8 winners (and 3 losers) for the Eagles in their preseason win over the Patriots

We can't wait to see what Vic Fangio says about this performance. He'll be as honest as he always is. He'll say the Philadelphia Eagles' defense played backups, but even he has to smile when he thinks about what his unit is doing.

In Week 1 versus the Baltimore Ravens, his defense held the opponent to 164 yards and 13 points. Against the New England Patriots, his guys improved.

They held Jerod Mayo's guys to 159 yards and 13 points.

There are again some areas where they can improve. The same can be said about Kellen Moore's offense, but as was the case last week, we walked out of a preseason game with several reasons to smile.

Here's a look at some individual performances we noticed after this one.

Also read: Eagles 53-man roster projection (preseason version)

Worth mentioning: The Eagles offensive line

This puts the 'dud' tally over three players. You get the idea though. This can't be ignored, There is so much to talk about here.

Part of the reason why the aforementioned fourth-down conversion failed was Max Scharping was beaten like a drum. That happened to him and several other teammates a lot in this one. The reserves saw some decent Patriots players and seemed to be beaten rather consistently.

There's another side to this though. Some of the blame may need to be placed on Kenny Pickett. Sure, his line failed to open holes for tailbacks. There was also a bad snap on a quarterback sneak later with Tanner McKee in the lineup, but did anyone notice Tanner McKee was never sacked while playing guys who were further down the depth chart?

Scharping isn't the only guy we need to mention. He's just the first guy that comes to mind. We left this one feeling like we hope none of the starters get hurt.

Dud: Kenny Pickett

We experienced some joy from seeing the Eagles be aggressive in the second quarter and attempt to extend a drive on fourth down. A lack of execution quickly extended that joy. They couldn't get a pass away as Kenny Pickett took a sack.

True indeed... Philly's offensive line reserves didn't perform as well during the second preseason game as they had done during th first, but come on Kenny Pickett. You can't just hold the ball there and take a sack.

That alone gets you named as a dud on a list like this one. Three additional sacks, zero pop on offense, and an 88.1 passer rating doesn't help much either.

It isn't like Kenny Pickett did anything egregious. He connected on 11 of his 13 pass attempts. The problem is he didn't do anything spectacular either... And, this is the second straight game that has happened.

He has averaged 4.6 yards per pass attempt through two games.

Dud: James Bradberry

We have seen enough. We love the guy and all. He's the consummate professional, but James Bradberry can't be on this Eagles roster, not even as a backup safety.

He was also fooled by the read-pass option. But, then again, so was everyone else.

Failure to adhere to this warning will result in some game-altering play during the regular season. We're still having nightmares of that Drew Lock TD pass to Jaxon Smith-Njigba that put the finishing touches on a game-winning drive. You remember who JSN beat on the route, don't you?

Those are just some of the duds. We'd like to end this on a high note though. Here's a look at some of the guys who made us smile

Dud: Devin White

Remember this guy? No, he isn't playing much. No, we didn't expect him to, but he hasn't done anything to increase our confdence in him through two preseason games.

He has tallied three tackles during those two games, but we have seen a lot of what made the Tampa Bay Buccaneers give up on him. He's out of position too often. He seems to be two steps away from where he should be.

Winner: Bryce Huff

Bryce Huff must have heard what some of you have said about him. He played two series in this one and made maximum impact. Three tackles on the first two drives... Two were solo... He was solid... Regardless of how you have felt about him up to this point, you had to leave this one feeling like you saw some game-wrecking ability.

Winner: Tanner McKee

We asked to see some of Tanner McKee with the second-team offense. Our wish wasn't granted, but we saw enough to allow us to make a proclamation. This is the second best quarterback on the Eagles' roster.

This offense looks better when McKee is leading it. Don't get too excited if you're a McKee or Stanford fan though. This coaching staff seems set on naming Pickett as Jalen Hurts' backup. Still, Tanner took another step forward.

He completed 14 of his 17 pass attempts and carved out 140 yards through the air. The former Cardinal signal-caller topped Pickett's 88.1 passer rating with a 101.0 rating.

The coaching staff sandwiched a look at Will Grier between two McKee showings. That was weird, but Tanner made good on his chances and put the cherry on top of his night with a seven-play, 70-yard scoring drive.

He connected with Ainias Smith on the two-point conversion to put Philly up on the scoreboard for good. McKee has a lot to be proud of after this one!

Winner: Jeremiah Trotter Jr and Nakobe Dean

There are still plenty of signs that both can mature as players, but that's okay. We're in the preseason. These guys can't whiff on tackles when the games begin counting against the win-loss total though.

The good news is they both have great click and close ability. Trotter has to finish tackles. Dean could be better in coverage, but we'll give both a passing grade here because we have more to praise about their performance than criticize.

Dean led all Philly tacklers with five of them. Four were of the solo variety. He has outperformed Devin White so far this season.

Winner: E.J. Jenkins

E.J. Jenkins has stood out through training camp, but he only caught one of two targets versus the Ravens for a grand total of four yards. He enjoyed a better showing in Week 2 versus the Patriots.

Five receptions tied for the team lead. He racked up 47 yards receiving in the process. His longest reception went for 19 yards. Here are two of his better grabs of the evening as he strengthened his case to be this team's third tight end. Don't be shocked if he lands on the roster.

Winner: Will Shipley

Will Shipley watch continues. That yards per carry average could be better (3.0). He notched 15 yards on five rushing attempts, but he again showed value as a receiver.

In total, he notched 31 yards on four receptions and enjoyed a long of 19 yards.

Winner: Joseph Ngata

We give him grief when he disappears. We have to give him credit when he shows up. Joseph Ngata improved from a zero catch on three-target performance versus the Ravens and snagged all five targets in Week 2.

He tied for the team lead in receptions (five). He led the Eagles in receiving yards (88). He still has a lot of work to do if he is to make the roster, but this showing will certainly do him a favor.

Winner: Avonte Maddox

We have never questioned Avonte Maddox's ability as a player. We just fear the injuries that we know will occur. Still, it doesn't get much better than a preseason interception.

We're proud of you Avonte! We just have one question. Does anyone else feel like he could have scored there?