September 01, 2016
Like they seem to do most years, the Eagles and New York Jets wrapped up their preseason slates by playing against each other. Like most years, the product on the field was rather unwatchable.
The Eagles ended their preseason undefeated with a 14-6 win over the Jets. Thanks to our football writer, we know that going undefeated in the preseason has historically been more of a curse than blessing:
Here are the teams that went undefeated in the preseason over the last 10 yrs & how they finished in the reg season pic.twitter.com/Rba0H32bqE
— Jimmy Kempski (@JimmyKempski) September 2, 2016
The first half observations (full of some Paul Turner goodness) are here. This is some of what we saw in the final 30 minutes:
• The throw was poor (and we’ll get to that later), but Ed Reynolds did a nice job of snagging this pass down at his feet and taking it back to the house for a touchdown:
Braman with the heat, Reynolds with the pick six! pic.twitter.com/xz7k0gDPsQ
— Philly Influencer (@PHL_Influencer) September 2, 2016
Reynolds is a limited player, but he does seem to be around the ball quite a bit. Just as they’ll have to do when the real games start, the Eagles created big plays defensively and on special teams.
• The preseason is finally over. Bring on the games that count.
• McLeod Bethel-Thompson’s ball security left a lot to be desired. After a 13-yard run, MBT (that’s what we’ll go with) couldn’t hold on. Later, MBT botched a handoff with Cedric O’Neal. O’Neal later put the ball on the ground again, ending a decent drive.
• Lane Johnson didn’t play in the game, and according to FOX 29’s Howard Eskin, it might be because his suspension decision drags on into the season:
I'm told reason #Eagles not playing RT Lane Johnson 2nite, feeling after talking 2 #nfl office Johnson will b eligible 1st Gm. @FOX29philly
— Howard Eskin (@howardeskin) September 1, 2016
10 games is 10 games, but it says here that it would be better if Johnson was suspended for the opener. That would allow the offensive line to find some much needed continuity heading into the season. Plus, they might be able to gain some confidence against a very bad Cleveland Browns team.
• Eric Rowe was on the field for the entire game, which means he might not play a ton of defensive snaps when the regular season starts:
Turn your head around Eric! pic.twitter.com/8qDNRn8wfh
— Philly Influencer (@PHL_Influencer) September 2, 2016
• I really don’t want to pile on, but what the heck happened to Christian Hackenberg? He showcased a ton of potential as a true freshman at Penn State, Bill O’Brien left, and then everything completely fell apart. On this night, the Reynolds pick-six was only one of many poor throws from the Penn State product.
Hackenberg finished an abysmal 11-31 for 54 yards (0 TD, 1 INT).
Follow Rich on Twitter: @rich_hofmann
