Trace McSorley impresses in Ravens' 26-15 win over Eagles

PHILADELPHIA -- Trace McSorley will be too valuable for special teams with performances like this.

The rookie quarterback threw for 203 yards and two touchdowns and also ran for a score, helping the Baltimore Ravens beat the Philadelphia Eagles 26-15 Thursday night for their 16th straight preseason win.

The game was stopped by the NFL with 11:43 remaining in the fourth quarter because of lightning after a short delay.

"I thought it was a good night just to come out and move the ball efficiently, take care of the football, play winning football," McSorley said. "That was the goal."

Carson Wentz again sat out for the Eagles, but several starters saw their first action this summer and Josh McCown made his debut after ending his brief retirement to play his 18th season.

With Ravens starter Lamar Jackson watching from the sideline and Robert Griffin III still out with a thumb injury, McSorley solidified his roster spot. The sixth-round pick from Penn State has also been practicing on special teams throughout training camp.

"I thought Trace did a heck of a job," Ravens coach John Harbaugh said.

McSorley threw TD passes of 28 yards to Michael Floyd and 7 yards to Jaleel Scott. He scored on a run from 4 yards out.

"He's a baller. That's why he came in here and did well tonight, and that's why they brought him here," Ravens tight end Mark Andrews said. "They have a lot of trust in him. He played a great game, and he's showing maturity."

The teams held joint practices on Monday and Tuesday, giving both starting quarterbacks plenty of reps against the opposing defense in a controlled setting.

"We've had a lot of good work with him in training camp and a lot of great work with Baltimore in practice and I'm real comfortable with where he's at, his development, his growth with the team and the offense," Eagles coach Doug Pederson said of his decision to keep Wentz out.

McCown tossed a 20-yard TD pass to J.J. Arcega-Whiteside and a 9-yarder to Alex Ellis in the third quarter.

McCown was signed after the Eagles lost backup Nate Sudfeld and No. 3 quarterback Cody Kessler in the first two games. Kessler returned from a concussion suffered last week and was 3 of 5 for 34 yards.

"It took me a while to get cranked up," McCown said. "I wanted to find a rhythm. We all looked at like it's an extended practice. I need as much work as I can get to get caught up to speed and I appreciated the opportunity."

THE STREAK

The Ravens haven't lost a preseason game since Sept. 3, 2015, against the Atlanta Falcons. They've won 35 of the last 44.

"I think it means a lot," McSorley said of the streak. "At the end of the day, winning is what matters. Coach Harbaugh preaches winning all the time."

FIRST THINGS FIRST

Arcega-Whiteside's TD catch was the first of the preseason for the rookie out of Stanford. Arcega-Whiteside is the first player born in Spain drafted by an NFL team. He finished with eight catches for 104 yards.

GETTING DEFENSIVE

Baltimore's starting defense has not allowed a point on eight of 10 drives this preseason. The Ravens haven't faced a starting quarterback.

SEEING YELLOW

There were 24 penalties, including 17 in the first half. The Eagles committed 15.

INJURIES

Ravens: WR Marquise "Hollywood" Brown was back on the field for the first time since suffering a Lisfranc injury at the end of his junior season with Oklahoma. The Ravens drafted Brown 25th overall. He caught three passes for 17 yards.

Eagles: RB Corey Clement and S Rodney McLeod played for the first time since sustaining season-ending knee injuries last season.

UP NEXT

Ravens: At Washington next Thursday night.

Eagles: At New York Jets next Thursday night.

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