a game-high seven tackles, three solos.
The Eagles’ rookie linebacker Smael Mondon Jr. making consecutive plays on the Browns’ first drive of the second half. It was encouraging, considering Mondon having a tough time in the preseason opener and in the first half of this game, not able to get off blocks. He made another pair of nice stops that closed the third quarter.
Defensive end Bryon Young beating the center and taking down on Ahmani Marshall for no gain on a third-and-two at the Eagles’ 10 early in the fourth quarter. It forced Cleveland into a fourth-and-goal, which they failed to convert.
The Bad
The Eagles’ first half defense. Cleveland rolled up 194yards of total offense and scored on three of five drives, broken up by a pick-six and a fumble on a botched handoff. The Browns converted six of eight first downs, averaged 5.5 yards a play and ran off 37 plays. Dillon Gabriel chopped up the Eagles’ secondary, which looms as a possible concern as the regular season approaches. Jalen Carter, however, has yet to step on the field, which would certainly hide what appears to be possible deficiency Adoree Jackson and Kelee Ringo do not seem to be viable options. Bennett may be an answer at left corner and Mukuba certainly appears to be a very good option at strong safety alongside Blankenship.
The Eagles’ first half offense. They were outgained 194 to 38, and at one point with 9:06 left to play in the first half had one first down to Cleveland’s 10, while averaging less than a yard a play. Okay, it is preseason, but this was the Eagles’ twos going against Cleveland’s twos and failing miserably. It is something Eagles’ coach Nick Sirianni and offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo will certainly address at practice and during film sessions this week.
Mondon Jr. getting turned inside by Browns’ left guard Teven Jenkins on the Browns’ second drive, when Ahmani Marshall ran up field for 14 yards on a third-and-two play at the Eagles’ 42. Last week against Cincinnati, Mondon Jr., and fellow rookie nickelback Mac McWilliams, were plowed over by Bengals’ tight end Tanner Hudson for a touchdown. After a strong third quarter, Mondon got sealed inside by the Browns’ third-string right guard Javion Cohen and did not see Pierre Strong Jr. flash out of the backfield on the first play of the fourth quarter—a third-and-two that resulted in a 54-yard run to the Eagles’ 18. He got fooled by the motion, swaying left.
The Ugly
Quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson was once a promising young quarterback who may have had a future in the NFL as a starter, and now he is Al Czervik on a football field, the Rodney Dangerfield character in Caddyshack—not good—fighting for the No. 3 quarterback spot on the Eagles. Thompson-Robinson seems unsure. He holds the ball too long. He was two of three for minus-4 yards on the first drive. Cleveland’s rookie Gabriel looked much better. Thompson-Robinson first two drives covered 10 plays, and proceeded to move the ball seven yards. He completed three of four passes for eight yards, and was sacked once for a nine-yard loss. Thompson-Robinson let go a pick-six on the Eagles’ second possession of the second half. After a bobbled snap, DTR decided to throw the ball up for grabs and not eat it as he was going down. Browns’ defensive end KJ Henry pulled it in and took off for a 45-yard pick six. Thompson-Robinson was rotated out on the following series for McCord. Thompson-Robinson finished completing five of eight for 17 yards—including a pick six and a sack.
The Eagles’ defense on Cleveland’s first drive. For the second-straight week, the Eagles’ second-team defense permitted the opposition to score on its opening drive.Last week, there was an understandable bend. The Eagles were going against Cincinnati’s ones, and Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase are among the best in the NFL. Dillon Gabriel, Pierre Strong Jr. and AhmaniMarshall are not. Still, the Browns were three-for-three on third-down conversions, converting a third-and-10, third-and-five and third-and-two. Cleveland traveled 63 yards on 13 plays, chewing up 8:05 on the clock for its initial score.
The Eagles’ first-quarter pass defense. Gabriel picked apart the Eagles’ secondary. Granted, it was mostly the Eagles’ twos, Gabriel diced them completing eight of nine passes for 73 yards. Here was the concern: The Browns’ receivers were wide open. Each time a Cleveland target hauled in a pass, it seemed an Eagles’ defender was yards away.
A.J. Dillon deciding to catch a batted ball. The veteran running back should know better, which he was surely reminded of when he returned to the sideline. On a second-and-eight at the Eagles’ 48, Thompson-Robinson’s pass was batted up, and then deflected by an Eagles’ offensive lineman when Dillon caught the ball and tried advancing it. Football 101: You bat the ball down and live for another play—without a 14-yard loss.
