It was an ugly win, but the Eagles are 1-0 on the 2023 season after a 25-20 win over the Patriots at rainy Gillette Stadium.
All-Pro quarterback Jalen Hurts has won 18 of his last 19 regular season starts, and Philadelphia can now look towards a Thursday night showdown against the Vikings on Amazon Prime.
Buy Eagles TicketsIn a game where Brian Johnson and Sean Desai made their debuts as coordinators, the Eagles were sloppy and unable to get D’Andre Swift or Dallas Goedert involved offensively.
On defense, Philadelphia sacked Patriots quarterback Mac Jones twice on the afternoon and got solid performances from rookie Jalen Carter, and 2nd-year defensive tackle Jordan Davis.
With the contest now complete, here’s an instant analysis of the win.
Jalen Hurts
In his first official game action since the Super Bowl loss, Hurts was 22 of 33 pasing, for 170 yards and a touchdown.
Hurts was sacked three times, had a 89.2 rating, and rushed for 37 yards on 9 yards. Hurts had a fumble deep in Eagles territory, but the defense was able to hold.
It wasn’t an MVP worthy contest, but he won, and essentially had his first preseason game.
Jalen Carter debut
Jalen Carter's first career sack comes at an opportune time. He's been getting pressure all game, and now he gets home to force third-and-long for the patriots. #Eagles
— EJ Smith (@EJSmith94) September 10, 2023
The All-American from Georgia was dominant at times, logging logging one tackle, one tackle for loss, one sack, and one quarterback hit along with the countless pressures.
Jalen Carter recorded 6 pressures and a sack on 32 pass rushes in his NFL debut, tied for the most pressures by any rookie defensive tackle in a game over the last five seasons.#PHIvsNE | #FlyEaglesFly
— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) September 11, 2023
Defense holds
Like Jonathan Gannon before him, Sean Desai’s defense was able to make enough plays down the stretch.
Defense holds when they need to. 2:17 remaining. Patriots have 3 timeouts and 2-minute warning. Eagles need to rely on their offensive line to finish the game with the ball. https://t.co/p6gloDRKbx
— Zach Berman (@ZBerm) September 10, 2023
Christian Gonzalez
The rookie from Oregon was in a matchup to watch, and he held his own against A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith.
Welcome to the NFL Christian Gonzalez pic.twitter.com/LiHaanVFCN
— Crossing Broad (@CrossingBroad) September 10, 2023
Gonzalez had seven tackles, one sack, one tackle for loss, one pass defended, and one quarterback hit in a learning experience.
Dallas Goedert disappointment
Whether it was gameplan or the Patriots defense, Goedert had zero catches on 1 target Sunday.
One of the NFL’s best tight ends, Goedert will look to rebound against the Vikings on Thursday night.
Dallas Goedert on him not seeing his first and only target until the second half
“I’m not in charge of those calls. Maybe next week will be my week. If not, I’ll keep on chugging. It was a good team win, really proud of how the team played.” pic.twitter.com/fDPvaoEMSd
— Josh Tolentino (@JCTSports) September 11, 2023
D'Andre Swift
Like Goedert, Swift was used sparingly, finishing with one carry for three-yards, and one catch for zero yards.
On a night when Rashaad Penny was inactive, Philadelphia may have outsmarted themselves.
Justin Evans
Perseverance pays off, and Evans got the start after finding out last minute. The former Saints safety responded with seven tackles.
