BALTIMORE — There was reason to celebrate in the Philadelphia Eagles locker room after Friday night’s 16-13 victory over the Baltimore Ravens, even if it was just a preseason opener. The game doesn’t count in the standings, yet Philadelphia was staring at a 13-13 tie before Patrick Johnson saved the day with a forced fumble on Ravens quarterback Emory Jones with 10 seconds left.
Jake Elliott, who missed the game-winning 50-yard field goal with 16 seconds left, got another opportunity to hit the winner thanks to Johnson’s heroics. Elliott drilled a 49-yard field goal with no time left for the victory, giving the Eagles reasons to smile after a positive first game of the exhibition slate.
“Jake doesn’t need to say anything to me, he’s saved our butts plenty of times,” Johnson said after the win. “I’m just glad one of us can actually do it for him.
“He didn’t say thank you: He didn’t have to. Him making it, that was his way of saying thank you.”
Even in the victory, some deficiencies on the Eagles reared their ugly head. Here were three that stood out after the preseason opener:
WR depth
The Eagles have one of the best wide receiver duos in the NFL with A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith. What about the wideouts that make up the roster behind them? Friday’s opener demonstrated that that’s a work in progress.
There was little separation gained between the duo of Johnny Wilson and John Ross, two of those players vying for the No. 3 spot. Britain Covey (four catches for 25 yards) did his job on his targets as a reliable option underneath, but he’s limited to the slot. Still, Covey was able to create space and was a trustworthy target for Kenny Pickett.
Parris Campbell could help, but the Eagles need targets on the outside. Wilson could be that in the long term, but right now, that outside depth isn’t there.
Starting LBs
Zack Baun and Devin White have been the first-team linebackers throughout training camp and lined up that way in the preseason opener. Both players had trouble in space against the Ravens’ second-team skill players. What’s going to happen when Jordan Love and the Green Bay Packers challenge this group in Week 1?
Baun and White didn’t play much, as the backup linebackers got the majority of the snaps. The good news for the Eagles? Jeremiah Trotter Jr. and Ben VanSumeren played very well, making plays in coverage and taking away big plays from sideline to sideline. Nakobe Dean also played better than his camp performances showed.
The depth at linebacker appears to be there, but the starters are still a question mark. The linebacker battle for starting spots isn’t settled.
RG battle
Mekhi Becton didn’t play much in the preseason opener, but he was the only first-team player to take the field on offense. Becton was OK, allowing one pressure in six pass-blocking snaps before making way for Tyler Steen. There’s still some parts of Becton’s game he has to improve, but the Eagles are willing to give him every opportunity to win this job.
Steen played well in run blocking while battling through an ankle injury, yet Becton’s quick hook shows he’s the clear frontrunner for the job. Don’t rule out Steen in this competition, as the Eagles need to see more consistency from Becton in pass protection.
The joint practice with the New England Patriots this week will be a big one.
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Author: Jeff Kerr
August 10, 2024 | 6:15 pm
