Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz made the most of his cameo in the preseason opener at the Green Bay Packers on Thursday, going 4-of-4 for 56 yards and a touchdown in a 24-9 loss.
It was a sloppy game overall (what preseason tilt isn't?) and the Eagles walk away with more concerns at cornerback. The coaching staff has to be happy with what it saw out of a few of the rookies, however, namely defensive end Derek Barnett and wide receiver Mack Hollins.
QB depth chart: Wentz was done after one series. With Nick Foles still dealing with a sore right elbow, Matt McGloin followed Wentz and received the bulk of the reps. Dane Evans finished the night.
When it was starters vs. starters, the Eagles looked ...: A little shaky, but good enough to put six points on the board. Wentz was the driving force. He escaped pressure on a couple of different occasions, showing good awareness and pocket mobility while keeping his eyes downfield. He slipped out of the grasp of Clay Matthews, stepped up and fired a pass over the middle to rookie fourth-round pick Hollins, who stiff-armed his way past a pair of defenders en route to a 38-yard touchdown.
One reason to be concerned: Cornerback Ron Brooks left early with a hamstring injury. The veteran, who is coming off a ruptured quadriceps tendon, is projected as the starting slot corner. The Eagles are scary-thin at cornerback and can ill afford to lose one of their better players. C.J. Smith, a second-year defensive back out of North Dakota State who has been competing for a starting job, got beat for a touchdown on a double move by Jeff Janis.
That guy could start: First-round pick Barnett had a heck of a debut, posting two sacks, two tackles for a loss, four tackles and a pair of QB hits. He beat left tackle Jason Spriggs with an inside move before tracking down quarterback Brett Hundley in the first half. Vinny Curry is projected to start at defensive end opposite Brandon Graham. Barnett could make things interesting if he continues to produce like he did Thursday night.
Rookie watch: Hollins had four catches on five targets for 64 yards and a touchdown. He very much looked like he belonged and is on track to earn a roster spot. Running back Donnel Pumphrey muffed a punt and wasn't able to get it going on the ground (four carries, 5 yards) or through the air (five receptions, 12 yards). If nothing else, the 5-foot-9, 176-pound Pumphrey showed he could take an NFL hit.
Injury update: Brooks (hamstring) did not return after his injury on punt coverage in the first half. Backup tackle Halapoulivaati Vaitai left with a knee injury. Alshon Jeffery (shoulder), fellow receiver Marcus Johnson (hamstring), guard Brandon Brooks (ankle) and running back Wendell Smallwood (hamstring) are among those who didn't suit up.
Wide receiver competition: Jordan Matthews had three catches for 18 yards in limited action. Nelson Agholor was held without a catch and couldn't come up with a hard-to-handle Wentz offering on a two-point conversion try. Second-year receiver Bryce Treggs, largely counted out to this point, led all receivers with seven catches for 91 yards.