Musket Fire
FanSided

New England Patriots: 3 Players who stood out in win over Eagles

By Nick Ziegler

FOXBOROUGH, MA - AUGUST 16: James White #28 of the New England Patriots scores a touchdown in the second quarter against the Philadelphia Eagles during the preseason game at Gillette Stadium on August 16, 2018 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Tim Bradbury/Getty Images)
FOXBOROUGH, MA - AUGUST 16: James White #28 of the New England Patriots scores a touchdown in the second quarter against the Philadelphia Eagles during the preseason game at Gillette Stadium on August 16, 2018 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Tim Bradbury/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 4
Next
New England Patriots
BOSTON, MA – JUNE 20: New England Patriot’s rookie Ja.Whaun Bentley makes a sign for the kids at Boston Children’s Hospital June 20, 2018 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Darren McCollester/Getty Images for Boston Children’s Hospital) /

– Ja’Whaun Bentley

One of the top emerging stories for the Patriots in training camp and the preseason has been the play of linebacker, Ja’Whaun Bentley. The Patriots selected Bentley in the fifth round of the 2018 NFL Draft, and he has already worked his way into the starting lineup against the Eagles.

In recent years, a glaring weakness for the Patriots has been their linebackers in coverage. We have frequently seen teams expose them in this area, but Bentley might be an answer to fix this problem. At 6’2”, 255lbs, Bentley does not look like your prototypical coverage linebacker. However, he’s been getting the job done and keeping up with running backs.

Against the Eagles, Bentley had a pass break up and six tackles. Also, he showed off his ability to make plays for the defense, as he recovered a strip sack fumble for a touchdown. As a rookie, Bentley is certainly going to have some learning moments in the preseason and during the regular season. However, it looks like he has some real potential to help the Patriots’ defense right away this season. With two good preseason games in a row now, Bentley is going to be a player to watch for the Patriots as we head toward the regular season.

Home/Patriots News