The Philadelphia Eagles took an early 7-0 lead over the New England Patriots in Saturday's preseason game, thanks in large part to Will Shipley's 5-yard touchdown run.
Shipley, who rushed 11 times for 56 yards in the first half, consistently ran through contact and benefited from quality blocking by Markel Bell, Willie Lampkin, Drew Kendall, and Jake Majors. The Eagles finished the half with 71 rushing yards and converted both of their red-zone opportunities.
Meanwhile, Darius Cooper made a strong argument for a spot in the receiver rotation, catching three passes for 44 yards, including a 25-yard gain on which he broke a tackle and remained in bounds. Cooper's performance came during Philadelphia's opening touchdown drive.
However, the Eagles' offense was not without its struggles, as Andy Dalton completed only 3 of 10 passes for 44 yards. Dalton has now completed 6 of 16 passes for 64 yards without a touchdown through two preseason appearances.
Later in the half, Tanner McKee replaced Dalton and provided an immediate spark, completing 5 of 7 passes for 51 yards and a touchdown. McKee directed a late scoring drive that ended with a 14-yard touchdown pass to Britain Covey, allowing Philadelphia to reclaim the lead before halftime.
On the defensive side, Ty Robinson recorded two sacks, two tackles for loss, and three quarterback hits. He now has sacks in consecutive preseason games, while Jeremiah Trotter added five tackles and a perfectly timed sack after making an excellent open-field stop on a Tommy DeVito scramble.
However, one coverage breakdown proved costly for the Eagles, as DeVito found Kyle Williams for a 69-yard touchdown after Williams beat Ambry Thomas without safety help. The breakdown helped New England finish the half with 207 total yards, although Philadelphia's efficiency in the red zone provided the difference in the 14-10 score.
The Eagles announced that Ja'Quinden Jackson, who suffered an apparent knee to the head during the opening kickoff, had strength and movement in all extremities. He was taken to a local hospital for further evaluation.
The first half analysis suggests that the Eagles have some promising young players who could make an impact in the regular season. With Shipley and McKee leading the charge, the team's offense could be a force to be reckoned with. However, the defense will need to tighten up its coverage to prevent big plays like the one that DeVito made.
Source: Yahoo Sports