The Philadelphia Eagles wrapped up their first preseason game, and it was about as bad a performance as it could have been after losing to the Baltimore Ravens 24-7.
While the Eagles' defense played well through the first three quarters, they allowed 14 points in the fourth quarter, leaving their offense no shot at a comeback. In the first half, though, the front seven was doing a good job.
The team struggled in the secondary. To the credit of cornerback Kelee Ringo, he made a great interception near the end of the first half, but don't let that distract you from the kind of game he had.
Kelee Ringo still struggled enough for him to be Eagles cut candidate
If Ringo doesn't make that interception, Eagles fans will be talking about cutting him from the team right away. That honestly should be what people are talking about.
Ringo straight up did not play well. He gave the Ravens receivers way too much comfort room. The one guy on the Ravens that Eagles fans were warned about, rookie Ja'Kobi Lane, got a 16-yard touchdown catch in the second quarter. Guess who was covering him? Ringo.
Before his interception, Ringo was called for a pass interference call that was bad on him. One interception late in the second quarter could be saving Ringo from being cut right now. Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni even credited Ringo for bouncing back quickly.
"Yeah, you always want to think about being able to move on and play the next play," Sirianni said. "That's mental toughness, having the same attitude, effort, and energy, regardless— and enthusiasm, regardless of the circumstances. And so that was good. That was positive to see Kelee come back after that play and make a really nice interception."
Ringo didn't record a single tackle, but did get the interception and a pass deflection. All in all, the pick saved him from having a near-disaster night.
Looking back at Ringo's career with the Eagles, he has just never lived up to the expectations that his 6-foot-2 height should have given him a massive advantage. Sure, he's been a great special-teams player for the Eagles, but that has not translated to the defense.
Last season, Ringo posted a 55.3 overall grade on Pro Football Focus, ranking 86th out of 114 NFL cornerbacks. He allowed 15.5 yards per reception, showing that he is prone to the big play.
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At some point, the Eagles have to face the fact that Ringo isn't going to work out and needs to go. Philly has to find better options in free agency to replace him because he's just becoming a liability every time he's on the field.
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