PHILADELPHIA – The necessary evil of the Eagles’ final preseason game was an ugly one, as Philadelphia lost to the Minnesota Vikings 26-3.
Neither team was able to use many of its key players, and Philadelphia struggled mightily as Kenny Pickett played in the first half and Tanner McKee took over in the third quarter. Fourth-place finisher Will Grier finished the game in his first preseason appearance.
The Eagles finished the preseason 2-1, winning away at Baltimore and New England before losing to the Vikings on Saturday.
The stock market was not positive for the Eagles:
THE BULLS
-DB Cooper DeJean – The talented second-round rookie missed the first two preseason games while dealing with a hamstring issue prior to training camp, so it was felt he needed the reps.
DeJean wasn’t perfect, but he showed off his skills as a player on a few occasions in run support and looked like a heat-seeking missile heading for the football. He was also beaten early in coverage and caught for illegal contact, negating a Tristin McCollum interception on Minnesota’s first drive, which ultimately ended in a touchdown.
-LB Oren Burks – It may be too little, too late for the veteran linebacker, who missed most of training camp with a knee injury. In a game full of substitutes, Burks reminded observers that he has played a lot of football during the year, showing off his plays with six tackles and a sack.
–WR Ainias Smith – Smith needed a clean game to complete his recent turnaround and was able to do so with six pass catches for 36 yards and a punt return for 14 yards. That may not seem overwhelming on paper, but after a spring marred by training camp setbacks, Smith was in danger of being released before he settled down and healed the self-inflicted wounds from one day to the next.
The trade for Jahan Dotson also means the Eagles don’t need a roster spot for a veteran like Parris Campbell who can play right away and can afford to sign a developmental player like Smith.
Still, head coach Nick Sirianni still seemed lukewarm when asked about Smith by the Eagles on SI after the game.
“Obviously, there are some steps you have to take when you get to the NFL,” Sirianni said. “It’s a different game. Sometimes people start quickly and sometimes it takes a little while.”
“So, Ainias did some really good things. He has some things he needs to learn from. But he’s growing like the rest of the guys because he’s working his ass off. He made some nice plays today that were good, but like everyone else, we all still have to work on that to continue to get better.”
THE BEARS
-Eagles Third Down Defense: The Vikings started the game 7 of 8 on third downs and finished the first half 7 of 9 while building a 20-3 lead. Minnesota’s second-year quarterback Jaren Hall was inaccurate when pressure arose, and Vic Fangio let him get away too often until he stepped on the gas in the red zone. That, along with weak outside coverage, allowed Hall to play pitch and catch.
-Eagles offense on fourth down: Aggression is usually one of the Eagles’ strengths when Jalen Hurts and Co. are on the court. Without them, it became an exercise in pointless preseason. Sirianni tried again and again (why not?), and the Eagles failed again and again, finishing 0-6 in all-or-nothing scenarios.
-CB Eli Ricks – Ricks is on the verge of being a natural cover corner. The Vikings’ backup receiver, Lucky Jackson, staggered Ricks too often on plays he could have made with better ball awareness.
– Rand Nolan Smith – In a game where both sides had few expected performers, Smith was the notable exception for the Eagles and he didn’t let up against the Vikings’ backup offensive players, which cannot be taken as a positive sign.
-RB Ty Davis Award – Davis-Price ran well at the start but was caught off the ball and overshadowed by linebacker Dallas Gant. Davis-Price has talent but has dropped passes and has occasionally struggled with ball security.
-WR Jacob Harris – Harris is probably the best receiver in the Eagles’ secondary and made a splash on special teams with a physical tackle in coverage on the opening kickoff. It was so physical that Harris suffered a concussion, ending any chance of one last game for the speedy wide receiver.
MORE NFL: Decision time for Eagles after defeat to Vikings in preseason finale
