Philadelphia Eagles: 3 Big takeaways from Preseason Week 3

CLEVELAND, OH - AUGUST 23: Starting quarterback Nick Foles #9 of the Philadelphia Eagles trips and falls to the ground for a safety while under pressure from Myles Garrett #95 of the Cleveland Browns and protection from Stefen Wisniewski #61 during the first half of a preseason game at FirstEnergy Stadium on August 23, 2018 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) /

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CLEVELAND, OH – AUGUST 23: Wendell Smallwood #28 of the Philadelphia Eagles jumps over Michael Jordan #41 of the Cleveland Browns during the first half of a preseason game at FirstEnergy Stadium on August 23, 2018 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) /

2. Wendell Smallwood

Last week against the Patriots wasn’t the ideal week for Eagles running back Wendell Smallwood. He ran the ball four times for only one yard, and he had one reception for five yards. While Smallwood’s play was uninspiring, it was his teammate — and the player most likely to take his roster spot — Matt Jones who was stealing the headlines.

This week was the total opposite as Smallwood was the premier back in the Eagles lineup. It was Matt Jones who may have cost himself a spot on the roster by losing a fumble early in the second quarter on one of the best looking drives of the night.

Overall, Smallwood was one of the few bright spots in the Eagles offense against the Browns. He ran for 53 yards on 12 carries, and he had two receptions for 14 yards. Those numbers aren’t Earth shattering, but he was effective and he was the most reliable Eagle of the night.

Furthermore, it was clear that the Eagles would like to use Jones in more of a pass-catching role since he had six receptions and only three carries. It’s going to be hard for Jones to land a spot on the roster when the Eagles already have two pass-catching backs with Darren Sproles and Corey Clement.

In the final game of the preseason, Smallwood will most likely be the feature back again. As long as he can keep his steady approach and keep both Jones and rookie Josh Adams off the field, he’ll be in good shape heading into the regular season.

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