by Fran Duffy & Chris McPherson
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – It’s one other week on the highway for the Eagles, who’re in Miami to battle the Dolphins in a pair of joint practices earlier than the ultimate preseason recreation on Saturday night time. Practice lasted for about an hour and 45 minutes and featured a number of workforce durations. For a recap and evaluation, learn 14 takeaways from Fran Duffy and Chris McPherson:
1. The Eagles arrived early to the Dolphins’ stunning observe facility, and gamers spent their time acclimating to the South Florida warmth by catching up with outdated buddies on the other facet. Players, coaches, scouts, and different workforce officers meet and greet their counterparts on the Miami sideline as each groups put together to heat up. The quarterbacks are the primary to get out on the sector, as Coach Brian Johnson joins his gamers in competing to see who can throw probably the most correct comeback route alongside the sideline. Coach Nick Sirianni, sporting a contemporary, white, DeVonta Smith T-shirt, is prepping himself with some spray-on suntan lotion. – Fran Duffy
2. Wide receiver particular person drills begin, and coach Aaron Moorehead has a few drills on faucet this morning. First, the receivers work on their releases towards press protection. Moorehead stresses to his gamers that they need to proceed to assault vertically whereas defeating the jam. They cannot waste time without work the road, as a result of that may disrupt the timing with the quarterback. A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, and the remainder of the move catchers run a few routes, dealing with a number of “jams” from their coach earlier than transitioning to the subsequent drill, which once more has them dealing with contact. This time, Moorehead has a pad on his arm and is forcing his gamers to battle by means of contact on the high of the route earlier than they stick their foot within the floor and break towards the sideline. These drills are all going to be vital this week, because the Dolphins have a really aggressive, aggressive secondary that performed extra man protection than anybody in soccer a 12 months in the past. The Eagles’ receivers can be examined all week. – Fran
3. Focusing on the protection right now, the sting rushers and linemen begin particular person drills by working towards unfastened ball drills. Eagles followers all know the way securing a unfastened ball like defensive finish Derek Barnett did in Super Bowl LII will help rework a workforce right into a champion. The coaches then put the gamers by means of agility drills like working round cones lined up within the form of a determine 8 with a purpose to observe bending off the nook to get across the offensive deal with. Meanwhile, over on the linebacker group, the gamers work on matching up towards would-be working backs within the gap and speaking on masking working backs out of the backfield. This can be integral going towards the Dolphins who make the most of quite a lot of pre-snap movement and eye sweet to get the defenders off their keys. Former Eagles nice Connor Barwin serves because the working again on this drill and he should have shed a couple of kilos within the intense warmth. – Chris McPherson
4. One-on-one periods start and my consideration is being paid to the receivers going up towards the Miami secondary. A.J. Brown will get the primary rep and makes an excellent catch down the left sideline towards Pro Bowl nook Xavien Howard. Brown ran a go route downfield, and Hurts delivered the ball over his exterior shoulder. Brown caught out one paw and tapped the ball to himself, securing it for the massive play towards the gifted Howard.
On the close to sideline, DeVonta Smith created wonderful separation towards beginning nook Nik Needham, going to the bottom to drag within the again shoulder throw with each ft in-bounds. Jalen Reagor later ran a fantastic vertical route, stacking the Miami nook and getting on high of him, however the ball was jusssst out of attain and fell incomplete – however it was nonetheless a great launch and route from the previous first-round decide. Deon Cain ran a clean comeback route for a completion. Brown received on a slant route towards Howard. John Hightower had a fantastic launch and received clear off the road for a go ball landing. Zach Pascal confirmed off his physicality in beating a Miami nook’s jam for a slant reception. – Fran
5. Taking within the Eagles’ defensive backs going towards the Dolphins’ broad receivers in one-on-one drills, Darius Slay did a great job of studying and reacting to Tyreek Hill’s exterior launch down the correct sideline. Slay was stride-for-stride till he stumbled because the ball was within the air, permitting Hill to interrupt free for the landing. Avonte Maddox and Tay Gowan scored wins for the Eagles’ protection. Maddox broke up an out route supposed for receiver Lynn Bowden Jr. whereas Gowan compelled an incompletion on a deep ball to Cedrick Wilson Jr. – C-Mac
6. During the particular groups interval, as the 2 squads labored on the kicking recreation, broad receiver DeVonta Smith was engaged on the sideline with coach Kevin Patullo. The two are sometimes working collectively in observe on the facet, with Smith catching passes from awkward angles and physique positions. Today, the 2 work on passes which can be aimed low at Smith’s ft. By my depend, not one hit the bottom. – Fran
7. While 7-on-7 motion begins in the midst of the sector, I stroll over to the tip zone to observe the Eagles’ offensive line tackle the Miami defensive position, a bunch that has a handful of former first-round picks. I assumed this was a very evenly-matched session, with wins on either side. Lane Johnson is up first and anchors down nicely towards an Emmanuel Ogbah bull rush. Isaac Seumalo and Christian Wilkins stalemate on the subsequent rep, and shortly after Landon Dickerson faces up towards Zach Sieler. The defensive finish tried to get inside Dickerson’s pads, however Dickerson dropped his anchor and threw his palms, delivering a thunderous punch that knocked Sieler straight to the bottom, with Dickerson on high of him.
Jaelan Phillips, Miami’s younger move rusher, matched up subsequent with Jordan Mailata, and I assumed this was a clear rep on either side, with Mailata working the nook with Phillips, who tried to win exterior with a clear rip transfer. I’ll pace by means of the remainder of the spectacular reps on the Eagles’ facet: Andre Dillard stopped an Owen Carney bull rush, tossing him to the bottom for good measure on the finish; Jack Driscoll stifled one other Miami bullrusher on the very subsequent rep; Le’Raven Clark had a fantastic rep, stopping an inside transfer along with his put up hand and fully shutting the door; Dickerson and Mailata each acquired wins within the interval’s waning moments as nicely. – Fran
8. Watching 7-on-7 drills, the Eagles benefited from the pre-snap movement utilized by the Dolphins because the protection needed to talk and react on the fly. Again, the Eagles didn’t gameplan for these practices, so the coaches need to see how the gamers do beneath strain that they did not anticipate. – C-Mac
9. With the primary 11-on-11 motion getting underway, Miami’s fashion of play is obvious early on. They have a bunch of gamers up on the road of scrimmage. Their corners are in aggressive press protection. This will not be a simple scheme to go up towards, particularly with the workforce not gameplanning. Hurts completes a fast display screen to Pascal, who is ready to slip by a Brown block down the sideline. Hurts was in a position to full a few checkdowns as nicely, however Miami’s protection is flying round within the early going. The backups enter the fray, with Gardner Minshew hitting Jack Stoll on a shallow crossing route, however the Eagles’ run recreation struggles to get going by means of a lot of this primary interval. – Fran
10. Before observe, Defensive Coordinator Jonathan Gannon shared that he was happy with the progress made by the protection in stopping the run and Wednesday’s observe proved him appropriate. Fletcher Cox acquired within the backfield early within the workforce interval to stuff working again Raheem Mostert. The second-team protection stuffed working again Myles Gaskin after which collapsed the pocket to sack quarterback Teddy Bridgewater. Heating up, defensive deal with Jordan Davis retains the momentum going with a run stuff adopted shortly after by a deal with for loss by defensive deal with Milton Williams on a toss play. Cornerback Avonte Maddox continued his robust day with tight protection on a deep ball supposed for receiver Erik Ezukanma. Linebacker Kyzir White stuffed working again Sony Michel. Linebacker Haason Reddick notched a sack to spherical out the highlights from the early workforce periods. – C-Mac
11. The subsequent set of workforce durations start and one of many Dolphins’ defensive leaders, deal with Christian Wilkins, will get fairly animated towards the Philadelphia huddle. Wilkins, a former captain for Clemson’s National Title Team, seemingly wished the depth to ramp up on either side. The Eagles obliged with this request. On the primary play, Landon Dickerson got here pulling from left to proper and steamrolled a Miami defensive lineman, springing a run to the correct facet. The defender took exception to the block, and tempers flared a bit with gamers pushing and shoving, however widespread sense prevailed, and observe continued. This might have been the spark the Eagles’ offense wanted on this interval, as a result of on the following play, Hurts hit Smith on a deep put up route that drew a number of flags within the secondary (Smith caught the ball regardless over the nook, Needham). Next, Hurts hit tight finish Dallas Goedert within the left flank on a display screen, with Goedert splitting two blocks by Smith and Zach Pascal and jetting down the left sideline on what was a well-executed play. Next, Hurts hit working again Kenneth Gainwell beneath off play-action because the first-team offense headed to the sideline. – Fran
12. For the third workforce interval, the ball got here out of Jalen Hurts’ palms quick, early, and infrequently. First, Hurts hit Brown on a pace out route alongside the correct sideline earlier than discovering Smith on the same play on the close to facet. Hurts then discovered Stoll over the center on a play that might have moved the chains. The second-team unit got here out and had a few good features, with working again Jason Huntley sprinting to the skin on a fringe run and getting the nook, circling the protection, and creating the massive play in house. On the subsequent rep, Minshew hit Pascal over the center on a deep crossing route. Pascal needed to absolutely outstretch to drag the move in, however did so on the run for a primary down. Hurts got here again in and later hit Brown on a shallower crosser, hitting the Pro Bowl receiver in-stride to assist create an enormous acquire with loads of yards after the catch. Pascal ended the interval with a deep route the place he was broad open for a landing on the left facet. – Fran
13. The remaining workforce interval for the Eagles’ protection was an end-of-half scenario the place the sport was tied with beneath a minute left. The Dolphins had one trip. Reddick registered one other sack to again up the Dolphins, however tight finish Mike Gesicki made a one-handed seize on a shallow crosser to maneuver the chains. The Eagles made a few open-field “tackles” to maintain the clock shifting, ultimately forcing Miami to accept a 50-yard discipline purpose as time expired. – C-Mac
14. The first-team offense took the sector for the ultimate time in a two-minute drill scenario to finish observe. Lane Johnson was getting a few of his tools tended to on the sideline, so Jack Driscoll was in at proper deal with, and Dickerson left the drill after the second play as nicely, with Sua Opeta stepping in for him. Gainwell acquired issues began with a catch beneath as Hurts beat the blitz with a fast throw. Mailata had a fantastic rep in move professional on the subsequent play, a throw that discovered Brown for a primary down however later got here again attributable to a penalty. After two completions to Gainwell and Goedert to maneuver the chains, the Eagles acquired to round midfield, however a first-down sack acquired them behind the chains. Hurts hit Smith on second down for a brief acquire, and located Boston Scott for a catch over the center on third down that fell simply wanting the sticks to carry up fourth down to finish the drill, and the observe, for either side. – Fran
Injury Report
Did Not Practice
G Jack Anderson – Ribs
LB Shaun Bradley – Illness
LB Christian Elliss – Hamstring
DT Javon Hargrave – Toe
CB Josh Jobe – Elbow
C Jason Kelce – Elbow
RB Miles Sanders – Hamstring
CB Josiah Scott – Hamstring
WR Greg Ward – Toe
Limited
CB James Bradberry – Groin