Getty The Jets beat the Eagles, 6-0, Thursday to end the preseason.
That’s a wrap on the preseason, folks. The Eagles lost an incredibly boring game to the Jets, 6-0. Head coach Doug Pederson and his staff will have two days to review the film (shouldn’t take too long) and make final cuts.
The majority of the roster was already decided going into the game as evidenced by half the roster not playing. That’s right, 43 Eagles players didn’t even log one minute. The guys that did play were fighting for roster spots. Don’t tell them this game was meaningless.
“This is not the end of the road for these players,” Pederson said earlier this week. “I tell them all the time, they’re obviously competing for our team but there are 31 other teams that are looking at our roster to see who gets released and who stays and all of that.”
Players Trending Up
1. Alex Singleton, Linebacker
What haven’t we already said about the kid from the Canadian Football League? His motor never stops. Singleton was all over the field — on special teams, on stopping the run and in coverage. He led the Eagles in this one with 12 total tackles, including a bone-jarring hit on Jets quarterback Luke Falk that stalled a scoring drive. He did it again early in the fourth quarter on a crucial stop on 3rd-and-5. Perhaps his greatest claim to the 53 came when he recovered a fumble late in the fourth quarter. Singleton was ruled out of bounds — although replays showed otherwise — even after the Eagles challenged it. He outplayed every single linebacker this preseason, including presumed starter Nate Gerry.
2. Daeshon Hall, Defensive End
Another game, another strip-sack. Hall came barreling off the edge with 2:50 to go in the first quarter for his fourth sack and third forced fumble of the preseason. He was a nightmare matchup nightmare all night, including coming right back in after suffering a scary right shoulder injury. When the Jets attempted to chip block him with an extra lineman, Hall pulled out a sick spin move and came within inches of his fifth sack. Hall also fought through a double team to set up Hassan Ridgeway for a sack. His final preseason stat line: 11 QB pressures, four sacks, three forced fumbles. He hasn’t just been the best pass-rusher on the Eagles, he’s been the best in the NFL.
3. Josh Hawkins, Cornerback
Hawkins had himself a baller game for the second straight week. There’s not much wiggle room in the secondary, but he is sure making it tough for the coaches to decide. The young cornerback had five total tackles, highlighted by a beautiful read on a deep ball where he reversed direction and jumped up for the interception. If the Eagles don’t keep him on the 53, he’s probably not going to clear waivers. He can play in this league.
Players Trending Down
1. Clayton Thorson, Quarterback
Well, that didn’t go well — at all. Thorson, who played all 60 minutes against the Jets, had been improving after a rocky debut three weeks ago. Now, he’ll be lucky if the Eagles let him on the bus back to Philly. The rookie out of Northwestern was recklessly bad, sailing throws too high for his receivers and leaving them out to absorb big hits. A few of them were shaking their heads at him. Thorson finished 12-of-26 for 84 yards with one completely telegraphed interception. If they really want him, they can sign him to the practice squad after he clears waivers. And he will clear waivers.
Clayton Thorson and the Eagles starting offense tonight has not generated a single point and did not have 100+ yards of offense until midway through the 4th
Thorson and Wendell Smallwood are responsible for both of their turnovers
2. Josh Sweat, Defensive End
Sweat received kudos from the broadcast team for swooping in late and nearly getting a first-half sack, within whispering distance of the quarterback. His closing speed was blink-of-an-eye quick. But, at the end of the day, he didn’t get there in time. After that, Sweat was a ghost. How long should the Eagles wait for the second-year defensive end to start making plays. He finished with just one combined tackle for the night. It’s time to move on.
3. Matt Pryor, Tackle
The 6-foot-7, 360-pounder started at left tackle and really failed to impress. The thought was the Eagles might keep him around for his size, tough to let guys that big walk away. However, Pryor was overmatched on several one-on-one matchups, particularly by Jets undrafted defensive end Kyle Phillips who beat him for a big sack. There’s no way Pryor lands on the 53.
Predicting the Final 53-Man Roster
Quarterbacks (3): Carson Wentz, Josh McCown, Nate Sudfeld
None of these guys played in the preseason finale and they still looked better than Clayton Thorson. That really tells the whole story. However, the cameras did catch Nate Sudfeld chatting it up with Fletcher Cox on the sideline. Wonder what that was all about? Cox looked to be showing him a drop-back technique.
Running Backs (4): Jordan Howard, Miles Sanders, Corey Clement, Darren Sproles
These guys are locked in and the order really isn’t important. The question had been whether the Eagles would hold onto a fifth running back. Not sure they need one. Wendall Smallwood started strong against the Jets, then fumbled the ball away. Josh Adams carried two times for negative-one. Four is enough.
Wide Receivers (5): Alshon Jeffery, Nelson Agholor, DeSean Jackson, J.J. Arcega-Whiteside, Greg Ward Jr.
This was supposed to be Mack Hollins’ night to shine. Yet he was only targeted one time in the game. Granted, he made a few nice special teams plays. Was it enough to make the 53? Greg Ward Jr. went without a catch, but he had the best preseason of the bunch and did take an end-around for 15 yards against the Jets. That should be enough to make it.
Tight Ends (3): Zach Ertz, Dallas Goedert, Alex Ellis
Wow, this turned into a bigger battle than anyone expected. Josh Perkins drew the start against the Jets and did some nice things. His wham block opened up a huge running lane for Wendall Smallwood. Then Alex Ellis made a ridiculous one-handed circus catch later in the game. It’s 50-50 on those two. Pick one.
#Eagles TE Alex Ellis with the nice one-hand catch ✋😎
Offensive Line (9): Lane Johnson, Jason Peters, Jason Kelce, Brandon Brooks, Isaac Seumalo, Andre Dillard, Halapoulivaati Vaitai, Brett Toth, Stefen Wisniewski — (Injured Reserve: Jordan Mailata)
Stefen Wisniewski didn’t even play in the game. If you want to read into it, maybe the coaches have seen enough to give him a spot. Jordan Mailata didn’t play either as he’s dealing with a lower-back injury. He appears headed for IR. If that’s the case, that opens up a spot for Brett Toth. This was his very first NFL game and the kid from Army showed he’s worth taking a chance on.
Defensive End (5): Brandon Graham, Derek Barnett, Vinny Curry, Daeshon Hall, Shareef Miller
Again, they may decide to keep six and then Josh Sweat makes the cut. Shareef Miller didn’t put out his best effort against the Jets, but his whole body of work should be good enough to warrant a spot.
Defensive Tackle (5): Fletcher Cox, Malik Jackson, Tim Jernigan, Hassan Ridgeway, Kevin Wilkins
Kevin Wilkins wasn’t even on the radar a week ago. Now he’s sneaking onto the 53. He played with a noticeable energy that seems to fit with the Eagles’ culture. He had four tackles Thursday, along with a huge run stuff in the third quarter.
Linebacker (7): Nigel Bradham, Kamu Grugier-Hill, Zach Brown, Nathan Gerry, L.J. Fort, Alex Singleton, T.J. Edwards
Personally, I would cut Nate Gerry. But the Eagles like him way too much, plus he brings starter experience. Alex Singleton (8) and T.J. Edwards (6) combined for 14 tackles against the Jets. More importantly, they were electric. They can both stop the run and step up in coverage, and always seem to be around the ball. Seven linebackers is a ton to keep. Slight edge to Singleton for his special teams work.
Cornerbacks (5): Ronald Darby, Sidney Jones, Avonte Maddox, Rasul Douglas, Cre’Von LeBlanc — (Physically Unable to Perform: Jalen Mills)
The corners are pretty fluid. Ronald Darby and Sidney Jones will most likely start on the outside in Week 1, with Avonte Maddox mixing in on nickel. The Eagles will try and sneak Josh Hawkins onto the practice squad, too.
Safety (4): Malcolm Jenkins, Rodney McLeod, Andrew Sendejo, Johnathan Cyprien
I really thought Rudy Ford was going to make the 53. The coaching staff seemed mesmerized by his speed. But Ford didn’t suit for the preseason finale as he deals with a lower-body injury. Maybe they try to practice squad him, too.
Special Teams (3): Jake Elliott, Cameron Johnston, Rick Lovato
Matter of semantics here because you need a kicker, a punter and a long snapper. These three are the Peter Gibbons characters.