Never In Doubt! (Sorta…)

BALTIMORE – The clouds hovering over M&T Bank Stadium parted shortly after 4:30 p.m., hours before kickoff between the Baltimore Ravens and visiting Eagles in their preseason opener.

The swirling winds and lingering rain, remnants of Hurricane Debby, also subsided.

The tarp was removed, signaling all systems go.

Coming out of the two-minute warning on a 2nd-and-1, Eagles rookie running back Kendall Milton found daylight to his right to pick up six yards. Three more Milton carries drained the clock down to 21 seconds, bringing on kicker Jake Elliott to attempt a 50-yard field goal to break a 13-13 tie.

The kick, however, clanged off the right upright – reminiscent of Elliott’s missed PAT earlier in the game.

But a sack-strip by Patrick Johnson on Baltimore’s next snap returned possession to the Eagles deep in Ravens territory as the final seconds were ticking away. This time, Elliott didn’t miss, as his 49-yarder at the buzzer enabled the Eagles to escape with the 16-13 win.

While the offensive starters ended up having the night off, the defensive regulars – minus cornerback Darius Slay, edge Josh Sweat and safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson – logged six snaps, surrendering a field goal. Defensive tackle Jalen Carter was credited with the lone highlight, a pass deflection.

Encouraging showing from the vast majority of Eagles rookies, namely edge rusher Jalyx Hunt and linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Jr.

Hunt, perceived by many to be a rookie project, looked the part of a third-round pick, flashing a flurry of good speed rushes and lateral movement. Trotter Jr. was active as well, swarming to the football and playing with instincts, toughness and tenacity.

Both checked off some boxes in an extended sample size.

GETTY IMAGES: Kenny Pickett started and tossed a touchdown in the Eagles’ preseason opener.

Let’s get to the observations:

* In our first look at how the Eagles would handle the new kickoff format, CB Isaiah Rodgers and RB Kenny Gainwell were back deep to receive the opening kickoff. But with Rodgers primed for a prominent defensive role – he started Friday night at outside corner and appears to have the inside track to win the job – I’m not sure subjecting a 5-foot-10, 175-pounder to unnecessary hits will be sustainable. Ultimately, I think it’ll be Gainwell who becomes the primary return specialist.

The kickoff protection was consistent with what I’ve observed during training camp, featuring CB Tyler Hall, EDGE Patrick Johnson, LB Ben VanSumeren, LB Zack Baun, CB Kelee Ringo, CB Josh Jobe, EDGE Jalyx Hunt and S Tristin McCollum. McCollum, also a member of the first-team kick coverage, is a name to remember.

* The starting offensive line was comprised, left to right, of: LT Fred Johnson, LG Trevor Keegan, C Brett Toth, RG Mekhi Becton, RT Darian Kinnard. Becton, in his first game action at a new position, appeared to show good fluidity and movement on the opening drive. Tyler Steen, who opened training camp as the starter, took over on the ensuing drive. While I thought Steen performed well, he seemed to be favoring his ankle. In a narrow competition, that could be something to keep an eye on moving forward.

The starting defense included DTs Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis, flanked by edge rushers Bryce Huff and Nolan Smith. The linebacker pairing was Devin White and Zack Baun while the secondary featured Rodgers and Ringo on the outside, rookie Quinyon Mitchell at nickel, and Reed Blankenship and Avonte Maddox forming the safety tandem.

* If he hasn’t already, third-round rookie EDGE Jalyx Hunt deserves your attention. While many just assumed the Houston Christian product would redshirt in 2024, I cautioned against that notion, suggesting his traits and athleticism would translate as a situational rusher in addition to special teams. In his first defensive drive, Hunt flashed with a speed rush and showed closing speed and range, limiting WR Tylan Wallace to a 7-yard pickup.

* Playing into the third quarter, it would appear that Kelee Ringo has some hefty ground to make up to catch Rodgers and pry away a starting job. Ringo had some nice moments in coverage, showcasing better eyes and instincts to locate the football. The second-year corner registered a timely pass breakup in the end zone working against Ravens WR Keith Kirkwood, though it appeared a holding penalty could’ve easily been called.

Similarly, it’s also a bit alarming – though not surprising – to see OL Matt Hennessy repping into the fourth quarter. The veteran free-agent signing has underwhelmed this summer and struggled against power rushes. He’s been leap-frogged by Brett Toth and rookies Trevor Keegan and Dylan McMahon. Stock’s down.

* While Nolan Smith was called for a holding penalty to negate the play, third-year LB Nakobe Dean showcased his blitzing ability and downhill prowess, storming through and timing the blitz, hitting Ravens QB Josh Johnson and forcing an incompletion. It was notable that Dean, paired with rookie Jeremiah Trotter Jr., didn’t see the field on defense until late in the second quarter.

It appears for now that Baun has a fairly strong hold on the starting job opposite Devin White. Dean’s play, however, demonstrated his strength attacking forward. While he has struggled in coverage throughout the summer, Dean logged a nice pass breakup against Ravens RB Owen Wright.

* I’ve seen enough to determine Jeremiah Trotter Jr. is among the Eagles’ most talented linebackers. Sure, the 2024 fifth-round pick doesn’t have the measurables or coveted speed for the position, but he’s easily the most instinctive and disciplined of the bunch. His football IQ is apparent. Trotter Jr., who has shined as a blitzer throughout training camp, collected a sack of Johnson and added three more tackles by the break. His effort and tenacity are evident. He’ll see the field fairly early in some capacity.

* I’ve also seen enough this to observe that all of the candidates vying for depth roles at wide receiver – specifically John Ross, Joseph Ngata and Johnny Wilson – struggle to gain separation. Kenny Pickett was sacked twice as a result. The inability to create space has been a common theme throughout camp, forcing quarterbacks to hold the ball a tick longer than usual in drills skewed to favor the offense. While each player had an opportunity to do enough to instill confidence in the group for at least another week, the glaring deficiency almost forces the Eagles to look outside the organization for an upgrade.

* I liked what I saw from a pair of deep reserves, LB Ben VanSumeren and S Tristin McCollum, each of whom exhibited range and urgency while playing with noticeable physicality. Both finished second and third among tacklers, respectively. VanSumeren threw his body around with reckless abandon and displayed speed to fill gaps and roam sideline to sideline. Made a nice tackle at the goal line to stop a touchdown. Both are projected cornerstone third phase standouts.

*RT Darian Kinnard played the entire game! Repeat, the entire game! (Who does that in the preseason?).

– Andrew DiCecco (@AndrewDiCecco) is a Staff Reporter/Content Producer for InsideTheBirds.com.