The Philadelphia Eagles dropped their preseason matchup to the New England Patriots 24-21, but the scoreboard barely tells the story of what went down. Forget the final score, because Tanner McKee made a huge statement, lighting up the field and making the backup quarterback job a real battle, especially after Andy Dalton’s rough outing. After last week’s total stinker against the Ravens, it was actually pretty refreshing to see the Eagles have moments of good football. The offense, even if it was far from perfect, looked functional at times, especially in the running game. Was Sean Mannion calling plays from the booth instead of the field the secret sauce? Maybe!
QB Battle Heats Up: Dalton’s Struggles vs. McKee’s Spark
This backup QB battle is officially ON. For the second week in a row, Andy Dalton got the start, and for the second week in a row, it just wasn’t good. The veteran quarterback was straight up inaccurate, nearly turning the ball over multiple times. His final numbers tell the brutal truth: 3 completions on 10 attempts for a measly 44 yards, zero interceptions, zero touchdowns, and a cringe-worthy 45.4 passer rating. Yikes.
Then, about midway through the second quarter, Tanner McKee stepped in, and the energy shifted. Despite working with what was clearly a lesser supporting cast, McKee looked sharp, a night and day difference from Dalton. He carved up the Patriots’ defense, finishing with an impressive 16 completions on 22 attempts for 173 yards. The dude threw two touchdowns and zero interceptions, racking up a stellar 125.8 passer rating. Honestly, he should have had a third touchdown, but E.J. Jenkins dropped a pass that led to a turnover on downs. That’s a gut punch for McKee, but his performance spoke volumes. This isn’t just a competition anymore; it feels like McKee is making a very strong case to be QB2.
First Quarter Drama and Standout Plays
It wasn’t all about the quarterbacks, though the first quarter was a whirlwind of action and some serious drama. The most terrifying moment came right on the opening kickoff when Ja’Quinden Jackson was taken off the field in an ambulance after a special teams tackle. That was a scary scene, and you never want to see that.
On the field, the defense had its moments. Kelee Ringo came SO close to a pick-six, jumping the route perfectly, but the ball just went right through his hands and smacked him in the facemask. Gotta make that catch, man! Gabe Hall was making noise in run defense, credited with two good tackles, and a third that got wiped out by a Patriots holding penalty. He even generated pressure on a stunt that forced an incompletion. Kapena Gushiken, or “Gush” as they call him, started at nickel cornerback and made a solid play, crashing down on a run to limit the Patriots to just a one-yard pickup, forcing a 3rd-and-8. Not bad at all for an early test.
Special teams saw Britain Covey muff the game’s first punt, but thankfully he managed to recover it. Talk about a lucky break! On offense, Willie Lampkin helped spring an 18-yard run for Will Shipley, showing some good blocking up front. And even though Andy Dalton overthrew them on back-to-back plays, it was good to see Eli Stowers getting open. Undrafted rookie Zion Wilson also had a real nice run stuff, continuing to pop in these preseason games. Jeremiah Trotter Jr., coming unblocked, instantly got to Tommy DeV.
This preseason is flying by. With performances like McKee’s, these players are fighting for their spots every single snap. What happens next for the backup QB role? It’s going to be wild to watch.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bleeding Green Nation.
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