Tanner McKee and the Eagles' reserves got their extended looks on Sunday in a Week 18 finale that had next to no bearing for the team.
Their spot for the playoffs is locked in as the No. 2 seed in the NFC. They still had to wrap up against the Giants at Lincoln Financial Field, but with most of the starters in street clothes, what they were really waiting for in the background was to see whether the Packers or the Commanders would be their opponent in the Wild Card round next week – it'll be the Packers.
The Eagles' backups did put on a show and a winning effort while they were out there, though, beating a miserable Giants team, 20-13, with one more soul-crushing, clock-draining drive and a clinching interception from Sydney Brown at the end.
Here's what stood out from Week 18's close to the regular season…
Tanner McKee can throw the football
McKee had the Eagles down the field and in the end zone in only four plays on their first possession.
He threw on three of them, with the last being a play-action rollout to his weak side for the score.
McKee flipped back to his right, set his feet, then zipped the ball over to Ainias Smith as he was cutting across the middle toward the goal line. The receiver broke the plane through the tackle. The Eagles went up, 7-0.
McKee, in his first NFL start, went 17-for-26 passing for 190 yards and that aforementioned touchdown in the first half.
Tanner McKee to Ainias Smith for the @Eagles TD!
📺: #NYGvsPHI on CBS/Paramount+
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/XVFWWbduKl— NFL (@NFL) January 5, 2025
He stood poised in the pocket and threw the ball with purpose, taking what the Giants gave him and using Dallas Goedert and Jahan Dotson especially to his advantage.
He kept the Eagles' offense moving, and didn't show any reservation in going for it on Nick Sirianni's fourth-down calls – the first of which drew a neutral zone infraction from the Giants to gain a free first down and the second that flipped a 4th and 2 down in New York territory into a nine-yard drop off to Goedert.
The Eagles, behind McKee and most of their reserves, drove down into scoring range three times in the first half and took a 10-0 lead into halftime (Jake Elliott missed a 39-yard kick through the wind).
McKee himself really didn't seem to have much trouble in getting the ball where it needed to go until late into the half when the Giants tried to adjust and put more emphasis on their coverage overtop, because up front…
The Giants couldn't touch him
McKee was hit a few times through the first half, but he didn't get sacked until way late into the third quarter, when the pocket collapsed and Kayvon Thibodeaux finally brought him down.
But that he stayed relatively unscathed for that long is a credit to him for consistently getting the ball out on time, and a major credit to the Eagles' O-line reserves, who held up well against a Giants starting defense that was supposed to be trying.
McKee was also sharp in having a constant awareness for where his checkdown was, which was evident on a 2nd and 10 late into the first half, when pressure collapsed in on the snap. McKee stepped up toward the line and darted a quick pass out to running back Will Shipley, who was able to take it in and use it to get a jump through a seam for a first down.
Nice rep by McKee staying calm in a collapsing pocket and getting the ball out to Shipley pic.twitter.com/sjmVYTX3c8
— Shane Haff (@ShaneHaffNFL) January 5, 2025
The Giants were always kept just a step too slow to everything.
MORE: McKee keeps Eagles' quarterback factory going in win over Giants
Jeremiah Trotter Jr. can cover a lot of field
It felt like the Eagles' rookie linebacker was everywhere through the first half in his first look at extended playing time.
He cracked down on runs, kept short-yardage plays contained underneath, and even blew up a couple against a Giants offense that overall struggled to do much of anything.
He also nearly came up with a clutch 4th and 1 stop in the first half, but Giants running back Devin Singletary on the run was able to stay upright in the backfield after Trotter barreled down through the line and wrapped up his legs.
Singletary just managed to slip through it and cross the marker, but Trotter should've had that one and he knew it.
Impressive trigger downhill by Trotter Jr. on 4th and 1 but he is unable to finish the tackle. pic.twitter.com/eVm3bKsPt1
— Shane Haff (@ShaneHaffNFL) January 5, 2025
Still, it was easy to spot No. 54 on the field, with seven tackles through the first half and 11 for the game.
It'll be a couple of years before Trotter stands to become a bigger part of the Eagles' defense, while simultaneously sending the Delaware Valley nostalgia tripping, but Sunday did show some early promise for the young linebacker who is carrying the axe now.
MORE: Rookies, backups, Goedert, and Davis handle lowly Giants
Jahan Dotson can get the Eagles yards
Dotson caught seven passes for 94 yards on Sunday.
Entering the game, he had 12 receptions for 122 yards on 22 targets – across 16 games.
The Eagles traded for Dotson before the start of the season so that they had a dependable WR3, but he seemed to struggle with finding his role in the offense, and Jalen Hurts always seemed to seldom look for him.
Dotson, however, got a lot of looks from McKee on Sunday (11 targets in total) and made a series of nice catches and chunk plays against the Giants' defense, with the longest going for 19 yards.
There are no good plays for 3rd and 15… unless Tanner McKee is your QB pic.twitter.com/pv1j5lX2Ra
— Shane Haff (@ShaneHaffNFL) January 5, 2025
A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, and Saquon Barkley make up the Eagles' three-headed monster of offensive threats, but in the playoffs, they'll need every last advantage they can get.
If Dotson in a rhythm can carry over into next week, along with Goedert at tight end, who just returned from injury and hauled in four passes for 55 yards in his ramp back up, that will be huge.
MORE: Eagles will face Packers in Wild Card round
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