BALTIMORE — The Eagles’ offense looked pretty lifeless for most of its preseason opener against the Ravens on Saturday night. Then Cole Payton entered the game. The fifth-round pick from North Dakota State played the fourth quarter gave the Eagles some juice. “What an opportunity, wha t a cool environment and then to get to strap it up for the first time with an NFL logo on my chest,” Payton said after the 24-7 loss. “It was a lot of fun. “Just a ton of excitement. This is what you dream of, this is what you work for. A ton of excitement.” Payton, 23, entered the game early in the fourth quarter and flashed. Before Payton got in, the Eagles had just 77 net yards of offense and just two first downs through three quarters with veterans Andy Dalton and Tanner McKee at quarterback. In the fourth quarter with Payton, the Eagles had 82 net yards and four first downs. They were also able to break up the shutout with a late fourth-quarter touchdown drive. Payton threw a 6-yard touchdown pass to Erik Ezukanma in the back right corner of the end zone on an off-schedule play to get on the board. That play showed off everything the Eagles like about Payton. He was able to use his legs to create some extra time and then he had the confidence to throw a pass over the top for the touchdown. “Us getting into no-huddle, they knew we were going to have to try to push the ball down the field,” Payton said. “We were going to have to throw the ball to get it down the field and to put points on the board and to move as fast as possible. They were dropping seven guys, dropping eight guys, and just trying to make it work. I was gassed there at the end but found Erik in the back of the end zone. And he made a great play working the scramble drill.” Payton ended up completing 4 of 9 passes for 37 yards and a touchdown and also ran 3 times for 45 yards. Payton’s biggest run came on a 4th-and-3 when he scrambled for 17 yards to keep the touchdown drive alive. During his time at North Dakota State, Payton was known for his dual-threat ability. It’s tough to show that during practices, but we all saw it on Saturday night. “It feels good to get hit again,” Payton said with a smile. “Football’s such a cool sport. That’s just my game, is using my legs and making stuff happen. Whether it’s running or throwing it when it becomes off-schedule.” Payton hasn’t been afraid to let it rip in practice and, as a result, has thrown five interceptions. There’s definitely an adjustment period but the Eagles seem to like Payton’s confidence and would rather have to rein him in a bit. Of course, during training camp, Payton hasn’t gotten a ton of reps. He’s the fourth quarterback on the depth chart behind Jalen Hurts, Dalton and McKee. The Eagles clearly like Payton, though, because he’s getting more opportunities than some other Day 3 quarterbacks have gotten in the past. To make up for a lack of reps, Payton has been working 1-on-1 with quarterbacks coach Parks Frazier, watching more film and getting some extra time with the third-string receivers. Because of all that, he felt prepared for his NFL preseason debut and it showed. Payton knew he was going to play on Saturday night; he just didn’t know when. “They told me to stay ready,” Payton said, “and I was going to be ready for it.” This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser. ...read more read less