The time has finally arrived, as the Eagles and Patriots will get it on at Gillette stadium on Sunday, 4:25 PM on CBS.
New England is coming off an 8-9 non-playoff season, and they brought back OC Bill O’Brien to help save quarterback Mac Jones. Philadelphia is coming off a 14 win regular season in 2022, along with a Super Bowl appearance. The Eagles have won 10 of its last 12 season-opening games.
Buy Eagles TicketsWith kickoff fast approaching, we’re looking at five matchups to watch when Philadelphia is on offense and New England is on defense.
Jordan Mailata vs. Patriots edge rusher Matt Judon
The Patriots have a solid edge rushers duo in Matthew Judon and Josh Uche. Judon had 15 1/2 sacks last season after a 12 1/2-sack season in 2021 and he’ll draw Jordan Mailata with teams avoiding Lane Johnson.
Mailata gave up six sacks in 2022, but was a top 10 offensive tackle according to PFF.
A.J. Brown/DeVonta Smith vs. Patriots CB Christian Gonzalez
The Eagles have one of the best receiver duos in the NFL and they’ll get a rookie from the Pac 12 in Week 1. Former Oregon All-Amercian cornerback Christian Gonzalez fell to the Patriots at No. 17 overall. Gonzalez (6-2, 201) is a long cornerback who has a great mix of size and athleticism.
He’s never seen a player like A.J. Brown or DeVonta Smith and Sunday will provide the ultimate test.
Jalen Hurts vs. Bill Belichick’s defense
The legendary head coach will have to decide if he wants to deal with Jalen Hurts the passer or Jalen Hurts the runner.
In 2022, New England was gashed on the ground by Lamar Jackson and Justin Fields, and if Bill Belichick looks to confuse the fourth-year quarterback, Hurts could have a field day against a Patriots defense that’ll be bringing plenty of pressure.
Eagles O-Line vs. Patriots front-seven
The Eagles ranked third in the NFL with 28.1 points per game last season and they scored 25 or more points in 10 games, tied for second most in the league.
The Patriots will look to slow the track meet down and force Philadelphia to score on 10-12 play drives.
With the hard-running Rashaad Penny out of the lineup, Jason Kelce and company will need to control the line of scrimmage.
Swift-Gainwell vs. Patriots linebackers
Rashaad Penny will reportedly be inactive which means Philadelphia is comfortable with D’Andre Swift and Kenneth Gainwell as dual-threat options against a solid Patriots defense.
The Eagles had the fewest receiving targets for running backs of any team in the league in 2022 and Swift will drastically improve that number, having ranked as a top-4-5 running back in the passing game since 2020.
