No, the Eagles were unable to end the Ravens’ 24-game preseason win streak, falling 20-19 to Baltimore on Saturday night in a high-scoring game that came down to the wire – after rookie cornerback Eli Ricks’ 31-yard pick-six with 7:03 remaining, the Eagles went for two to avoid a tie, but the pass fell incomplete. However, following three weeks of Training Camp practises, the Eagles have begun a new chapter in their journey to the regular season. Following the game, the coaches and players boarded buses to Philadelphia, equipped with plenty of instructional footage and the knowledge that the club will rapidly turn the page, with the Cleveland Browns visiting the NovaCare Complex for a pair of joint practises beginning on Monday.
Here’s a rundown of what happened at M&T Bank Stadium:
‘The expectation is to be efficient,’ says Marcus Mariota.
The starters did not play on Saturday night because Head Coach Nick Sirianni wanted them to be fresh for the joint practise versus the Browns. After the Eagles won the coin toss – tails always wins! – the offence took the field first and went on the board straight away with a Jake Elliott 45-yard field goal that covered 55 yards in 14 plays. Mariota scrambled to convert a third-and-13 then, after finding wide receiver Tyrie Cleveland for a 9-yard slant on third-and-10, faked a handoff that spooked the defender and set up the first down.
After the defence went three-and-out, Mariota marched the Eagles down the field, a brilliant toss to wide receiver Greg Ward for 14 yards on third-and-4 putting the offence in scoring position. However, after back-to-back penalties brought the ball back, Elliott missed wide right from 46 yards out, thus ending Mariota’s night.
“The assumption is that you will be efficient. “The expectation is for me to be a point guard, spread the ball around, and let these guys make plays,” Mariota said. “The great thing about this offence is that it gives everyone a chance to shine, and as we progress through camp, we’ll get more and more comfortable.” I believed our young players gave it their all on the pitch. It was fantastic to see.”
Mariota completed 7-of-11 passes for 58 yards and added 29 yards on the run. – Christopher McPherson
Tanner McKee is looking forward to his first NFL game.
Rookies may always receive their first taste of NFL football during the preseason. Tanner McKee, the Eagles’ quarterback, described suiting up and taking the pitch as “surreal.”
“It was a really surreal moment to be able to play against another team,” McKee remarked. “I am very excited to take advantage of every opportunity that comes my way.”
At practise, the sixth-round overall pick out of Stanford has been training with Jalen Hurts and Marcus Mariota. Saturday night was a great opportunity for McKee to lead the offence and demonstrate what he’s capable of.
His first throw of the night was incredible. McKee let one fly on first-and-10 at the Eagles’ 26-yard line, lofting a crisp throw up the left sideline to wide receiver Tyrie Cleveland for a 27-yard gain. McKee would connect with Cleveland again on the drive, leading in a field goal.
“I was really excited when we came out and saw that kind of coverage,” McKee said. “I gave him a route and then let him go up to attack the ball.”
McKee and Cleveland connected for 59 yards on four occasions. A collaboration that was successful all night due to their collaboration during and after practises.
“He is a very accurate passer,” remarked Head Coach Nick Sirianni. “That is what we saw in college, and we are really excited to work with him.”
“We were pretty aggressive,” McKee said. “I’m all for it, so I was ecstatic.”
Trey Sermon scored on a running touchdown on McKee’s second possession of the game. While the touchdown was scored by a running back, it would not have been possible without two clutch passes from the quarterback. On third-and-11, McKee connected with Johnny King over the middle for a 33-yard gain. After gaining a first down, McKee hit his favourite target in Cleveland for an 18-yard gain, putting the ball on the Ravens’ 2-yard line.
Situational play was a key component of the game strategy, enabling McKee to be put to the test on fourth down. On fourth-and-1 from their own 33-yard line in the second quarter, he hit Greg Ward for 17 yards on a superbly executed run-pass option.
Throughout the two quarters (second and third), McKee produced multiple eye-catching throws. He went 10-of-20 for 140 yards on the night. On his sole rushing effort, he gained another 7 yards.
McKee will receive a lot more repetitions in the last two preseason games and will continue to grow in practise. McKee will get the opportunity to air it out in front of the home fans during the Browns and Colts games at Lincoln Financial Field. – Boyle, Owen
At running back, Rashaad Penny receives the lion’s share of the burden.
After the game, Head Coach Nick Sirianni said that he would train all of the running backs in the preseason so they can get the first hit out of the way before the games matter in the standings.
On Saturday night, it was rookie Eagle Rashaad Penny’s chance to shine, as he led the team in running yards with 34 on nine runs.
Penny hadn’t participated in a game since October 9, 2022, therefore it was a rare event.
“You get to walk off the pitch healthy, and you get to go home knowing you don’t have the MRIs or anything else, and that’s a blessing,” Penny added. “It was a lot of fun to get back out there.”
Penny’s longest run was a 10-yard dash up the middle on the opening play of the Eagles’ second series. The longest run of the night came from D’Andre Swift, the other new Eagles running back, who shook Ravens defender Jaquon Amos on his way to a 22-yard rush.
“I mean, as a running back group, we showed that running downhill, and you know, making big plays, big cuts, that’s what you want to see from us,” Penny said. “We’re all extremely talented, but you can’t win without the offensive line.” But, before we get to the actual thing, we certainly demonstrated a little bit of what we can accomplish.” – Christopher McPherson
Pick-Six Ricks lives up to his moniker.
Who was the top 2020 cornerback recruit?
Eli Ricks, a rookie free agent on the Eagles, enrolled at LSU and recorded four interceptions as a freshman, returning two of them for touchdowns, garnering him the moniker ‘Pick-Six Ricks’.
Ricks did not have as impressive numbers the remainder of his collegiate career. He transferred to Alabama for the 2022 season to restart his career, and after recovering from an injury, he started five games for the Crimson Tide down the stretch. The Eagles were the first club to contact Ricks after the 2023 NFL Draught, and the 6-foot-2 corner elected to sign with the organisation.
Ricks returned to his old ways on Saturday night, intercepting an Anthony Brown touchdown and returning it 31 yards for a touchdown in the fourth quarter to pull the Eagles within a point. Ricks attributed his comfort in Philadelphia to the “family environment” that begins with Head Coach Nick Sirianni.
“During the first half, they repeatedly threw to the sideline, so I knew that if they threw an out route, it was mine to take,” Ricks stated after the game. “The quarterback was throwing to the sideline, and I knew I could catch it.” And if I receive it, it’ll be for the home.”
Ricks said that after the game, he checked his phone and got a text from his mother, Shauna, that read, “God is good.”
“I’m just hoping to build on this performance, a little bit of this and a little bit of that, but it’s a great start for me,” Ricks said. “I really want to make a big splash in this game, and I want to feel like I can play for free.” – Christopher McPherson
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