In his second exhibition this year, and last one at home, Eagles coach Chip Kelly won his first NFL preseason game.
Put it in the books.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Philadelphia sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
The Eagles won 14-9 on Thursday night over the Panthers at Lincoln Financial Field, handing Kelly his first win at the expense of Panthers coach Ron Rivera, a former assistant under Andy Reid.
Kelly’s offense once again piled up yards, going over 400 yards after putting up 452 total yards in last week’s preseason opener against New England. The defense - particularly the run defense - improved significantly.
QB update
Nick Foles played well, but Vick played better.
Foles, who started for the first time, played two series and led a touchdown on the second after a red-zone interception on the first drive. He finished 6 of 8 passes for 53 yards and ran for a seven-yard touchdown.
News
Vick completed his first eight passes until tossing a Hail Mary interception as time ticked down before the half. He also led a touchdown drive for the second straight game.
For the preseason, Foles is 11 of 14 for 96 yards with one pick and fumbled once. His passer rating is 65.7. Vick is 13 for 15 for 199 yards with one touchdown and a 113.1 passer rating.
Defense alert
It looked a lot better, especially against the run. The Panthers ran for 50 yards on 15 carries in the first half, an average of 3.3 yards per carry. Carolina didn’t have a first-half run of more than eight yards.
The first-team defensive line of defensive ends Fletcher Cox and Cedric Thornton and nose tackle Isaac Sopoaga rotated with a three-man line of ends Clifton Geather and Damion Square and nose guard Bennie Logan.
The Panthers showed a lot of two-wide formations, alleviating Trent Cole from an overdose of coverage responsibilities. Thornton dropped running back DeAngelo Williams for a five-yard loss on Carolina’s first run. Second-year linebacker Mychal Kendricks attacked the A gaps and pressured Cam Newton frequently.
Matt Barkley update
The rookie had another nice game, completing 8 of 14 passes for 72 yards. The former USC standout’s best pass was a 21-yard strike down the left seam to rookie tight end Zach Ertz, although he went 0 for 2 on third-down conversions. He had a 36-yard pass on third down to Derek Carrier negated by a formation penalty.
Injury update
Tight end Emil Igwenagu, who made a nice 15-yard catch in the first half, left shortly after with a head injury and didn’t return. Cornerback Curtis Marsh left in the second half to have his hand X-rayed and running back Felix Jones went to the locker room for X-rays on his ribs.
They meet again
Kelly and Newton squared off against each other for the first time since Auburn played Oregon in the 2011 BCS national championship game, a 22-19 Auburn win.
The game was tied at 19-19 with 2:33 to play before the Tigers marched downfield and won on Wes Byrum’s 19-yard field goal. Newton, who won the Heisman Trophy, accounted for 329 offensive yards. He passed for 265 yards and threw two touchdowns while scrambling for additional 64 yards.
Wide receiver Jeff Maehl, who the Eagles acquired this week via trade with Houston, caught nine passes for 133 yards, along with the game-tying two-point conversion in the fourth. Eagles linebacker Casey Matthews, who played for Kelly at Oregon, forced a fumble.
Sidelined Birds
The following Eagles didn’t play: Long snapper Jon Dorenbos (concussion), running back Bryce Brown (quad), safety Kenny Phillips (quad), guard Danny Watkins (concussion), offensive tackles Dennis Kelly (back) and Ed Wang (knee), outside linebacker Phillip Hunt (knee) and inside linebacker Casey Matthews (knee).
Looking ahead
The Eagles are off Friday and reconvene Saturday for an open practice at the Linc, from 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.