The Eagles left their second preseason game with a better offensive feel than they had a week earlier in Baltimore, but the final outcome looked familiar. With 57 seconds left, New England quarterback Behren Morton hit undrafted rookie receiver Nick Gennaro on a 37-yard touchdown, and the Patriots later closed it out 24-21 after Quintayvious Hutchins beat Cameron Williams for a game-sealing strip sack of Cole Payton.
Even with the loss, this one offered plenty more to chew on for Philadelphia. The offense moved the ball far more cleanly, going from six first downs in Baltimore to 18 against New England, and the third-down numbers also jumped from 0-for-9 to 4-for-11. The starters sat again after the Eagles and Patriots wrapped up two joint practices during the week, so the spotlight stayed on the backups and roster hopefuls.
One of the biggest takeaways came at quarterback. Andy Dalton started for a second straight week, which may have been the clearest sign yet that the veteran is the backup quarterback.
If that wasn’t enough, his second possession did little to change the picture, even though he briefly found some chemistry with Darius Cooper and got help from Will Shipley’s work on the ground. After that, the results faded, and Quez Watkins didn’t help Dalton at the catch point.
Tanner McKee then stepped in and made his case look very much alive. He attacked the flats, leaned on pick routes and kept things simple to Steele and Cam Latu, mostly from the gun, but it worked. McKee finished 16 of 22 for 173 yards with two touchdowns and a 125.8 passer rating.
His favorite target was Carson Steele, who put together what might have been the defining preseason performance of the night. Steele was everywhere in the passing game, especially on those quick throws from McKee, and he capped it with a 20-yard touchdown with 3:39 left, hurdling a defender for his second leap of the game. The UCLA product finished with six catches on seven targets for 84 yards and the score.
Shipley was just as productive in the run game, and the line in front of him controlled the action. The third-year back ran 11 times for 56 yards and a 5-yard touchdown while Philadelphia’s second-team offensive line kept winning at the point of attack.
That group - Fred Johnson, Drew Kendall, Willie Lampkin, Jake Majors and Markel Bell from left to right - was repeatedly moving bodies. Lampkin, in particular, stood out by engaging defenders and staying on them through the whistle, and at one point he and Kendall drove the Patriots front about seven yards into the end zone.
There were defensive flashes too. Early in the game, Jeremiah Trotter Jr. read Tommy DeVito’s cadence, burst through the line and got to him for a 4-yard sack, ending New England’s second possession after just one more play.
Ty Robinson also kept building on what has been a strong summer, looking dominant during his time on the field and finishing with two sacks from the interior. The Nebraska product, as the report put it, finally looks like he’s having fun out there just days after being described as being on life support.
Philadelphia’s special teams had its own mixed bag. Braden Mann came through when called upon, uncorking a 63-yard punt at his best moment of the night.
Britain Covey, though, had a shaky start when he tried to take a short punt in the first quarter, let it get into his chest and watched it bounce away before recovering it. He followed that with another risky decision, fielding a punt at the 2-yard line, but answered with a 21-yard return.
Covey handled all four punts in the game, while Elijah Moore never got a chance.
Covey also added a 14-yard touchdown catch from McKee late in the second quarter.
The one moment that carried the most concern came on the opening kickoff, when backup running back Ja'Quinden Jackson took a knee to the head and had to be taken to a local hospital. The encouraging part was that Jackson had feeling in all his extremities, and later his agent, Damien Butler, said his client was "awake, has full movement and use of all four limbs, and his CT scan came back negative."
There was one more defensive note in the third quarter, when international product Josh Weru picked up his first sack in just his second game, beating teammate Jose Ramirez to Morton and meeting the quarterback at the spot.
In Other News...
Scary Injury Briefly Stopped The Patriots Game And Drew An Update
The opening kickoff of the Eagles preseason game against the Patriots turned unnerving almost immediately when rookie running back JaQuinden Jackson went down after taking a knee to the head. The injury briefly stopped the game and led to Jackson being removed from the field by ambulance, turning an otherwise routine exhibition into a tense sideline scene before most fans had settled in.
Philadelphia later provided a reassuring initial update, saying Jackson had strength and movement in all extremities and was headed to a local hospital for further evaluation. For a team trying to sort out its backfield and get through August healthy, the focus quickly shifted from the snap of the game to Jacksons condition and what comes next. [Read more 🡒]
Carson Steele Just Forced A Tough Eagles Backfield Decision
Carson Steele gave the Eagles something to think about in a preseason showing against the Patriots, flashing the kind of all-purpose skill set that can make a crowded backfield suddenly feel a little less settled. He found the end zone, moved the chains as both a runner and receiver, and showed enough versatility to stand out in a game where roster hopefuls are trying to make every touch count.
For a Philadelphia team that already has plenty of bodies competing for snaps in the backfield, Steeles value may be tied to more than just carries. His ability to contribute on offense and special teams gives him a real case to keep pressing for a spot, but with final decisions still ahead, his performance has at least made the conversation more interesting than it was before kickoff. [Read more 🡒]
Eagles Roster Debate Now Hinges On One More Veteran WR Move
With roster cuts and the opener approaching, the Eagles are still sorting through the kind of depth move that can shape the bottom of the depth chart and the back end of the passing game. A suggestion from Philly Voice has added another wrinkle, with the idea of sending backup quarterback Andy Dalton to the Patriots in exchange for wide receiver Mack Hollins, a familiar name for Philadelphia fans who remember his earlier stint with the team.
Hollins spent last season with New England and turned in a productive year there, which is part of why the idea has traction as Philadelphia weighs whether to add one more veteran receiver. For now, it remains only a proposal, and it is unclear whether the Eagles will actually pursue it before the season begins. [Read more 🡒]