Third-string quarterback Tanner McKee rallied the Philadelphia Eagles to a 14-13 win over the New England Patriots in Thursday night’s preseason game at Gillette Stadium.
But it was a rough night for the Eagles’ reserve offensive linemen, especially with Kenny Pickett under center in the first half.
The Eagles played a smattering of second- and third-stringers against the Patriots’ starters, and the result was an awful first half that ended with the Eagles trailing 10-3. Pickett, seemingly throwing short or running for his life on every drop back, was sacked four times and exited with an ugly stat line:
Eagles coach Nick Sirianni cited the short turnaround between Tuesday’s joint practice and Thursday night’s game as the reason he held out the offensive starters. Pickett was bad, but he would have had a better chance with a functional offensive line.
“We had 89 plays against New England. It was a long practice. It was a physical practice,” Sirianni said. “That’s not enough rest, in my opinion, to put those guys back out there."
With the Patriots playing their top guys, it made for some ugly moments. Max Scharping got reps at left tackle and was beaten badly on a pair of sacks. Tyler Steen got the start at right guard, but he exited late in the first quarter with an ankle injury.
Things finally settled down when McKee got on the field against the Patriots’ backups, but the damage was done early.
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