In their Week 18 win over the New York Giants, the Philadelphia Eagles played 68 snaps on offense and 53 on defense. Locked into the 2 seed, the Eagles rested starters. The following players did not play at all:
- QB Jalen Hurts
- QB Kenny Pickett
- QB Ian Book
- RB Saquon Barkley
- WR A.J. Brown
- WR DeVonta Smith
- LT Jordan Mailata
- LG Landon Dickerson
- C Cam Jurgens
- RG Mekhi Becton
- RT Lane Johnson
- EDGE Nolan Smith
- EDGE Josh Sweat
- DT Jalen Carter
- LB Nakobe Dean
- LB Zack Baun
- CB Darius Slay
- CB Quinyon Mitchell
- CB Cooper DeJean
- S Chauncey Gardner-Johnson
- S Reed Blankenship
No surprises there.
Quarterback
• 68 snaps: Tanner McKee
Notes: McKee was 27 of 41 for 269 yards, 2 TDs, and 0 INTs, though a couple of throws were near-INTs. Like he did a week ago, McKee looked poised and prepared, calmly operating the offense from the pocket. Overall if we’re awarding a thumbs up or thumbs down on his performance, it was a clear thumbs up 👍.
Other “resting starter” quarterback performances from around the league:
• Mitch Trubisky, Bills: 15 of 21 for 101 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT• Mike White, Bills: 3 of 11 for 28 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT• Davis Mills, Texans: 12 of 22 for 128 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT• Carson Wentz, Chiefs: 10 of 17 for 98 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT
• Jimmy Garoppolo, Rams: 27 of 41 for 334 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT
Running back
• 36 snaps: Will Shipley
• 33 snaps: Kenny Gainwell
Notes: Gainwell’s season yards per carry took a hit, as he carried 11 times for 14 yards. Shipley ran 10 times for 32 yards. He had a nice catch and run in which he showed off some explosiveness.
Obviously, they were playing behind the Eagles’ second string offensive line.
Wide receiver
• 65 snaps: Johnny Wilson
• 64 snaps: Jahan Dotson
• 47 snaps: Ainias Smith
Notes: McKee spread the ball around:
• Jahan Dotson: 11 targets, 7 catches, 94 yards• Ainias Smith: 6 targets, 4 catches, 35 yards, 1 TD
• Johnny Wilson: 5 targets, 3 catches, 24 yards
Dotson got some separation, and showed a little something after the catch. Smith grabbed his first career TD.
Smith looked kind of helpless at times during training camp, but he has made some strides during his rookie season.
Tight end
• 51 snaps: E.J. Jenkins
• 23 snaps: Grant Calcaterra
• 13 snaps: Dallas Goedert
Notes: Goedert’s participation was a mild surprise. He only played 13 snaps, and he got 6 targets. He caught 4 passes for 55 yards. His contributions as a receiver and blocker will be welcomed for the Eagles’ playoff run.
E.J. Jenkins scored his first career TD:
Good body control to get into the end zone after the catch.
Offensive line
• 68 snaps each: Fred Johnson, Nick Gates, Jack Driscoll, and Darian Kinnard
• 40 snaps: Tyler Steen
• 35 snaps: Trevor Keegan
Notes: From left to right:
LT: Fred JohnsonLG: Tyler Steen and Trevor KeeganC: Nick GatesRG: Jack Driscoll
RT Darian Kinnard
I’d have liked to have seen more Keegan, but it also made sense to get Steen some work.
Edge defenders
• 46 snaps: Bryce Huff
• 41 snaps: Charles Harris
• 18 snaps: Jalyx Hunt
Notes: If we’re reading these snap counts similarly to a preseason game, Hunt is ahead of Huff in the edge rusher pecking order.
Interior defensive line
• 44 snaps: Moro Ojomo
• 39 snaps: Thomas Booker
• 21 snaps: Jordan Davis
• 15 snaps: Milton Williams
Notes: Williams and Davis had to play a little simply because the Eagles needed bodies. Davis had 5 tackles on his 21 snaps.
Linebacker
• 53 snaps: Jeremiah Trotter, Jr. and Oren Burks
Notes: Burks had 17 tackles, and Trotter had 11. The Eagles have obviously gotten far better play from Zack Baun and Nakobe Dean than they did from their linebackers in 2023, but they also have decent depth at the position, too, especially if we’re considering that Ben VanSumeren (IR) is also part of this group.
Cornerback and safety
• 53 snaps each: Kelee Ringo and Tristin McCollum
• 52 snaps: Avonte Maddox
• 42 snaps each: Isaiah Rodgers and Sydney Brown
• 11 snaps: Eli Ricks
Notes: Brown had the game-sealing INT:
Brown threw his body around on some big hits (love his clear enthusiasm for football), but he also missed some tackles. The trick for Brown in 2025 and beyond will be to hustle with the same ferocity while also playing with better technique.
Three stars 🤩
I’ve always liked the hockey tradition of awarding “stars” to each of the three best players in a game, so let’s apply that to Eagles games.⭐⭐⭐: QB Tanner McKee🌟🌟: WR Jahan Dotson
✨: LB Oren Burks
Eagles game ball 🏈
🏈: Jeffrey Lurie: The Eagles won their 300th game of the Lurie era.
Season game balls
- Week 1, vs. Packers: Saquon Barkley
- Week 2, at Falcons: Nobody
- Week 3, at Saints: Vic Fangio
- Week 4, at Buccaneers: Saquon Barkley
- Week 5: BYE
- Week 6, vs. Browns: Brandon Graham
- Week 7, at Giants: Saquon Barkley
- Week 8, at Bengals: Fred Johnson
- Week 9, vs. Jaguars: Nakobe Dean
- Week 10, at Cowboys: Nick Sirianni
- Week 11, vs. Commanders: Jalen Carter
- Week 12, at Rams: Brandon Graham
- Week 13, at Ravens: Vic Fangio
- Week 14, vs. Panthers: Chauncey Gardner-Johnson
- Week 15, vs. Steelers: Nick Sirianni
- Week 16, at Commanders: A.J. Brown
- Week 17, vs. Cowboys: Saquon Barkley and the Eagles’ offensive line
- Week 18, vs. Giants: Jeffrey Lurie
MORE: 10 awards from Eagles-Giants
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