The Philadelphia Eagles continued their preseason schedule with a LOSS to the New England Patriots. Final score, which doesn’t matter, but we’re logging it here anyway: 24 to 21.
To no surprise, the Eagles rested their starters once again.
After last week’s total stinker against the Baltimore Ravens, it was refreshing to see the Eagles have moments of good football on Saturday night. This was a much more entertaining experience.
The offense, while far from perfect, actually looked functional at times.
Especially the running game. Perhaps Sean Mannion calling plays from the booth instead of the field helped?
Read on for some noteworthy moments from Saturday night.
POSITION BATTLE UPDATE
BACKUP QUARTERBACK
Andy Dalton got the start for the second week in a row. Andy Dalton did not play well for the second week in a row. The veteran quarterback was inaccurate and nearly turned the ball over multiple times. Dalton finished the night 3/10 for 44 yards, zero interceptions, zero touchdowns, and a 45.4 passer rating.
Tanner McKee entered the game about midway through the second quarter and had a good night on the whole. He certainly looked better than Dalton, despite working with a lesser supporting cast. His final numbers: 16/22, 173 yards, two touchdowns, zero interceptions, and a 125.8 passer rating. McKee also threw another touchdown pass that was dropped by E.J. Jenkins for a turnover on downs.
FIRST QUARTER OBSERVATIONS
- Ja’Quinden Jackson was taken off the field in an ambulance after making a special teams tackle on the opening kickoff. Very scary scene.
- Kelee Ringo would’ve had a pick six but the ball went through his hands and hit him in the facemask. Good job by Ringo to jump the route … but gotta make the catch and finish the play.
- Gabe Hall had some good tackles in run defense on the Pats’ opening drive. He was credited with just two but he had a third that got wiped out by a Pats holding penalty. Hall also generated a pressure on a stunt that helped force an incompletion.
- Kapena Gushiken (“Gush”) started at nickel cornerback. He crashed down on a run to limit the Pats to a one yard pickup that brought up 3rd-and-8.
- Britain Covey muffed the game’s first punt but managed to get back on top of the ball to retain possession. Lucky break.
- Willie Lampkin helped spring a Will Shipley run for 18 yards.
- Andy Dalton overthrew Darius Cooper and Eli Stowers on back-to-back plays. Good to see Stowers at least got open.
- Zion Wilson had a real nice run stuff. The undrafted rookie has popped in these preseason games.
- An unblocked blitzing Jeremiah Trotter Jr. instantly got to Tommy DeVito for a sack. Totally timed up the snap count. Savvy. Trotter Jr. also made a good open field tackle on a DeVito scramble where the Pats QB still picked up a first down but didn’t get nearly as many yards as he might’ve otherwise.
- Ty Robinson had a QB hit on a DeVito deep throw that went incomplete. Ringo had tight downfield coverage on the play.
- Darius Cooper turned a short catch into a 25-yard gain by fighting through contact and avoiding defenders after the catch. Good player! Cooper also got open for a first down with the Eagles going for it on 4th-and-1.
- Will Shipley had a NICE stiff arm that shoved a Pats defender into the ground. Shipley also looked good in the practices this week. The Eagles continued to pound the rock with Shipley — aided by great blocking up front — to move into scoring range. Good to see life from the offense after it looked nearly lifeless against the Baltimore Ravens last weekend.
SECOND QUARTER OBSERVATIONS
- Drew Kendall and Willie Lampkin mauled the Pats’ defensive line to help Shipley find the end zone and cap off a strong drive.
- Jake Elliott’s first extra point just snuck inside the right upright.
- Cole Wisniewski made a special teams tackle.
- The Eagles’ backup defense allowed a 36-yard run to DeVito (more like DeVicko). Not ideal.
- Dalton threw a pick that got wiped out by a roughing the passer penalty on the Pats. He then nearly threw another pick that was not caught.
- Markel Bell got rolled up on but thankfully was able to stay in the game.
- Willie Lampkin and Drew Kendall were removed from the game ahead of the Eagles’ third drive. Good signs for their stocks to see the Eagles resting them.
- Quez Watkins couldn’t made a grab that was short of the sticks anyway on third down.
- Braden Mann booted a 63-yard punt.
- Jose Ramirez knocked down a DeVito pass at the line of scrimmage.
- Ty Robinson logged another QB hit … but it was wiped out by a Ringo illegal contact penalty. And then an unblocked Robinson got to DeVito for a sack.
- Tanner McKee entered the game with a little under seven minutes remaining in the first half.
- Ambry Thomas got roasted deep for a 69-yard touchdown. Not so nice for him. Thomas also had a rough week against the Pats in practice.
- The Eagles took over with a two-minute drill opportunity. McKee went to Carson Steele, who was running hard, for back-to-back completions. The second was a nice screen reception where Steele managed to avoided an unblocked defender and then hurdle another defender while running after the catch. Steele’s got some juice.
- The Eagles capped off their two-minute drill with a McKee touchdown on a screen pass to Britain Covey. Nice execution by Sean Mannion’s offense.
- Robinson notched his second sack of the night and third sack of the preseason!
THIRD QUARTER OBSERVATIONS
- McKee kept feeding Steele in the passing game to help lead the Eagles 56 yards into scoring range. Facing 4th-and-3 from the 9-yard line, McKee placed the ball into a leaping E.J. Jenkins’ hands in the end zone … but the tight end couldn’t make the catch as a Pats defender contested the ball. Not the QB’s fault there.
- Joshua Weru notched a sack in his second-ever football game of his life! Really cool stuff. Also great to see how happy his teammates were for him.
- The Eagles went for it on 4th-and-1 from the plus 40-yard line but McKee got his as he threw for an incompletion and turnover on downs.
- Weru chased Pats third-string QB Behren Morton into a throwaway. Looked pretty fast.
- Zion Wilson picked up a QB hit.
FOURTH QUARTER OBSERVATIONS
- Uar Bernard picked up the first tackle of his life in this game. Did a nice job of controlling the gap, shedding the block, and finishing by getting to the ball carrier. And then Bernard notched another!
- For the second week in a row, Shaun Wade punched a ball out for an Eagles fumble recovery! Brandon George scooped it up. Wade isn’t going to make the roster but he’s making his case for a practice squad spot in either Philly or elsewhere.
- McKee led a nine-play, 52-yard touchdown drive that was capped off by a pass to Steele, who broke out ANOTHER hurdle to make his way into the end zone for a go-ahead touchdown! The Eagles overcame a 2nd-and-22 after two penalties (holding and false start) to get this score. McKee’s next two throws went for 37 yards combined.
- Gabe Hall tipped a pass into the air that should’ve been caught by J.T. Gray for a relatively easy interception but the veteran safety dropped it.
- New Eagles CB and former Pats CB Isaiah Bolden allowed a go-ahead touchdown to his former team. Undercover agent working for New England???
- The Eagles got the ball at their own 28-yard line with 0:53 on the clock and three timeouts to work with. Cole Payton entered the game. Payton got strip-sacked for a Pats game-sealing recovery. Welp. Cameron Williams beat around the edge on Payton’s blindside.
EAGLES INJURY NEWS
- Depth running back Ja’Quinden Jackson got hurt on the opening kickoff. He laid motionless on the field after tackling the Pats’ kick returner. Jackson was taken off the field in an ambulance. Brutal. At least he was able to give a thumbs up while being stretchered away.
- Mac McWilliams visited the medical tent in the second quarter and then headed back to the tunnel.
- Markel Bell visited the medical tent in the second quarter. He left the tent and remained on the bench. Did not return to the game. He looked to be in good spirits.
UP NEXT
The Eagles are off tomorrow, Sunday, August 23 before returning to practice on Monday. Then they’ll practice on Tuesday night (the team’s one and only public practice at Lincoln Financial Field) and once more on Wednesday before a walkthrough on Thursday and the preseason finale on Friday night.
