Still Processing

BALTIMORE – Eagles quarterbacks, including Jalen Hurts, took the field for pregame warmups Saturday in full uniform 53 minutes ahead of kicking off preseason play with the Baltimore Ravens.

Of course, the Eagles’ franchise quarterback didn’t play in this one. Andy Dalton and Tanner McKee did, however, though both struggled in their respective opportunities to jumpstart the offense.

For perspective, the Eagles punted eight times, mustering only four first downs as they fell to the Ravens, 24-7.

Blanked on the scoreboard as the two-minute warning approached, Eagles rookie quarterback Cole Payton led a nine-play, 59-yard drive that resulted in a six-yard touchdown toss to WR Erik Ezukanma.

Ravens quarterback Joe Fagnano was the player of the game, completing 22-of-28 pass attempts for 223 yards, a touchdown and an interception. He also received some help from his supporting cast, with tight end Matthew Hibner and wide receiver Elijah Surratt accounting for 66 and 61 receiving yards, respectively.

For the Eagles, Payton led the way, completing 4-of-9 pass attempts for 37 yards he also added 45 yards on three carries. McKee went 6-of-10 for 35 yards, while Dalton finished 3-of-6 for 20 yards.

Wide receiver Darius Cooper finished with a team-high 21 yards on two receptions.

On defense, cornerback Mac McWilliams led the Eagles with 10 combined tackles, with fellow cornerback Ambry Thomas not far behind with seven.

Let’s get to the observations.

* Someone in a position battle who didn’t play Saturday night? S Marcus Epps. An argument can be made that there’s little to learn about the veteran, but Epps has gotten the bulk of the work in practice opposite Mukuba when the Eagles are in nickel.

* The Eagles’ captains for this game: RB Tank Bigsby, LB Jeremiah Trotter Jr., DT Byron Young.

* The Eagles’ offensive line configuration to start (L-R): LT Fred Johnson, LG John Ojukwu, C Willie Lampkin, RG Drew Kendall, RT Markel Bell.

Starting Lampkin at center maybe be eye-opening for some, but not when you consider the importance of getting Kendall reps at guard in a game situation. The notable name here is Ojukwu, a veteran who had previously repped exclusively at tackle prior to Thursday’s practice. On the second series, Kendall and Lampkin swapped positions.

* On defense, the Eagles rolled out a linebacking tandem of LB Jihaad Campbell and Jeremiah Trotter Jr. The secondary featured a cornerback combination of Kelee Ringo and Jakorian Bennett. At safety, the Eagles paired Michael Carter II with Andre’ Sam.

* Some special teams notes: The kick returners were WRs Elijah Moore and Quez Watkins. Watkins also aligned as the right gunner on punt coverage, teaming with CB Ambry Thomas. Thomas, by the way, came on for an injured Bennett on the opening drive. Undrafted free agent DB Kapena Gushiken also received some early gunner reps. Maximus Pulley, an undrafted rookie DB, flashed in special teams coverage.

* The Ravens hit an explosive play early, with QB Tyler Huntley finding TE Matthew Hibner down the left sideline for a gain of 29 yards. OLB A.J. Epenesa, who earlier in camp admitted he was adapting to some of the different things he’s being asked to do in this defense, was caught flat-footed in coverage. The drive covered 41 yards on nine plays, but K Tyler Loop missed from 49 yards out. Epenesa did, however, force an incompletion in the second quarter, on a 3rd-and-6. Good push up front on the opening defensive series from DTs Byron Young and Ty Robinson, the latter even collecting a sack of Huntley. The 2025 fourth-round pick had an active first half. Robinson has started to stack some days.

* Second-year WR Darius Cooper has been one of the standout performers through 11 training camp practices, catching everything thrown in his vicinity. But Cooper, on a 3rd-and-5, had an opportunity to extend the drive, but failed to bring in an Andy Dalton heater. The pass, on initial viewing, appeared to be a bit behind Cooper, but that’s a ball that needs to be caught. Cooper did produce the Eagles’ initial first down of the evening, reeling in a 13-yard strike in stride from QB Tanner McKee with 8:38 remaining until the break.

* One of the players I was most looking forward to seeing Saturday night was second-year CB Mac McWilliams, who, for over a week, has been emerging in practice. He’d been playing much faster relative to last summer and his confidence has been apparent. In this one, though, it became clear early the Ravens were picking on McWilliams, playing nickelback, peppering the middle of the field. I was hoping to see McWilliams rep some at corner, where he’s made some plays, but it wasn’t to be. As it were, he led the Eagles in tackles against the Ravens, though that shouldn’t be viewed as a positive.

* An Eli Stowers holding call on the first offensive play of the game wiped away a 7-yard Bigsby run, but it was good to see the rookie TE come up with receptions on consecutive plays to end the half. He produced a grand total of six yards, but that’s beside the point; it’s about building confidence and finding a rhythm. Stowers also held on to a short completion over the middle later, following a stick from Ravens’ DB T.J. Tampa. Gradual steps. Remember, progress isn’t linear.

* Fourth-year CB Kelee Ringo was charged with a DPI call, but on the ensuing play, he picked off Fagnano in the end zone. That’s been the Ringo experience – bouts of inconsistencies mixed in with occasional tantalizing moments.

* A special moment for a pair of rookies playing in their first-ever football game: In the third quarter, Kenyan native OLB Joshua Weru took the field for his first reps. And on the ensuing play, seventh-round pick Uar Bernard, a native of Nigeria, came on for his. Coordinator Vic Fangio earlier in camp said both are “light-years” away from being able to provide meaningful snaps in a game, but those were moments hopefully everyone can appreciate. Remarkable stories.

Weru, by the way, delivered a pair of quality rushes on the drive and posted a quarterback hit. Bernard’s journey has been the more popular storyline, but Weru is further ahead, as he’s put together some encouraging moments in practice, and now in an NFL game.

* While there weren’t many offensive standouts in this one, I did think that RB Will Shipley delivered with some tough inside running, at one point averaging five yards per carry. The numbers now appear watered down, with Shipley finishing with 22 yards on seven carries, but he showed some juice in his limited usage.

* Undrafted rookie LB Deontae Lawson is a player who is on my radar. He’s seen an uptick in snaps of late, as fellow LB Chance Campbell has been navigating a groin injury. Lawson’s extensive starting experience at Alabama shows up in his play recognition pursuit to the football. His athleticism and sideline-to-sideline range has also translated from the practice fields. I’m not sure if there’ll be room on the roster to carry five linebackers, but Lawson will be a player worth monitoring in the coming weeks.

* Of the down-the-roster wide receivers in camp, a case could be made that the veteran Watkins has been the best of the bunch, but for my money, it would be Erik Ezunkanma, who has flashed on occasion. He caught the touchdown from Payton and returned three kickoffs for 77 yards. He’s shown good speed and body control.

— Andrew DiCecco (@AndrewDiCecco) is the Eagles beat reporter for InsideTheBirds.com.