Look What We Found

Life can be cruel. Just mad dog mean sometimes. Tonight was such an occasion.

26-year old Cody Kessler got the start for the Eagles, hoping to bounce back from last week’s injury and show the Eagles or any other team that he’s worth keeping around. That he belongs in the NFL. That his dream isn’t over.

Kessler was nothing short of awful in his limited playing time and likely killed his NFL future. What’s the point in having a QB with no physical upside who makes poor decisions? You get the worst of both worlds.

Out goes Kessler and in steps Josh McCown, the man who went to high school with John Paul Jones. No not the bass player for Led Zeppelin, I’m talking about the father of the American Navy. McCown is old. He is almost the same age as Andy Reid when Big Red took over as coach of the Eagles. O-L-D.

McCown signed with the Eagles just days ago and he proved to be rusty. For the first few plays. Then McCown got into a rhythm and played lights out. He finished 17-24-192 with a pair of TDs. And those aren’t hollow numbers. The tape is just as good as the stat line.

Kessler has been with the Eagles for more than three months. McCown for more than three days. You would never know that by their performances tonight. Kessler looked like the guy who just signed and had no idea what he was doing. McCown was up at the line of scrimmage, adjusting protections and calling audibles. McCown then executed the plays crisply and moved the team up and down the field.

McCown showed that he can be your #2 QB. We know he’s got the experience. What we saw tonight is that he’s still got the ability. He moved well and made good throws. Doug Pederson met with him this week to put together a list of plays that McCown already knew and would be comfortable with. That certainly helped, but the execution was still incredibly impressive. New blockers. New receivers. McCown made it look smooth.

The old man who wasn’t even sure he wanted to play went out there and killed it. The young man who is desperate to keep his career going went out there and the only thing he killed might have been any hope of extending his career.

While that’s bad news for Kessler, it is great news for the Eagles. They can feel a lot better about the QB situation.

*****

The Eagles were a mess for much of the first half. Penalties, penalties and more penalties. And lots of mistakes. Baltimore led 26-0.

The second half was a very different story. The defense shut the Ravens down and the offense moved up and down the field. The Eagles won that half 15-0.

Preseason results are not important, but how you play is. Pederson won’t be happy with what he saw in the opening half, but he will be very pleased with the way the team came alive after halftime. That was encouraging.

*****

Let’s talk about some individual players who stood out.

FS Rodney McLeod got his first playing time of the preseason and looked good. He was in on 3 tackles and had a TFL. McLeod moved well and looked healthy. He had good burst to the ball. He tackled well and played with good energy. That was great to see.

RB Corey Clement got his first game time. He was 7-25 on the ground and had a good showing. Clement had fresh legs. He showed some burst and ran hard. He had one good blitz pickup that I noticed.

Rookie J.J. Arcega-Whiteside had a terrific game. He was 8-104-1. Beyond the numbers, JJAW looked good. He ran crisp routes and showed the ability to get open. He caught a 20-yard TD pass where he had to really extend for the ball. JJAW showed some RAC ability. He lined up in the slot and outside. Really good showing from the young receiver.

WR Greg Ward was 4-45. He made one really impressive grab. It is great to see him producing in games.

TE Alex Ellis had a terrific 3-play sequence. He caught a 9-yard TD. Then he had the key block on the 2-point conversion run. Finally, Ellis made the tackle on the ensuing kickoff. That’s how you stand out to coaches and get them on your side.

DE Daeshon Hall had another good game. No sacks, but he hit the QB a couple of times. He beat the starting RT and the backup RT. Remains disruptive.

LB L.J. Fort had another good game. He once again showed outstanding speed. Fort read plays well and flew to the ball. He was in on 4 tackles, including 2 TFLs.

*****

Issues? The Eagles had 15 penalties. That’s nuts.

The backup CBs continue to struggle. They didn’t cover well overall and rarely made plays when they did have the chance.

Tackling was sloppy at times.

The backup OL played poorly in the first half. They settled down after halftime and played much better.

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