Game overview:
Another week of the preseason, another week where I have a bad feeling about the Philadelphia Eagles...
The Eagles started out (10-1) last year, but (in my opinion) didn’t look good doing it...and then they collapsed – losing five of their last 6 regular season games, getting thumped by bad teams in crucial games at the end...then getting humiliated by a not-great Buccaneers team in the playoffs.
The Eagles ended the 2023 season falling apart and then they lost Jason Kelce to retirement this offseason and made a big investment in Saquon Barkley to try and fix everything. This is a fading Eagles team going into the 2024 season.
My first two watches of them in the 2024 preseason – not good. Baltimore’s backup offense moved the ball easily against the Philly #1 defense in Week 1, then the weak Patriots #1 offense ran with some grinding effectiveness and had a drive down to the Eagles 8-yard line...where Jacoby Brissett threw a bad pick in the end zone on 3rd-down to thwart the drive.
The Eagles vaunted D-Line draft stock investment should be dominating the likes of the Ravens backup O-Line/offense and the wounded Patriots O-Line this offseason – but they aren’t. The Eagles big-name/high draft pick D-Line is overrated. Their linebackers are at the bottom tier in the league. The secondary is potentially improved, but it is slightly improved from being the worst in the league last year. Their only hope is Jalen Hurts can put this team on his back, but dysfunction between the players (Hurts specifically) and the goofy head coach and his ever-changing coaching staff seems like it’s gonna be a tall order to turn this thing around. So far this preseason, I’m not impressed with the Eagles – but they haven’t shown their 1st-team offense either. Shaky hope for Philly fans.
The best news in 2024 for Philly is – Dallas is collapsing as fast, or faster...and the Giants and Commanders may be too young to take advantage this season. The NFC East is totally up for grabs.
The Patriots have been ‘OK’ this preseason, especially looking-good on defense – but they’ve also played two bad offenses to help make them look good. Carolina in Week 1 worked their backup offense and 3rd/4th-string (horrible) QBs, and the Panthers’ backups are arguably the worst in the league. The Eagles also ran with their backup offense...and their O-Line and weapons depth is really not-good. I don’t know if the Pats D is on the rise, or they just got a great schedule to start the preseason.
The Eagles got the win here, but it was not pretty for either team.
Scouting Notes from the game:
-- The main/only reason to watch this game: To see the extended time of Drake May, after a protected/uninspiring glimpse last week.
I thought Drake Maye (6-11 for 47 yards, 0 TD/0 INT, 4-15-1) looked like a nervous, future bust here. Mediocre grades in our scouting...bad reviews from his training camp...now ‘nervous-nelly’ in a real game. Sure, he can grow in the future...maybe – but Nix-Penix-Daniels are already ready...and not-nervous. This new era of QB – you should be ready already.
Maye and Caleb Williams look like the potential busts from this 1st-round class, after all our prior scouting and then our first looks at them in real (preseason) action. Of course, they are both top 3 NFL Draft picks...and per usual, the NFL gets the top pick QB wrong again.
Back to Maye... I could see he was skittish...wanting to dump the ball off to checkdown options. He did the same last week. In this game, when he threw downfield it almost looked like he just closed his eyes and floated passes out hoping for a lifeline catch by a WR. I’m totally unimpressed with Maye...as expected. He’s Sam Howell ‘lite’...the same issues as Howell (UNC QBs) without the arm or grittiness of Howell. Both guys just checkdown or fling prayers that land every so often and will run/scurry a little bit. No real starting QB material or talent, neither of them.
There’s a growing trend of – when the owner makes the high 1st-round QB pick, it’s a sure sign of a bust coming.
So far, I continue to be totally ‘out’ on Drake Maye.
-- The news gets worse at QB for the Patriots, because Joe Milton (2-7 for 20 yards, 0 TD/0 INT, 3-9-0) entered the game after Maye and was so bad he got benched (effectively) for playing so poorly. Benched in the preseason! Milton was spraying the ball all over the place…throwing it wildly and then trying to run like he was Michal Vick, but he’s not even close to it.
The Pats had one more chance to run a 2-minute drill to go get the win at the end, but Milton got pulled for Bailey Zappe. And it wasn’t to get Zappe some work...it was because Milton was truly awful...he was so bad it made Drake Maye look good. Then Zappe has a fumbled exchange, and ‘ball game’. Every Patriots QB was depressing – not because of the opposing defense, but because they’re all not good.
Milton is not gonna make it...and if he does, it’s gonna take years of coaching and changing everything about him...and teams are not doing that work, they don’t have that kind of time – these QBs, Maye and Milton...they’re gonna get Jerod Mayo fired after 2025.
Jacoby Brissett (3-7 for 17 yards, 0 TDs/1 INT) will be the starter for as long as Mayo can get away with it...for as long as the true coach/GM, Robert Kraft, lets him keep Brissett in.
-- Kenny Pickett (11-13 for 67 yards, 0 TD/0 INT) would be the best QB the Patriots have right now...instead, he’s banished to backup in Philly...and you can see he’s not into it. The Eagles O-Line depth is either terrible/hurt or the Patriots are gonna lead the league in sacks...because they sacked Pickett 4 times in a half and seemed to pressure him a lot outside of the sacks. Pickett looked weak here because he was under assault most dropbacks.
Pickett’s career is on life support. Once the league turns on you, it’s hard to have a 2nd act...like a Jared Goff, for example, or Baker Mayfield have been able to do.
-- Note on the Philly O-Line: Tyler Steen went down in the 2nd-quarter and got carted off the field. Steen had been the starting right guard to begin camp...but then hurt his ankle on the third day of practice, then came back last week – losing his job to Mekhi Becton while he was out. Steen tried to practice this past week but he was not close to 100 percent...and may have done himself in here, further hurting this O-Line depth.
-- Eagles RB report...
NOT. GOOD.
Kenneth Gainwell (3-8-0, 3-10-0/4) is barely an NFL talent...and he’s the best non-Saquon they got by a mile.
Will Shipley (5-15-0, 4-31-0/4) is not legit...he’s a plausible-ish #3/4 RB, a player who ‘follow directions’ and is thus a player coaches like...but he’s not an impact talent.
Lew Nichols (4-10-0, 2-6-0/2) has a pulse, but I’m not holding my breath.
And everyone else at RB on this roster isn’t worth typing about.
-- Patriots RB report...
Rhamondre Stevenson (6-18-0) worked as the clear leader of this backfield, for the second preseason game in a row...and was fine, but the thing that’s so noticeable is – it’s Rhamondre (who got paid big this offseason) in control and Antonio Gibson (4-8-0) is a nobody by comparison. There is no split here at all.
I was waiting the whole night for UDFA rookie Terrell Jennings (1-12-0/2) to get into the game, but it didn’t get in until late in the hurry up offense comeback attempt, so no carries. He’s likely headed to the practice squad – since they didn’t try to push him here.
-- Eagles WR report...
It’s all falling apart for the Eagles. Their rookie WRs are turning out to be duds...Ainias Smith (1-0-0/2), who I liked as a better Wan’Dale Robinson type prospect...he can’t hold onto the ball. Johnny Wilson (0-0-0/0) can’t either. Plenty of physical speed/tools with these guys -- but if you can’t hold onto the ball...none of the rest of it matters.
One guy stood out, at WR...2nd-year UDFA Joseph Ngata (5-88-0/5) made catch after catch in this game on all kinds of – he holds onto the ball, thus the QBs throw it to him. He’s a dark horse slot WR, who is not a slot WR at all...but he’s the only guy that seems able to secure the ball among the backup WRs.
The other receiving gem for Philly in this game was a TE...E.J. Jenkins (5-47-0/5) was a beast here...likely has forced his way onto the team with his camp and this game. He was on the main roster a bit last year, but he may make it straight up this year. He’s not bad.
-- Patriots WR report...
All the excitement is about Jalen Polk (2-6-0/3) and Javon Baker (1-12-0/4), and they have some talent, but these preseason games tell me that Kayshon Boutte (3-23-0/4) is above them in ability and QB confidence, right now. Two games in a row that Boutte has been the go-to guy for the backup QBs. He was a star for a minute at LSU, but then faded away...his issues are more mental/off-field than on-field. Maybe he’s turned a corner?
If you wanna know how bad things are for the Pats at WR...K.J. Osborn (0-0-0/0) is a projected starter.
-- IDP/defense notes
Second week in a row I am watching Philly’s 1st-team D-Line not dominate or get pushed around by an opponent. The Patriots, on paper, don’t have a run game that should do anything vs. the Eagles...but NE wasn’t bad running the ball against them. And just based on two eyeball tests this preseason...the Eagles frontline isn’t winning in the trenches.
The IDP star of his game was Pats 2nd-year DE Keion White (1 tackle, 1 sack) was a menace for his opposing blocker all game. White got just one sack but forced Kenny Pickett to move into trouble in the pocket from early pressure on beating his man. The White hype train is getting fired up...he was part of the reason why NE was good to dump Matthew Judon on the Falcons this week. White is a sleeper candidate for 8-10 sacks this season.
