Doinks and debuts: Breaking down Eagles-Ravens, preseason game No. 1 (2024)

Jake Elliott owes Patrick Johnson a beer. A hug. Something.

In one of the weirdest, wildest endings to a preseason game in recent memory, Elliott doinked a 50-yard, game-winning field goal attempt off the right upright only to drill a 49-yard attempt down the middle thanks to a sack-forced fumble by Johnson.

Philadelphia Eagles 16, Baltimore Ravens 13.

Perhaps something like this can only happen in the preseason. Perhaps an opponent in a regular-season game would’ve instead taken a knee from its own 40 in a tie game with 16 seconds left, relying on securing a victory in overtime. But since preseason games don’t have an overtime period …

… third-string Ravens quarterback Emory Jones dropped back to pass.

… Johnson careened off the left edge and stripped away the football.

… Elliott, who’d clunked his first point-after attempt of the game, struck his final kick cleanly — a walk-off field goal befitting the four-year, $24 million contract extension he signed in March that briefly made him the NFL’s highest-paid kicker.

Just a lil' preseason drama for ya 😉 pic.twitter.com/bY5oogQm8h

— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) August 10, 2024

Welcome to 2024.

With that, let’s break down Philadelphia’s first preseason game, an exhibition in which coach Nick Sirianni’s newly hired coordinators, Kellen Moore and Vic Fangio, debuted their respective systems with a rotation of players jockeying for positioning within multiple training camp battles.

Revamped offense awaits true debut

Sirianni said he didn’t play the offensive starters due to the weather, a wet playing surface and the risks they placed on health and disrupting a clean operation.

Fourth-round rookie running back Will Shipley scored the first preseason touchdown. The Clemson product flared out on a second-and-goal play in which backup quarterback Kenny Pickett easily flicked him a 7-yard score.

Absent the increased motions and formational shifts that will likely make a true debut in the regular season, Moore’s offense played 12 personnel for the majority of the second drive. It showcased the size advantage the Eagles may have in rookie receiver Johnny Wilson.

The proficiency Wilson showed as a pass catcher during the first three weeks of training camp didn’t shine as brightly in the sixth-round pick’s first preseason game. On the first drive of the game, Wilson caught a 7-yard slant but then couldn’t get separation on a deep hitch against first-round cornerback Nate Wiggins, who deflected the pass incomplete. Wilson, at 6-foot-6, 231 pounds, did show that he can be a formidable blocker. A drive later, Wilson manhandled a defensive back on a swing pass to Britain Covey that went for 7 yards.

Quinyon Mitchell’s success in the slot may warrant more reps on the outside

Mitchell is confirming he’s ready for immediate playing time. As the No. 22 pick, this was never really questionable. But where does he belong on the field?

With Darius Slay sitting out Friday, Mitchell started playing outside cornerback in base formations opposite Isaiah Rodgers and moved to the slot in nickel packages. It’s from the slot, on a third-and-10 during the first drive, that Mitchell stuck with Ravens receiver Malik Cunningham, jumped Josh Johnson’s pass and nearly secured his first interception of the preseason.

An overly critical interpretation derides Mitchell for dropping what’s generally a game-shifting play. (Instead, Justin Tucker kicked a 46-yard field goal to give the Ravens a 3-0 lead.) But the play also showcased how Mitchell can indeed play in man coverage, especially in the slot.

So far, Mitchell’s time with the first-team defense has mostly been in the slot in training camp. For now, it’s most likely the place from which he’ll make his debut in 2024. But if Mitchell continues to make such plays in the preseason as he did Friday, the Eagles may decide they want Mitchell on the field as much as possible. Fangio’s defense with the Miami Dolphins deployed nickel packages on 71.4 percent of their total plays (11th in the NFL), dime packages on 7.3 percent of plays (16th). Will the Eagles want to keep Mitchell off the field for 22 percent of their plays?

Slay and Rodgers have taken the majority of first-team reps at outside corner in training camp. Kelee Ringo, a fourth-round pick in 2023, has been fighting for time from the second rotation. Ringo played outside cornerback for the majority of Friday’s game. At 6-2, 207 pounds, Ringo, who ran a 4.36 at the NFL combine, is physically capable of staying with receivers. He played the Ravens tightly, too. On the second drive, a back-shoulder throw slipped past to Tylan Wallace for 19 yards. Seven plays later, on a second-and-goal situation, Ringo stayed with Keith Kirkwood inside, then slapped the ball away for an incompletion.

Did Tyler Steen regain the lead at right guard?

For the entirety of the first half, plus the first drive of the second, the Eagles fielded their backups along the offensive line at all but right guard. (LT Fred Johnson, LG Trevor Keegan, C Brett Toth, RT Darian Kinnard.) Right guard is the offense’s only true position battle of training camp. Steen, the team’s 2023 third-round pick, began training camp as the starter, but Mekhi Becton replaced Steen after he missed five practices with an ankle injury.

Against the Ravens, Becton started at right guard. He played for one drive. Steen replaced Becton on the second drive and played for the following six with the second-team unit. Steen demonstrated noticeable power as a blocker — both from standard starts and as a pulling guard — but he was also flagged for a costly holding penalty. On the second drive, Steen sealed off a defender to give Shipley a lane up the middle for a 7-yard gain. On the next play, Steen got under Justin Madubuike, drove the Pro Bowl defensive tackle backward, and Shipley followed behind for a 4-yard gain and a first down.

The latter of those plays was most impressive, considering Steen’s frame. At 6-6, 321 pounds, Steen is a considerably larger guard than Cam Jurgens (6-3, 303). Offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland said in June that he prefers Steen’s size for the position. But Jurgens, as an undersized guard, consistently secured leverage under larger defenders. Steen’s ability to bend and get under Madubuike in a crucial, short-yardage situation is at the very least promising for future scenarios.

Steen’s holding penalty shouldn’t be overlooked. Such mistakes plagued the Eagles offense during its late-season collapse in 2023. Again, the Eagles couldn’t overcome Steen’s penalty and eventually punted. But it’s notable that Steen played as frequently as he did Friday night. He must prove himself on film more than Becton, a fifth-year veteran. But perhaps Steen’s performance will place him back atop the depth chart when practice resumes.

Sirianni said it was “important” for Becton, who’d never taken a live snap at guard, “to go out and play with live bullets flying.” Steen had “missed some time” due to his ankle injury, Sirianni said, which factored into the amount of reps he was given.

Battle for QB2?

The Eagles historically place a high value on their backup quarterbacks. The Kenny Pickett trade was yet another example. But Pickett’s performance Friday, paired with 2023 sixth-round pick Tanner McKee’s, suggested that McKee at the very least ought to get more looks with the second-team offense.

Pickett played the entire first half, plus another drive to start the second. On seven drives, Pickett was 14-of-22 passing for 89 yards and a touchdown. He gained the majority of his yardage on bubble screens and short throws. He was good on timing throws. He hit tight end Grant Calcaterra for 7 yards on a run-pass option play. He hit Ross on a quick slant for a 5-yard gain. He picked up a fourth-and-1 on a Brotherly Shove behind Toth. But Pickett missed throws downfield. On third-and-8 on the first drive, he underthrew John Ross on a go route on the right side. Later in the first half, Pickett missed on a slant that was a little high and a little behind Wilson.

The Eagles offense also struggled against the blitz. Pickett was sacked on the fourth drive, on third-and-10, when the Ravens overloaded the left side with two blitzers, and cornerback Damarion Williams emerged untouched. Pickett was also sacked on the final play of the first half.

McKee was 6-of-16 passing for 39 yards, although two of the incompletions were drops. The second-year veteran completed tight throws in key situations. On third-and-3 on his first drive, McKee fit a 5-yard slant to Jacob Harris. On third-and-6 later in the same drive, McKee struck Harris for an 11-yard completion between two defenders.

New kickoff rule debuts

Eagles special teams coach Michael Clay spent the offseason studying the NFL’s new kickoff rules, and he still had plenty of questions that could only be sorted out on the field. There were a few kinks Friday and a few notable plays.

Kenneth Gainwell knelt for a touchback on the opening kick, then returned the second for 19 yards. Ross and Shipley bumped into each other on the third return, seemingly trying to decide who would handle the second kickoff return. Shipley fielded it for a 24-yard return. In the fourth quarter, Shipley made a nice cut toward the middle of the field for another 24-yard return.

Rookie edge rusher Jalyx Hunt made a good move in kick coverage in the third quarter and knocked down Dayton Wade at the Ravens 28 for a 26-yard gain.

Stock up

• LB Jeremiah Trotter: The fifth-round pick showcased his range at inside linebacker. Trotter subbed in on the third defensive drive and played the majority of the game. He stopped Johnson’s scramble for no gain to force a punt. On a later third-and-10, he got downhill, slipped past two blockers and stopped Owen Wright for a 7-yard gain that forced another punt. He logged his first tackle of the preseason in punt coverage, helping Braden Mann flip the field by 51 yards.

• Edge Patrick Johnson: Doesn’t hurt to have a game-winning strip-sack on the resume. Johnson totaled four tackles Friday.

• LB Ben VanSumeren: The 2023 practice squad member made consecutive tackles near the goal line in the fourth quarter. First, stopping Rasheen Ali at the 1. Then, on third-and-goal, thumping Ali short of the goal line. VanSumeren tied for the team lead with Trotter with five tackles.

Stock down

•WR Ainias Smith: The fifth-round pick averaged 4.3 yards on three punt returns, and he lost a fumble that took a fortuitous bounce out of bounds. He was targeted once and made the catch for a 7-yard gain.

•TE E.J. Jenkins: Targeted twice,Jenkins dropped a first-and-20 throw from McKee at the start of the fourth quarter, which eventually led to an Eagles punt.

•DB Tyler Hall:The second-string nickel whiffed while attempting to tackle Dayton Wade on a fourth-and-2 completion that went for 11 yards to the Eagles 17. The Ravens eventually scored a touchdown on the drive.

Lineup notes

•Friday’s starting defense: Edge Nolan Smith, DT Jordan Davis, DT Jalen Carter, edge Bryce Huff, LB Zack Baun, LB Devin White, CB Isaiah Rodgers, CB Quinyon Mitchell (outside in base, slot in nickel), CB Kelee Ringo (outside in nickel), S Avonte Maddox, S Reed Blankenship

•Nakobe Dean sighting: The 2022 third-round pick subbed in during the third defensive drive in tandem with Trotter. Dean had one tackle and one pass defended.

•Second offensive line rotation: LT Max Scharping, LG Nick Gates, C Dylan McMahon, RG Matt Hennessy, RT Darian Kinnard

•Notable players sidelined: QB Jalen Hurts, CB Darius Slay, WR A.J. Brown, WR DeVonta Smith, RB Saquon Barkley, TE Dallas Goedert, S C.J. Gardner-Johnson (shoulder), edge Josh Sweat, RT Lane Johnson, LT Jordan Mailata, LG Landon Dickerson, C Cam Jurgens, edge Brandon Graham

(Photo of Jake Elliott: Scott Taetsch / Getty Images)

Brooks Kubena is a Staff Writer for The Athletic covering the Eagles. Brooks has covered the NFL since 2021, most recently as a reporter for the Houston Chronicle covering the Texans, and he previously reported on LSU football for The Advocate | Times-Picayune from 2018-2020. Brooks, a graduate of the University of Texas, has received APSE National Top 10 honors eight times for his reporting, which includes his beat writing coverage during the 2022 season. Follow Brooks on Twitter @BKubena