This was a lot better, certainly light years healthier in comparison to how dismal the Eagles’ first dress rehearsal looked last week in Baltimore.
This time, the Eagles’s backups resembled somewhat of an NFL team, despite a 24-21 loss to the defending AFC champion New England Patriots on Saturday night at Gillette Stadium.
The execution was tighter, the discipline was improved, and there were a lot of positives.
What could haunt the Eagles is a leaky safety position that looks like it might not get
any help from the twos or threes. Andrew Mukuba showed glimmers of what he could be in his rookie season last year, and he also made some glaring rookie mistakes, which is expected.
Marcus Epps is also a question, with very little help coming from safeties J.T. Gray and Shaun Wade, who probably won’t make the team, and neither will cornerbacks Isaiah Bolden and Ambry Thomas, by the way they played.
What the Eagles did receive were good performances by Tanner McKee, Ty Robinson, Will Shipley, Willie Lampkin, Drew Kendall, Markel Bell, and running back Carson Steele.
There was a some ugly, some bad and some encouraging good in the Eagles’ 24-21 loss to the New England Patriots.
The Good
Center Willie Lampkin is stubby, has a belly, and is an earth mover. On Will Shipley’s 18-yard run in the first quarter, Lampkin hooked the Patriots’ nose tackle, giving Shipley a free lane down the sideline. He had a major push in getting Shipley into the end zone early in the second quarter.
Cornerback Kelee Ringo almost had a pick six on the second play of the game, breaking on the play at the right time, but as with Ringo, something good is associated with something bad. The ball went right through his hands.
Defensive tackle Gabe Hall working through a double team to make a tackle on the Patriots’ opening drive, stuffing the middle at midfield.
Linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Jr. played well again. He finished with a team-high five tackles by halftime, three solo, with one sack on the Patriots’ second drive. On second-and-10, Trotter went bolting through the line and took down Tommy DeVito for a four-yard sack, forcing as third-and-14. The Eagles may have a pleasant dilemma on their hands with depth at linebacker with Trotter, Zack Baun, Jihaad Campbell, Jalyx Hunt and Trotter. Last week, he had five tackles, two solo, and a sack—again, all in the first half. He is pushing for a starting role.
Running back Will Shipley looked good again, rushing for 56 yards on 11 carries and a touchdown, after rushing for 22 yards on 7 carries last week in what was an otherwise overall bad team performance against Baltimore.
Receiver Darius Cooper looked good, redeeming himself after a bad start last week. Cooper had a team-high three catches for 44 yards by halftime. He happened to be the only receiver Andy Dalton connected with on Dalton’s 10 passes. On fourth-and-one, Cooper made a 13-yard reception coming across the middle at the New England 27. The drive led to the Eagles’ first score.
Defensive tackle Ty Robinson is impactful again. He continues to impress.Against the Ravens last week,he had two tackles, one tackle for loss, a quarterback hit, and a sack in the first quarter. Against the Pats, he broke through a double team midway in the second quarter and came up with a nine-yard sack on a third-and-seven that forced the Pats to punt. He had another sack late in the first half for a 12-yard sack that forced a third-and-22. He had three tackles in the first half, two for sacks for minus-21 yards. He has three sacks in two games.
The Eagles’ second drive. Shipley punched it in on a 13-play, 77-yard drive. The Eagles converted a fourth down and a third down. The Eagles were 0 for 9 on third-down conversions last week against Baltimore.
Britain Covey’s zigzag 14-yard TD reception from Tanner McKee to close the first half.
The first half. The Eagles went into halftime leading 14-10.They had 12 first downs, a major jump from the six first downs that they had the whole game against Baltimore last week, and they gained 158 totals yards—just one shy of what they totaled the entire game against the Ravens. The bottom line is, they looked and played more prepared than they were a week ago. The offensive moved the Patriots for 71 yards rushing.
Coaching box Sean Mannion looked better than sideline Sean Mannion last week. The Eagles mixed it up, using the screen game, setting the Patriots off balance and causing them to guess. He was not afraid to run plays again that worked. It was a nice confidence boost for the first-time offensive coordinator.
Carson Steele may not make the Eagles, but he may make one team in the NFL. He caught six passes on seven targets—one for 28 yards—for 84 yards and a touchdown, while rushing for 33 yards on 12 carries.
Edge rusher Joshua Weru’s third-quarter sack for minus-seven yards on a third-and-seven play that forced a Patriots’ punt. It was the first sack for the 22-year-old from Kenya.
Linebacker Chance Campbell got a chance to get some good film, with seven tackles, six solo, but when the four-year NFL veteran was in, the Patriots rolled down the field for a 17-14 lead early in the fourth quarter.
Uar Bernard, the hulking, sculpted 6-foot-4, 300-pound curiosity from Nigeria, made his first two tackles, sliding down the line of scrimmage to make a couple of plays in the fourth quarter.Bernard shows promise, considered he never played American football until this stage of his life.
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.
The Bad
Back-up quarterback Andy Dalton has been upgraded from ugly to just bad. He overthrew open receivers on the first drive and had to rely on Shipley and the offensive line to move the ball on the Eagles’ scoring drive. His 39,793 career passing yards are behind him. You would figure a veteran like him would have a natural veteran touch. He doesn’t. He finished 3 of 10 for 44 yards. It’s not just a matter of timing. Most of his throws are off.
Ringo getting called for illegal contact in the second quarter. Ringo gets caught putting his hands on receivers more than he should.
Safety J.T. Gray’s dropped interception with 2:41 to play. The discarded special team Pro Bowler with the New Orleans has to finish plays like that to continue to playing in the NFL.
Safety Shaun Wade finished with a team-high 10 tackles, six solo, but he almost gave up a touchdown with 1:28 to play, if the pass was not overthrown, and Pats’ receiver Tajhaun Palmer did not lose track of the ball and stopped running on the route. Then, Wade got burned by Kyle Dixon on a fourth-and-one at the Eagles’ 37 for a first down. New England spotted its pigeon in the last minute and his name was Shaun Wade.
The Ugly
Cornerback Isaiah Bolden getting toasted by Pats’ receiver Nick DeGennaro for a 37-yard touchdown pass with :57 left. Again, it’s not away to make an NFL team, having a receiver run by you with the game on the line. Bolden may have thought he was going to get help, but it was a wrong assumption—and probably a costly one for Bolden.
Cornerback Ambry Thomas getting beat—and beat bad—on Tommy DeVito’s 69-yard, second-quarter touchdown pass. DeVito’s rainbow dropped right into the hands of the waiting hands of Kyle Williams. It’s a good way to get cut having a receiver just blow right by you as if you were standing still.
Getting nailed for an illegal formation penalty on their first possession of the second half. The five-yard penalty forced the Eagles from a second-and-five into a second-and-10.The Eagles wound up turning the ball over on downs at the New England nine, but it’s preseason.Going for it on fourth down in the preseason is harmless. What isn’t is when a receiver does not know where to line up on the field, and the receiver (Erik Ezukanma) did not where to be, lining up inside.
Receiver Samori Toure getting flagged for unnecessary roughness for 14 yards, wiping out a 17-yard gain with 5:38 to play in the game at the Patriots’ 25. Again, it’s preseason, but it’s not a good way to make an NFL roster.
New offensive lineman Zeke Correll getting flagged twice, one a major illegal use of hands to the face with :47 left to play, costing the Eagles 10 yards.
