Tanner McKee led the Philadelphia Eagles to a 34-27 win over the Cincinnati Bengals in their preseason opener on Thursday. The third-year quarterback completed 20 of 25 passes for 252 yards and accounted for three total touchdowns, connecting with seven different receivers during the game.
After being told earlier in the week that his Madden 26 rating was just a 61 overall, McKee responded with a strong performance. He commented after the game, “It felt good. I felt like we were moving the ball, which is always fun,” McKee said. “Obviously, we’ll watch the film, you never really know until you watch film. You never really know until you watch film and you’re like, ‘Oh crap, I missed that,’ or whatever. But overall, moved the ball well. Had a lot of guys that made great plays. So, the feeling is good.”
McKee started by tying up the score at 7-7 with a fourth-and-goal Tush Push before continuing to make plays through the air. His top target was undrafted wide receiver Darius Cooper, who finished with six catches for 82 yards and caught a touchdown pass right before halftime.
“It was a concept with this individual route. KP’s (Offensive Coordinator Kevin Patullo) like, give them whatever you want,” McKee said. “I’m like, if it’s one-on-one, we’re going to take a go ball. Great release. Beat them over the top. Made a great grab.
“It was good to see that. Just to see new guys make big plays and kind of have that. Because I feel like throughout practice, you kind of have that chemistry and different things. But to see it in a game and see guys make big plays like that, it’s a lot of fun. It builds confidence for me as a quarterback to give them the ball, but also for the other guys that are on the sideline and the coaches. Just like, ‘Hey, these guys can make big plays in big-time situations.'”
Johnny Wilson also contributed as another reliable receiver for McKee; he had three catches for 73 yards including several contested grabs.
“That’s what’s great about having great athletes and having great players and great teammates. They can go make those 50-50 balls,” McKee said. “I know I threw a couple to Johnny today, and when Johnny’s (6’6″) and can use his body and stuff, those are more like 90-10 balls. So, it’s nice as a quarterback to be like, ‘OK, if I’m going to miss, I’m going to miss high and let Johnny go climb the ladder.’ So, that’s huge.”
McKee has limited regular season experience but made an impact last year when he came off the bench against Dallas and then started against New York.
Asked whether his performance might improve his Madden rating after Thursday’s game he replied: “I mean, we’ll see,” he said with a smile. “We’ll let them decide. But yeah, I’ve had a lot of people come up to me and go, ‘Hey, nice job, 61,’ or whatever it was. So yeah it’s been a funny joke going around.” – Written by Matt Ryan
