Preseason Opener

Finally, we have a game. Sure it is just the preseason, but that’s more than enough for now. A starving man would find McDonald’s delicious, right?

The Eagles take on the Titans on Thursday at 730pm. Winning would be nice, but there are two main orders of the day. Stay healthy. See the young guys step up.

It doesn’t seem like many starters are going to play and that’s fine. This game is all about the backups. With that in mind, here’s what I’ll be focusing on.

OFFENSE

Nate Sudfeld – The Eagles are trusting that Sudfeld is ready to be the primary backup. He doesn’t have to play well in the preseason to do that, but it sure would make a lot of people feel more at ease. Sudfeld was up and down last August, but did have some impressive moments. It will be interesting to see if he can take a big step forward this summer.

Miles Sanders – Is he ready for Canton? There is a lot of hype right now, but Sanders talent is legit. It will be fun to see what he’s able to do. The Eagles haven’t had a RB with his physical ability in several years. I’ll be looking for three things. Can he deliver runs of 10+ yards when he’s got some room to work with? Can he catch? Can he block?

Big V – With Brandon Brooks out, Big V will play RG. Based on all the reports, he’s had a strong summer. I look forward to seeing him in a game setting.

Greg Ward – The Eagles have four good WRs. Mack Hollins projects to be #5. Ward could push for that role or try to force the coaches to keep a sixth receiver. He needs to make plays, simple as that.

Andre Dillard – The rookie LT could be forced into action this year. It will be interesting to see how NFL ready he is. The key for a LT is pass protection, but run blocking will be key to watch since Dillard played in such a pass-happy offense in college.

DEFENSE

Josh Sweat – Jim Schwartz believes in a heavy DL rotation. He needs backups who can get the job done. Sweat struggled mightily as a rookie. He’s had a good summer, but games are the real test for him. The thing to watch is his get-off. Sweat must time the snap well and fire off the ball. That was a big hole in his game last year.

Young CBs – We don’t know which guys will play so we’ll all be watching everyone. Sidney Jones is the player I’m most curious about. Will he finally live up to his potential? Hopefully he will mostly play on the outside where I think he fits best.

Nate Gerry – The entire LB unit will be of interest, but Gerry is the young guy to focus on with KGH out. I’m curious if they play Gerry in the middle or the outside. He knows all of the LB spots and could play multiple spots in the game. There isn’t one area to focus on. Does he shed blocks well? Does he tackle well? Is he sound in coverage?

Zach Brown – Here’s the vet we all thought would either start or play a lot. He’s been disappointing this summer and must step up, for his sake and the team’s. As with Gerry, I’m curious where Brown plays. I am also curious to see if playing in a game brings out the best in Brown. Some guys need live action to be at their best.

Johnathan Cyprien – He’s only been an Eagle for a few days, but Cyprien has made plays and looked good. I’m excited to see how he looks, especially in coverage. Cyprien is a good box defender. Can he cover in space?

STs

The Eagles have a good kicking game. The return game is a mystery. It will be interesting to see who is used where and how they perform.

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