The first-game jitters are gone, replaced by the understanding that in a very short period of time, the Eagles will cut down their roster to 53 players. The exact date is Tuesday, August 26, at 4 PM. And that sound you hear is a clock ticking for a 90-man roster with an absolutely critical preseason game No. 2 on tap for Saturday afternoon at Lincoln Financial Field.

After two days of joint practices with the Browns, Philadelphia plays Cleveland in the 1 PM kickoff (NBC10 in Philadelphia). For players on the fringes of the roster, a step-up performance is vital. For a few positions where the starting job is up for grabs, same.

Every snap in every game means something.

"That is the way every player approaches it," cornerback Kelee Ringo said. "You have a chance to make a play, to help the team. You look at it that way every day, whether we are in practice or in a game."

With that, let's get to it, a list of Things To Watch in the second preseason game of the 2025 preseason ...

1. The cornerback position, continued

Who earns the starting job opposite Quinyon Mitchell? This has been a Training Camp-long position to watch and it continues. The Eagles are likely to get newly acquired cornerback Jakorian Bennett on the field for the first time in a game situation as he joins Adoree' Jackson, Ringo, and Eli Ricks in the mix. The Eagles have some options here and, clearly, the action on Saturday goes quite a ways toward making a decision.

2. More work for the rookies

The 2025 Rookie Class saw some good action on Thursday night against Cincinnati and performed well, so here we go again. You would be amazed at how much things will slow down after one preseason game and two joint practices for the likes of Jihaad Campbell, Andrew Mukuba, Ty Robinson, Smael Mondon, Jr., Myles Hinton, and Co. Expect a big jump from a very talented rookie group that has turned heads up and down the group this summer at the NovaCare Complex.

3. Sorting out the offensive line picture?

The big story all week has been the knee injury suffered by left guard Landon Dickerson on Sunday night. The good news is that Dickerson was out on the field after practice against Cleveland, wearing a sleeve on his right leg and enjoying some time with his friends on the Browns. We don't have a timetable here, but the Eagles are preparing for every case in the scenario.

To date, it has been Brett Toth manning the left guard position, so we will see if the Eagles give Toth some reps on Saturday. The Eagles have proven depth up and down the offensive line – Matt Pryor, for example – and they have a bunch of young players who have been trained to step up. Drew Kendall has played very well at center throughout the spring and summer and will likely man the position in these next two games.

Good stuff from the line, and this is how you build depth. These are such important reps for the younger group of linemen on the team who can be called into action on a moment's notice.

4. More from Tanner McKee and the QB room

Wasn't Tanner McKee so impressive against the Bengals – 20 of 25 passing, a couple of touchdown throws, a score on a Tush Push – he was just great. He is on tap to play more in this game and to build on his performance last week. Moreover, the Eagles want to see Dorian Thompson-Robinson and rookie draft pick Kyle McCord take more game reps and show improvement playing in the offensive system.

5. Separation at wide receiver is coming

We're at the point where the camp hopefuls separate from the players who are going to make the roster, and at no position is that historically more calculated than at wide receiver. The Eagles have a slew of players who have played well in the summer and their job is to make things extremely tough for Executive Vice President/General Manager Howie Roseman. The Eagles have three receivers in A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, and Jahan Dotson who are staples in the offense. The rest of the wide receiver jobs, however many the Eagles keep on the 53-man roster, are in the process of being determined. So, yeah, Saturday is huge.

6. And the rest ... it means everything

Is there truly a position where there is no roster battle? You could say running back, with Saquon Barkley, Will Shipley, and A.J. Dillon a potent threesome, but the Eagles generally keep a running back or two on the practice squad, so there is legit competition there with some really impressive talent. Who is the third tight end here behind Dallas Goedert and Grant Calcaterra? How about edge and defensive tackle? Have you noticed all of these talented linebackers here? What about safety with Sydney Brown and Andrew Mukuba and Tristin McCollum and Lewis Cine and others who are competing? This is what Roseman desires – a 90-man group that is going to make it so, so difficult to trim down to 53. That is the mark of a good roster. How they play on Saturday will determine a lot moving forward.