Preseason Finale – PHI 19, NYJ 17
Posted August 23rd, 2025 | 3 Comments »Preseason finales are almost always sloppy affairs. There are mainly third string players on the field and those guys aren’t used to playing a ton of snaps at the NFL level. The Eagles and Jets were both sloppy on Friday night. The Eagles won, but the results really don’t matter. The real focus is on the players who were trying to secure roles and/or roster spots.
Let’s take a look at some of the key players.
Kyle McCord – There are two questions with McCord. First, did he play well enough to earn a roster spot? Next, with Tanner McKee dealing with an injured finger, would you trust McCord as the backup QB? McCord only went 15 for 35, but his receivers dropped several passes. His numbers should have been better. McCord did make some good throws and had some impressive moments. I’m guessing the Eagles saw enough to want to keep him around. Understand that the team isn’t expecting a finished product. They want to feel that McCord is worth keeping and developing. They will need a backup once Tanner McKee is traded next year. They would love McCord to develop to that point.
McCord threw one INT, but easily could have had 3 or 4. He made some poor decisions. There were multiple plays where he got the ball out quickly and DBs jumped the routes. Those were rookie mistakes. The coaches will work on that with him. One thing that stood out to me was how slow he looked at times. Defenders were able to close ground on McCord very quickly. He’s got to do a better job of adjusting to the speed of the NFL.
Jakorian Bennett – He had 5 tackles and 1 PD. Bennett gave up multiple catches, but had tight coverage on all of them. I thought he played well. Bennett closed to the ball and didn’t give up RAC yards.
Drew Kendall – The rookie played C and LG. He will definitely be on the roster. Beyond that, I think he’s played well enough to be active on gamedays, as a backup at C and G. We knew Kendall was likely to be fine at center. He’s looked good at left guard as well. Kendall isn’t a top athlete, but he moves well. He is good with his hands. I love the way he works hard to sustain blocks. Kendall is a grinder. He’s not going to win with size or athleticism, but he will battle his ass off until the whistle blows. OL coaches love guys like that.
John Metchie – He had one catch and one drop. I was hoping to see more out of him, but the offense was inconsistent.
Antwaun Powell-Ryland – The rookie pass rusher has had a very quiet summer. He picked a good time to come alive. APR had a strip sack and was disruptive on multiple plays. He has a good burst off the ball. What really helped him was his shoulder dip move. He got under the pads of the blockers and by them. APR played on both sides and was able to win on both sides. I thought he was okay against the run. He dropped into coverage on at least one play. I don’t think he showed enough to make a push for the roster, but he’ll definitely be on the practice squad.
Ya love to see it ↕️ @TwaunPowell pic.twitter.com/SJEkGP9ruo
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) August 23, 2025
Montrell Johnson – Had his best game of the summer, going 15-57-1. His numbers would have looked better, but multiple TFLs hurt him. Those came against unblocked defenders so it wasn’t his fault. Johnson is a good N-S runner and has some burst. The problem with him is that didn’t show the ability to make guys miss at the second level. He would try to run them over or use a stiff arm. Didn’t work.
Byron Young – He had 2 tackles and a TFL. Young played his best game. He was disruptive and pursued well. Young probably played well enough to win a roster spot. Vic Fangio likes him and you can never have enough DL.
Kendall Lamm – It pains me to be critical of an Appalachian State player, but Lamm wasn’t good. No way he makes the roster. He really struggled against the Jets.
Parry Nickerson – The backup NB finished with 3 tackles and had an impressive INT. I don’t think he’ll make the roster, but he feels like someone you want on the practice squad. He’s had some good moments over the past couple of weeks.
Look how excited Eagles teammates are for 30 year-old Parry Nickerson after his INT tonight. He has bounced around on 5 teams during his 7 years in the NFL. He was on the Eagles practice squad last year for the Super Bowl and he is trying to make the team
pic.twitter.com/9LJa8uDMoX— John Clark (@JClarkNBCS) August 23, 2025
Ainias Smith – He was 2-10 as a receiver. Nothing noteworthy. He was the punt returner. He fielded the punts well. Long return was just 7 yards. There was a play where he probably should have called a fair catch. He didn’t and took a big hit.
-MISC-
Offense – Myles Hinton still needs a ton of work. I thought Kenyon Green showed some promise. He feels like a practice squad player. Trevor Keegan finally came alive and looked like a viable backup. He played C and G. He now has a legit shot at the PS. Ben VanSumeren blocked well and had a good catch. I think they’ll keep him around. It was fun to finally see Elijah Cooks in action. He went 2-14.
Defense – LB Dallas Gant made the play of the game. He stuffed a 2-pt conversion attempt that would have tied the game. Smael Mondon had a good game. He’s been impressive since the opener. He did get hurt (arm) so that bears watching. Mac McWilliams played outside and in the slot. He won’t be starting, but he was solid. He had 2 tackles, TFL, FR and a PD. Tristin McCollum played his best game of the summer. He will be the #4 safety.
STs – Jake Elliott had a good night. He hit multiple 50-yard FGs.
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