Another impressive outing by the Eagles. The starters moved the ball on offense and the defense had a pair of INTs that set up scoring drives. Special Teams again came up big. And no major injuries. All in all, a great outcome for the second preseason game.

More important than the score, I thought there were several players who played better than the previous game. Some guys are going to look rusty in the opener. That’s the first live game setting in quite a while. The second game is a big test. Most of the key players did well. There were some disappointing performances. That’s just the reality of life in the NFL. All 90 guys aren’t going to be impressive.

This was an odd game because of penalties. The Ravens had 17 for 139 yards. The Eagles had 7 for 65 yards. Baltimore was incredibly sloppy for most of the game. I did come away very impressed with their third string QB, Bryn Renner.

LB/DE Terrell Suggs had a very questionable hit on Sam Bradford. That has been discussed ad infinitum so I will skip that. I thought it was dirty, but it isn’t worth going into at length.

OFFENSE

MISC

* The Eagles tried a pitch play that looked new to me. Unfortunately ran that right into LB blitz so Murray was tackled for a loss.

* 476 yards, including 238 on the ground.

* Pace seemed to bother the Ravens defense.

Players

QB

BRADFORD – Good showing. Bradford had a couple of tests to pass. First, he had to show he could take a hit. It won’t matter how good he looks if he can’t get up from hits. Bradford took a shot from Suggs and then got really pounded by a DT on a pass play. Both hits got his attention, but Bradford kept on trucking. The other test was to show how well he could throw the ball. Bradford went 3-5-35. He didn’t make any great throws. He didn’t have any highlight moments.

But he did look like a good starting QB. He hit Sproles and Matthews on 3rd downs to move the chains and lead the offense to a TD. Hit Huff on a crossing route, but the ball was low on that one. Missed Riley Cooper with a deep ball. Led him and put it outside. Needed to keep that ball more to the inside.

Bradford ran the offense well. It moved quickly and aggressively. He spread the ball around to multiple targets. He threw short and deep, right and left. This wasn’t a case of a guy going out and covering the same three plays he mastered in practice.

SANCHEZ – Much better than last week. The numbers were good, 14-20-118. Beyond that, Sanchez just looked better. Last week he didn’t make good throws. He was much better this week.

Quick pass to Murray for 12 yds.

Quick pass to Sproles.

Good tempo.

Hit Burton in the right flat.

Failed to see Barner come wide open on wheel route. Could have been long TD.

Sat in pocket and waited for Burton to come open. Got him the ball on 3rd/5.

Made good throw to Agholor on crossing route that Sanchez missed last week.

Had Maehl open for short TD and missed him. Ball was too fast/far out front.

The biggest issue for me is missing Barner on the wheel route. Sanchez missed open receivers downfield more than a few times last year. He really needs to show some progress in this area.

BARKLEY – Felt like he took a step back. Stats weren’t great, 6-14-86. Beyond that, he just didn’t seem all that sharp. Barkley was good in the opener. I hoped he would build on that. Instead, it seemed like the reverse. In his defense, Barkley was playing with the #3 offense this week. Last time out he was with the primary backups. Barkley didn’t have wide open receivers to work with. Passes were high. But all you had to do was look across the field and see Renner playing well with the Ravens #3’s. If you’re a good player, you should make those around you better.

Took a sack on ILB blitz.

Best early throw was quick pass to Mostert on the left side.

Made good throw on the move to WR right on the sideline. Ball was high, but WR got his hands on it. Dropped as he came to the ground. Looked like ball needed to be high.

Threw short pass to TE too hard. Ball deflected off TE’s hand and was almost picked off.

Threw good fade pass down the right side. WR went up for ball, but couldn’t hold on.

Best throw was a pass to Martino on a dig route.

TEBOW – Up and down showing. 2-5-13 as a passer. Kept the ball on zone read and ran for 26 yds. Lofted short pass to RB over the middle. Either failed to see open receivers or simply didn’t think he could get the ball to them. Had a wide open receiver in the back of the end zone. Didn’t throw to him. Kept the ball and tried to score. The offense did move at a better pace with him in the game this week. And Tebow did run well.

RB

MURRAY – First game as an Eagle. First carry was a run up the middle. Got 7 yds, but if he didn’t get tripped up when coming through the line, might have gone for an 84-yd TD. Hit the hole hard. 5 for 17 on the ground. Caught 1 pass for 14 yds. Good showing.

MATHEWS – Continues to shine. Lowered his head and got 1st down on 3rd/1. Ran for 14-yd TD. N-S runner who showed good speed and vision. 3 carries for 19 yds and a TD. Building some buzz.

SPROLES – Looked good. 2-10 on the ground, 2-15 in the air.

BARNER – 4-15 as a runner. 1-10 as a receiver. Really stood out as PR, but more on that later. Caught short pass on 3rd down. Moved the chains. Smooth catch. Didn’t stand out at RB, but looked solid. Making a strong case that the Eagles should keep 4 RBs.

MOSTERT – Another good game. 10-54 on the ground, 3-44 in the air. Shows speed, but also some RB skill. Nothing like Lorenzo Booker. First run went wide. Didn’t have much room, but still got 4 yds. Caught pass in the flat and got upfield for 9 quick yds. Had run up the middle for 12 and then went left for 7 yds. Showed good vision on the run to the outside. Pressed the hole, then bounced wide. Good block of LB out in space when Bailey caught ball on crossing route. Mostert got in LB’s way, but didn’t hit him from behind. Smart. Broke off 15-yard run in the mid-3rd. Started left, then cutback and went up the field. Lots of room. Wide open in the right flat on 3rd down. Caught easy pass and flew upfield for 26 yards. Ideal candidate for the practice squad.

MONANGAI – Good game. 10-87. Got better blocking this week and played better himself. Ran hard, downhill. Fumbled when running in the early 4th. Was tackled from behind and ball got knocked out. Showed more effort than talent, but put some good tape out there.

TE

CELEK – Blocked well. Great seal block on Mathews TD run. Came into the league as a pass catcher. Funny that he’s now thought of for being a blocker as much as he is a receiver.

ERTZ – DNP

BURTON- Tried to block LB on goal line run. Got thrown to the ground. Stayed between LB and the ball so was effective even though ugly. Had some other plays where he showed progress as a blocker. Had 2 catches for 15 yards. Has played well enough to be the #3 TE, but won’t push Celek or Ertz any time soon.

TOMLINSON – Tried to block rushing OLB. Too passive and player got by him. Able to flush the QB. Refs called rusher for hands to the face on that play. Still, should have been a better block attempt. Much quieter as a receiver this week, only going 1-3. Shows promise as a run blocker, but needs plenty of work.

TUKES – Looks good when running routes. Shows athleticism. Quicker off the ball this week.

GLEICHERT – Failed to stand out as a blocker.

WR

MATTHEWS – 2-20. Didn’t get hurt. A+ showing in my book.

COOPER – Hurt his thumb while run blocking so limited outing this week.

AGHOLOR – Another good performance, but still has issues to clean up. Extended up high to snag ball from Sanchez in the early 2nd Qtr. Took a good shot, but didn’t flinch. Next play was crossing route. Got pass, took a quick hit and then fought to score. Got down to the 5-yd line. Those were terrific plays. Failed to hold onto a ball as he hit the ground on sideline catch. Has to adjust to NFL rules. Looked very natural catching the ball. Extended for it easily. Had ball stolen away from him by CB, but there was a penalty on the play so Agholor got very lucky. Got to learn the lesson without having to pay the price. Has to hold the ball like his life depends on it until he tosses it back to the official. Sloppy mistakes, but you could still see his talent.

MAEHL- One catch for -1 yard. But did show good hands on the play.

HUFF – Caught his first pass of the preseason, a crossing route. Got 12 yds on the play. Might have done better if he didn’t have to reach down for the ball, which led to him juggling it as he tried to secure the catch. Blocked well on run plays. Also had a good block on quick pass to Sproles on his side. Gave Sproles room to get upfield.

AUSTIN – DNP

BAILEY – Another good game. Caught WR screen and then weaved through traffic for 9 yds. Nice play. On next snap he caught pass on crossing route. Got wide, then turned upfield. Got 17 yds on the play. Made sure not to go out of bounds until he was knocked out. Failed to catch pass on crossing route in the red zone. DB got a hand on the ball. Finished 4-37. Much better player than I anticipated.

AJIROTUTU – Not his best showing. Got some snaps with the 1’s. Bradford threw his way once. Ball was too high. Dropped a pass late in the 1st half. Double whammy in the early 3rd Qtr. Pushed off to get open, then dropped pass. Did draw the flag. Might challenge for a roster spot, but needs to play better as a receiver.

PRATT – Dropped pass along the sideline in the 3rd. Made good effort to haul in fade pass, also along right sideline, but couldn’t hold onto the ball.

OL

PETERS – Had some great blocks. Collapsed some DL with big down blocks. Just washed Suggs to the other side of the line on a pass block. Terrific block of LB on Mathews TD run. Terrific down block on Murray’s TD run. Looks like JP is a man on a mission right now. That is bad news for DL around the NFC East.

BARBRE – LG. Good game. Does a good job on run blocks. Bends his knees and engages the DL with good pad level. Gives him strength. Anchors well in pass pro. Has quietly had a good summer.

KELCE – C. Mis-communication between him and Barbre led to DT coming free and blowing up Bradford. Both guys seemed to think the other one was going to keep blocking the DT.

GARDNER – Solid showing, but still needs to improve. Biggest issue is that he plays too upright and that affects his strength. Gets off balance at times and DL can move him. Had a good moment on the opening drive. He and Kelce doubled a DT. Gardner then let go and hit the DE Johnson was blocking. Failed to block DT who was looping on a pass play. Guy got a small hit on Sanchez. Does a good job of getting to the 2nd level. Needs to be more consistent there. Had one very good block on opening play. Got out to LB and sealed him. Other times would get a hand on his target, but not control the defender.

JOHNSON – Quiet game.

TOBIN – LT2. Gave up sack to Dumervil. Came on up and under move. Good run block of DT on play that went to the outside. Very good job on 3rd/5. Got his hands on DE early and then was able to mirror him. Looked good in pass pro. Mixed in aggressive pass sets with more conventional ones. Used his hands to jolt rushers and keep them under control. Doesn’t have great feet, but gets into the right position. Really liked the way he mixes his pass sets. Looked very good at times when going after the rusher. “Gave up a sack” in the 4th Qtr. No one was open and Tebow held the ball for 6 seconds. Hard to really fault Tobin on that.

VANDY – LG2. Got pushed around more than you’d like. At his best coming off the ball on run plays. Holding call wiped out a short TD pass. Terrific combo block on 1st/GL run by Barner. Virtually whiffed on DT when the guy used a swim move. Terrific combo block on run up the middle in the early 3rd. Helped knock the NT to the ground, then got on ILB. Nice gain. Got knocked on his ass on 3rd Qtr pass play. Never good for OL to be staring at the sky during a play.

MOLK – C2. Not his best game. Failed to control NT on inside run. Only got 1 yd. Got pushed back in pass pro by Jernigan. Quick from snap to block. Good block to open running lane for Mostert in the early 3rd Qtr. Able to get to the 2nd level and block ILBs. Can really sustain when he is square and gets his hands cleanly on the defender.

MOFFITT – RG2. Real good combo block on run play. Got a big shot on the DT before going after the LB. Got walked back into Sanchez on pass play and that created incompletion. Had moments where he looked good. Anchored well in pass pro when he got his feet set and his hands cleanly on the rusher. Whiffed on picking up blitzing ILB. That led to sack. Was more rusty than I expected since it was his second game back. Needs to step it up if he is going to seriously challenge for a roster spot.

KELLY – RT2. Got driven back into Sanchez on 3rd down pass play. Poor block of LB on 1st/GL run by Barner. If Kelly gets a better block, Barner might score. Had some good moments. Can be an effective pass blocker at times. Good effort on run plays.

BOYKO – LT3. Woke up and played well this week. Good block of LB helped Monangai get good gain up the middle. Good effort as a pass blocker, but gets too high, then off balance. Can be pushed around. Looks athletic on some plays. I think LG is more natural position.

GRAF – RT3. Much better than last week. More aggressive. Played with confidence. Used his strength and physicality to block.

ANDREWS- C. Solid showing, but didn’t stand out.

WHEELER – RG2. Keeps his feet moving. Has some pop.

BUNCHE – RG3. Did a good job of blocking LBs. Anchors well in pass pro. Able to get movement in the run game. Good down block of DT on short TD run at end of the game. Has earned the praise he’s been getting.

COCCIA – LG3/4. Put LB on the ground on 4th Qtr run to his side.

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DEFENSE

MISC

* It feels like Bill Davis is doing more to cover than to come up with exotic blitzes.

* Communication on the back end has been good. You don’t see receivers running around wide open.

PLAYERS

DL

COX – Read screen pass perfectly and stayed with RB. Forced Flacco to dump the ball.

LOGAN – A bit more quiet this week. Stuffed RB right at the LOS on final play of 1st Qtr. Jumped over cut block to make that stop.

THORNTON – Got moved off the ball on some early run plays. Won the battle on the 3rd snap and the RB had nowhere to go. Just tossed RT out of his way and engulfed RB on play that came at him on 2nd drive. Drew holding call on run that came his way in the late 1st Qtr.

CURRY – Played both DL and LB. Helped to blow up 3rd/short run by driving blocker backward. Played OLB in 2nd Qtr. Got fooled on bootleg play, but did chase QB and force him to throw the ball away after initially buying fake. Generated a lot of pressure as LB. Used power and speed to give the LT fits. Very disruptive on passing plays.

BAIR – Opened at RDE. Played run well early on. Deflected 3rd down pass and then nearly picked it off as it fell to the ground.

ALLEN – NT. Quiet game. Used a good rip move to get some penetration on a pass play. Just missed sack on 4th down when QB was flushed. Allen was a step away when the QB got the ball out. It doesn’t seem like Allen has played as well this summer as he did last year.

HART – Opened at LDE. Shed RT, tackled RB on play that came at him. Beat the RG and got some pressure on a pass play. Disrupted a run play by beating block and getting penetration. Beat RG to the inside and got pressure late in the half. Came free on a stunt in the mid-3rd and helped to force an incompletion. Showing real signs of progress.

MIHALIK – Played in 2nd half. Lined up at DT on 3rd/13. Drove RG back and then hit the QB. Showed really good power on that play. Got off balance and fell down trying to rush the QB on another play. Never good to be on the ground. Uses his length to keep blockers off him so he can flow down the LOS. Hustled down the line to tackle RB on final play of the 3rd Qtr. Just missed making tackle on WR screen. Used athleticism to get out wide and dove for WR, but just missed him. Good hustle. For a DL, does a great job of finding the ball and pursuing. Outstanding awareness. Got driven off the line by double team on run to his side. Must get stronger. Has shown good potential.

RACITI – Played a lot of NT. Not natural in there, but will battle. Willing to do the dirty work. Good motor. Worked hard to get to the ball. Had a great play in the early 4th. Lined up as NT, but dropped into coverage. QB wanted TE, but Raciti was in the way. QB then threw to RB in the flat. Raciti hustled out wide and got in on the tackle. Jumped offside in the 4th. Shed the C and tackled RB as he tried to go by him. Got sack when he chased the QB out of bounds behind the line. Hustle play. Was credited with 5 tackles. Ideal practice squad candidate.

HILL – Played DE. Big frame. Looks the part of an Eagles 3-4 DE. Shows good awareness. Moves pretty well. Had a terrific play in the early 4th. Knocked RT back. Saw RB coming his way. Shed the block and then got RB down for minimal gain. Got to the inside of the RT and had a shot at another TFL, but play went to the other side. Wasn’t able to get his hands cleanly on the RB. Blew up 3rd/1 run with penetration. Created TFL. Will be interesting to see if the Eagles keep him for the preseason finale. I’d like to watch Hill play in that game to see if he’s worth developing or just faced some poor blocking from the Ravens.

OLB

BARWIN – Helped blow up 3rd/short run by driving the RT backward. Drove RT back on pass play, forced Flacco to run. Looks ready to me.

GRAHAM – Didn’t do anything great, but I continue to be amazed at how much better he looks at covering now than last year or certainly 2013. Different player. Not only is he effective, he looks almost natural out there at times. Davis has had Graham drop into coverage quite a bit this summer. Good. This is the time to work on that. Let him rush in September. Best moment came when he chased RB down from behind on play that went away from him. Showed terrific burst and only gave up a short gain.

SMITH – DNP

BRAMAN – Played in the 2nd half. Another solid showing. Used inside move effectively a few times. Still fast off the edge. Got TFL in early 4th when run blitz by ILB blew up a run play.

JONES – Played OLB early on in this game. Got a gift sack when the QB fell down. Veteran playing against backups so it is hard to judge some of what he does. Jones could be an effective #3 OLB. Isn’t a guy you want starting on a regular basis. Moved to ILB in the 4th Qtr. Shot into the backfield on run play and created a TFL for Braman. Finished with 3 tackles.

D WATKINS – Got sack in 3rd. DL pushed pocked, Watkins used power to move his blocker back. Chased run play down from the backside. Added a TFL in the run game. Set the edge well on some run plays. Didn’t show special burst as rusher. Consistently took a good angle and used power to push the OT backward and toward the QB. Plays with good pad level. Reminds me a bit of Trent Cole with size, mannerisms and style of play. Unfortunately, he’s not nearly as talented.

McCULLUM – Mostly at ROLB. Got around LT and chased QB out of pocket and out of bounds in early 4th.

ILB

KENDRICKS – DNP

RYANS – DNP

ALONSO – DNP

ACHO – Started. Got in on 3rd/short stop by shooting upfield and hitting the RB. Read screen pass well and was right there to blow up the play, but Cox had already forced Flacco to dump the ball. Helped to break up 3rd Qtr pass for receiver on slant route. Aggravated a thumb injury while covering a KO and got waived. Liked him as a pass defender, but his run defense needed work. Wasn’t as physical against blockers as he needed to be.

HICKS – Started. Struggled vs the run early on. Got better quickly. Blitzed up the middle and got pressure on Flacco on the play where his deep ball was picked off. Pressure affected the accuracy of the throw and resulted in the INT. Tossed an OL to the ground while shedding a block in the late 1st Qtr. Perfect D on run play. Scraped to the outside, filled hole and stuffed RB for minimal gain. RB used good move on him on short pass in the late 3rd. Hicks was beaten, but chased the RB down. Good hustle. Credited with 3 tackles. Still an inconsistent player.

GOODE – #2 ILB. Up and down vs the run early on. Had chance for INT late in the half, but couldn’t hang on. Happened on 4th down so the Eagles got the ball anyway. Drew a holding call on 2-pt play when he blitzed up the middle.

SKINNER – #2 ILB. Led the team with 7 total tackles. Did a good job of trying to get into the passing lanes. Good coverage of TE on play-action pass. Bit on fake and let TE get behind him, but then recovered and made the tackle. Made good open field tackle of WR late in the game. Better in the passing game than I expected.

S

THURMOND – First INT in a game as an Eagle. Picked off deflected pass in the end zone on deep ball. Wasn’t in ideal coverage position as he trailed by a yard or so, but was right there to make the grab. Looked like he was maybe half a second slow in getting out of his backpedal. Had an awkwardly slow return, but it worked. Tried to watch him as a run defender. Thurmond isn’t going to sell out when taking on blockers, but especially not in the preseason. He does stay around the ball.

JENKINS – Made good open field tackle of Smith after short catch. Looks ready.

MARAGOS – Played some with the starting D in the late 1st Qtr. Had at least one impressive hit.

REYNOLDS – Got on the field in the 2nd Qtr. Came up quickly to help tackle TE after catch. Tackled WR after catch over the middle. Was aggressive, but not the most impressive tackle. Wrapped and then pulled the guy down. Ravens scored TD on WR screen to his side. There was pulling OL to deal with, but that’s the kind of play you want to see Reynolds make. Did a good job of lowering his head and getting in on tackle of RB on run up the middle in the mid-4th. Was involved in 4th Qtr TD pass. Came out wide to help Anthony cover WR. Guy went up high to make a terrific catch. Reynolds hit him when he came down, but the WR spun off that and into the end zone. Reynolds has to really unload on the WR or try to tackle him. Didn’t do either. Had chance to pick off deflected ball in the end zone late in the game but couldn’t hold on. Okay game, but didn’t stand out as much as you’d like.

COUPLIN – Finally got to see him in action. Up and down game. Played in the 2nd half. Came down quickly to hit RB in the flat after a short catch. Got a good shot on RB after catch/run over the middle in the late 3rd. Whiffed on RB who got loose in the middle of the field. Couplin dove at him, but missed. Aggressively took on TEs when they tried to block him. Overran run play to the outside and let RB cut inside for a few extra yards. Made clean tackle of the RB on the next play. Failed to catch potential INT that came his way. Got TFL on 3rd/1 run when DL blew up the play. Couplin flew in to make the stop. Good motor. Can hit. Needs to clean up his tackling. Looks the part of an NFL Safety.

PROSINSKI – DNP

CB

MAXWELL – Picked off overthrow by Flacco on 2nd drive. Good return down to the 28. Showed good awareness to see the ball and then made a nice hands catch. Active eyes. Gave up 1st down catch/run on 3rd down play because he got picked and WR got a bit of separation. Offense used bunch set to create this situation.

CAROLL – Great coverage on the deep ball that was picked off. Was in the WR’s hip pocket and managed to look up and locate the ball. Got his arm up and deflected it, luckily to Thurmond.

WATKINS – Outside in #2 D. Good press coverage on 3rd down pass. All over his receiver. Did a nice job on 2nd Qtr pass play. Was off due to stack alignment. Let his receiver come upfield, then jumped the route. Ball was thrown that way, but off target. Watkins was in position to deflect the ball if it was on target. Let WR catch the ball in the late 2nd, then drove on him and made the tackle. Got there just after the ball. Had tight coverage on WR on 3rd/4 throw. QB put the ball out of bounds because Watkins was to the inside and right there on the receiver. QB threw high to his side late in the half and Watkins went up high to make sure the WR couldn’t make the catch. Missed tackle of RB late in 3rd Qtr. Did a good job of getting off his block and getting to the runner. Just failed to get him down. Barely slowed the guy down. Made good tackle of WR on crossing route in the 4th Qtr. Came up aggressively. Very please with his cover skills, but his tackling needs serious work.

ROWE – Played both outside and in the slot. Played some slot early on. Effective when he got his hands on the receiver. Strong night of press coverage. Played Nickel in the 3rd Qtr. WR used double move to get separation. Beaten by slot receiver on 3rd down late in the 3rd. Just a bit slow to react to quick cut to the inside. Did chase him down and make the tackle. Bit fake on run play and left his side wide open for big gain by the RB who did get the ball. Better on the outside than in the slot.

BIGGERS – Slot in #2 Nickel D. Gave up completion in the late 2nd Qtr. Hd good coverage on the play, but never looked back or saw the ball. Looked good in the slot. Not overly physical, but deceptively tough. Comfortable playing in traffic. Effective tackler.

RICE – Played outside in the 3rd Qtr. Gave up big catch out of the slot late in the game. Showed enough talent and potential to make you think he’s worth developing. Good size. Runs well. Looks smart. Needs coaching and experience.

EVANS – Drew penalty when he dove into WR who was on the ground. Wasn’t dirty, but just not smart.

ANTHONY – Gave up TD late in game. Was in very good position. Went up for the ball, but just missed it. Good throw, catch.

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ST’s

JONES – 2 punts. 48.5 average. But one was a touchback.

PARKEY – Better this week. 2 of 3 on FGs, but miss came from 55 at the end of the half.

SMITH – Eagles let him kick some. 2 of 2 on FGs, but were knuckleballs.

– MISC –

KOR – Mostly touchbacks. Barner was 1-16 as KOR.

PR – Barner had another TD. This one was 68 yards. Had good blocking, but showed good vision and good speed as well. Not just luck.

* Ajirotutu was first one down when covering punt, but couldn’t keep it out of end zone.

GAMEBOOK

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