Eagles backup QB Tanner McKee completely shatters false fan narrative during Week 18 loss to Commanders
It wasn’t the performance that Tanner McKee wanted to have in place of Jalen Hurts.
The Philadelphia Eagles offense under OC Kevin Patullo has felt plenty of pressure this season. During a Week 18 game without many starters in the lineup, you would expect a lackluster performance in totality. For the Eagles, though, there was some quiet confidence around backup quarterback Tanner McKee.
McKee has plenty of fans around NFL media and the Eagles fan base, but he did not perform up to his own expectations or the hopes of his supporters in the team’s latest matchup against the Washington Commanders.
Tanner McKee struggles in place of Jalen Hurts during season finale
The Eagles backup QB started in place of Jalen Hurts, as Philly rested many of their starters on both sides of the ball against Washington. In a way, it both helped and hurt them in the long run as everyone turns to the postseason.
McKee looked like a backup in the defeat. The Eagles passing offense was incredibly inconsistent, as McKee stumbled to a 21/40 passing line for 241 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. He was also sacked three times. On multiple third down opportunities, McKee missed an open target that could have picked up the conversion. Overall, it was a slippery performance.
Of course, he was playing with mostly backups. That is worth noting, as Devonta Smith was the only starting pass catcher to play, and his snaps were sparingly diverse. He didn’t see much action after a few early receptions. That being said, the Eagles were playing against one of the worst defenses in football in the Commanders. While they did play some of their most impactful pieces in a game to finish a lost season, many still expected more from Philly’s offense.
Earlier in the season, there were some clamors for McKee to play in meaningful games for the Eagles over Hurts. That narrative was sharply put to rest during this defeat to finish the regular season.
McKee took blame for his struggles against the Commanders, though. He pointed the finger back at himself for mistakes and noted that he has to learn from them.
“Immediately, it stings for a little bit. Always. People always say, ‘Let it sting for 24 hours and then move on.’ So, it’s definitely hurting a little bit right now, McKee said, Then, we’re just going to go watch some film and have a lot of really good things to learn from. Me specifically, just dumb mistakes or different things that we can learn from. The good thing is it’s never going to happen again. The bad thing is you got to learn from it by losing, unfortunately. So, if we can move on and not make those same mistakes again, then it’ll be worth it.”
The Eagles will play the San Francisco 49ers in the Wild Card round of the postseason. They will play host in that matchup, as they had already clinched the NFC East weeks before this season finale. Hopefully, resting the top talent on the roster will pay off with them being as fresh as possible against the 49ers.
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