Eagles Backups Not Up To Task In Preseason Loss To Browns

It’s only the preseason, so there should be no cause for concern. Still, the Eagles did not play well in any phase of the game in their 22-13 loss to the Cleveland Browns at Lincoln Financial Field on Saturday afternoon.

There were some Eagles highlights, such as rookie safety Drew Mukuba returning an interception for 75 yards and a touchdown and then recovering a fumble to set up the Eagles’ second touchdown of the game. The rookie didn’t play in last week’s preseason opener, so the game he had was certainly a big step forward.

His play made the defense look better than it was. It allowed rookie Dillon Gabriel, in his first NFL action, march down the field in easy fashion, using 8:05 of the clock and converting three third downs. It surrendered 194 yards of offense in the first half.

The offense was spectacularly bad. The second and third team offensive line was overmatched, as were quarterbacks Dorian Thompson-Robinson and Kyle McCord. If not for Mukuba, the Eagles would have been shut out. As it was, the offense mustered just 88 yards of total offense.

Throw special teams into the mix, too. They gave up huge chunks of real estate in both the punt and kickoff return games.

Just three days of training camp remain before the Eagles will travel to MetLife Stadium to play the New York Jets on Thursday. The roster will be trimmed to 53 players on Aug. 26, and then the regular season begins on Sept. 4. The good news about that opener against the Cowboys is the Eagles’ starters will be starting, not the collection of backups used on Saturday.

GOOD

-Receiver Johnny Wilson didn’t play, a signal his job on the roster is secure. Ainais Smith did and caught his second third-and-goal touchdown pass. Last week, it was from six yards. This week it was from nine. Smith should make this team.

-Patrick Johnson once again showed up. Last week, the outside linebacker had an interception. This week, he sniffed out an outside run and made a tackle for an 11-yard loss.

-Jihaad Campbell started and played well. The first-round rookie had a sack and made four tackles in limited action.

-Smael Mondon looks like a gem of a fifth-round pick. The linebacker made consecutive tackles on one Browns series, one on a run play that went nowhere, then he sniffed out a screen and made the tackle before the play could get started. He had four tackles.

-Jakorian Bennett didn’t do anything to hurt his chances of starting at cornerback. He had a nice pass breakup in the first half then a nice wrap-up tackle on a short throw to set up third-and-long.

-Edge rusher Azeez Ojulari ended the Browns’ run of six straight third-down conversions with a sack that eventually forced a field goal try from the Browns.

-Punter Braden Mann continues to prove what a valuable signing he was in 2023. He boomed a 62-yard punt to put the Browns at their own 14. His career-long of 72 yards came in a regular-season game last year. Cam Latu made a nice special team tackle on the play.

BAD

-Nobody took control of the third-quarterback role. Both Dorian Thompson-Robinson and Kyle McCord seemed to take a step back. The offense was so inept that it makes you wonder if the Eagles will look to sign another quarterback once cuts begin.

-Safety Tristin McCollum blew a tackle after sniffing out a throw behind the line, allowing the play to go for eight yards midway through the third quarter.

-On the Eagles’ first possession, A.J. Dillon caught a deflected ball and lost 14 yards. The mistake went for a 14-yard loss to put the Eagles in a third-and-22 hole they could not escape, and punted. A veteran like Dillon has to know better.

THOUGHTS

-It wasn’t a good sign that Eli Ricks didn’t the fourth quarter and then gave up a long pass to set up a Brown field goal that put the game basically out of reach at 22-13 with 6:59 to play.

-The Eagles opened the second half with Drew Kendall at left guard after Kendall played the first half at center. Brett Toth was the center to start the second half. Also starting the third quarter were rookie offensive tackles Myles Hinton on the left side and Cam Williams on the right.

-Maybe the Eagles should have kept K.J. Henry. He was cut earlier in camp, the Browns picked him up, and he recorded a 45-yard interception return for a touchdown against Thompson-Robinson. In fairness to DTR, the snap from Brett Toth was high, throwing off the timing of the play. Thompson-Robinson then got hit from quick pressure off the edge, popping the ball up into Henry’s arms.