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Final
Indianapolis Colts 3-0-7-0 — 10
Philadelphia Eagles 13-10-3-7 — 36
The Philadelphia Eagles quarterback battle got interesting as Matt Barkley made his presence known and Tim Tebow made his return in the preseason matchup against the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday afternoon.
Barkley seemed to get a bit of an edge up on Tebow in the quest for a roster spot, earning most of the snaps under center after starter Mark Sanchez left the game midway through the first quarter. The former USC standout finished the game 12-for-20 for 192 yards and one interception. Tebow finished 6-for-12 for 69 yards and one rushing touchdown.
But while the Eagles offense staged a bit of a quarterback battle, it was the defense that truly stood out, giving up just one touchdown and forcing three turnovers, including a pair of interceptions by Ed Reynolds.
Andrew Luck played a series and a half for the Colts, going 5-for-6 for 43 yards. Click here for a full box score.
Tim Tebow Scored a Rushing TD in the Fourth Quarter
Welcome back, Tim Tebow. In a game that was up-and-down with more than its fair share of problems, the Eagles quarterback made his case for a roster spot by doing what he does best; running.
Tebow found the end zone in his return to the gridiron, rushing the ball in for a seven-yard score with just over two minutes left in regulation. The crowd, literally, went wild.
Eagles DB Ed Reynolds Grabbed Two Interceptions on Back-to-Back Drives
https://twitter.com/LesBowen/status/633002823521824768
We see you there Ed Reynolds. The former Stanford defensive back, in his second NFL season, made his presence known with a pair of back-to-back interceptions in the fourth quarter.
The picks were the defensive highlights of a strong defensive performance by the Eagles. Philadelphia forced three Indianapolis turnovers and, collectively, recorded three quarterback sacks.
Josh Robinson Broke Tackles for an Indianapolis TD Run
TOUCHDOWN. @Bowling34ball
He probably should have been tackled three different times but Colts running back and sixth-round pick Josh Robinson refused to go down and barreled his way into the end zone for the first Indianapolis touchdown of the day.
I like me some Josh Robinson. A spark plug kind of player. Powerful legs, keeps pushing, low center of gravity. More, please.
It was not a particularly good play for the Eagles defensive front, which had actually broken into the backfield and hit Robinson several times before he scored. Welcome to preseason.
The Eagles Led 23 – 3 at Halftime
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Indianapolis got on the board first but then Andrew Luck left the game and it’s been all Eagles ever since.
Colts backup quarterback Matt Hasselback has not been very impressive in the early goings of the preseason matchup, going into the half on 8-of-17 passing for 72 total yards.
On the Eagles side of things, the quarterback battle that Philadelphia has staged throughout training camp just got a heck of a lot more interesting after a stellar performance from former USC star Matt Barkley. Barkley came into the game midway through the first quarter and went 10-for-17 for 148 yards. He did throw one pick but it was more a credit to the Colts defensive line than anything he did wrong.
Also keep an eye on Philadelphia rookie Nelson Agholor who hauled in three passes for 57 yards and one touchdown. He looked good. He looked fast and he looked ready for the NFL.
Brace yourselves for some second half Tebow Time.
Kenjon Barner Returned a Punt 92 Yards for a Philadelphia TD
Kenjon Barner, also fast (via @jdavhill):
The Eagles special teams, which scored seven touchdowns last year, continued its trend of high-scoring action as Kenjon Barner returned a 92-yard punt for a late-half touchdown.
The play started out unassuming and for a moment it actually looked like Barner was going to lose yardage after hauling in the ball at the eight yard line. Then he started to run. And run. And run.
Give some credit to the Philadelphia blocking down the field but Barner was simply not going to be denied. Also not all that interested, Indianapolis Pro Bowl punter Pat McAfee. Case in point:
Pat McAfee didn’t want none…
Matt Barkley Led an Eagles TD Drive on His First Series at QB
.@MattBarkley out there dropping dimes. #INDvsPHI
Hey there Matt Barkley, nice to see you throwing again.
The former USC standout, who is battling for the No. 3 quarterback spot on Philadelphia’s roster, made his case with a pitch-perfect offensive series late in the first quarter. Barkley went 2-for-3 on the drive for 65 yards, including a pass that split Indianapolis defenders right down the middle.
Kenjon Barner wrapped up the drive with a nine-yard touchdown run to give the Ealges a 10-point lead at the end of the first quarter. Your move, Tim Tebow.
Eagles Rookie Nelson Agholor’s First NFL Reception Went for a Touchdown
Rookie @nelsonagholor: First catch. First run. First TOUCHDOWN. #FlyEaglesFly http://t.co/MBIN0ewVri
That’s one way to start your career.
Former USC wide receiver, Nelson Agholor hauled in his first reception of the afternoon, and of his career, made a move on the Colts secondary and found the end zone. The play capped off an eight-play, 80-yard drive for the Eagles. That kid is fast.
Bob Bicknell said yesterday he wanted Agholor to have a strong debut. Added the rookie is all business, needs to have fun on the field.
The Colts Got on the Board First
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Adam Vinatieri continues to do Adam Vinatieri things. The seemingly un-aging kicker got Indianapolis on the board first with a 32-yard field goal midway through the first quarter.
Andrew Luck left the game midway through the series after starting the game. He left after taking a hit on the second drive, giving the offensive reigns to Matt Hasselbeck.
Luck’s day ended with 43 yards through the air. Hasselback, meanwhile, went 1-for-3 on the drive for 17 yards.
Who’s Not Playing
We’ve known that Eagles quarterback Sam Bradford won’t be on the field for Philadelphia’s preseason opener for awhile now, but there are also a handful of other players who won’t see a snap. Here’s the pre-game list: DeMarco Murray (running back), Jerome Couplin (safety), Earl Wolff (safety), Kiko Alonso (linbeacker), DeMeco Ryans (linebacker),Mychael Kendricks (linebcker) and Zach Ertz (tight end).
Meanwhile, Indianapolis will sit TY Hilton (wide receiver), Darius Butler (cornerback), Donald Celiscar (cornerback) Tevin Mitchel (cornerback), Vontae Davis (cornerback), Jeris Pendleton (defensive tackle), Donald Thomas (guard), Robert Mathis (linebacker) and Vick Ballard (running back).
Game Preview
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Get ready for the Sanchize and Tebow Time as the Philadelphia Eagles open their preseason slate with a matchup against the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday afternoon.
Eagles coach Chip Kelly announced earlier this week that Sam Bradford would not be playing in the preseason opener, leaving the door open for backups Mark Sanchez, former USC standout Matt Barkley and Tim Tebow. Although Sanchez has pretty much locked up the No. 2 spot, Barkley and Tebow are battling it out for the No. 3 and a place on the Eagles roster.
Sunday will mark the first time Tebow has stepped onto a football field, in a competitive capacity, in two years and is determined to show how much that time away has helped him improve his game.
“Tim obviously has a lot of skills that other quarterbacks don’t have because of his ability to run the football,” Kelly told ESPN. “But we haven’t delved into any of that.”
The Colts, meanwhile, know exactly what they have on offense. Andrew Luck is good, T.Y. Hilton just signed a five-year contract extension and the goal this year is Super Bowl or bust. There are few bubble guys to watch out for though, including undrafted free agent Zack Hodges, who is looking to make the cut at the outside linebacker position.
Kickoff for this afternoon’s game is slated for 1 p.m. on NFL Network.
