That's the mission for the Eagles who are playing. Be the best they can be and play hard, clean football. There are still roster spots up for grabs, so let's take a look what is on the line for those on the field in this preseason's finale.
**1\. Who is the No. 3 quarterback?**
Kyle McCord and Dorian Thompson-Robinson figure to get the reps at quarterback once again and the offense will look for some consistency after last week's tough outing. Is this still a wide-open competition? Have the Eagles already made up their minds? Are the Eagles keeping three quarterbacks on the 53-man roster? All legitimate questions and games like this help answer those questions.
**2\. John Metchie III makes his Eagles debut at WR**
Acquired in a trade earlier in the week, Metchie has practiced for only two days, so it is asking a lot for him to develop timing and chemistry in the offense and with the quarterbacks. It's not an easy thing, but that's how it is. So Metchie should get a decent number of reps and hopefully a good amount of targets as the Eagles sort out who makes the team at wide receiver. After A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, and Jahan Dotson, are there any players who for sure are making it? It sure seems wide open.
**3\. What is Jeff Stoutland looking at for depth along the O-line?**
The best offensive line coach in the NFL wants as many top-level players as possible to develop and build for the long, long season ahead. So he wants to find out as much as he can about the players who are likely to play here.
**4\. The defensive secondary has some questions**
Defensive Coordinator Vic Fangio keeps his thoughts private, so we don't know what he is thinking about the secondary. But the questions are still obvious: Who is the second cornerback? Who is the starter at safety next to Blankenship? Who makes the team as valued depth talent? Big game for some young defensive backs against the Jets.
**5\. Is there a special teams ace who steps up?**
Special Teams Coordinator Michael Clay basically learns who makes the 53-man roster and then puts together his return and coverage units. Oh, he has some definitive ideas, but he is powerless for the most part until the roster is established. But what happens if a player just dominates in coverage, or with a big return? We've seen Ainias Smith make it happen with his big punt return against Cincinnati in the preseason opener. It is something to watch in this game.
**6\. Will a Game 3 preseason star emerge?**
You may not remember this, but defensive back Cooper DeJean made his preseason debut in the finale last summer and then continued to work on his preparation and finally earned the starting nickel job in Week 5 of the 2024 regular season and starred after that. So, you figure that some player is going to gain some notice here. And if that happens, it will give the Eagles more hard thoughts and difficult decisions.
Every game matters. Every snap matters. Just heed the Legend of Reed Blankenship before you dismiss the importance of this game to the 2025 Philadelphia Eagles.