It’s time for the preseason to begin, and with that, well, everything changes for the Philadelphia Eagles. Seeing the New York Jets on the other side of the line of scrimmage on Friday night (7:30 PM kickoff, NBC10 in Philadelphia) means everything to a team that has been going at it, Eagles vs. Eagles, since the spring. The personnel is new, the calls will be unique, and, yes, the tempo for a preseason game will be ratcheted up here.
Welcome to real football, preseason style! We’re going to look at everything, of course, but let’s pick out a few particulars for the first of three preseason games …
1. Starters finding some early success
Head Coach Nick Sirianni said on Wednesday that the starters could play one or two series, which is not a lot of time to do much of anything other than to knock off some rust and gain a taste of the preseason. Then again, some early success would go a long way. Should the offense get out there and string together some first downs, well, that would be fantastic. You’d love to see some rhythm established out of the preseason gates.
Same with the defense – get some quick stops and get off the field and the night would be a rousing success. We know how the preseason goes and how sometimes these things go sideways, but it’s always good to keep the broader goals in mind: Get out there and get some work in and get off the field healthy and everyone is happy. That’s the true bottom line of a preseason contest.
2. Cam Jurgens and the rookie class making preseason debuts
With Jason Kelce sidelined after having a procedure on his right elbow, second-round draft pick Cam Jurgens steps into the starting lineup at the center position. He’s jumping right in, and that’s just fine with the Nebraska product who has gained positive reviews from the coaching staff and his offensive line teammates throughout Training Camp. Now, Jurgens takes his game to a new level, so it’s going to be exciting to see how he fares with what the Jets do up front, with…
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