The Eagles hosted the Pittsburgh Steelers for their first preseason action of the year on Thursday night. And while it was an exhibition game and the end result doesn’t matter even a little bit, these games are crucial for evaluating the players who are attempting to crack the final roster and the ones who are attempting to make that next step forward.
Below are my instant observations from this all-important first preseason game with this new Eagles coaching staff.
Steelers at Eagles Instant Observations
- Quez Watkins returned the opening kickoff, and Jalen Reagor was back to return the first punt. That might be an early indication of what head coach Nick Sirianni and special teams coordinator Michael Clay are thinking there.
- Jalen Hurts looked…fine. He didn’t do a whole lot and didn’t play much, but he looked passable while out there. He took what was given to him and made accurate throws. Perhaps the most impressive thing he did was look incredibly poised while backed up in his own end zone early in the game.
- More importantly, Quez Watkins caught a short pass from Joe Flacco late in the first quarter and took it 79 yards to the house. He looked like he was playing the game at a different speed than everyone else on this play:
- Javon Hargrave looks like the player we were expecting to see to start last season.
- Richard Rodgers just won’t go away. For all of the hype around Jack Stoll and Tyree Jackson get, we tend to forget that Rodgers is still hanging around, still getting open, and still catching passes. He isn’t going to lose this roster spot without a fight.
- That being said, Tyree Jackson was damn impressive in this game. He was open all night, made some good catches, and looked like a natural at the position. He is going to make this a very tough decision on the Eagles, and they may not want to take the risk of losing him.
- Tarron Jackson and Milton Williams flashed their potential at times on Thursday. Jackson got some quick pressure on a key third-and-long at one point in the first half, and he showed up with another pressure and a tackle-for-loss in the fourth quarter.
- Shaun Bradley impressed today. He looks to have the inside track for a roster spot at linebacker. Rashad Smith…not so much.
- Nick Mullens has been getting good reviews in training camp. Some have even wondered if he could push Joe Flacco for the backup quarterback job or force the Eagles to consider keeping three quarterbacks. Neither of those ideas ever made much sense, and we saw why on Thursday night.
- Elijah Riley had a nice interception in the second half. The Eagles have had some success with late-round draft picks and undrafted free agents in recent years, and there are a number of 2020 UDFAs like Riley who are still around and pushing for roster spots in 2021.
What did you see tonight? Reach out on Twitter and let us know.
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Mike Maher is the editor and publisher of The Birds Blitz and Juiced Ball Era. Follow him on Twitter @mikeMaher and @TheBirdsBlitz and check out his Eagles news archive for all of his latest stories about the Eagles and the NFL.
Full image caption: PHILADELPHIA, PA – AUGUST 08: Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Quez Watkins (16) catches a pass during Philadelphia Eagles training camp on August 8, 2021, at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, PA. (Photo by Andy Lewis/Icon Sportswire)
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