Jake Elliott: Ross Tucker needs to get caught up on social media

After Jake Elliott nailed a 51-yard field goal in the first quarter of Friday night's preseason win over the Jets, Eagles Network analyst Ross Tucker thought he came up on the spot with a new nickname, "Jake the Make."

Well, the Eagles' social media team promptly alerted Tucker that the nickname has been around for quite some time.

Even Elliott is aware of the nickname.

"That is funny. I mean, I think it's a newer one. It's definitely a fan-driven one the last couple of years. But that is funny. Ross got to stay up on the social media game, I guess," Elliott said.

"I've heard it. I mean, it's more so being yelled at me. I'm aware of it. I've heard of it."

Does Elliott have a favorite nickname?

"I do not. That's not up to me. That's up to the fans," he said.

Lost in the comical exchange is the fact that Elliott tacked on a 53-yard field goal in the second quarter for his second kick of 50-plus yards on the night, which made the difference in the two-point win. In all, Elliott was 4-for-4 on field goal opportunities and scored 13 total points.

"We obviously get a ton of reps during camp and you get a lot of realistic opportunities, but to have them in a game setting, and especially with the new operation with Charley (Hughlett, long snapper) and everything, just good to build those reps and be able to go back on those," Elliott said.

Hughlett signed with the Eagles in the offseason after a decade with the Cleveland Browns. Elliott explained what has made the addition of Hughlett a benefit for the special teams unit.

"It's just clean. It feels the same every time. A lot of credit to him for kind of just jumping in here and kind of just making a seamless transition," Elliott said. "He's done a great job." – Chris McPherson

Kyle McCord: 'Every single day is a new adventure'

After Kyle McCord and Dorian Thompson-Robinson split reps last week against the Cleveland Browns, McCord played every snap on Friday against the Jets.

The sixth-round rookie finished the game 15-of-35 for 99 yards and an interception and made some really strong throws, especially on third down. With the preseason now in the books, McCord said he has learned a lot this offseason, even it came at the expense of failure in some situations.

"Every single day is a new adventure and seeing coverages you've never seen before and trying to fix problems on the fly and sometimes that's failing forward," he said postgame. "If you make a mistake, as long as you just continue to learn and get better from it, sometimes that's part of the process. Obviously, you want to minimize those as much as possible, but that's just the reality of being a young guy in the league."

While McCord said it doesn't change his mentality if he's barely playing, alternating drives, or playing the entire game, he added playing the whole time felt more "normal" to him.

"I think you definitely start to get a feel for what the defense is doing and it feels like a normal football game, if that makes sense," he said. "Obviously in college you're playing the whole game and what you're seeing in the first quarter and you're starting to pick up on little details and you get in the fourth quarter and you have a pretty good feel of what you're going to get. So it definitely helped playing the whole game." – Matt Ryan

John Metchie III: 'It's a great way to start with a new offense'

The Eagles wasted no time getting wide receiver John Metchie III involved in Friday night's preseason finale against the New York Jets.

On the Eagles' first offensive snap, Metchie snapped off an out route for a 14-yard completion from quarterback Kyle McCord.

"It felt good. Start the game off the right way. Start fast. It's a great way to start with a new offense," said Metchie, who was acquired in a trade with the Houston Texans on Monday.

Metchie played 17 snaps in the win over the Jets. While the players are off this weekend as the Eagles begin narrowing down the roster to 53, Metchie will be in the playbook, seeking to get better acclimated with the offense.

"Keep the main thing the main thing, which is football, acclimating to a new team," Metchie said. "Football stays the same. You got to get ready to compete. Of course, I already know a bunch of guys on the team, so that part is helpful and kind of seamless. It's not like a huge change of environment." – Chris McPherson

Jakorian Bennett is glad to be getting preseason reps

It has been a little over three weeks since Jakorian Bennett was acquired by the Eagles, and he has been playing catch-up ahead of the regular season.

Joining a new defense, Bennett is competing for the starting outside cornerback spot along with players like Adoree' Jackson, Kelee Ringo, and rookie Mac McWilliams. With less than two weeks from the regular-season opener, Bennett feels he's nearly up to speed.

"I'm close to where I want to be, for sure," Bennett said after the game. "With this little break we have and the week of the game, I'll be good. But the coaches, they're doing a good job, the players are doing a good job helping me, giving me a little inside information or whatever. But, yeah, I'm close."

Bennett has been a consistent presence during the preseason, playing 33 defensive snaps last week against the Browns and 31 on Friday against the Jets, according to Next Gen Stats. He has valued that preseason action as he looks to get caught up before facing the Cowboys on Sept. 4.

"I'm glad I played last week," he said. "A lot of reps last week, a lot of reps this week, so I need those reps, just to feel comfortable because I know the type of player I am, so I know once I get those reps in me and being able to see things and be able to react a certain way." – Matt Ryan

Patrick Johnson finds himself making yet another game-changing play

With a sack on Friday night against the Jets, outside linebacker Patrick Johnson consistently made an impact on defense throughout the preseason.

He posted an interception in the preseason opener against the Bengals. He sniffed out a reverse and made a tackle for an 11-yard loss versus the Browns.

"I got a lot of confidence right now. I'm looking forward to this regular-season game against Dallas. Just got to keep on building on this and keep growing," Johnson said.

On a second-and-10 with 5:01 left in the first half, Johnson beat right tackle Carter Warren inside and took quarterback Brady Cook down to the ground when he stepped up in the pocket.

"I've always had confidence in myself," Johnson said. "Just given the right opportunity now, coming back for my fifth year here. Just building, just keep on getting better and better. I believe in myself. I'm going to have God helping me out and so that's the biggest thing right now. It's just step by step."

Johnson, a former 2021 seventh-round pick of the Eagles out of Tulane, initially earned a spot on the 53-man roster and played in the regular-season opener against the Packers in Brazil before being waived then claimed by the New York Giants. When Johnson became a free agent following the season, he didn't hesitate to come back to the team that drafted him.

"I had a very strong offseason. I think the biggest thing that I did this past offseason was just get stronger," Johnson said. "I put a few pounds on. Got strong in the upper body, for sure. I feel like getting off blocks, pressing things, stuff like that just has really helped me take my game to the next step. Just finishing plays is a little bit easier." – Chris McPherson

Parry Nickerson makes case for roster spot with interception

Parry Nickerson was on the opposite sideline in the 2018 preseason as a member of the New York Jets, earning a spot on the roster.

As a rookie sixth-round pick out of Tulane that season, Nickerson played a career-high 16 games and registered 19 total tackles.

On Friday night, the 30-year-old Nickerson faced the team that drafted him in the preseason finale, hoping to land a spot on the 53-man roster with his current team, the Philadelphia Eagles.

"I really approach everything the same way," Nickerson said. "I like to keep a level head and just put my best foot forward and do what I can do help this team and show what I can do to help this team."

Nickerson had three tackles, a pass deflection, and an outstanding interception late in the first quarter when he lined up in the slot, undercut the out route by wide receiver Malachi Corley to the sideline, dove, and tipped the ball to himself.

"I felt like I was long overdue for me. It was good to get my hand of the rock and get the ball back for the offense. I wish I would have scored on it," Nickerson said, with his teammates chanting 'P-Nick' in the background.

"It was a good night for me. It's always fun to get out there and play and just be grateful for the opportunity and take advantage of it."

Nickerson has inside and outside versatility and hopes that will help him stick on the final roster. But as a veteran, he's been down this road before.

"It's going to be an emotional roller coaster. I'm going to leave it in God's hands and let's see where the chips fall," Nickerson said.

And his advice to the rookies and young players who haven't experienced this?

"Just take it one day at a time and just continue to get healthy, stay healthy, and be ready," he said. – Chris McPherson