After getting thoroughly outplayed by the Baltimore Ravens in last week’s preseason opener, the Philadelphia Eagles returned to action on Saturday night against the New England Patriots. The Eagles put forth a better effort against the Patriots. But it wasn’t enough, as they lost 24-21 at Gillette Stadium.

There were several takeaways from Philadelphia’s three-point defeat, both good and bad. And usually, we would do a story on that, as we did for the opener. However, we’re going to switch things up this week and hand out our three stars from the game.

Now, it might seem strange to spotlight players in a loss. But as we said before, the preseason is about the order of operations and the execution. The final result on the scoreboard doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things, as players are looking to win a job on the 53-man roster or practice squad.

That said, let’s discuss a few Eagles who played well on Saturday night and earned some notoriety for their performance.

First star: Ty Robinson/Jeremiah Trotter Jr.

The second-year defensive lineman continues to make his presence felt in the preseason and is ready to play a consistent role on the Eagles’ defensive line. Against the Patriots on Saturday night, Robinson racked up four total tackles, three tackles for loss, three quarterback hits, and two sacks.

It was a complete performance from the former Nebraska Cornhusker defender, whose motor and strength were on full display in the three-point defeat. Earlier this week, Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio said that Robinson “came to life” and “he’s been on life support since he’s been here,” per John Clark of NBC Sports Philadelphia.

At this rate, Robinson, who is playing with confidence, will find himself getting consistent rotation snaps on defense during the regular season, and that will make Philly’s defensive line that much more dangerous.

Lastly, we also got to talk about Trotter Jr., who continues to show that he can be a starting-caliber linebacker in the NFL. The third-year defender, for the second straight week, was flying around making plays. He had five total tackles, a tackle for loss, a sack, and a quarterback hit.

Trotter Jr.’s sack came in the first quarter against New England Patriots quarterback Tommy DeVito, as he timed the snap count perfectly and shot through the gap untouched for the huge defensive stop. We said after last week’s game that the 23-year-old linebacker would demand more playing time on defense in the regular season, and that did not change after Saturday night.

Second star: Carson Steele, RB

The 23-year-old Steele had an outstanding game and could force the coaching staff’s hand to keep four running backs on the 53-man roster with another strong performance next week. The former UCLA running back was the game’s leading receiver, pulling in six receptions (seven targets) for 84 yards and a touchdown. He also added 33 rushing yards on 12 carries.

Steele showcased a nice burst running between the tackles and looked comfortable catching the ball out of the backfield, whether on a Texas route or in the flat.

Steele joined the Eagles back in January on a futures deal after spending the last two seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs as a fullback and running back. The 6-foot, 228-pound running back spent the entire 2025 campaign on the practice squad after appearing in 17 games (three starts) as an undrafted free agent in 2024.

During that season, Steele had 209 yards of total offense on 63 touches and three fumbles. At various points last season, the Eagles kept four running backs on the 53-man roster, so it’s not impossible to think that they could do it again. That said, the only way it happens is if Steele has another outing, as he did on Saturday night.

Third star: Tanner McKee

The last star of the game could’ve gone to several players. However, I want to highlight Tanner McKee, who bounced back in a big way on Saturday night after a poor preseason opener and should be the clubhouse leader for the QB2 job.

The former Stanford signal caller completed 16 of 22 passes for 173 yards and two touchdowns. McKee’s performance was way better than Dalton’s, who did not look crisp outside of one drive (3 of 10 passes for 44 yards) in the first half.

McKee took what the Patriots’ defense gave him and made the correct read at the given time. In fact, he made a couple of good throws to tight end Stone Smartt in the fourth quarter, who is competing for a spot on the 53-man roster. After last week’s game, there were a ton of questions about the QB2 spot, and rightfully so for what we saw on the field.

However, McKee might’ve settled the debate for now, but he still needs to end the preseason on a high note next week to cement his spot at QB2.

Honorable mention: Joshua Weru, Shaun Wade, Zion Wilson, Will Shipley, Darius Cooper, and the Eagles’ offensive line