August 27, 2022
Sam Navarro/USA TODAY Sports
If the Eagles have to play all backups in 2022, I don't like their chances of winning the Super Bowl.
Mercifully, the Philadelphia Eagles' preseason is over, and it ended on an ugly note, as the Birds got trounced by the Miami Dolphins, 48-10. As always, win, lose, or tie, we hand out 10 awards.
I guess the one positive that can said about this game is that none of the Eagles' starters were involved in it. Assuming nobody gets hurt between now and the start of the regular season, all 22 starters should be good to go for Week 1 against the Detroit Lions, including Jason Kelce, who had surgery on his elbow but is expected to return in time.
I'm not sure what the Dolphins were thinking, sending an injury-prone Tua Tagovailoa and the rest of their starters out for three drives against second- and third-string defenders. I'm sure it felt fun to run it up against backups, but what exactly was to to be gained or learned by that? That Tyreek Hill is faster than Mac McCain and K'Von Wallace?
Miami was fortunate that Tagovailoa didn't sustain an injury when he was driven into the ground on a Patrick Johnson sack.
On the Dolphins' first drive, Tagovailoa went deep to Tyreek Hill, and Hill absolutely dusted Mac McCain (who cares) and K'Von Wallace.
First play: 51 yarder to tyreek hill pic.twitter.com/0lKjWgt8jH
— Jacob Meshel (@fins_dynasty) August 27, 2022
We all know that Hill is fast, but, I mean, the above clip looks like Wallace is Rich Eisen running the 40 and NFL Network is superimposing fast guys running past him with ease.
Meanwhile, Taylor was a mess in each of the last two preseason games. In the 2020 NFL Draft, Taylor was a third-round pick, and Wallace was a fourth-round pick. The "Does Howie Roseman keep players because they're recent high-ish picks" debate is gonna be put to the test this year with those two players, because their body of work over their first two seasons in the league coupled with the summers they have had do not merit spots on the roster.
Allen may very well have a future in the NFL as a gunner on the punt team. Dude gets down the field fast.
Devon Allen got these guys shook. pic.twitter.com/7e3zTubUn6
— Victor Williams (@ThePhillyPod) August 28, 2022
Allen may have done enough on Saturday night to make the Eagles nervous about exposing him to waivers.
He recovered the fumble in the Allen video above.
Siposs had a strong night punting the football, both in "blast it away" and "pin them deep" situations. The Eagles are going to run it back with Siposs in 2022.
It's starting to feel like the only positive awards are being given to special teams players.
Sinnett is a toolsy quarterback with a good arm who played well at times in practice, but he simply didn't play well enough in the preseason games to earn a job. For example:
Reid Sinnett just can’t do this
— John Clark (@JClarkNBCS) August 28, 2022
Intercepted by Elijah Campbell and he returns it for a 30 yard TD
Eagles down 24-0
pic.twitter.com/0yvli5iRk8
Ugh. If the Eagles want to continue to develop Sinnett behind the scenes, they can probably safely stash him on the practice squad.
The Eagles gave Strong $320,000 in guaranteed money to sign as an undrafted free agent. He attempted four preseason passes. Hang on, let me do that math...
Strong got $80,000 per preseason pass attempt.
...that that game finally ended. Also, on a personal note, I left Miami after joint practices and traveled home before the game, which was one of the best decisions of my professional career.
Despite what we saw on Saturday night, the Eagles are very likely to be a good football team in 2022. I think. Maybe. Eh, we'll see. Week 1, Sunday, September 11, Eagles at Lions. Two weeks away. Should be a fun season.
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