Eagles News: Josh McCown makes his case to be Carson Wentz’s top backup

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12 things we learned from the Eagles’ third preseason game - BGN
4 - Josh McCown should be the Eagles’ No. 2 quarterback. McCown’s final stats: 17/24 (70.8%), 192 yards (8.0 average), 2 TD, 0 INT, 122.2 passer rating. To further appreciate those numbers, let’s add more context. The 40-year-old McCown only came out retirement last Saturday to sign with the Eagles. He took limited reps in just three practices and one walk-through prior to tonight’s game. Pretty impressive. McCown delivered some real accurate strikes on Thursday evening. His fade throw to JJ Arcega-Whiteside was a beauty. So was his touchdown toss to Alex Ellis with pressure bearing down on him.

The Kist & Solak Show #112: Eagles-Ravens Preseason Recap - BGN Radio
Michael Kist and Benjamin Solak recap the Eagles loss to the Ravens in week 3 of super important preseason action, but really this is just a Josh McCown and JJ Arcega-Whiteside love fest. Powered by SB Nation and Bleeding Green Nation.

Handing out 10 awards from the Eagles-Ravens preseason game - PhillyVoice
8) The ‘Tenuous Roster Spot’ Award: Stefen Wisniewski. Playing with the second-team offensive line, Wisniewski was the right guard, while Nate Herbig was at center. Why is that bad? Well, the Eagles don’t really have a backup center, unless you count starting LG Isaac Seumalo. The Eagles could certainly move Seumalo to center if Jason Kelce went down, but they’d probably prefer to just insert a competent backup center in there instead. After a summer in which Wisniewski struggled mightily with his shotgun snaps, it’s reasonable to assume the Eagles no longer trust him at center. Instead, they are trying out an undrafted rookie free agent in Herbig at center, despite Herbig’s lack of experience at the position. That’s bad for Wis’ brand.

Look What We Found - Iggles Blitz
LB L.J. Fort had another good game. He once again showed outstanding speed. Fort read plays well and flew to the ball. He was in on 4 tackles, including 2 TFLs. [...] TE Alex Ellis had a terrific 3-play sequence. He caught a 9-yard TD. Then he had the key block on the 2-point conversion run. Finally, Ellis made the tackle on the ensuing kickoff. That’s how you stand out to coaches and get them on your side.

It was bad, then it was good ... and then it ended - PE.com
4. It’s just a perspective from this vantage point, but Mack Hollins seems to have played his way into a favorable roster position. He caught two passes for 15 yards, including a toe-tapper on the sideline. Given his excellence on special teams, Hollins would seem to be in good position to make this team. Greg Ward caught four passes for 45 yards and continues to impress, so there is still competition going on at wide receiver.

ReFocused, NFL Preseason Week 3: Baltimore Ravens 26, Philadelphia Eagles 15 - PFF
J.J. Arcega-Whiteside had a night that was sure to get Eagles fans excited. He was explosive with the ball in his hands, picked up a few first downs and absolutely roasted his defender as he connected with Josh McCown in the end zone. Andre Dillard continued to look good in pass protection. It certainly wasn’t his best performance – he got beat on an inside move which resulted in him committing a hold and there was a play where he was bull-rushed back into McCown pretty quickly – but for the most part, he continued to keep his quarterback clean. Dillard showed quick feet and an ability to maintain control of the pass rusher matched up against him throughout much of the night.

2019 NFL preseason: Each team’s most promising rookie(s) - NFL.com
Philadelphia Eagles: The drumbeat for Miles Sanders began two weeks ago, when beat writers reached the consensus that the second-round pick had emerged as the best all-around running back in camp. That opinion is not likely to subside after Sanders sidestepped a tackle and dragged a coterie of Jaguars past the first-down marker on a 16-yard rumble last week. Since polished first-round tackle Andre Dillard appears to be ticketed for a redshirt season behind future Hall of Famer Jason Peters, Sanders is the Eagles rookie with the best opportunity for a 2019 impact.

32 Notes From 32 NFL Training Camps - MMQB
Eagles: This is one deep team, and camp only proved that out. No one has offensive line depth? The Eagles do, with Halapoulivaati Vaitai and Andre Dillard coming off the bench. The running back spot was a trouble area in 2018? It’s now absolutely loaded, with Miles Sanders and Jordan Howard likely to share a good chunk of the workload, and Darren Sproles and Corey Clement among those in reserve. You can play this game at a lot of positions in Philadelphia, which is why I’m leaning towards picking them to come out of the NFC.

‘I don’t think that ever was a question’: After preseason debut, Eagles’ Rodney McLeod sets sights on Week 1 - PennLive
“I don’t think that ever was a question,” McLeod said. “I think when we set out training camp, this was the focus of mine and the goal to get some action in Game 3, and I think everybody said they kind of liked what they saw, and so I’ll continue to build, continue to work and get ready for Redskins.”

Eagles film breakdown: Jim Schwartz’s picket-fence defense has been unqualified success, despite perception - Inquirer
Some fans here and on social media have continued to voice their criticism of the picket fence defense because the yards allowed can, in certain situations, flip the field in the other team’s favor after a punt. While yards are yards, the numbers -- at least in terms of the Eagles -- don’t back up this claim. In the 37 times that Schwartz has used his sticks coverage, the Eagles have allowed an average of 6.8 yards per play. In all the other instances when they faced a third or fourth down of 14 yards or longer, they allowed 9.3 yards. While circumstance, as explained above, could play some role in the latter’s higher number, it’s still a significant difference. And even if those coverages are considered too soft by Schwartz’s critics, they are the norm. Defensive coordinators are rarely aggressive in similar situations. Blitzing could pressure quarterbacks and force turnovers, but the risks are often considered too great vs. a conservative approach which will often accomplish the same goal: getting the ball back for your offense.

NFL coach confidence scale: How should the 32 fan bases feel going into 2019? - The Athletic
The difference-makers — Doug Pederson, Eagles: Two years ago under his direction, the Eagles with a backup quarterback dropped 41 points on Belichick and the Patriots to secure the franchise’s first Super Bowl title. Last year, just as it seemed the season was falling apart, Pederson kept the team together, and the Eagles advanced to the divisional round (despite being the most injured team in the NFL). Pederson is an aggressive play-caller who connects well with his players, remains even-keeled through adversity and has demonstrated an open mind when it comes to the organization’s push for an analytical approach.

6 takeaways from the Ravens 26-15 victory over the Eagles - Baltimore Beatdown
Josh McCown came out of retirement just to play the Ravens again. Seriously, does Josh McCown love playing against the Ravens or what? The veteran journeyman surprisingly came out of retirement in the middle of the preseason and it’s not hard to believe he did so just because the opportunity to play Baltimore presented itself. McCown, 40, has had his fair share of notable performances against the Ravens in the past, speficially in 2015. Starting at QB for the Browns, McCown came into M&T Bank Stadium and threw for a whopping 457 passing yards and two touchdowns, leading Cleveland to an overtime victory. On Thursday, McCown appeared on his way to leading a miraculous comeback in the second half. Prior to the weather delay, McCown had completed 17/24 passes for 192 yards and two touchdowns, both of which came in the third quarter. Luckily, the Ravens won’t see McCown again this season and perhaps ever again. For some reason, McCown turns into Joe Montana whenever he sees purple jerseys on the other side of the field.

Report: Amari Cooper dealing with “intrinsic muscle strain” and not plantar fasciitis - Blogging The Boys
There is a lot of confusion with Amari Cooper, his heel, and what to make of it all. Since the Cowboys were in Oxnard we’ve heard about how Cooper has been dealing with a heel injury. This is part of why we haven’t seen him throughout the preseason (the other part being that it’s preseason) but in the meantime all we’ve done is grow more confused with the state of his heel. In an effort to understand where we are and where we’ve come from let’s look at the timeline of it all.

Patriots safety Patrick Chung indicted in New Hampshire on a charge of cocaine possession - Pats Pulpit
As the New England Patriots are preparing for the start of the regular season, one of their team leaders appears to be headed towards some legal trouble: as first reported by CLNS’ Alex Barth and later confirmed by the Boston Herald’s Kevin Duffy, safety Patrick Chung has been indicted on a charge of cocaine possession in New Hampshire. The indictment, as confirmed by the Belknap County attorney’s office was reportedly presented on August 8.

One of the all-time greatest NFL teams didn’t even make the playoffs - SB Nation
Sometimes life just isn’t fair.

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