Eagles vs. Steelers winners and losers
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Eagles vs. Steelers winners and losers
Jeff McLane
The Eagles won their preseason opener over the Steelers, 24-23, but it wasn’t necessarily a performance Andy Reid will want to bottle up and keep – especially from his starters. Here’s a compilation of some winners, losers and others from last night’s game after re-watching the first team tape. I included some obvious names among the reserves, but have yet to re-watch all of the final 2-1/2 quarters.
WINNERS
- The good thing about the 26 plays the Eagles defense allowed the Steelers in their first two drives was that it gave Mychal Kendricks, who also played in the nickel D, plenty of game action. The rookie linebacker played well. He made a few errors, but was consistently around the ball. His best sequence came on Pittsburgh’s second drive. Kendricks stuffed running back Chris Rainey for a one-yard loss, and then made the correct read on a screen pass to Jonathan Dwyer and dropped him for a two-yard loss. Earlier he was stiffed armed to the ground by tailback Isaac Redman and bit on a Ben Roethlisberger pump fake that set up a third-down conversion. But the rookie had a solid debut.
- It’s hard to see how Phillip Hunt can’t make the 53-man roster. The second-year defensive end finished last season on a high note – recording two sacks in the final four games – and shot out of the gate this preseason. Hunt had two sacks, one time stripping the football from quarterback Byron Leftwich’s hands. The Steelers’ Mike Adams isn’t on anyone’s list of the top left tackles in the game, but Hunt’s first step should give plenty of tackles fits.
- With Jeremy Maclin sidelined before the game with a hamstring strain, rookie Damaris Johnson got the start in his place. He caught Michael Vick’s first pass for four yards, but his best moments came later. He flashed his impressive speed on a 40-yard punt return that was called back by an illegal block, and caught a long pass from Nick Foles in the third quarter and that he took all the way for a 70-yard touchdown. It was his double move, though, that left him virtually alone. Like Hunt, it’s hard to see how the Eagles can keep Johnson off the roster. He’s a much better tinker toy than Chad Hall, whose days in Philly appear numbered.
- Alex Henery’s game-winning 51-yard field goal was a beauty. He split the uprights and cleared the crossbar by at least five yards. Last season, Andy Reid was reluctant to give Henery many opportunities beyond 50 yards. But last night’s boot should be a confidence builder for the second-year kicker that missed a couple of late field goal attempts against the 49ers last season. Henery also had three touchbacks on kickoffs.
- It’s not saying much considering Vick’s small sample and Mike Kafka’s shaky outing, but Nick Foles had the best night among the quarterbacks. The rookie was 6 of 10 for 144 yards and two TDs, and would have had another completion had tight end Brett Brackett not dropped a gimme. Foles’ first TD pass to Johnson was an impressive one, because he smoothly moved to his right when he was flushed out the pocket, kept his eyes downfield and threw across his body 40-plus yards. His second TD pass – a 44-yarder to Mardy Gilyard – was even more impressive. He recognized the single coverage, threw a strike to the receiver’s back shoulder and Gilyard took care of the rest, controlling his body and crossing the plane for the score.
LOSERS
- It didn’t take watching the replay to come to the conclusion that Jaiquawn Jarrett had a rough night. The second-year safety was starting in place of the injured Nate Allen and he struggled mightily. Jarrett actually started a few games last season and was nowhere near as bad as he was Thursday night. It’s still early and I don’t want to bury the kid, but if he can’t get his act together there’s no way the Eagles can keep him on the roster, especially as the third safety. He totally whiffed on Emmanuel Sanders after the receiver caught a pass for a first down and picked up more yards. He took a bad angle on a Dwyer run up the middle and knocked his own man (Vinny Curry) down. Wasn’t Jarrett supposed to be Mr. Sure Tackler? And then he was late to recognize that Sanders was his man inside when Leftwich hit the receiver for an easy two-yard TD catch.
- Not a great debut for DeMeco Ryans, who many hoped would be the Eagles’ savior at middle linebacker. Ryans needs some time to get used to a different scheme, but he looked hesitant and, well, a little slow. The missed tackles weren’t a good sign either. There were actually two missed tackle attempts by Ryans on a Dywer 7-yard run during the Steelers’ second possession. Several players later, he and Derek Landri couldn’t wrap up Rainey, who scooted 14 yards on third and 13. On Pittsburgh’s first series, Ryans over-pursued on a 7-yard Redman carry.
- Mike Kafka did little to ease the concerns of many that think he isn’t the answer at backup quarterback. He completed only 5 of 9 passes for 31 yards and made a poor decision when, in a hurry, he threw a pass right into the arms of linebacker Al Woods. On a few throws he never looked away from his first receiver and forced passes. It’s too early to demote Kafka, despite the fact that fans are already in pitchfork-and-torch mode, but he needs to show something in ten days when the Eagles travel to New England for their second preseason game.
-- It’s probably not entirely fair to judge Demetress Bell on just six snaps, but he got beat pretty bad by linebacker Chris Carter on the play in which Vick bruised his thumb. Vick had to step up and after he released a pass to Clay Harbor, banged his hand on the helmet of center Jason Kelce. Again, we need to see more than six snaps before we can start worrying about Bell.
OTHERS
- At least Nnamdi Asomugha came to tackle. The cornerback wasn’t as sure-handed last season, but he made several nice stops, coming up to help out on the run. He got beat on an inside slant to Antonio Brown that picked up 14 yards, but Asomugha looked comfortable out there.
- Roethlisbeger picked on Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie with a couple of short passes, but the cornerback did well any time the quarterback tried to go over top. He made a boneheaded decision, though, when he left the ground and delivered a high blow to Leftwich on a third and long play that kept the second drive alive. Dumb penalties hindered the Eagles defense early last season.
- The return game received a nice kickoff to the season – pun intended -- when Brandon Boykin raced 46 yards on his first return. The rookie took the correct path outside and turned on the gas. Most important, he looked very comfortable with the ball, unlike Dion Lewis, who was thrust into the kickoff return role last season. Boykin wasn’t as solid playing the nickel, at least based on first impressions. I recall a missed tackle on the Steelers’ final touchdown – a 57-yard pass. Joselio Hanson, meanwhile, looked sharp as the first team nickel and has the edge right now. I still think the competition is up in the air, though.
- I didn’t see much pressure from Brandon Graham when he lined up against the Steelers’ first team offensive line. He did record a sack of Leftwich against the second teamers with a bull rush.
Kafka will never wake up one day and be an NFL QB. He'll just be Mike Kafka.— dragoon6- He just might be kafkaesque ! — marcards
- First preseason and it looked like they were still n morning . Jet may show us— JIM IAQUINTO
- Brandon Graham applied good pressure in the Steelers first drive and showed nice hustle and not giving up on plays. I thought he played very well.— Sports4Life
- It seemed like everyone in the defensive front seven was overpursuing, or taking bad angles, all night long. The middle of the defense was wide open, even when the ends were NOT in the wide-9 alignment. Not sure we can properly blame Jarrett for the Sanders TD, because Jarrett was covering a TE. It looked like they were lined up in man coverage, with Nnamdi on Sanders and Jarrett on a TE. At the snap, he was right on the guy, leading me to believe that it wasn't an incorrect read on his part, but perhaps an incorrect defensive call. Or Nnamdi was mistaken, thinking he had help to the inside. As poor a game as Jarrett played, I just can't lay that one solely at his feet.— critias
ok so the whole defense was bad, whose fault is that. Juan and Andy for putting Juan in charge of the thing. And Andy and Howie for making bad draft picks. And Andy for hiring a guy who runs a Wide-9. and Andy and Howie thinking a guy coming off ACL will fix everything. The list goes on. None of them result in a superbowl.- lol, if Andy Reid had actually won a superbowl MAYBE I WOULD. If he even showed me a glimmer of a 1% chance that he could win a superbowl I WOULD BE GLAD TO. BUT THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS HE HASNT AND NEVER WILL. HOW MANY TIMES DO I NEED TO SAY IT BEFORE IT SINKS IN. NEVER.
- Toz, I hate to write it but I agree with CG25. We, unfortunately know how this will end. How about Vick burning a timeout in the first quarter. Look familiar? I will root as hard as I can, but I , and you, know the ending. — cm3737
The DRC hit was overblown. It was against Leftwich, who is probably 60 pounds heavier, and whose legs are about as big as DRC's waist. It was good to see DRC take that one, rather than just arm tackle.
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- IF YOU CAN'T TACKLE OR GET OFF BLOCKS, THEN YOU ARE NO BETTER THATN LAST YEAR...THERE WAS NO CHANGE IN THIS DEFENSE...BLAME IT ON JC, BLAME IT ON LOUSEY TECHNIQUES.....REALTIY IS THEY STUNK....AND KAFKA BETTER GET A GOOD GRIP ONTHE CLIPBOARD FOR THAT IS HIS ONLY HOPE....FOLES LOOKED GOOD.....AND RYANS WAS CERTIANLY NO BIG DEAL— nuggett
- People need to realize that the Eagles played a straight up defense last nite. No games, no blitzes, etc. So to rail on them about being "bad" last nite is pretty short sighted. Regarding Ryans having a bad game, that's laughable. The guy next to him, Rolle, was awful. A MLB cannot play effectively when the guy next to him is getting washed into his pursuit lanes. Rolle and Jarrett last nite kept making physical and mental mistakes. No defense can overcome that, not at all. I don't think anyone expects either guy to start, so let's table the "this defense sucks, Castillo sucks" conversation for another preseason game, or the regular season for that matter.— beegal99
- Not likely that Bell was to blame for Carter's play, since he's a LB. Bell was probably already engaged; someone else should have probably picked Carter up, usually a back.— drbob1
- Exactly. Besides, they call it a pocket for a reason. Bell did his job on it, anyway. Kelce is the one who can't get pushed back like that. — beegal99
