For many players around the NFL, this is their Super Bowl: a last chance to prove they deserve a spot on the 53 man roster. With their current team or not, many players are seeking to prove they belong on an NFL field one last time before the regular season. In that context, I can think of no better way to start this list than with two people who might have been out of a job before Thursday’s game.
Almost Plays
10. Jacquet/Seymour near interception
This one was… bizarre. Two defensive backs, Michael Jacquet and Keyvon Seymour, were in position to pick off a pass the receiver never quite had a handle on. The ball bobbled around between the receiver and three Eagles players that were in the area code. Alas, the play ended up in the most anticlimactic way possible: incompletion. Fortunately, the two players that *almost* made a play on this snap appear later on this list.
Stat Lines
#9 Joe Flacco
The question that has plagued Eagles fans for most of training camp: is Joe Flacco elite? At least for last night, Flacco lived up to the moniker, posting a stat line of 13/16, 188 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions. There are first-round picks this preseason that earned praise for posting a similar stat line, in some cases even worse. While stats are not always meant to be taken at face value, Flacco was the best QB on the field tonight, which is reassuring after a paltry performance against the Patriots the week prior.
Group Plays
#8 Michael Jacquet/ Jacoby Stevens Strip 6
This could just as well be a lowlight as it is a highlight. Running backs don’t sit at the one-yard line in the final minutes of close games for their own health. Nevertheless, I congratulate Jacquet for capitalizing on a Jacoby Stevens tackle, stripping the ball out from #87 Eric Decker’s hands. Jacquet has been described as “aggressive,” which shined through in the way he stripped the ball. On the replay, you could see there was a level of anger when he pried it out. To this, I say, good for him for showing a level of emotion while fighting for a roster spot. However, I’d also like to say that the Eagles bench is just as much at fault for the way the strip 6 went as Jacquet is, encouraging him to run it back for a touchdown instead of taking a seat. Jacquet’s adrenaline was probably through the roof. He wasn’t thinking about burning the clock to end the game; he was scoring a touchdown if he could.
#7 Tarron Goes On A Tear
Tarron Jackson is a 2021 draft pick that has been somewhat overshadowed by his draft classmate Milton Williams. Such should be expected, as Williams was drafted three rounds earlier, but it was Jackson who made his presence felt, as the starters had the night off. With 25 seconds left, Jackson forced a fumble on Jets backup (starter, in this instance) James Morgan, which led to a loss of yardage after 48 comes up from the middle of the field for cleanup duty. It was a group effort, but unlike with the Stevens/Jacquet play, Tarron was the one who made it into a big play before fellow rookie Patrick Johnson came in for the tackle.
Individual Plays
#6 Jalen Reagor Tackle For Gain
I’ve always thought that something like this might happen, but I’ve never seen it with my own eyes, as plays akin to what happened to Reagor normally end in fumbles. In fact, something close to this happened in 2018 when the Steelers were fighting for a playoff spot. Juju Smith-Schuster never touched the ground, but the ball fell out of his hands. It is both interesting and exciting that Reagor was able to keep his balance, hold onto the ball, and run for a first down. I’ve been watching football for ten years, and my memory of football is half that length, but I can’t say that I’ve ever seen a play like this end well. You’d be hard-pressed to find this play on Twitter, but it’s the first clip in the YouTube highlights, so it doesn’t take that much digging to find on.
#5 Zech McPhearson red zone 2 point breakup
Unfortunately, McPhearson’s 2-point breakup ended up being wasted on the game’s final play when Jets QB James Morgan let the ball sail 50 yards for a buzzer-beater touchdown, which led to a different two-point try that tied the game. However, preseason is unique in that it puts more emphasis on the individual than the team, as each week is about evaluating players. Once again, the fourth-round pick out of Texas Tech shows up on film as a disruptor. McPhearson was quiet for most of the game, only tacking on one assisted tackle, but he showed up when it mattered in a do-or-die situation (at this point, a two-point good would have given the Jets the lead). For one reason or another, I like this kid. Such might be due to lack of corner depth or because he’s been making plays in preseason (though he does often get beat over the middle). I look forward to Gannon developing him, and hopefully, in a few years’ time, we’re calling him a steal.
#4 Keyvon Seymour, Sleight of Hand Magician
Remember how I said that Keyvon Seymour would show back up down the line? Well, here he is at the #4 spot. It comes in this high because, as a wise former Alabama/Oklahoma State QB once said, “I like touchdowns.” The only thing like more than touchdowns is wins, but after THOSE, I’d put takeaways. In that department, the Eagles were starved in 2020, being bottom 5 in turnover differential. The Eagles still have the issue of covering deep passes (hopefully, Gannon will disguise coverages in the regular season), but the Eagles took the ball away twice last night. In Seymour’s case, the ball ended up in his hands, and that’s what matters. However, the receiver beat him on a slant for a first down but never had the ball. It’s impossible to see in real-time how it wasn’t a catch for the Jets receiver, and I’m not a fan of guesswork, but I can only theorize that the WR never had the ball, and when he rolled over, it was in Seymour’s hands. Nevertheless, though I sound negative, Seymour came up with a big play to put the Eagles in good position.
#3 Kenneth Gainwell Up the Gut
The second of two rushing touchdowns for the Eagles on the night. It might be a coincidence or intentional on Nick Sirianni’s part (darn, guesswork showing back up). Nevertheless, Gainwell’s rushing touchdown was technically the least flashy of the three scores: a good old punch up the middle (unfortunately, you don’t get style points in the NFL). Gainwell, likely to be the featured pass-catching back, demonstrated a capability to run horizontally as well as vertically. In most instances, this is a sign that there are roster bubble players that are testing the limits of the coaching staff’s imagination, but Gainwell presumably took a more physical approach on this handoff because he’s a rookie, and Sirianni wanted to see what Kenny G (Kenneth Gainwell) is capable of. That, or Sirianni took Lane Johnson’s word to heart about competition: “Anytime you don’t put up anything, I don’t care what you’re doing. If you’re in the nature of competing and being in competition, that’s unacceptable.”
#2 Boston Scott Breaks Ankles on Long Run
Boston Scott owns New York! All kidding aside, Scott always puts on a show when we play teams from the Big Apple, this week running in a 58-yard TD on the opening drive, taking the ankles of #49 J.T. Hassell with him. This wasn’t exactly the most difficult play or complex drive in the world (preseason playcalling rarely is), but Scott took a 2-yard screen pass and took it to the house, shades of Quez Watkins versus the Steelers. Howie Roseman’s emphasis on speed is paying early dividends, and if this team lives up to its big-play capability, the Eagles might be a team to watch on the offensive side of the ball in 2021.
#1 JJ Moss-Cega Whiteside
Arcega-Whiteside has always been a preseason hero, but he’s been relatively quiet this year. On that 42-yard touchdown, though… wow. Not only did he beat his defender over the top, but he also shook off a second and trotted in for a touchdown. JJAW was touted as a jump-ball specialist, and that evaluation shined on this play, as the DB’s eyes followed the ball all the way. JJ just made a terrific catch. Funnily enough, I posted the Arcega-Whiteside umbrella meme, and his mother actually quote tweeted me defending her son. While this is commendable on her part, I was nothing but honest, and if Arcega-Whiteside surprises me by having a breakout season, there might not be much she needs to defend in the future.
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Dylan Patrowicz is a featured writer at The Birds Blitz. For more from Dylan, check out his archive and read through our Eagles articles for the latest news about the Birds.
