Joe Fagnano Throws TD in Ravens Preseason Debut as Baltimore Beats Eagles 24-7

On Saturday, August 15, 2026, undrafted rookie quarterback Joe Fagnano completed 22 of 28 passes for 228 yards and a touchdown in his NFL debut, helping the Baltimore Ravens defeat the Philadelphia Eagles 24-7 at M&T Bank Stadium in the preseason opener for both clubs. Fagnano’s 16-yard scoring strike to rookie receiver Ja’Kobi Lane in the second quarter gave Baltimore its first points, and the Ravens’ backups controlled the night while starters including Lamar Jackson and Jalen Hurts rested.

Fagnano shook off a first-half interception in the end zone and directed two lengthy second-half drives as Baltimore built a 17-0 lead before Philadelphia scored a late touchdown — the only blemish on what would have been the Ravens’ first preseason shutout since 2019.

Editor’s note: This article draws on game coverage from Baltimore Ravens.com, The Associated Press, ESPN, and USA TODAY Sports, August 15, 2026.

Match at a glance

Detail	Information
Date	Saturday, August 15, 2026
Venue	M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, Md.
Week	NFL Preseason Week 1
Final	Ravens 24, Eagles 7
Quarter lines	PHI 0-0-0-7, BAL 0-7-3-14
Ravens passing	298 yards (team total)
Eagles passing	83 yards (team total)

Baltimore’s offense spread the ball to 12 different receivers across three quarterbacks. Rookie wideout Elijah Sarratt led the Ravens with six catches for 66 yards, and tight end Matt Hibner added five receptions for 61 yards.

How Fagnano’s night unfolded

Fagnano entered the game as an undrafted free agent from UConn competing for the Ravens’ No. 3 quarterback role behind Lamar Jackson and Tyler Huntley. With Baltimore’s starters on the sideline, he handled the bulk of the passing workload and moved the offense efficiently for much of the evening.

Second quarter: touchdown to Lane

With just under 10 minutes remaining in the second quarter, Fagnano found Lane near the 5-yard line on a 16-yard connection. Lane powered through two Eagles tacklers to reach the end zone, capping a five-play, 48-yard drive and giving Baltimore a 7-0 lead.

Lane had already built a training-camp highlight reel of one-handed catches; the touchdown added a game-film chapter to his rookie profile.

First-half interception

Baltimore’s margin stayed narrow into the late second quarter when Eagles cornerback Kelee Ringo intercepted Fagnano in the end zone. Fagnano rolled right and tried to fit a throw to the goal line; Ringo made an athletic play to secure the ball for a touchback, taking points off the board for the Ravens.

Second half: methodical drives

After halftime, Fagnano led two 11-play possessions. The first covered 47 yards and ended with kicker Tyler Loop’s 42-yard field goal, extending Baltimore’s lead to 10-0 in the third quarter. The second march finished with running back Adam Randall’s 4-yard touchdown plunge early in the fourth, pushing the score to 17-0.

Loop had missed a 49-yard attempt wide right in the first quarter — a rare miss from inside 50 yards in his brief Ravens career to that point — but connected when Baltimore needed points after the break.

Final line and supporting cast

Ravens QB	CP/ATT	YDS	TD	INT
Joe Fagnano	22/28	228	1	1
Tyler Huntley	6/7	76	0	0
Austin Reed	1/1	3	0	0

Fagnano also carried once for 1 yard. Huntley, listed among Baltimore’s offensive starters for the night, managed the early rotation before Fagnano took over the primary reps. Reed, signed during the week, added a late scoring drive that he capped with a 14-yard rushing touchdown, per team reports.

Sarratt fumbled in the third quarter when Shaun Wade knocked the ball loose on a catch-and-run near Philadelphia’s 40-yard line; Ambry Thomas recovered for the Eagles. Otherwise, Baltimore’s passing attack dominated a Philadelphia secondary playing without its starters.

Scoring summary

Quarter	Play	Score
2nd	Ja’Kobi Lane 16-yard pass from Joe Fagnano (BAL)	BAL 7, PHI 0
3rd	Tyler Loop 42-yard field goal (BAL)	BAL 10, PHI 0
4th	Adam Randall 4-yard rush (BAL)	BAL 17, PHI 0
4th	Eagles late touchdown	BAL 24, PHI 7

Randall finished with 12 carries for 46 yards and the touchdown. Elijah Tau-Tolliver added 36 yards on 9 carries, and D’Angelo McMillan contributed 33 yards on 7 attempts.

Who is Joe Fagnano?

Fagnano, 25, arrived in Baltimore as one of the more decorated quarterbacks in UConn history. The Williamsport, Pennsylvania native transferred production from Maine, where he began his college career, to Storrs and became a 2025 Heisman Award candidate and Davey O’Brien Award semifinalist.

2025 (UConn)	Stat
Record	Huskies 9-3, bowl berth
Passing	285-of-413 for 3,448 yards
Touchdowns / INTs	28 TD, 1 INT
Efficiency	161.03 passer rating (school record)
Games	Started all 12 — first UConn QB to do so since 2018

The Ravens signed him to a three-year undrafted free-agent contract in April 2026 after he led UConn to consecutive winning seasons. AP News reported in July that Fagnano was competing for the third quarterback spot after Baltimore waived fellow undrafted rookie Diego Pavia before training camp. Veteran Skylar Thompson was later placed on injured reserve, sharpening the competition behind Jackson and Huntley.

Fagnano’s college résumé — 48 career touchdown passes against six interceptions at UConn — suggested poise with the football. Saturday’s debut offered an early NFL data point: efficient completion percentage, one explosive connection to Lane, and one costly red-zone mistake.

Rookies and roster battles on both sides

Ravens offense beyond Fagnano

First-round pick Vega Ioane started at right guard among a young offensive line that also featured tackle Carson Vinson and guard Emery Jones Jr. Rookie tight ends Hibner and Josh Cuevas saw extended reps as Baltimore sorts depth behind the starters.

Lane, Sarratt, LaJohntay Wester, and Devontez Walker rotated at receiver. Lane’s touchdown was the headline, but the collective 127 yards from Lane and Sarratt — per wire reports — underscored depth at a position Baltimore has emphasized in draft capital.

Ravens defense

Baltimore’s backup defensive unit limited Philadelphia to 83 passing yards and kept the Eagles off the scoreboard until late in the fourth quarter. Linebacker Mike Green and Zion Young started on the edge; T.J. Tampa and Robert Longerbeam opened at cornerback in a night designed to evaluate roster bubble players under first-year head coach Jesse Minter.

Eagles perspective

Philadelphia rested Jalen Hurts and most starters, using the exhibition to test backup quarterbacks, special teams, and young defenders. Kelee Ringo’s interception was the Eagles’ brightest individual play in the first half, but the offense could not sustain drives against Baltimore’s second- and third-string units for most of the night.

What comes next

The Ravens travel to Minnesota for their second preseason game on Saturday, August 22, against the Vikings (1:00 p.m. kickoff). Philadelphia continues its exhibition schedule on the road in the coming week as both clubs trim toward a 53-man roster.

Preseason results do not carry into the regular season. For Fagnano, however, a 78.6% completion rate and a touchdown in his first professional action strengthens his case to stick as Baltimore’s emergency quarterback behind Jackson and Huntley — provided he builds on the performance and limits the kind of end-zone gamble Ringo punished.

---

Discussion

Fagnano’s debut paired college-level efficiency with one teachable mistake — the profile of a quarterback fighting for a roster spot, not a starting job.

1. Baltimore already has Lamar Jackson and Tyler Huntley. After one preseason game, how much should Fagnano’s 22-of-28 line matter in the race for the No. 3 quarterback job — especially with Austin Reed arriving mid-week?

2. Fagnano threw just one interception in his final college season at UConn but was picked off trying to force a touchdown in the end zone on Saturday. Is that the kind of aggressive mistake coaches accept from a developmental backup, or a red flag for a player whose selling point is ball security?

Tell us whether you think undrafted quarterbacks with strong college stats — but no draft capital — have a realistic path to an NFL roster in 2026.

---