The New England Patriots couldn’t pull out the victory in the end of a 25-20 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, but they had a real chance at stealing a win against one of the best teams in the NFL.
It was a surprising effort by the Patriots, who took it to the wire when facing the defending NFC champions. Although we do not do moral victories around here, the Patriots fielded an elite defense and competent offense.
Buy Patriots TicketsThat’s clearly something to be excited about. Let’s take a look at the three standout players for the Patriots in Sunday’s near monumental upset victory over the Eagles.
First Star: Mac Jones
Mac Jones was hard on himself after the Week 1 loss, but he played one of the best games of his pro career, throwing for 316 yards, three touchdowns and one interception.
The offense as a whole felt completely different under Bill O’Brien, and Jones looked in control under center, stepping up in the pocket extremely well and making some difficult throws down the stretch.
Although the Patriots didn’t get the win, Jones handled one of the best defenses in the league and kept his team in the game until the very end. A few early mistakes cost the team the victory, but Jones was far from the reason for a loss.
He played well outside of a few poor throws early in the rain.
Second Star: Christian Gonzalez
Patriots rookie cornerback Christian Gonzalez hardly left the field in a game where he covered some of the league’s elite receivers in DeVonta Smith and A.J. Brown. They had their chances, but they did not take over the game. Gonzalez had a huge part in holding Jalen Hurts and the Eagles’ weapons in check with seven tackles, a pass break-up and a sack.
His pass break-up and sack came as turning points in the game and managed to help the Patriots’ defense get off the field to give Jones and the offense a chance.
Looking at the 25-20 score on the surface, you might think there were some serious defensive miscues, but one of the Eagles’ touchdowns came on a pick-six from the Patriots offense, while another came after a lost fumble by Ezekiel Elliott put the visiting team in good field position.
That’s 14 easy points right there.
Still, Gonzalez looked great, but he has some work to do to be considered a shutdown corner. Keion White also looked good, pressuring Hurts early, but I ultimately went with Gonzalez as his impact was directly felt in key moments.
Third Star: Kendrick Bourne
Kendrick Bourne had six catches for 64 yards and two touchdowns in the loss. He was the Patriots’ most consistent separator all night long.
All throughout training camp, we have heard how electric Bourne has been on the practice field, and how he might be the Patriots’ best receiver in 2023. The team will be calling on him all season long to see if he can continue to build on this explosive opener.
He was giving the Eagles’ secondary trouble, and he should at least continue keeping defenses honest.
