Five thoughts on the Philadelphia Eagles' preseason opener with the New England Patriots

Five thoughts on the Philadelphia Eagles' preseason opener with the New England Patriots

1. Matt Barkley is nowhere near being an NFL quarterback. The Philadelphia Eagles' 2013 fourth-round draft pick put on a pathetic display in the second and third quarters of the Birds' 31-22 loss to the New England Patriots in the preseason opener Friday night at Lincoln Financial Field.

His stats (11-for-22, 103 yards, 1 TD) look better than he did because he exploited the Patriots' third-string for a bit. But against New England's second unit, his decision-making was poor, his ability to see the field even worse and he lacked poise. Right now, if I were Chip Kelly, I'd keep Dennis Dixon as my No. 3 quarterback.

2. Kelly has been maligned by know-it-all media for spending too much time on special teams in practice, but that work paid off in Friday's game. Unlike Bobby April's confused, often clueless units of the end of the Andy Reid era, Kelly's units, coached by Dave Fipp, appear organized and efficient.

Special teams coordinator Fipp has a Patriot League pedigree: he first had the special teams job at Holy Cross in 1999. With the Dolphins in 2011 and 2012, his units ranked second and fourth, respectively, in the NFL. Given the sorry look of the Eagles defense, strong special teams could help make up for the defense's struggles a bit.

3. Tim Tebow isn't much of a quarterback, really, but he's still a legitimate celebrity. When the Patriots' third-string quarterback entered the game, he drew a roar almost equal to when the Eagles scored. Tebow could actually help some teams with his running skills when used on third-and-short read-option carries.

4. Want a dark-horse candidate to make the Eagles' roster? Rookie free agent linebacker Jake Knott wouldn't be a bad bet. The Iowa State product was always around the ball, showed better tackling skills than Eagles making a lot more money and had three tackles, a pass defended and a sack. He might stick.

5. Officially a bust: Eagles guard Danny Watkins. When a first-round draft pick in 2011 is relegated to playing in the second half of the first preseason game in 2013, things are not looking good for him. Then he drew a holding penalty. The clock is ticking on Watkins' stay in Philadelphia.

Source : http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/