Thursday night's preseason finale for the Eagles didn't feature any starters. That was known well before kickoff. But the depth of the Eagles potential roster showed in the final audition.
Headed by Matt Barkley starting at quarterback and powered by players on the lower end of the depth chart, the Eagles cruised to a 37-7 victory over the New York Jets in Week 4 of the preseason at Lincoln Financial Field.
The Eagles struck first in the first quarter, as Barkley found a wide open Arrelious Benn for a 43-yard touchdown.
The Eagles padded the lead in the second quarter. Recently acquired kicker Cody Parkey proved strong in his debut, nailing 54 and 25-yard field goals in the second to give the Eagles a 13-0 lead at halftime.
Tajh Boyd connected with Clyde Gates for the Jets only score of the game in the third.
Parkey continued a strong night by successfully kicking a 53-yard field goal to cap the third-quarter scoring.
The Eagles added three more touchdowns in the fourth. Barkley held on to the ball for a seven-yard touchdown run. A 21-yard pass from GJ Kinne to Trey Burton and 46-yard touchdown run by Damaris Johnson capped the scoring.
Several players turned in strong performances as they fight for places on the final roster, set to be unveiled on Saturday.
Running back Henry Josey rushed for 121 yards on 22 carries.Burton made a case for a tight end spot, making a team-leading six catches for 45 yards. Jeff Maehl had 84 receiving yards on four catches.
The Eagles finished the preseason with a 2-2 record and there are now less than 10 days before kickoff on the 2014 season. The season opens at Lincoln Financial Field on Sept. 7 with the Eagles facing the Jacksonville Jaguars at 1 p.m.
Kevin Durso is a contributor for Eagledelphia. Follow him on twitter @KDursoPhilsNet.
