QB Controversy: Five standout players from the Eagles preseason win vs. New England

• Victor Williams
• August 16, 2024

Nick Sirianni and the Eagles remain undefeated in the preseason following a 14-13 win over the Patriots.

After three sluggish quarters, the offense scored 11 points in the final period and converted a two-point attempt to clinch the victory. Several players turned heads in this contest, albeit some for the wrong reasons.

Here are five names that stood out.

QB Tanner McKee

Did you think we were starting with anyone else? It wouldn’t be a true Eagles season without some sort of QB controversy.

Current QB2 Kenny Pickett started the game for the Eagles, and, to put it bluntly, he was distressing to watch. Pickett’s numbers weren’t terrible by any means (11/13, 67 yards); he just couldn’t push the ball downfield and took unnecessary sacks.

The offense was stagnant in ways that made fans question if Brian Johnson was still calling the offense — until Tanner McKee came in after halftime.

McKee opened up with a drive that saw him complete consecutive 10-yard passes, a 13-yarder to TE EJ Jenkins, and an 11-yard dart to WR Joseph Ngata. The Stanford product looked far more comfortable in the offense than Pickett, and it wasn’t particularly close.

McKee displayed his highly-touted accuracy during the 70-yard TD drive that put Philly in front for good, capping it off with a short pass to rookie WR Ainias Smith for the two-point conversation. He finished the game 15/19 passing for 140 yards and a 97.4 passer rating.

McKee showed more promise than Marcus Mariota last summer as a rookie and is now outplaying Kenny Pickett this year. He’s the clear QB2, despite what Nick Sirianni may say to reporters.

CB/S Avonte Maddox

Avonte Maddox has always possessed the traits to excel at safety. Jim Schwartz played him there as a rookie (out of necessity), but the Eagles never fully committed to the experiment because Maddox was so good in the slot.

Injuries and lack of depth at the position have allowed Maddox to explore that avenue again. Maddox got the start at safety alongside James Bradberry and made an excellent read to prevent a touchdown, jumping a route and picking off Jacoby Brissett in the endzone.

With rookie CB Quinyon Mitchell getting extensive work in the slot, nickel snaps may be hard to come by for Maddox. He’s proving his value as a potential backup safety.

RB Will Shipley

Cracking my standouts for the second straight week is Will Shipley. The guy is flat-out dynamic with the ball in his hands.

Although Shipley only rushed the ball five times for 15 yards, he made his presence felt as a receiver, catching all four of his targets for 31 yards. His most impressive play was a shifty 19-yard screen pass on 2nd & 22, forcing multiple missed tackles before going down.

Shipley likely won’t see many snaps this season with Saquon Barkley in town, but he’ll make the most of his touches.

WR Joseph Ngata

The WR3 job is still up for grabs in Philadephia, and this week was Joseph Ngata’s turn to stake his claim. Ngata recorded five receptions on five targets (all from Tanner Mckee) for a team-high 88 yards and earned fellow teammate AJ Brown’s praise following the game.

As WRs Johnny Wilson and John Ross dealt with concussion protocol, Ngata stepped up in a big way and took advantage of his extra reps. Expect his name to be considered for the final-53 as roster cuts approach.

LB Nakobe Dean

Nakobe Dean is still working his way back from a Lisfranc injury, but we’re starting to see the ability that made him a star at Georgia.

Dean created pressure on Drake Maye early and tackled Ja’Lynn Polk in the backfield after diagnosing a screen. Dating back to last week’s game vs. Baltimore, Dean is building momentum at the right time after an uneventful training camp.

Devin White and Zack Baun have been the entrenched starters at linebacker for much of the summer — Dean’s strong preseason may force Vic Fangio to take notice.