It’s finally real. The 2024 Eagles took to the field for the first time for real in Baltimore with a last-second win over the Ravens.
While the team that will open the season in Brazil on Sept. 6 will bear no resemblance to the team that took the field down Interstate 95, the first preseason game does give some confidence that this season will be a better one than the Eagles gave us at the end of last season.
Every team has a different approach to the preseason. The Eagles would prefer to keep all but the minimum number of impact players off the field. While it was great to see Jalen Hurts and Saquon Barkley in full uniform for a few brief moments during warmups, don’t expect to see too much more of them until September.
The most important part of any preseason game is getting a first-hand sense of how the draft went.
On first glance, the Eagles have done well.
First-round pick Quinyon Mitchell looked good in his action at both outside and nickel cornerback. Better still, wearing the No. 30 that former Eagles kick returning specialist Brian Mitchell used to wear was a welcome sight for longtime Eagles fans. Mitchell nearly got an interception and looked like he belonged on the field at either position.
Defensive end Jalyx Hunt flashed some of the versatility that made him a draft pick as an edge rusher. Hunt even had a chance to drop back into coverage on the back side of the pass rush and didn’t look out of place.
Linebacker Jeremiah Trotter brought more than a few smiles to Eagles’ fans faces. The South Jersey native and St. Joe’s Prep graduate wore his father’s familiar No. 54 jersey and made a couple of big plays. Trotter, the young Axe-man, started with a special teams tackle, earned a sack and stopped the Ravens on a key third down.
For someone who was born to be a linebacker, Trotter certainly looked the part.
With Barkley watching in street clothes with the rest of the key Eagles offensive players, Will Shipley got an opportunity to show why he was drafted as a running back.
Shipley ran seven times for 23 yards but, more importantly, flashed pass protection skills and even caught the Eagles’ first touchdown pass.
Among the other good performances, Kelee Ringo made a good case for him being on the field in the Eagles revamped secondary. Britain Covey showed his chops as a possible option as third receiver. Finally, linebacker Patrick Johnson had a last-second strip sack that eventually led to the game-winning field goal as time expired.
Not everything was good, though. No preseason game ever is.
Quarterback Kenny Pickett looked completely out of sorts and not at all like the player who won the starting job for the Steelers last preseason. Eagles linemen like Tyler Steen and Matt Hennessy didn’t exactly wow anyone out there. They’ll be needed as depth players throughout the season.
Finally, other than Covey, no one took control of the race for the third wide receiver spot.
The Eagles return to action on Aug. 15 after practicing with the Patriots this week, then close out the preseason at home on Aug. 24 against the Vikings.
