Highlights and lowlights from the Eagles-Ravens preseason broadcast
From jinxes to watching the game out of market, here are some of our biggest takeaways from the Birds' preseason opener.
Eagles running back Will Shipley (left), John Ross, and the Eagles got their first preseason action on Friday night.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
We’re going to be keeping a close eye on the Eagles’ broadcasts this season. The Inquirer is always in the press box in person, taking in the game and providing expert analysis, but the majority of you are watching from home on Fox, NBC, or CBS. The fun stuff often happens on TV, as fans in the stands go viral and broadcaster calls and slipups become nightly memes. So we’re covering that, too.
Trouble finding the right broadcast
Fans local to Philadelphia had a (relatively) easy time watching the Eagles’ first preseason game against the Ravens. Sure, if you don’t have cable, COZI might not have been accessible to you, but the game was available to stream on PhiladelphiaEagles.com for everyone in-market.
Thursday was my mom’s birthday, so I took in the game from my parents’ house in New York, well out of the Eagles’ TV market. I spent $6.99 to make sure I could watch the game on NFL+, the NFL’s streaming service, launched in 2022.
Eagles fans set up a flag before the preseason game against the Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Eagles wide receiver John Ross warms up before the preseason game against the Ravens.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni walks on the field before the preseason game against the Ravens.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Eagles tight end Dallas Goedert warms up before the preseason game against the Ravens.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Eagles offensive tackles Lane Johnson and Jordan Mailata warm up before the preseason game against the Ravens.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Eagles offensive tackle Jordan Mailata warms up before the preseason game against the Ravens.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Eagles running back Kenneth Gainwell juggles tennis balls before the preseason game against the Ravens.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown throws on the field before the preseason game against the Ravens.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni talks with linebacker Zack Baun on the bench before the preseason game against the Ravens.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Eagles running back Kenneth Gainwell warms up before the preseason game against the Ravens.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Eagles wide receiver Johnny Wilson catches the football while warming up before the preseason game against the Ravens.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni (right) talks to Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh during team warm ups.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts throws the football during team warm ups before a preseason game against the Ravens.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (left) greets teammate wide receiver DeVonta Smith (center) with back-up quarterback Will Grier during team warm ups before a preseason game against the Ravens.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Eagles cornerback James Bradberry IV catches the football during team warm ups.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Eagles cornerback Darius Slay Jr., dances during team warm ups.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Eagles defensive end Brandon Graham (center) walks on to the field with his teammates before a preseason game against the Ravens.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Eagles quarterback Kenny Pickett throws the football during the first quarter.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Eagles tight end Grant Calcaterra runs with the football as offensive tackle Brett Toth (center) blocks Ravens linebacker Trenton Simpson during the first quarter.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Eagles cornerback Quinyon Mitchell (right) reacts after breaking a pass with teammate Eagles linebacker Devin White past Ravens wide receiver Malik Cunningham during the first quarter.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni walks the sidelines during the first quarter.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Eagles quarterback Kenny Pickett looks to throw the football during the first quarter.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Eagles wide receiver Britain Covey catches the football during the first quarter.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Eagles wide receiver John Ross runs with the football against a Ravens defender during the first quarter.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Eagles running back Will Shipley scores a first quarter touchdown against Baltimore Ravens cornerback Nate Wiggins.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Eagles running back Will Shipley (left) celebrates after scoring a first quarter touchdown with teammate wide receiver John Ross.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore celebrates quarterback Kenny Pickett first quarter touchdown pass.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Eagles linebacker Nakobe Dean goes after Ravens quarterback Josh Johnson during the second quarter.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Jacob Harris gets hit by Baltimore Ravens safety Sanoussi Kane during the third quarter. Unnecessary roughness was called on defense on the play.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Baltimore Ravens safety Sanoussi Kane gets checked out after knocking heads with Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Jacob Harris during the third quarter.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Tanner McKee throws during the third quarter.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Philadelphia Eagles running back Lew Nichols celebrates a touchdown during the third quarter.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Nolan Smith Jr. sacks Baltimore Ravens quarterback Devin Leary during the third quarter.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Nolan Smith Jr. celebrates sacking Baltimore Ravens quarterback Devin Leary.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Baltimore Ravens running back Rasheen Ali gets tackled by Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Eli Ricks and Philadelphia Eagles safety Andre' Sam during the fourth quarter.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Philadelphia Eagles running back Lew Nichols celebrates a touchdown during the third quarter.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Baltimore Ravens linebacker Josh Ross and Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Parry Nickerson greet each other after the preseason game.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Philadelphia Eagles players greet fans after the preseason game.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
When the game finally began, to my horror, I was watching a Ravens production, dashing my plans to write a recap of the best moments of the preseason broadcast. The radio broadcast was available, but it was not synced up with the video broadcast, just a split screen featuring the Ravens’ and Eagles’ logos. The broadcast was sponsored by Wawa, which advertised on the score bug in place of the down marker, a small bit of Philly fair in a broadcast otherwise lacking it.
All things considered, this was a pretty small obstacle, impacting a minority of people watching the game. But one of MLB.tv’s best features is the ability to choose to watch the home or away streams. ESPN+ has a similar feature for the NHL. If one of NFL+’s primary products is going to be preseason streams, this feels like an obvious addition for 2025. So if you’re relying on NFL+ to watch the game, as I was, you’re likely stuck watching the home stream against the Patriots.
Merrill Reese jinxes Jake Elliott
The radio did provide some signature moments. As Jake Elliott set up for his first extra-point attempt, Merrill Reese said the game featured perhaps the two best kickers in the game, Elliott and Baltimore’s Justin Tucker. Of course, before he could even finish his sentence, Elliott’s attempt missed.
“I think you jinxed it,” Mike Quick said.
Elliott later missed a field goal at the end of the fourth quarter, which would have clinched the preseason game for the Eagles, hitting the upright again.
“If it has to happen, let it happen in a preseason game,” Reese said. “He’s never missed one like that in a regular-season game. Never.”
Elliott then made the game-winner with no time left after the Eagles stripped Emory Jones on the next play after the miss.
Reese also shared his favorite movie, Everybody’s All-American, and the Eagles’ roster’s favorite movie — allegedly, in a survey of the entire training camp roster, the most-answered movie was Forrest Gump.
Howard Eskin also made his return to the broadcast despite his ban from Citizens Bank Park and Sixers’ facilities, reporting postgame that you’d “never know it was a preseason game,” given the energy on the Birds’ sideline.
Jake Elliott gets redemption and wins it for the @Eagles! 🦅
The Ravens broadcast interviewed Maryland coach Mike Locksley, one of Jalen Hurts’ offensive coordinators at Alabama, who came to the game with his Maryland players, but of course did not ask about Hurts, who didn’t play in the game.
Other NFL+ games ran into broadcast issues, like this call on the Atlanta Falcons’ game, which sounded like a robot malfunctioning.