Eagles-Patriots first-half takeaways: Shipley, McKee shine

The Philadelphia Eagles took a 14-10 lead into halftime of Saturday’s preseason game against the New England Patriots after receiving productive performances from several young players competing for larger roles.

Here are the biggest takeaways from the first half at Gillette Stadium.

Ja’Quinden Jackson receives encouraging update

The game opened with a frightening injury to Ja’Quinden Jackson, who took an apparent knee to the head during the opening kickoff. He was placed on a stretcher and transported from the field by ambulance.

The Eagles announced that Jackson had strength and movement in all extremities. He was taken to a local hospital for further evaluation.

Will Shipley and the offensive line control the ground game

Shipley rushed 11 times for 56 yards, including a 5-yard touchdown that gave Philadelphia a 7-0 lead. He consistently ran through contact and benefited from quality blocking by Markel Bell, Willie Lampkin, Drew Kendall and Jake Majors.

The Eagles finished the half with 71 rushing yards and converted both of their red-zone opportunities.

Darius Cooper strengthens his roster case

Cooper caught three passes for 44 yards, including a 25-yard gain on which he broke a tackle and remained in bounds. All three receptions came during Philadelphia’s opening touchdown drive.

Cooper continues to make a strong argument for a spot in the receiver rotation.

Andy Dalton leaves the door open

Dalton started for the second consecutive game but completed only 3 of 10 passes for 44 yards. He missed multiple open receivers and finished with a 45.4 passer rating.

Dalton has completed 6 of 16 passes for 64 yards without a touchdown through two preseason appearances.

Tanner McKee provides an immediate spark

McKee replaced Dalton and completed 5 of 7 passes for 51 yards and a touchdown. He directed a late scoring drive that ended with a 14-yard touchdown pass to Britain Covey, allowing Philadelphia to reclaim the lead before halftime.

Ty Robinson and Jeremiah Trotter Jr. stay productive

Robinson recorded two sacks, two tackles for loss and three quarterback hits. He now has sacks in consecutive preseason games. Trotter added five tackles and a perfectly timed sack after making an excellent open-field stop on a Tommy DeVito scramble.

One coverage breakdown proves costly

Philadelphia’s defense generated consistent pressure, but New England produced the biggest play of the half. DeVito found Kyle Williams for a 69-yard touchdown after Williams beat Ambry Thomas without safety help.

First half analysis

The breakdown helped New England finish the half with 207 total yards, although Philadelphia’s efficiency in the red zone provided the difference in the 14-10 score.

This article originally appeared on Eagles Wire: Eagles-Patriots first-half takeaways: Shipley, McKee shine