Eagles-Browns preseason observations: Position battle updates, injury news, and more

The Philadelphia Eagles lost to the Cleveland Browns in a pretty boring Saturday afternoon preseason game.

Final score, which doesn’t matter, but we’re logging it here anyway: 22 to 13.

The Birds were outgained by 243 yards. They ran 44 plays for just 88 yards. Not pretty.

Read on for some observations.

The Eagles started Adoree’ Jackson at right cornerback and Kelee Ringo at left cornerback. That was the opposite configuration from last week (Jackson at LCB, Ringo at RCB).

Jackson made a solid open field tackle against the run but allowed a short catch on the Browns’ first drive. Ringo was not tested.

The Eagles changed their configuration cornerback on the Browns’ second drive. Jackson moved to left cornerback and Jakorian Bennett came in at right cornerback. No Ringo on the field. Jackson failed to wrap up his man after allowing a short catch, instead relying on another defender to finish the tackle.

The Eagles changed their configuration cornerback again on the Browns’ third drive. Ringo back in but at LCB, Bennett still at RCB, no Jackson on the field. Ringo was trailing on a play where a 19-yard reception was allowed to a crossing receiver. Not sure if that was on him to follow with the receiver all the way or if he expected to be able to pass him off. Bennett knocked down a Gabriel pass to Gage Larvadain.

The Eagles changed their configuration cornerback yet again on the Browns’ fourth drive. Mac McWilliams was at LCB and Bennett at RCB.

The Eagles kept McWilliams and Bennett as their cornerbacks on the Browns’ fifth drive. But Bennett got banged up and Ringo replaced him at RCB.

The Eagles originally had Jackson and McWilliams on the field during the TV timeout ahead of the Browns’ sixth drive (first of the second half) but Ringo ran in for Jackson. Ringo lined up at LCB and McWilliams lined up at RCB.

Eli Ricks entered the game at cornerback for the first time with 9:51 left in the fourth quarter. The fifth outside CB option in this game with Jackson, Ringo, Bennett, and McWilliams all playing ahead of him. Ricks gave up a big catch on a Huntley scrambling throw.

We’re still not seeing someone really step up and seize the CB2 role.

The Eagles started Sydney Brown and Andrew Mukuba at safety.

On the Browns’ second drive, Mukuba trailed well behind Cedric Tillman to allow an 18-yard gain. Then he made up for it by jumping a pass from a scrambling Dillon for a pick-six!

Tristin McCollum replaced Mukuba for multiple snaps while the rookie was dealing with some heat exhaustion (read: vomiting). Hot summer day at The Linc.

Mukuba recovered a Browns fumbled handoff exchange. Ball magnet.

Johnny Wilson didn’t seem to play much, if at all, despite being suited up. Good sign for his stock.

Ainias Smith had a 10-yard reception from Dorian Thompson-Robinson on 3rd-and-5. He later had a very short touchdown reception, just like he did against the Bengals last week.

With no need to play Tanner McKee, the Eagles started Dorian Thompson-Robinson. DTR did not look good, completing just three of four attempts for eight yards. He held onto the ball to take one sack for a nine-yard loss.

Kyle McCord entered the game with 6:11 remaining in the second quarter. With help, McCord picked up a first down on a tush push. McCord could’ve had a touchdown pass to Terrace Marshall Jr. if he led his receiver properly instead of throwing to the back shoulder and causing Marshall Jr. to be tackled. No matter, though, because McCord then hit Ainias Smith over the middle for a score.

DTR re-entered the game with 11:10 remaining in the third quarter. DTR took a high snap from Brett Toth and then got hit as he threw to bring up a Browns pick-six.

McCord came back into the game on the Eagles’ next drive (after some miscommunication at first if it was going to be DTR or McCord and the Eagles huddling up without a QB, lol).

DTR came back with 2:41 left in the third quarter. His downfield throw to Terrace Marshall Jr. was broken up at the catch point.

McCord came back into the game yet again. He threw a tipped pick that got wiped out by a Browns offside penalty. He had a fourth down pass get broken up.

KYLE MCCORD: 8/15 (53.3%), 47 yards (2.9 average), 1 TD, 0 INT, 77.1 passer rating … 1 carry, 2 yards

DORIAN THOMPSON-ROBINSON: 5/8 (62.5%), 17 yards (2.1 average), 0 TD, 1 INT, 27.1 passer rating … 0 carries

McCord showed some more promise than he did last week … but that’s not saying a ton. DTR was pretty bad.

Will Shipley did not play. He’s clearly RB2 behind Saquon Barkley.

AJ Dillon was the first running back to take carries. Dillon was also the unintended recipient here, where he really should’ve just knocked the ball down instead of catching it for a 14-yard loss:

Montrell Johnson Jr. was the second running back to take carries. He ran with some juice, just like he did earlier in training camp before missing time due to injury.

Keilan Robinson was the third running back to touch the ball.

Jihaad Campbell and Jeremiah Trotter Jr. started at linebacker. That’s different from Trot Jr. and Smael Mondon Jr. starting in the first preseason game.

A blitzing Campbell go to Browns rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel for a sack. You can see below that the Eagles dropped their edge rushers and rushed four with the combination of three defensive tackles and the rookie linebacker:

Campbell and Trot Jr. played together again on the Browns’ second drive but then Mondon Jr. replaced Campbell on the Browns’ third drive. Campbell did return to the game.

Mondon made nice tackles on back-to-back plays to bring up a Browns punt early in the third quarter.

Joshua Uche and Azeez Ojulari started at linebacker.

Ojulari beat journeyman left tackle Cornelius Lucas to sack Gabriel on the Browns’ third drive. It’s been a mostly quiet summer for Ojulari but he is showing signs of life late in the summer.

The Eagles rested Tyler Steen instead of starting him at right guard like they did in their first preseason game. Even more confirmation that he’s won the job.

The Eagles’ starting offensive line against the Browns: LT Kendall Lamm, LG Brett Toth, C Drew Kendall, RG Darian Kinnard, RT Matt Pryor.

The Eagles moved Kendall from center to left guard to start the second half, flipping Toth inside to center. That’s interesting. Previously haven’t seen the rookie Kendall play at guard. The entire second half starting offensive line: LT Myles Hinton, LG Drew Kendall, C Brett Toth, RG Trevor Keegan, RT Cameron Williams.

Undrafted rookies Darius Cooper and Montrell Johnson Jr. were back as the kick returners on the Browns’ first kickoff. Johnson fielded the ball and ran through one tackle before being knocked out of bounds for a 28-yard return.

Eagles fullback Ben VanSumeren and Cooper were the kick returners on the Browns’ second kickoff. BVS took the return for 21 yards.

Avery Williams was the punt returner on the Browns’ first punt. The punt was short (35 yards) and not returnable.

Williams’ first punt return gained eight yards.

Ainias Smith returned a punt late in the third quarter for 10 yards.

FIRST QUARTER OBSERVATIONS

The Browns’ backup offense opened the game with a 13-play, 63-yard touchdown drive against the Eagles’ defense that had multiple potential starters playing.

Ben VanSumeren saw a snap at fullback on the Eagles’ first drive.

Undrafted rookie Brandon Johnson allowed multiple catches on the Browns’ first two drives. Cleveland seemed to be going after him.

SECOND QUARTER OBSERVATIONS

The Browns kicked a 49-yard field goal to trail by one point at halftime, 13 to 12.

THIRD QUARTER OBSERVATIONS

Good hustle by Darius Cooper to try to run down the Browns’ pick-six. Came up short but made it as close as he could.

Tristin McCollum whiffed real bad for a missed tackle on undrafted rookie Gage Larvadain in the open field.

Patrick Johnson sniffed out some Browns trickeration to make a tackle for loss of 11 yards.

E.J. Jenkins failed to make a diving catch attempt.

Jacob Sykes tipped a Tyler Huntley third down pass to bring up a Browns punt.

FOURTH QUARTER OBSERVATIONS

Pierre Strong broke a 54-yard run to put the Browns in the red zone.

Byron Young shedded a blocker and made a nice tackle for no gain to force the Browns into a 4th-and-2 from the plus 10-yard line. Next play, Huntley’s scrambling throw was incomplete for a turnover on downs.

Joe Evans sacked Huntley on third down to bring up a Browns field goal.

Cameron Latu failed to make a contested jump ball catch on a play where McCord actually gave him a good chance despite throwing on the move and getting hit while throwing.

Keilan Robinson dropped a McCord throw wide open in the flat. Then Giles Jackson couldn’t manage to catch a slant on the next play.

Gabe Hall was getting looked at by trainers on the sideline late in the first quarter.

E.J. Jenkins and Brandon Johnson visited the medical tent in the second quarter. They remained on the sideline.

Jakorian Benett went down late in the second quarter. He jogged off the field after being looked at by trainers. He later returned to the game.

Smael Mondon Jr. jogged to the locker room with trainers midway through the third quarter. He returned to the game very late in the third quarter after getting his wrist taped up on the sideline.

A.J. Woods was carted off the field.

Schedule for the next week: