Eagles' stock up, stock down after 2nd preseason game vs. Patriots

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After two days of strong performances in joint practices against the Patriots, the Eagles rested many starters on Thursday night and it showed.

The Eagles ended up losing 35-0 and failed to show any of the crispness they showed in their first preseason game.

Even Jalen Hurts (illness) didn’t play in this one. So we got a half of Joe Flacco and a half of Nick Mullens.

Here’s the latest stock report:

Stock up

Alex Singleton

Sure, Singleton missed an open field tackle that he should have made, but he was again everywhere on Thursday night. He plays with his hair on fire and it’s fun to watch. He ended up with seven tackles in limited time.

Kenny Gainwell

We got a heavy dose of the fifth-round running back out of Memphis in the third quarter and Gainwell did fairly well. The good news is that he at least looks like he belongs. He ended up with 5 carries for 21 yards (4.2) and 3 catches for 23 (7.7). The Eagles got him out of there for the fourth quarter.

Milton Williams

The Eagles’ second- and third-team defenders didn’t look great on Thursday with the exception of Williams. He played defensive end and was a handful at times, drawing two offensive holding calls on the same drive in the second quarter.

T.J. Edwards

It was weird to see it on Thursday night but while the rest of the Eagles’ defense was struggling, their linebackers looked good, especially Singleton and Edwards. Edwards had a handful of tackles and had a great diving PBU that he nearly picked off.

DeVonta Smith

The numbers won’t blow you away — 2 catches on 4 targets, 19 yards. And Smith even got off to a slow start with a couple drops. But the fact that he was able to play in this game and show off his route-running ability — and the knee didn’t seem like an issue — was a win. I think it was important for him to play in the preseason, and he at least got his feet wet. This play in particular was great. It’s exactly what Nick Sirianni wants to see at the top of routes:

Stock down

Nate Herbig

During the last couple of weeks, Herbig has been getting reps as the second-team center, but he had a wild snap on the first drive of the game that resulted in a fumble. The Patriots punched in a touchdown a couple plays later. This is a process with Herbig, learning to play center, but a bad snap like that can ruin a game.

Zech McPhearson

Rough outing for the rookie fourth-round pick. He got the start in place of Darius Slay, who got a veteran night off, and was targeted early and often by Cam Newton. Sure, Newton had a lot of time to throw, but it looked like he was going after the rookie. McPhearson also had a poor attempt at a tackle on a first-quarter touchdown and was called for a defensive hold. McPhearson did have a nice PBU on a two-point attempt.

Matt Pryor

Sure, Pryor offers versatility, but is that enough for him to keep his job? He started the game at right tackle and struggled. He was called for a holding in the first half and also allowed a sack. The Eagles were getting Jack Driscoll work at right guard, but he’s clearly a better option at right tackle than Pryor.

Matt Leo

The 29-year-old Australian has an international roster exemption and this project looks far from over. Leo has all the size, but he looked lost out there at times on Thursday night. Really, the entire second and third-team defensive line struggled again.

Joe Flacco

I know he was playing behind a makeshift offensive line but it wasn’t a very good performance from the veteran quarterback. He played the entire first half and threw for 83 yards. He also got picked off when he forced a pass to Jalen Reagor that was batted and then intercepted. Nick Mullens wasn’t any better.

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