LeSean McCoy doing his thing against Pittsburgh on Thursday night
(Photo: Drew Hallowell, Philadelphia Eagles)
It was only the first preseason win for the Philadelphia Eagles after three games, but it came right on time with the Birds’ 31-21 defeat over the Pittsburgh Steelers. During their preseason home opener on Thursday night, the starters on both sides of the ball put in a strong showing to ease lingering concerns as the regular season looms near.
The defense had the most to prove this game, and they did just that by shutting out the Steelers in the first half. At halftime, the Birds were up 17-0, and Philadelphia held on to an impressive 31-7 lead late into the fourth quarter. Notably, Pittsburgh kept their starters in the game until the third quarter but still couldn’t make much happen against the Eagles D. That’s what you like in the so-called dress rehearsal prior to the start of the season.
Defensive highlights included an interception by corner Nolan Carroll in the first half, and linebacker Mychal Kendricks had a standout performance with 4 tackles and a quarterback pressure. Safety Malcolm Jenkins eased some concern about the secondary by batting away a ball intended for Pittsburgh wideout Antonio Brown.
Both sides of the ball were impressive, with the offense also putting in a strong showing. Nick Foles threw 19/29 for 179 yards with 1 touchdown and 1 interception, Mark Sanchez was 7 of 9 for 85 yards, and Jeremy Maclin had 6 receptions and 43 yards. And after a rocky start, the offensive line showed just how good they can be when firing on all cylinders and working together on Thursday night.
There were injury scares to both LeSean McCoy and Jeremy Maclin, but they were thankfully just that–scares. Both returned to the field and quickly were back in action.
With good, there is always bad: Kicker Alex Henery missed a *31-yard* field goal attempt, so yeah…there is still a major problem on that front. One that can’t be left unanswered.
Next up: Players on the cusp will fight for their jobs next week against the Jets.
Tags: Alex Henery, All's Fair in Sports and War, Brandyn Campbell, Chip Kelly, Football, Jeremy Maclin, LeSean McCoy, Malcolm Jenkins, Mark Sanchez, Mychal Kendricks, NFL, Nick Foles, Philadelphia Eagles, Philly Sports Muse, Pittsburgh Steelers, Sports Talk, War Room Sports, WRS