Preseason Finale at Lincoln Financial Field Brings Roster Decisions Into Focus
The Philadelphia Eagles wrapped up their preseason schedule on Friday night with a 30-13 defeat against the Cincinnati Bengals at Lincoln Financial Field. The game served as the final audition for fringe players fighting for a spot on the 53-man roster before the NFL-mandated cutdown deadline. Joe Burrow and Jalen Hurts sat out, leaving the Tanner McKee vs. Andy Dalton backup QB battle as Philly’s most compelling storyline, and the Bengals sorting out their depth.
Fans turned Lincoln Financial Field into a sea of green Friday as they tailgated ahead of the team’s final preseason game. Supporters celebrated with themed outfits, food, and energetic chants as they looked ahead to the regular season set to begin in just over two weeks. Fans lined up outside the stadium early, showing off their Eagles pride with special accessories and food. Team spirit was high as people traded E A G L E S Eagles!
chants and parents helped kids apply face paint. Fans gathered at Lincoln Financial Field for the Eagles’ last preseason game on Friday, bringing excitement for the upcoming regular season, with tailgaters celebrating with Eagles-themed food, face paint, and special occasions like birthdays and engagements.
Backup Quarterback Battle and Offensive Struggles
The battle for backup quarterback reps remained a central storyline as Tanner McKee and Andy Dalton split time under center. McKee had a rough game, finishing 12 of 22 for 55 yards (2.5 YPA), 0 TDs, and 1 INT, with most of those yards coming on checkdowns to Carson Steele. Dalton didn’t really throw down the field, but he had a much better day than Tanner McKee, completing 12 of 19 passes for 104 yards and a touchdown with a passer rating of 95.1. The preseason is over, and in their third and final preseason game, the Philadelphia Eagles’ backups didn’t look so good.
Standouts on the Bubble and Stock Watch Risers
Here is the final stock up, stock down of the preseason. Stock up: RB Carson Steele. This kid is fun to watch; he didn’t hurdle anyone on Friday night, but he has been one of the Eagles’ best offensive players in this preseason. He continues to be a great receiving threat out of the backfield, recording 24 rushing yards and 52 receiving yards and a touchdown. LB Smael Mondon Jr. got the start and made a great play in the first quarter to sniff out a screen pass and get a 6-yard tackle.
In other preseason action earlier in the summer, the Eagles faced the New England Patriots, where seventh-round rookie quarterback Behren Morton was the catalyst for New England as they mounted a late comeback, engineering separate drives of 12 plays, 59 yards and 11 plays, 73 yards that resulted in lead-changing fourth quarter touchdowns. During the matchup against New England, LB Jeremiah Trotter Jr. started at linebacker and made his presence felt, perfectly timing a blitz to sack Tommy DeVito and chasing him down to minimize damage on a scramble, finishing with 5 tackles and a sack. The Eagles are set with Zack Baun and Jihaad Campbell, but Trotter has starter potential in this league.
Tough Breaks for Rookie Wide Receiver Makai Lemon
Heading into this game against Cincinnati, it felt a lot like Makai Lemon would play a few series, be force-fed a few targets, and then be done for the night. He did get three targets but had 3 catches for just three yards and a bad drop that led to an INT. Lemon also came into the game late in the third quarter for a punt return, and he muffed a shanked grounder before recovering it and getting immediately tackled.
On the Cincinnati sideline, as O-Line opportunities unfolded after releasing veteran offensive lineman Cody Ford on Monday, Cincinnati opened the door for a pair of younger contributors to vie for the swing tackle role. Jalen Rivers, who enters his second pro season, and Javon Foster, who spent last year on the Bengals’ practice squad, both saw substantial action in a home preseason win over Chicago, lining up for exactly 53 offensive snaps (85 percent of the team’s total), with Rivers manning the left tackle spot for most of the game and Foster taking the right side. When asked about the status of the swing tackle battle heading into Friday’s preseason finale, head coach Zac Taylor indicated it is not concluded yet.
We still have time on our hands and are still waiting to see someone just grab some of those jobs and take them,
said Taylor. Some other young O-linemen have made a strong impression on Taylor and the coaching staff through training camp, including fourth-round draft pick Connor Lew.
Bengals players on the fringe of the 53-man roster had one last chance to stake a claim to a roster spot when they faced the Eagles in the final preseason game on Aug. 28 at Lincoln Financial Field (8 p.m. EDT), with the swing tackle position being an important spot to watch against the Eagles defense. NFL teams need to cut down to the 53-man limit by 6 p.m. on Aug. 30. The Eagles wrapped up their preseason on Friday night with a 30-13 loss to the Bengals, and after this game, the Eagles have until 6 p.m. on Sunday to get their roster down to 53 players. The next game at the Linc will be the season opener against the Commanders on Sunday, Sept. 13.