Eagles vs. Ravens: 10 Takeaways From the Preseason Opener

The Philadelphia Eagles lost to the Baltimore Ravens in the preseason opener by a final score of 24-7. It was mostly an underwhelming performance for the Eagles, including an embarrassing showing in the debut of Philadelphia’s first-year offensive coordinator Sean Mannion. Yet there are still plenty of things to focus on outside of the box score. Here are 10 takeaways from Philadelphia’s frustrating loss on the road in Charm City.

QB2 Battle Remains Unsettled

The Eagles have yet to name a backup quarterback between Andy Dalton and Tanner McKee. Yet after both players led multiple drives in Baltimore, we haven’t gained any more clarity on the situation. Both Dalton and McKee struggled against the Ravens, including misfiring on what should’ve been relatively easy completions. It was a discouraging performance from two backup quarterbacks that have more than enough experience to succeed in a preseason game.

Cole Payton Isn’t Going Anywhere

While Dalton and McKee struggled to do much of anything, Eagles rookie quarterback Cole Payton was quite the opposite. The 23-year-old was able to use his legs and finally allowed Philadelphia’s offense to sustain a drive in Baltimore. The rookie quarterback led a nine-play, 59-yard touchdown drive that resulted in the only points of the game for the Eagles. Payton is far from a finished product and likely won’t push for the QB2 job, but he showed more than enough to stick around as a developmental quarterback in Philadelphia.

Eli Stowers Showed Promise

The box score doesn’t look very sexy for Eagles second-round pick, rookie tight end Eli Stowers. The 23-year-old tight end hauled in all three of his targets for just 12 yards. Yet what I was most impressed by was Stowers’ effort as a blocker. While he was called for a holding penalty on the first running play of the game, Stowers bounced back with a solid performance overall. Given his relative newness at the position, I was encouraged by what he provided as a blocker against the Ravens.

Offensive Line Depth Is More Than Adequate

The Eagles have one of the best starting offensive lines in the NFL — when they’re healthy. The health of Philadelphia’s offensive line is one of the team’s biggest concerns in 2026, yet Saturday night’s performance should help alleviate that a bit. The Eagles should be encouraged by the play of several backup offensive lineman against the Ravens, led by Markel Bell, Drew Kendall and Willie Lampkin. If the Eagles can continue to see strong play from their backup offensive linemen during the preseason, that’ll provide the team with a huge sigh of relief.

Hello, Purposeful Motion!

The Eagles scored just seven points and had only 159 total yards of offense against the Ravens. If you only look at the box score, it’s easy to get discouraged by the team’s performance in the debut of first-year offensive coordinator Sean Mannion. Yet I was still very encouraged by Philadelphia’s use of purposeful pre-snap motion and tying those aspects of the play into different looks. In just one preseason game, Mannion’s offense has already shown more creative and purposeful use of motion than we ever saw from Philadelphia’s offense last season.

Ty Robinson (Mostly) Impressed

Eagles second-year interior defensive lineman Ty Robinson had a slow start to training camp. Yet the 25-year-old reportedly played better during practice in recent weeks and he carried that momentum into a mostly solid performance against the Ravens. Robinson officially recorded two total tackles, one sack, one tackle for loss and one quarterback hit. He was penalized for an easily avoidable roughing the passer call later in the game but it was a much-needed, solid performance for Robinson in Baltimore.

New EDGE Additions Looked Comfortable

Philadelphia’s edge rusher trio of Jonathan Greenard, Jalyx Hunt and Nolan Smith Jr. got the night off in Baltimore, as expected. Yet Eagles defensive coordinator was likely pleased with the performances of the next two players in line at edge rusher, Arnold Ebiketie and A.J. Epenesa. While both players are new to Fangio’s scheme, they looked comfortable setting the edge and getting to the quarterback. While Epenesa allowed one catch in coverage, he looked solid otherwise and recorded three total tackles. Ebiketie had a near sack and also helped breakup a pass in coverage as well.

Eagles Have an Embarrassment of Riches at ILB

Eagles First-Team All-Pro linebacker Zack Baun didn’t play against the Ravens. Yet that didn’t stop Philadelphia from showing off their embarrassment of riches at inside linebacker to the rest of the NFL. Jihaad Campbell and Jeremiah Trotter Jr. got the start at linebacker with both players flourishing, as expected. Then Smael Mondon Jr. and Deontae Lawson were up next, as both players recorded five total tackles against the Ravens. Brandon George, who officially signed with the Eagles right before the game, got in on the action with six total tackles.

Uar Bernard, Joshua Weru Thrown Into the Deep End

The Eagles took a chance on two prospects that had never played American football before in Uar Bernard and Joshua Weru this offseason. While many, including myself, thought that Philadelphia would play it slow with their international duo, that clearly wasn’t the case on Saturday night. The Eagles sent both Bernard and Weru out onto the field against the Ravens in the second half.

Weru immediately made his presence known with two quarterback hurries, including a quarterback hit. Meanwhile, Bernard was able to absorb double teams and almost prevented a touchdown. It was a very encouraging performance from two players that were making their American football debuts.

Pulley Maximized His Opportunities

One of the areas that I’m always fixated on while watching the preseason is special teams. Eagles undrafted rookie safety Maximus Pulley caught my eye with his effort in punt coverage. Pulley was in on a few tackles on special teams and seemed to always put himself in a good position to make a play. That also continued on defense, as he finished the game with eight total tackles, which ranked second on Philadelphia’s defense. Eagles tight end Cameron Latu first caught my eye with his play on special teams in 2025, now Pulley is doing the same in 2026.