Eagles Lose Thrilling Preseason Classic

I lied. The Eagles stunk and today’s preseason finale was the very opposite of thrilling. If you have insomnia, I highly suggest you make sure you give it a watch or two.

The good news is that there weren’t any major injuries. The Eagles didn’t have any starters out there, but some of the guys who did play could be key reserves this season. Coming out healthy means the day was an overall success.

The level of play was a far different story. The Eagles made key mistake after key mistake and that limited their effectiveness.

• Cooper DeJean had an illegal contact that wiped out an INT. That drive ended in a TD.
• EJ Jenkins had a poor block that led to a stop on 4th down that killed a drive.
• Joe Ngata dropped a 3rd down pass in the red zone.
• Ngata later had a pass bounce off his hands and get picked off…again in the red zone.
• There were multiple missed tackles.
• TE Armani Rogers didn’t block well on a pass play and that led to a strip sack.
• Pass coverage was an issue for a lot of the game. Too many receivers were wide open.

This was a 26-3 loss and a sloppy performance, but it wasn’t all doom ‘n gloom. There were some guys who helped themselves.

S Tristin McCollum led the team with 9 tackles and broke up a pass. He is making a push for the roster, but I don’t know if it will be enough.

LB Brandon Smith had 3 tackles. He was tough and physical. He made good reads. He’s really helped himself this summer.

RB Tyrion Davis-Price was 12-56 and looked good. Unfortunately that was somewhat offset by a fumble. He is RB4. Will that get him a roster spot?

RT Darrian Kinnard had some impressive blocks. He’s still a work-in-progress, but his size and potential may be enough for him to stick.

LB Ben VanSumeren had 6 tackles and a sack. He read plays quickly and attacked upfield. He broked up a pass on one play and just missed a TFL on another. He was held, but got no call. That was a terrible miss by the officials. VanSumeren was an athlete last year. He is playing like a LB this year.

Cooper DeJean was up and down. He was physical. He tackled well. DeJean had some issues in coverage and just missed giving up 2 TDs. The receiver couldn’t get the second foot down on both. We knew DeJean would be a bit rusty so I’m focused more on the positives.

Oren Burks played in his first preseason game. He had 6 tackles and a sack. The problem is that he’s a veteran going up against second and third stringers. He should look good. Burks had a chance for a TFL, but missed the tackle.

Julian Okwara had a sack and was disruptive. He could be of interest to other teams who want depth at Edge.

Nolan Smith played a lot. That’s not a great sign for a first round pick in Year 2. Smith needed the reps. The coaches wanted to see him in action. I also think this was their way of sending him a message. Smith is making this team, but he needs to play better.

Ainias Smith was 6-36 as a receiver. He was 1-14 as a PR. I think his late surge will prove to be enough to get him on the roster.

Kenny Pickett played his best game of the summer. He was 6-9-58. Pickett was more confident and more decisive. I don’t think Jalen Hurts needs to be nervous about losing his job, but it was good to see Pickett improve.

Tanner McKee did not have a good game. He was 13-21-115. Those numbers are okay, but McKee didn’t have the same vibe that he normally does. He didn’t looked poised and in command. He had a 35-yard pass play to Griffin Herbert. The ball was underthrown. Herbert made an impressive catch and then ran down the sideline. McKee scrambled on a 4th down play and came up just short of the sticks. You like to see him mix in the run, but he had room and has to make sure he secures the first down.

I’m sure there is a part of Nick Sirianni that is happy about the loss. He can use this to lecture the team about the need to play better and eliminate mistakes. Being undefeated in the preseason doesn’t mean a thing. The loss can be a tool for the coaches.

The starters sat this game out. Key backups as well. Sirianni said he is confident that the starters will be ready for the Packers in a couple of weeks. I don’t think it is a big deal either way. Different coaches have different methods. There isn’t one that works all the time. The coach needs to figure out what is right for his team.

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