Tanner McKee displayed poise late in the game, while Sean Desai’s overhauled defense showed tenacity in allowing Cleveland to just one touchdown.
The Eagles were outgained in yards and time of possession, but used some late-game efficiency to tie the Browns 18-18 in their preseason showdown.
While playing nearly 90 snaps, the Philadelphia defense yielded 21 first downs but held Cleveland to 10-22 on third downs and 399 total yards.
With the team off on Friday, here are some observations and takeaways from Thursday’s game.
The Elliss brothers
Noah and Christian Elliss are brothers and the children of Luther Elliss, a former Detroit Lions player.
Cleveland’s first possession of the third quarter saw the two brothers sharing the field.
Austin Watkins Jr. exploded
Against a youthful, inexperienced Eagles secondary, Watkins Jr. had seven catches for 139 yards and one touchdown.
Sighting of Tyree Jackson
We mentioned Jackson as a player to keep an eye on, and he showed up on Thursday night.
Jackson had two catches for 41 yards and a 35-yard long.
Brady Russell is a prospect in the making
The former Colorado tight end is a strong blocker who scored his first NFL touchdown on a 22-yard reception from Tanner McKee.
K’Von Wallace has made significant progress
Wallace played the majority of the snaps at safety and had a team-high seven tackles. Wallace experiments with physicality and has made significant progress in space.
Johnny King is still making plays
King will not make the roster, but he is an intriguing possibility who has one catch for 21 yards.
Jim Schwartz’s influence
Schwartz is now with the Browns, but the Eagles’ six QB sacks cannot be overlooked, even without all-world pass rusher Myles Garrett.
The original version of this story published on Eagles Wire.