In week 1 of the preseason, the Patriots edged the Washington Football team 22-13 thanks to a back-breaking 91-yard touchdown by Rhamondre Stevenson late in the fourth quarter. In week 2, the Patriots headed south to Lincoln Financial Field to take on the Philadelphia Eagles. The matchup certainly evoked thrilling memories of Superbowl battles in 2005 and 2018 that ended with a split for each franchise. Unlike those memorable games, this game was a one-sided affair as the Patriots dominated the Eagles 35-0. The Eagles head coach, Nick Sirianni, did his team and his fans a disservice by not playing his starters at all. However, the Patriots could only do their job and beat the competition that was put before them. With that said, here are the correct reactions and overreactions arising from the game.
1. Cam Newton proved that he should start week 1- Correct Reaction
As I stated in last week’s preview of the game, Cam needed to have a good game and get the ball in the end zone to solidify his position heading into this season. Newton completed 8 of 9 his passes for 103 yards and one touchdown in his three series. Newton’s only incompletion was a dropped pass by James White. Beyond the actual numbers, Newton passed the eye test. He was swift in his decision-making and had good velocity. He also maneuvered in the pocket smoothly to escape pressure from his blindside and found receivers down the field. Long may it continue.
2. Mac Jones may be the best backup quarterback in the league this year-Correct Reaction
Newton’s play showed he deserved to be the starter but it is not as if Jones lost points in the battle for number one on the depth chart. In his first drive of the game, the Patriots faced a 3rd and 13 from their 6-yard line but Jones calmly dropped back into his end zone and delivered a strike to Harry for 19 yards. It propelled the team to go on a 17 play, 91-yard drive for a touchdown that chewed up 9 minutes and 4 seconds off the clock. In the game, Jones tallied 13 completions from 19 passes for 146 yards with no touchdown or interceptions. He is certainly making his case known and at the same time successfully pushing Newton to perform at his peak. A quarterback battle is a good way to fuel the fire in this team.
3. The Offensive Line will be dominant this year- Overreaction
The offensive line dominated the Philadelphia defensive line handily in this contest. However, the caveat was that they were playing the Eagles’ backups. It would have been interesting to see if they could have created the same massive holes against the starting unit. The unit may prove to be elite but I will be conservative in my expectations.
4. The Patriots running backs look like the team’s best unit- Correct reaction
In just two games into the preseason, the running back unit looks prime for success. The fourth-round pick Rhamondre Stevenson looks like a revelation and a steal from the draft. He backed up his week 1 performance with 15 carries, 66 yards, and 2 touchdowns in week 2. However, he may not have been the most impressive running back in the game because J.J Taylor had 12 carries for 93 yards and a touchdown. He demonstrated tremendous shiftiness in a sweet spin move against an Eagles defender. The unit is complete with Damien Harris and Sony Michel which will make Belichick play smash-mouth football.
5. Devin Asiasi and Quinn Nordin will not make the roster- Correct reaction
Asiasi had the chance to solidify himself in the third spot in the tight end depth chart. Instead, he had an underwhelming performance with 1 drop catch and 0 catches in total. On other hand, Quinn Nordin’s legs failed him in the game as he missed three straight kicks including a 36-yard field goal and two extra-point attempts. The Patriots will likely cut Quinn in favor of veteran Nick Folk and look at other options at tight end to backup Jonnu Smith and Hunter Henry.
