The Philadelphia Eagles closed out the preseason with a 30-13 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.
Philly's defense struggled in the second half, and the offense was inconsistent at best. It ends what has been a tough preseason for the Eagles, going 0-3.
There are plenty of reactions from the game after a lot happened. Here's a look at some thoughts from what was on the field for the Eagles.
Quick initial reactions to the Eagles' preseason finale against the Bengals
Makai Lemon makes a quick first impression...until he dropped it
It was nothing special, but Lemon caught his first target of the game on the first offensive play for the Eagles. Tanner McKee threw a play-action bootleg a bit behind Lemon, but the rookie first-round pick adjusted and made the three-yard completion. Unfortunately, in the second quarter, he dropped a pass from McKee, and it was intercepted off the deflection. He finished with three receptions for three yards on five targets, so not a great night for the rookie.
Kapena Gushiken looks like a true weapon on special teams
While it wasn't the smoothest night for Gushiken in coverage, but man, he can run on special teams. His third tackle of the game was impressive, as he came out quickly on punt coverage and made a great open-field tackle. He finished with three tackles, and while he might not still make the roster, he looks like a special teams ace and a solid practice squad candidate.
Andre' Sam is another Eagles safety that shined
Sam really looked good in coverage in the game with one pass deflection and made two nice tackles in the game, while also recovering two fumbles. He looks like he could get on the practice squad again, but he was impressive to watch. This was the kind of performance the Eagles wanted to see from a secondary that has been shaky throughout the preseason, but he was carted off the field, leaving his roster status up in the air.
Too little, too late for the angry runner Dameon Pierce
Pierce looked a lot like the Houston Texans running back from a few years ago whoPierce played well as a starter. He ran the ball with anger and was running over defenders throughout the night. After four rushing attempts for 44 yards, Pierce probably doesn't make the 53-man roster since this was his first preseason game, but if he clears waivers, he might have a spot on the practice squad.
Tanner McKee looked very uneasy in his first start
McKee finally got his first start in the preseason, and he...didn't quite run with the job at all. He finished 12-of-22 for 55 yards and one interception. Lemon did drop the pick that McKee had, but a lot of his passes looked low or just off target. Everyone thought McKee ran away with the QB2 job from Andy Dalton, but there is some uncertainty after the Bengals game.
Carson Steele is not making the running back conversation any easier
For the second straight game, the Eagles saw Steele catch a touchdown pass for the offense. He had 24 rushing yards and eight receptions for 52 yards with the score. If the Eagles really wanted a fourth running back who could play fullback, Steele might be the guy to pick for that after the way he's played.
Andy Dalton made the QB2 situation worse with his standout performance
Okay, now Dalton wants to play his best game of the preseason? He looked way better than he ever has in the preseason, completing 12-of-19 passes for 104 yards and a touchdown, with his best throw being a 26-yard completion to Danny Gray. The Eagles may have to carry four quarterbacks or trade Dalton/McKee quickly because Dalton made the situation much tougher with his performance.
Deontae Lawson might have locked at least a practice squad spot
Lawson had himself a great game for the Eagles, with his highlight play of the night being his forced fumble in the second quarter on defense. He finished the game with five tackles and the forced fumble. It's not 100% clear whether he did enough to make the 53-man roster, but he certainly should make the practice squad for Philly.
Read more: The media needs to stop floating Eagles trade idea at one position
Jake Elliott finally got some action and did his job well
What a relief it was to see Elliott kick his first two field goals of the preseason. He made both of his kicks, including a 56-yarder. Eagles fans shouldn't get ahead of themselves, but Elliott looked like the old kicker everyone saw before the 2024 season.
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