Eagles fall 22 to 13 in preseason against Browns

Observations from Philadelphia's 22 to 13 preseason loss to Cleveland highlight cornerback depth, quarterback depth, and injuries.

Eagles preseason test exposes cornerback depth and quarterback options

Philadelphia fell 22 to 13 to Cleveland in a Saturday-afternoon preseason game. The Eagles were outgained and struggled to move the ball, finishing with 88 rushing yards on 44 plays. The cornerback rotation looked like a revolving door, with Adoree’ Jackson, Kelee Ringo, Jakorian Bennett, and Mac McWilliams swapping spots across multiple drives. Eli Ricks entered late in the fourth quarter, but the defense still did not find a clear CB2 standout. Sydney Brown and Andrew Mukuba started at safety, and Mukuba recovered from a misstep to grab a pick-six after dealing with heat exhaustion earlier in the game. On offense, Dorian Thompson-Robinson and Kyle McCord split time at quarterback, while Johnny Wilson saw limited action and Ainias Smith contributed a short scoring play.

The Eagles rolled out a starting offensive line that included Kendall Lamm, Brett Toth, Drew Kendall, Darian Kinnard and Matt Pryor, then shifted to a second-half group with Myles Hinton, Drew Kendall, Brett Toth, Trevor Keegan and Cameron Williams. Kendall even moved from center to guard for the second half, signaling ongoing experimentation with personnel. The backup quarterbacks split reps, with DTR flashing uneven accuracy and McCord delivering a TD pass but frequently missing on deeper looks. Special teams saw undrafted rookies and practice-squad types provide returns, while a handful of players left the field for medical reasons or due to heat. The night left as a mixed bag for evaluation, not a clear verdict on any single unit.

This game underscored a simple truth about rosters built for depth: evaluation never ends in August. The Eagles are still looking for a reliable CB2, and the constant shuffling at cornerback suggests a coaching staff that does not yet trust any one player to lock down the job. It also put a sharper emphasis on the quarterback depth chart, where DTR’s uneven performance and McCord’s sporadic accuracy leave the door open for more competition and more questions in the next few weeks.

The offensive line experiments point to a larger theme: the team is testing contingency plans for injury and fatigue, trying to identify which combinations can withstand a regular-season grind. The injuries and heat stress observed in the game remind us that roster decisions in August are about more than talent alone; stamina and resilience matter just as much. In the end, preseason flurries rarely settle all debates, but they do reveal which path a team is willing to follow when pressure increases and stakes rise.

Highlights

The coming weeks will show which battles stick and which are simply preseason noise.