Eagles grades: Offense earns high marks in Kevin Patullo’s debut, corners struggle in preseason win

Instant grades on the Eagles’ performance in a 34-27 preseason win over the Cincinnati Bengals:

With starter Jalen Hurts and most of the first-unit offense given the night off, Tanner McKee was under center. McKee showed once again why the Eagles felt comfortable handing him the No. 2 spot this offseason. He completed 20 of 25 passes for 252 yards and two touchdowns for a 135.3 passer rating. He played into the third quarter.

McKee and the backups scored 10 points against most of the Bengals’ expected starting defense. He spread his throws around and hit seven different receivers on a variety of routes. He did well to reset his feet and hit receiver Darius Cooper for a 15-yard connection on his second series. McKee gave Johnny Wilson good ball placement on two contested throws. He even accomplished the Eagles’ signature sneak play — the “Tush Push” — to score their first touchdown of the night.

» READ MORE: Tanner McKee shines, Jihaad Campbell gets involved in the Eagles’ preseason-opening win vs. Bengals

Dorian Thompson-Robinson took over for McKee and played about a quarter. He completed 5 of 8 passes for 56 yards and had some decent throws.

It didn’t go quite as well for rookie Kyle McCord. The St. Joseph’s Prep product completed just 1 of 5 passes for eight yards and tossed an interception. Tight end EJ Jenkins didn’t look back at the end of his route, but McCord’s intercepted pass was thrown into heavy traffic.

Will Shipley started and played the first two offensive series. On his second carry, he shot through a gaping hole off the right side and motored for a 38-yard gain. Shipley had six other rushes that netted just 10 yards, but he solidified his standing as starter Saquon Barkley’s primary backup.

A.J. Dillon spelled Shipley and shined both on the ground and as a receiver. He rushed five times for 27 yards and gained as many yards through the air on three receptions.

ShunDerrick Powell and Keilan Robinson each showed some pop on the ground. Powell reached the end zone from 2 yards out in the fourth quarter.

Jahan Dotson started at wide receiver despite the expectation that he’ll log “starting” snaps in the regular season. Dotson wasn’t here a year ago, so it made sense to give him preseason time. He caught McKee’s first two passes for 27 yards after running precise routes. Dotson played just one drive.

» READ MORE: The Eagles have utilized Jalen Hurts heavily in the run game. Is it sustainable?

Wilson was one of the skill position stars of the first half. He caught three passes for 73 yards. The 6-foot-6 receiver used his height to catch a 27-yard pass over a Bengals corner. Wilson tipped the ball back to himself. He had a more impressive jump ball grab in the second quarter when he pulled in a 28-yard gain despite defensive pass interference. He could have caught a Thompson-Robinson pass in the third quarter.

Cooper carried his recent camp performances over into the preseason. The undrafted rookie is making a case for the 53-man roster. He caught six passes for 82 yards, including a 20-yard touchdown. Cooper had the best 16-yard catch of the night when he stopped on a dime and lost a Bengals defender.

Receiver Ainias Smith’s 6-yard touchdown catch in the second quarter was his highlight on offense. We’ll have more on his special teams contributions. Elijah Cooks, who’s flashed in camp, was carted inside with an apparent injury. It was unclear how the receiver got hurt. Cooks wasn’t targeted on offense.

Tight end Grant Calcaterra got the start with starter Dallas Goedert in street clothes. Calcaterra came back to McKee on a scramble drill in the second quarter, but failed to reel in a pass that hit in the hands. Tight end Kylen Granson had a 16-yard grab on an out route in the third quarter and finished with three grabs. Jenkins had two catches for 20 yards.

Tyler Steen was the only projected starter on the O-line to suit up. He played just one possession, another sign that he’s all but officially wrapped up the right guard spot. He had a key seal block on Shipley’s 38-yard run. Darian Kinnard took Steen’s spot for the remainder of the first quarter.

Expected backup to Cam Jurgens, Drew Kendall, got the start at center. The rookie executed the Tush Push and got low for McKee to push over the goal line. Kendall, upon first glance, seemed to acquit himself in his first pro performance.

Kendall Lamm was first up at left tackle, but he played only a few series. Lamm seemed to solidify his standing as the first tackle off the bench. Matt Pryor started on the other side at right tackle. He played the entire first half, but never at guard. The Eagles know what he’s capable of there. Brett Toth struggled to pick up an inside stunt at left guard that resulted in a sack of McKee, but he seemed to do more good than harm.

» READ MORE: Thumbs up or down: Eagles writers weigh in on Jakorian Bennett-Thomas Booker trade

Myles Hinton went in for Lamm. Of the two tackle projects the Eagles drafted, he’s ahead of Cameron Williams. Hinton struggled to pick up a blitz that led to a sack. And he appeared to be the guilty party when a Bengals D-lineman penetrated into the backfield for a run loss. But he held firm vs. the edge rush.

Guards Trevor Keegan and Kenyon Green and Williams took the field in the third quarter. Green was called for holding not long after his Eagles debut. He left the game with a right arm injury. Williams had a late holding penalty.

Rookie defensive tackle Ty Robinson played a ton of snaps and stood out several times. He didn’t always win at the point of attack, but he has a motor. Robinson notched the Eagles’ first sack on a delayed stunt in the second quarter. He sniffed out a screen pass later before the half.

Defensive tackle Gabe Hall’s ascension made Thomas Booker, who was traded to the Raiders earlier this week, expendable. Hall got in the mix vs. the run and kept Bengals running back Chase Brown to a short run. Defensive tackle Jacob Sykes snuck through the middle to record a run stop for no gain in the second quarter.

Outside linebacker Joshua Uche started opposite Azeez Ojulari. Uche had some moments. His rush after getting chip blocked forced Jake Browning to step up into Robinson’s arms. Uche was chop blocked to the ground at one point, drawing a personal foul penalty. He was credited with two assisted tackles. Ojulari had a quiet night.

» READ MORE: Sielski: The Eagles are boring. Give me the feuding Cowboys. Give me the petty Bengals. Chaos is more fun.

Defensive end Ogbo Okoronkwo isn’t used to dropping in coverage and had to cover the Bengals’ Brown out of the backfield. It didn’t go well. Brown shook Okoronkwo for a missed tackle.

Patrick Johnson had a blindside sack negated by an Eagles penalty in the third quarter. But the outside linebacker would not be deterred, and intercepted Browning on the very next play.

Jihaad Campbell got on the field for the Bengals’ second possession. He looked undisciplined at times, but flew around with great energy. The Eagles’ top draft pick was flagged for illegal use of the hands when he tried to disengage from a block. Campbell later shed a lead block to assist on a run stop. His blitz a play later was picked up, but he maintained his footing. Campbell had an sure interception slip through his hands on a deflected pass in the second quarter.

Fellow rookie Smael Mondon got the start alongside Jeremiah Trotter Jr. He had a rough welcome to the NFL. Mondon was taken out on an 8-yard run. But his two missed tackles — a whiff on a swing pass and failing to bring down tight end Tanner Hudson on the Bengals’ opening touchdown — were egregious.

Trotter appeared to bite on a couple of fakes and misdirections. But he also found the ball on multiple occasions and led the Eagles with six tackles.

The competition between Kelee Ringo and Adoree’ Jackson was center stage with the Bengals playing their first-unit offense. Quarterback Joe Burrow and receiver Ja’Marr Chase made each cornerback look incapable of winning the job. Burrow and Chase, of course, can make even the best in the NFL look foolish.

Ringo had a forgetful first quarter guarding the world-class receiver. Chase caught a 28-yard back-shoulder pass on the Bengals’ first series, and followed up a drive later with a 36-yard touchdown. On the latter play, Ringo took a poor angle and Chase was off to the races. He was only marginally better against Browning and the Bengals’ backups. Receiver Charlie Jones caught an 11–yard pass vs. Ringo.

» READ MORE: Amid trial by fire, can Kelee Ringo separate himself in position battle at Eagles training camp?

Jackson struggled, as well. Chase converted third-and-5 with a 12-yard comeback route in front of the corner. Jackson did come up and made a tackle short of the sticks in the first quarter. He allowed Jones to catch a 21-yard pass from Browning in front of him.

Jakorian Bennett, who arrived in the Booker trade, wasn’t in uniform. He’ll toss his hat in the ring next week with the Browns coming to town for two joint practices and a preseason game.

Rookie Mac McWilliams started in the slot with Cooper DeJean given the night off. He had an illegal contact penalty that was declined. Eli Ricks committed pass interference in the second quarter and still allowed a 15-yard completion. He bounced back a few plays later with a third down pass breakup. Later on in the quarter, he dropped a would-be interception that hit him in between the numbers.

Cornerback Parry Nickerson got beat deep in the fourth quarter.

Sydney Brown left in the second quarter with an unspecified injury after he bounced off Bengals running back Tahj Brooks. He spent some time in the medical tent, but seemed fine enough to run around during the half. Before the injury, Brown did well to pursue a screen to Chase, but he couldn’t make the tackle. He finished with two solo tackles and one assist and didn’t appear to do anything to suggest he’s either won or lost the safety competition.

Rookie Andrew Mukuba didn’t suit up even though he recently returned to practice following a shoulder injury. His time will come. Tristin McCollum started opposite Brown. I don’t recall him making much of an impact, but the ball didn’t come his way much either.

Ainias Smith had a 46-yard punt return in the second quarter. He used a nifty sidestep to avoid a tackle. Smith strengthened his case to be the Eagles’ full-time punt returner. Avery Williams returned three punts for a total of 15 yards. Smith and Williams were the first two up on kick returns, but they were held to minimal gains.

Kicker Jake Elliott made 2 of 2 field goals – the longest from 44 yards. He had a 55-yard field goal miss wide right that was negated by a Bengals penalty. Elliott kicked a 23-yarder when the drive stalled later on. He also connected on all three extra-point attempts.

Braden Mann got some emergency kicker practice in and hit an extra point after the Eagles’ second touchdown. Elliott handled place-holding duties. Mann averaged 35.3 net yards on four punts.

Christian Johnstone didn’t appear to have any long snapping snafus. He was signed with regular Charley Hughlett dealing with neck injury. Did Johnstone do enough to hang around and force a camp competition?

Hey, it’s the preseason and I’m feeling generous. Coach Nick Sirianni got the dub even though he didn’t play most of his starters. New offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo’s operation was efficient, even though he kept the play calls simple. Thirty-four points is nothing to sneeze at on any occasion.

Vic Fangio’s second unit got waxed by Burrow & Co., but there were bright spots overall for his defense.