The Birds are Back

There is no place like home, especially for the reigning Super Bowl champs, the Philadelphia Eagles, who tush pushed themselves to victory over Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals. With Cincinnati’s first-team defensive unit and their prized quarterback all on the field to start the exhibition game, many Philadelphia fans worried how the squad, which did not see all of its starters, would stack up. However, Nick Sirianni and the team did not disappoint, nor did the fans who energized the Linc with an electric atmosphere, which was definitely missing in the team’s training camp practices. Thanks to Eagles’ QB2, Tanner McKee, and another one of the team’s unsung heroes, Will Shipley, who made a strong case for himself as the team’s second running back behind Saquon Barkley, the team saw its first win of the season, complete with 432 total net yars on offense, zero pre-snap penalties, and elite ball security, which led to the Birds moving the ball up and down the field with ease. Sure, it doesn’t mean anything for the standings, but you could tell that this narrow 34-27 win meant a lot for the morale of this team, whose core is still hungry after last year’s successes.

We can start by looking at the biggest takeaway from last night’s game: despite a new Offensive Coordinator at the helm, the Eagles’ offense looks just as sound as it did last year. Shortly after the conclusion of the 2024 season, the team’s then OC, Kellen Moore, was hired to be the head coach of the New Orleans Saints, leaving the team with an opening. It was then that Kevin Patullo was promoted, having previously worked solely with the team’s offense as the Passing Game Coordinator. Having been with the Eagles since 2021, he is no stranger to the team’s offensive strategy, both in terms of the running and passing game. He’s worked alongside Sirianni and Moore, has been a part of the play calling staff, and knows these players already, so ideally, he was proposed to be the “perfect fit,” and while not every play was executed perfectly last night, the continuous cohesive evolution of this offense was blatant even to a casual fan, and completely a credit to Patullo’s emphasis on the continuity of the building blocks this offensive unit has endured together.

The skills this offensive battery has continued to sharpen under Patullo’s leadership are undeniably clear. With some of the performances we saw last night, the talent brimming from this team stretches well beyond the starters who everyone knows and loves. Super Bowl MVP Jalen Hurts took a night off and entrusted the ball in the hands of Tanner McKee. The Eagles’ QB2, who is easily a top quarterback in the league and would be ready to play a moment’s snap, if the team needed him, especially after stepping up when both Hurts and last year’s QB2, Kenny Pickett, were injured towards the end of the regular season. While his passing numbers from yesterday’s game were significant in full, the 73 yards and his execution of Philly’s coveted “Tush Push” on a fourth and one against the starting Bengals defense opened people’s eyes to just how good he could be. Again, his passing stats at large were great, completing 20 of 25 attempts for 252 yards with two touchdowns before his removal in the third quarter; he worked well in the pocket, had incredible awareness of Cincinnati’s defense, including going 5 of 6 during the two drives against the Bengals’ starters. He threw bullets all night to receivers who were equally as “on” as McKee, showing that the coaching staff and fans alike can trust him when on the field in Hurts’ absence during the regular season.

Plays were made 👏 pic.twitter.com/MjcCcbwAov

— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) August 8, 2025

McKee arguably couldn’t have been as successful last night without the receiving trio working alongside him, all three of them having key games as well. The one starter from last year’s crew, Jahan Dotson, was unrecoverable when matched against the Bengals, but the highlight performances came from sophomore players, Johnny Wilson and Ainias Smith. Wilson’s three stunning high-point catches for 73 yards took the spotlight, but Smith also had a moment to shine with a big 46-yard punt return in addition to receiving one of McKee’s two TDs. With Patullo and the coaching staff hoping that some of the teams’ receivers who were not their starters would step up, Wilson, Smith, along with Darius Cooper’s six completions and 82 yards, did not disappoint. However, the passing game, while Patullo’s strongest suit and the highlight of last night’s offensive scheme, wasn’t the only impressive performance on the offensive line.

Will Shipley made a statement last night with his performance in the preseason opener, now that the RB2 position behind Saquon Barkley has become vacant with the position’s mainstay, Kenneth Gainwell, departing via free agency. He has consistently worked with the second-team squad and, having been a consistent unsung hero on the punt return team, he got the nod last night. He totaled 48 yards in his short playing time last night and had an impressive 38-yard run, which was partially set up by another player auditioning for a spot on the starting roster, Tyler Steen. There is talk that both Shipley and AJ Dillon, the team’s third running back, could begin the season with a three-man dynamic before either Shipley or Dillon securely locks down the RB2 spot for themselves. Dillon also had a moment in the sun last night when he gained 27 yards in 5 carries.

Not as sharp last night was the Eagles’ defense. There were at least two, arguably three, different opportunities in which the secondary could’ve intercepted the pass, to no avail. With practice before this weekend’s second preseason game, this is likely going to be a focal point in the defensive unit’s reps; however, one of Vic Fangio’s keys to doing so is safety Sydney Brown, who left the game early on and headed immediately to the blue tent. When he emerged, he then spent the rest of the game on the sideline, so it will remain to be seen what his availability will be going forward. The night wasn’t all bad defensively; however, there were some notable performances from a few of the guys on D. Rookie Ty Robinson was extremely locked in inside, even seeing a QB sack early on, and successful penetration later in the game. Jerimiah Trotter Jr. had six total tackles, and cornerback Tariq Castro-Fields had three pass breakups in the fourth quarter. With some time before the team’s next game against the Browns, they will have some key things to work on before game two.

There is a sold-out Public Practice on Sunday night at the Linc, then Cleveland comes to town for joint practices on Wednesday and Thursday ahead of the team’s second preseason game a week from today. Right now, it’s scheduled for a 1 PM kickoff, where the Birds look to make it 2-0 at home to start the year.