Week 1: Pats/Eagles

         

    The story coming out of the Week 1 Patriots Eagles, matchup really comes down to this. Can we still hold our heads high that the team looked competitive. Is it a... morale victory Monday? The New England Patriots were down 16-0 in the first quarter and looked completely out of sorts. Mac Jones had been feeling pressure taking hits and even threw a pick. The offensive line was fighting an uphill battle against a tremendous Eagle pass rush. The first quarter was all Philly all day it wasn't until the 2nd quarter did Mac Jones and the offense came alive.

    The 2nd quarter Mac Jones really began to sling. His favorite target Tight End Hunter Henry had 5 receptions in clutch spots scoring a TD for the Pats and gaining 56 yards for the club. Wide receiver Kendrick Bourne had a huge showing after the intended pass turned to interception in the 1st quarter to star cornerback Darius Slay.  Bourne would score 2 touchdowns and gain 64 yards receiving leading the offense. Demario Douglas got decent reps in his first game in the NFL with 4 receptions for 40 total yards. The gameplan was to have Mac win it in the air. The Eagles would be ready for the rush attack. The battle on the ground was the Patriots whole identity last season utilizing emerging star Rhamondre Stevenson. The Eagles incredible defensive line would be ready to shut down Rhamondre. Stevenson would rush for 25 yards on 12 carries not great, he did get more work done in the air gaining 64 yards on 6 catches joining Kendrick Bourne in the pass game. Mac Jones had his best game since the matchup with the Minnesota Vikings last year, throwing for 316 yards and 3 touchdowns.

    The Patriots defense had Jalen Hurts locked up. Hurts rushed for 37 yards and threw for 170, on 1 touchdown. Not great for the runner up MVP at least for his standards. The combination of Ja'Whan Bentley, Matthew Judon upfront  was fierce obtaining 6 tackles and a sack. Along with the corners Christian Gonzales and Myles Bryant combined for 10 tackles and another sack. Safeties Mapu and Dugger brought 4 more tackles for the Patriots secondary. The Patriots defense had a tall task ahead of them, to match up with the Eagles elite offensive line, along with go toe to toe with some of the best weapons in the league. The two sacks on Jalen Hurts cannot be understated, the kid is wicked mobile and he has one of the best lines in the NFC. The edges were able to get to him which was massive. Containing AJ Brown and Devontae Smith was the other piece to the puzzle and the defense did a fine job. Brown went for 79 yards with no scores. Smith got a touchdown and went for 47 yards. The defense did a fine job when it came to what they were facing.

    The Patriots beat themselves. The delay of game was a penalty in a critical spot for the Pats. On a 2 point conversion to put the game within a field goal there was a holding call. Mac through a brutal pick intended for Bourne snagged by Slay. Mac had another poor throw for Smith-Shuster. The defense kept giving them shots to come back on the field and win this game and the offense lost the magic in the 4th quarter. The plays that killed it was the final drive of the game for the Pats. Under the 2 minute warning the play call was a soft pass to Stevenson in the middle which of course he would get tackled and burn almost the entire clock. The Final play of the drive was a play to Kayshon Boutte who did a hell of a job making the catch but he had 1 foot out of bounds. One can question if DeVante Parker is in that spot does he make that play. A resounding yes it will now be drilled into the young receiver to toe drag on the line of going out of bounds. So close yet so far. 

    There are things to  be excited about for the New England Patriots, their defense... dominated. The weapons looked good against a legit defense. Mac had a good game! At the end of the day it still cannot be chalked up to a morale victory sadly based on the 1 fact. This team has lost so many close games against good teams in their track record as of late. If they are going to get over the hump and make the playoffs they are going to need to close out these games. Patriots play next on Sunday September 17th vs the Miami Dolphins. Kick off at 8:20 we'll see you there.