Anthony DiBona
Tonight will mark the end of everyone’s favorite part of the year…preseason football! I’m kidding of course, the real games don’t start until one week from tonight but for now we’ll have to settle for one final preseason game. The Philadelphia Eagles will take on the New York Jets in MetLife Stadium at 7:00 PM EST tonight on NFL Network.
Although both teams will be resting most, if not all of their starters, there are still plenty of storylines to watch for in tonight’s game. Here are five storylines to watch heading into tonight’s game!
Kiko Alonso will finally make his debut…hopefully
As we all know, last week’s game against the Green Bay Packers was supposed to be when inside linebacker Kiko Alonso made his debut in midnight green. That obviously never happened due to a “little nagging leg injury” as head coach Chip Kelly described it. But somehow, someway Alonso has been magically healed and expects to play in tonight’s game against the Jets for a few series.
Of course, Alonso expected to play in last week’s game as well so let’s try and contain our excitement. There’s a very real chance that he doesn’t make his debut until the regular season opener on Monday Night Football against the Atlanta Falcons. But if Alonso does truly suit up for tonight’s game, everyone’s eyes will be glued to the third-year linebacker with superstar potential.
Forgot the second part of my Kiko Alonso interview: He said that he expects to play Thursday. Of course, he said the same last week.
— Jeff McLane (@Jeff_McLane) September 1, 2015
Matt Barkley vs. Tim Tebow, Round 4
In a highly anticipated match-up that we’ve all been looking forward too (not really), the Eagles may finally figure out who will be their third-string quarterback on Thursday night. Matt Barkley will get the start at quarterback and will likely play the entire first half while Tim Tebow will play the entire second half. Although neither player has been very impressive, it looks as though one will likely stick around as the last resort option at quarterback for the Birds.
While I personally prefer the team cutting both Barkley and Tebow to potentially add a player such as E.J. Manuel, who could possibly be released by the Buffalo Bills, that’s another story for a different day. Tonight will be the last chance for Barkley and Tebow to shine in midnight green prior to final cuts on Saturday. It will certainly be an interesting storyline to keep an eye on.
Josh Huff returns to the field
Many expected second-year wide receiver Josh Huff to take control of one of the starting jobs this offseason. That appeared to be the case earlier in training camp as Huff was running in Jeremy Maclin’s old spot, starting opposite of Riley Cooper. But Huff has failed to impress during game action and missed last week’s match-up against the Packers due to the tragic death of his god brother.
That being said, it looks like Huff is ready to take the field once again and hopefully he can showcase what we’ve all been waiting to see. But then again, with Barkley and Tebow throwing him tonight, that may not be possible.
https://twitter.com/Huff_Era_1/status/638766590390063104?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Solutions in the secondary
It’s nice and all that the Eagles’ starting secondary has looked very impressive throughout the preseason. But the depth on the back-end of the defense is concerning. No player has really stood out consistently thus far and the slot cornerback spot is still up in the air as well. Byron Maxwell, Nolan Carroll, Eric Rowe, Malcolm Jenkins, Walter Thurmond and Chris Maragos all have roster spots locked up. But that leaves anywhere from two to four spots up for grabs in the secondary, it’ll be interesting to see which players take advantage of the opportunities they receive on Thursday night.
Running back competition
This honestly may be the most exciting storyline to watch for on Thursday night. Both Kenjon Barner and Raheem Mostert have been explosive players throughout the preseason. They’ve each had impressive plays that showcased their big-play ability and value on special teams as well. Considering they’ll likely be the only two active running backs against the Jets, the competition will be fierce and we may see each running back receive 15 or more touches.
Heading into training camp, Chip Kelly may not have even wanted to keep four running backs on the final roster. But now it looks like the team has to keep one of these two while also trying to sneak the other onto their practice squad. In an ideal world, the Eagles keep Barner on their final roster and somehow get Mostert onto their practice squad, but I don’t think that’s possible at this point. Unless somehow, someway the rest of the NFL hasn’t been watching the Eagles.
What will you be watching for when the Birds take on the Jets tonight? Let us know in the comment section below and of course check back here at PhillyInfluencer.com for all of the latest news regarding any and everything Philadelphia!