Eagles quarterbacks Kyle McCord and Dorian Thompson-Robinson struggled in Saturday's preseason game against the Browns.
PHILADELPHIA — The Eagles started a drive without a quarterback during Saturday’s preseason game against the Cleveland Browns. Ten offensive players stood in the huddle, looking to the sideline, wondering who was going to come in and run the show.
Kyle McCord and Dorian Thompson-Robinson alternated every two series to work with the second and third-team offense, which generated a bit of confusion.
They ended up figuring it out. McCord jogged out to the huddle. No harm, no foul. But that moment served as a microcosm for what was a messy day for the quarterbacks battling for the No. 3 job.
Neither McCord nor Thompson-Robinson played well in the Eagles’ 22-13 loss to the Browns. McCord, the sixth-round rookie out of Syracuse, completed 8 of 16 passes for 47 yards. Thompson-Robinson was worse, completing 5 of 8 passes for 17 yards. The third-year QB also got pick-sixed after bobbling a snap and getting hit while throwing.
Browns PICK-6!
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Thompson-Robinson and McCord’s combined stats? 13 of 24 for 55 yards. It was a far cry from the stellar performance backup Tanner McKee had in last week’s preseason opener, completing 20 of 25 passes for 252 yards and two touchdowns against the Bengals.
McKee did not play on Saturday, which was a first for Nick Sirianni. The head coach played his QB2 in all three preseason games the past four years. But McKee got enough reps during joint practices this week with the Browns that he didn’t need to see the field.
With McKee joining Jalen Hurts on the sideline, Saturday was a chance for McCord or Thompson-Robinson to separate themselves. How did they do in Sirianni’s eyes?
“I’ll have to watch the tape,” Sirianni said when asked about his quarterbacks. “They had some good moments and had some plays that they made. But we also missed some plays. ... It wasn’t good enough out there on the field, coaching, playing, anything.”
When Sirianni and offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo watch the tape, they won’t be pleased. McCord and Thompson-Robinson struggled mightily. They threw it into traffic. They missed open receivers. In Thompson-Robinson’s case, he didn’t take care of the football.
It didn’t help that the Eagles’ reserve offensive linemen got pushed around. But McCord and Thompson-Robinson didn’t help themselves, either, with roster cutdown day on the horizon.
Thompson-Robinson is looking to make the team after the Eagles acquired him and a fifth-round pick in exchange for Kenny Pickett. McCord, a former St. Joseph’s Prep star and south Jersey native, is hoping to latch on with his hometown team.
Kyle McCord delivers an @Eagles TD to Ainias Smith
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Fortunately for McCord, he had the lone bright spot from the two quarterbacks on Saturday. The 22-year-old rookie connected with Ainias Smith for a nine-yard touchdown. McCord knew he was going to take a shot, but he hung in there and made the throw anyway.
Asked if he saw Smith score or if he was on the ground, McCord laughed. “I heard it,” he said.
That first touchdown was “sweet” for McCord. He grew up a massive Eagles fan just over the bridge in Mount Laurel, N.J. So to throw a touchdown pass in an Eagles uniform at Lincoln Financial Field was a moment worth cherishing.
“Growing up you dream of it, but it’s a far-fetched reality,” McCord said. “So to see that come to life was awesome.”
But it wasn’t a fairy tale day by any means for McCord. And it certainly wasn’t for Thompson-Robinson, who failed on five drives to lead the Eagles across midfield.
Last year, the Eagles felt great about their quarterback situation top to bottom. They had Hurts and two reserve quarterbacks they could win with. Pickett, after two years of starting experience with the Steelers, was acquired to back up Hurts. McKee was a budding talent and has proved to be more than capable to take the reins from Pickett.
Now, the Eagles might have a QB3 problem — and it’ll be up to McCord and Thompson-Robinson to win a roster spot during next Friday’s preseason finale.
“The game reps, you can’t replicate them watching film. You can’t replicate them in practice,” McCord said. “... It’s your time to go show you do know what you’re doing.”
Category: General Sports