Three starts into Tanner McKee’s run as the Philadelphia Eagles’ quarterback, the results have been hard to ignore. The offense hasn’t found a rhythm, the losses have piled up, and the patience level around this situation is clearly running thin.
McKee was thrust into the job after Jalen Hurts was ruled out for the season with his blood clots and is currently on it. Since then, Eagles fans have watched three straight games without seeing the kind of spark they were hoping for from the “Mormon Missile.” Week 7 offered a brief glimmer with a touchdown pass in a loss to the Dallas Cowboys, but Week 8 against the Washington Commanders brought the conversation right back to where it started.
Against Washington, McKee finished 23 of 34 for 212 yards, one interception, and added four carries for 25 yards. He also lost a fumble.
The stat line was only part of the story, though. The Commanders’ front spent the night attacking him with stunts and blitzes, and the Eagles’ offensive line never really solved it.
McKee was sacked five times, pressured 24 times, and hit eight times.
He also played without his top two wide receivers again. DeVonta Smith missed a fourth game because of a hamstring injury, and Dontayvion Wicks was sidelined with an ankle injury.
Even with those absences, the bigger issue was McKee’s timing and decision-making. He averaged 2.87 seconds per pass, and too often the ball came out late or not where it needed to be.
The bigger picture is even rougher. Since McKee took over, Philadelphia is averaging just 15 points per game.
In his three starts, he has completed 63.2% of his passes for 638 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions. The Eagles are 0-3 with him under center, and all three losses came by double digits.
There’s no denying McKee has tried to keep the offense afloat, and he has taken better care of the football than many would have expected from a backup. But with the Eagles sitting at 2-6, the case for a change is getting stronger by the week.
That’s why Joe Milton is suddenly part of the conversation. Milton has a rocket arm and can deliver the explosive plays the Eagles desperately need through the air.
He has a career completion percentage of 69.8%, for 424 yards and two touchdowns, with two interceptions. Milton has added 66 yards on 15 carries and a touchdown.
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Nick Sirianni Just Reframed A Costly Eagles Protection Breakdown
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For Philadelphia, the important part is less about assigning blame than understanding how quickly a small communication error can turn into a hit on the quarterback. Sirianni emphasized that these breakdowns come from the whole operation not being in sync, which is exactly why the Eagles lean so heavily on communication and teamwork to keep protection clean when the defense starts moving things around. [Read more 🡒]