Bounce Back

Despite heroics from quarterback Tanner McKee and running back Carson Steele, the Eagles were unable to leave Gillette Stadium with a win Saturday evening, dropping their preseason matchup with the Patriots, 24-21.

The Eagles led by four with 5:05 remaining, but Patriots quarterback Behren Morton authored a comeback, leading an 11-play, 73-yard drive. On a first-and-10 from the Eagles’ 37-yard-line, cornerback Shaun Wade was tagged with a defensive pass interference penalty. And on the ensuing play, Morton delivered a 37-yard touchdown strike to WR Nick DeGennaro to pull ahead, 24-21 with under a minute to play. Rookie Cole Payton would have an opportunity to answer, but was sacked by linebacker Quintayvious Hutchins and lost the football.

McKee led the way offensively, completing 16-of-22 pass attempts for 173 yards and two touchdowns. Running backs Will Shipley and Steele rushed for 56 and 33 yards, respectively. Steele led all Eagles receivers, pulling in 6-of-7 targets for 86 yards and a touchdown.

Defensively, the Eagles recorded four sacks, with second-year DT Ty Robinson accounting for two. OLB Joshua Weru and LB Jeremiah Trotter Jr. collected the others.

Tanner McKee bounced back with a good showing Saturday in the Eagles’ preseason game against the Patriots.

Let’s get to the observations.

* Scary start to the game, as RB Ja’Quinden Jackson stopped Patriots RB Lan Larison following a 25-yard return on the opening kickoff. It looked like he took a knee to the helmet. He was down for a long while before being loaded onto a stretcher, as the Eagles’ sideline emptied onto the field in support of their teammate. Jackson gave two thumbs up and was then hauled away in an ambulance.

* Larison picked up 28 yards on a first-quarter screen, but the play was sprung by RG Jacob Rizy, who climbed to the second level to cover up Eagles LB Smael Mondon Jr., who did well to charge through the line and maneuver the running back but failed to finish the play and wrap up the quarterback. The second-year LB was sent on another blitz in the second quarter, blowing up RB JaMychal Hasty, but was unable to get to QB Tommy DeVito. Mondon Jr. is at his best as a run-and-hit linebacker at this stage, rather than navigating through traffic, but it’s apparent the Eagles have some talent to mold.

* Good stuff from DL Gabe Hall early in this one. The third-year defensive lineman demonstrated his length and athleticism to split the double team of Patriots OL James Hudson III and Marcus Bryant to make a play in the run game. He also drew a Hudson holding penalty following a 4-yard Larison run. There was also a play in which he read and redirected to close ground on DeVito, who attempted a hasty short toss to the right in the direction of TE Jack Westover that was deflected at the line of scrimmage by OLB Jose Ramirez. Hall has had a quiet summer, certainly relative to last summer, but he helped himself with a productive week in Foxborough. The Eagles, obviously, have quite a bit of depth at the position, but Hall put some quality work on tape for other teams to evaluate.

* Eagles third-year RB Will Shipley capped an impressive set of joint practices, where he provided splash plays in both the run and pass game, with a strong performance against the Patriots. Shipley, 23, showcased some juice and power, producing 56 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries. The biggest difference in Shipley’s game relative to his first two seasons is his ability to play through contact. Against the Patriots, he kept his legs churning and made the Patriots defenders work to bring him down. I’d noted earlier this summer that it appeared Shipley bulked up a bit over the offseason, and his tough running, in a game setting, supports that. Shipley’s roster spot was always secure, as the Clemson product is a core special teamer, notably serving as the personal protector on punt and as the team’s kick returner.

* I’ve often written and discussed this summer how impressed I’ve been with the Eagles’ second-team offensive line, the group responsible for kickstarting the offense with a dominant effort in the run game. The four players who specifically deserve a mention here include Markel Bell, Willie Lampkin, Drew Kendall and Jake Majors. On Shipley’s first carry, an 18-yarder, it was key blocks delivered by Bell, Lampkin and Majors that sprung the him. When Shipley scored from five yards out, it was Kendall and Lampkin who paved the way. An argument can be made that Kendall has taken one of the biggest jumps within the past year. I believe he offers starting upside, albeit down the line. Kendall, expectedly, exited the game early, but it was notable that so too did Lampkin. I felt pretty strongly about Lampkin’s prospects for the 53-man roster coming into this game, and his limited snaps only confirmed it.

* When asked Wednesday about the performance of second-year DT Ty Robinson in the preseason opener, Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio didn’t mince words: “He came to life,” he said. “He’s been on life support since he’s been here, but he came to life and hopefully that will continue.” Against the Patriots, Robinson produced four tackles and a pair of sacks, giving him three over a two-game span. Midway through training camp, probably right around his dust-up with RG Tyler Steen, Robinson started to come on in practice, winning his 1-on-1 matchups and flashing during team periods. Sometimes, as I often say, young players merely need time to grow and develop. As he continues to stack days, Robinson seems to be building confidence. He isn’t going to leapfrog Byron Young in the pecking order, but Robinson, as Fangio said, has come to life.

* While veteran Andy Dalton again underwhelmed, completing 3-of-10 pass attempts for 44 yards, Saturday was a nice bounce-back for fourth-year QB Tanner McKee. McKee completed 16-of-22 pass attempts for 173 yards and two touchdowns – a 14-yarder to WR Britain Covey and a 20-yarder to RB Carson Steele – but it was more about how he looked. There have been many moments this summer when McKee appeared hesitant and discombobulated, perhaps a byproduct of learning a new offense, but against the Patriots, he got the ball out quickly and on time and kept the offense on schedule. The Eagles, all summer, have rotated McKee and Dalton with the second unit, and it had essentially been a fairly even competition. It feels like McKee, with his performance Saturday night, has moved ahead.

* Carson Steele, who executed a pair of hurdles in this one, is a fun player to watch. He resembles a wrecking ball in the open field. With the Eagles light on running backs, Steele took advantage of the extra work, producing 117 all-purpose yards, including the 20-yard touchdown. Steele, like Shipley, grinded out yards, but where Steele really dazzled was as a pass catcher, which accounted for 86 of his yards. There was an anger and desperation demonstrated with every touch. Steele, by the way, also repped some as the personal protector on punt.

Steele, who made the Kansas City Chiefs’ 53-man roster as an undrafted rookie in 2024, spoke earlier in training camp about his physicality.

“I’m a big weight room guy,” he said. “Love that type of stuff. So, I feel like that’s really kind of when I can show myself, is when the pads come on and we actually get physical contact.”

* Strong response from WR Darius Cooper, who recorded 44 yards on three receptions. The second-year receiver, who last week produced 21 yards on two receptions on five targets, found the soft spots in coverage and was strong to the football. Cooper was on the receiving end of a 13-yard bullet from Dalton on a 4th-and-1 in the first quarter. Two other skill players who deserve a mention here: TEs Cameron Latu and E.J. Jenkins. Both were extremely physical at the point of attack, creating running lanes for Shipley and Steele, while Latu looked spry on a 14-yard catch-and-run.

* Really cool moment in the second half that illustrated the Eagles’ attention to player development: Rookies and International Player Pathway players, DT Uar Bernard and OLB Joshua Weru, factored into the box score – in their second game ever. Weru dropped Pats QB Behren Morton in the third quarter for a seven-yard loss to force a punt, and Bernard did well to shed blocks and register a couple tackles. Their hard work is apparent, and even if Fangio will tell you both are “light years” away, it’s an indication of how far they’ve come in a few months’ time. For perspective, the first time either player donned a football helmet was back in the spring, for rookie minicamp.

* Rough go of it for a handful of the Eagles’ reserve cornerbacks. Ambry Thomas, who struggled in 1-on-1s during joint practices, was beaten down the field by WR Kyle Williams, who pulled away for a 69-yard touchdown. With under a minute to play, Morton capped a 72-yard drive with a 37-yard touchdown strike to rookie WR Nick DeGennaro – who beat CB Isaiah Bolden – to take the lead. Shaun Wade, who for the second consecutive week forced a fumble, was tagged with a DPI on the previous play. Also, Kelee Ringo in the second quarter was charged with an illegal contact penalty. He also had a would-be interception bounce off his facemask.

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