There was nothing particularly encouraging about the Philadelphia Eagles' preseason opener, except for the fact that it's... well... the preseason... The long -awaited debut of Sean Mannion's offense was an exercise in patience. Moving the football was a struggle. Penalties repeatedly put the unit behind schedule. Andy Dalton and Tanner McKee both struggled to find any consistent rhythm.
That doesn't mean Sean Mannion's offense is headed for trouble. In fact, every lesson learned in the loss against the Baltimore Ravens may have been exactly what should be expected from an offensive unit that's still learning. No team wants to tip its hand in Week 1, especially an Eagles team that keeps its cards close to the vest. Then, it must be mentioned that many of the best players weren't on the field.
The Eagles finished the game with just 159 total yards and six first downs in a 24-7 loss. They managed only two first downs through their first nine possessions and didn't score until the fourth quarter, when most of the players on the field were unlikely to be part of Philadelphia's Week 1 plans.
That's ugly, but again, it's preseason. The Eagles weren't going to unveil the full version of their new attack in Baltimore. Mannion is installing concepts centered on under-center formations, motion, play-action, and outside-zone principles, but there's little reason to put an entire playbook on film when the games don't count.
Sean Mannion's offense needs time to become his offense unmistakably
Jalen Hurts didn't play. Saquon Barkley didn't play. Neither did Dallas Goedert. Much of the starting offensive line remained on the sideline, and the quarterback competition behind Hurts took center stage instead. That's a difficult environment in which to judge a new offense. Timing matters in any system, and it becomes even more important when players are learning new terminology, route combinations, blocking assignments and reads.
Even experienced players need repetition before everything begins operating without hesitation. The Eagles also have a history of approaching the preseason differently than many teams. Nick Sirianni has consistently prioritized keeping his most important players healthy, and Philadelphia has generally been comfortable using August to evaluate depth rather than exposing its stars to unnecessary punishment.
That philosophy didn't suddenly change because Mannion is a first-time play-caller. There are legitimate questions that still need answers. The offense has to become cleaner. Penalties must decrease. The run game has to establish itself, and eventually, the starters need to demonstrate that all of the concepts installed during training camp can function at NFL speed.
But those answers are coming. Philadelphia's upcoming joint practices with the New England Patriots should provide a much better opportunity for evaluation, particularly because the Eagles are expected to give their starters meaningful work. Those reps will offer more insight into how Mannion's offense looks when Hurts and the rest of the core players are actually operating it.
The preseason opener was disappointing. It was also one small step in a much longer learning process. The Eagles aren't supposed to have everything figured out yet. The real test is whether the mistakes they made in Baltimore become less frequent as the new offense becomes more familiar.
This article originally appeared on Eagles Wire: Why Eagles-Patriots joint practices matter more than preseason opener