Eagles Remain Undefeated!!!

Posted: August 15th, 2024 | Author: | Filed under: Philadelphia Eagles | Comments Off on Eagles Remain Undefeated!!!

Watch out ’72 Dolphins. The Eagles are 2-0 in the preseason after a 14-13 win over the super-talented, incredibly good Patriots.

If you prefer a bit more reality, the Eagles backups won an ugly game against a lot of Patriots backups. The Pats did mix in some starters. That team lacks talent and there are times you’re not sure if a guy is a backup or a starter. There was sloppiness on both sides. The Eagles made more big plays and that helped them to win the game.

So did Tanner McKee. He is the team’s #3 QB, but after watching him the past two weeks, McKee should be #2. Kenny Pickett isn’t terrible by any stretch. But he holds the ball a bit too long and just seems indecisive. The offense just has a different vibe with McKee. He is in command. He’s aggressive, but not careless. Things move quicker with him out there.

Nick Sirianni said after the game that Pickett was #2 and McKee #3. I don’t think he meant that was set in stone moving forward, but was letting everyone know where they stood going into the game. I think Sirianni should be able to see the difference when the two play. I get that there are circumstances to take into account, but the difference is real. Even Stevie Wonder could see it.

The star of the preseason so far? The Eagles defense.

Week 1 – 164 yards, 13 points
Week 2 – 159 yards, 13 points

Vic Fangio’s guys are playing physical, aggressive football. They are tackling well and not making big mistakes. The starters are playing a bit, but not a lot. Still, guys get rotated on defense so seeing the backups play well is encouraging.

Let’s jump to some players that had good nights.

McKee – Went 15 for 19 for 140 yards. Led the game-winning drive and completed the pass for the 2-point conversion. McKee threw the ball well. He had a really good presence on the field. Played the first 2 drives in the 2nd half. Then Will Grier came in for a while. McKee was put back in the game late and delivered the win.

EJ Jenkins – I wanted a backup TE to play well and Jenkins did. He was 5-47. One of those was an acrobatic catch. He did get hurt late. Let’s hope it isn’t too serious.

Joe Ngata – He went 5-88. McKee said after the game that Ngata ran one great route that got him open for a good gain.

Dylan McMahon – Had a good block on a screen to Shipley that went for 19 yards. More smart than physically impressive on that block. Played a lot of the game.

Ainias Smith – He has really struggled this summer, but looked more confident vs NE. Was 2-13 as a punt returner. Caught the pass on the 2-point play. This is nothing compelling, but it is good to see him start to show something. Some guys really fall apart when they struggle. Let’s hope Smith can build off that performance.

Patrick Johnson – Blew by the LT and just missed a sack. Disruptive off the edge. Teams needing a backup edge rusher should be calling the Eagles.

Thomas Booker – The backup DT is going to push the Eagles to keep him. The gamebook has him with 1 sack. I thought he had 2. The one was for sure. On the other he got into the backfield at the same time as someone else. Booker was disruptive on other plays. Looked like he had a good night.

Nakobe Dean – He led the team with 5 tackles. He was fast and physical. He had one terrific play. Dean blitzed up the middle. He fought past the RB and almost got to the QB. The ball got thrown at the last second. Dean turned and chased the ball. He ended up making the tackle downfield. Great effort on that play. He also had a nice TFL.

Avonte Maddox – He had 3 tackles and an INT. Maddox jumped a route in the end zone and picked off the pass. He then returned it about 45 yards. Smart play by the veteran DB.

*****

Were there any negatives?

Tyler Steen left with an injury.

John Ross left with an injury.

Brett Toth started the game at center. He really struggled. The Eagles need to move him from center and either put the rookie McMahon there or try someone else.

Max Scharping played LT. He is not meant to play LT. He was getting abused by the Pats starters when they were in the game. Scharping was better against backups.

Kelee Ringo got picked on a bit. He had good coverage on some plays, but also gave up a couple of completions. I was glad to see him tested.

The defense was burned a couple of times. The Pats got a good gain on a screen where Trotter lost sight of the RB. The Pats scored a TD on a read-option where Drake Maye kept the ball. You would think the Eagles defense had never seen the read-option before.

There was a long KOR. Multiple Eagles were on the ground and another guy got out of his lane. It wasn’t pretty.

The Eagles were 0 for 3 on 4th downs or they might have won by more. All 3 drives stalled at or just past midfield.

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