Eagles score two touchdowns off Patriots turnovers
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We knew it would be a tough matchup, even more so with the rain coming down before the game even started. But the Patriots' self-inflicted wounds continue to haunt them as they start their first two drives with turnovers, allowing the Eagles to score both times.
After the Patriots won the toss, the Eagles marched down the field in 14 plays for 61 yards but taking over seven minutes off the clock. The drive ended in a sack for -8 yards by Matthew Judon, limiting Philadelphia to just a field goal.
The Patriots then started their first drive at their own 24-yard line and had a successful series with Mac Jones passing the ball around to nearly all available options on offense.
They made their way all the way down to the Eagles' 42-yard line before Jones threw a pass too high, intended for Kendrick Bourne. The receiver's fingers tipped the ball right into Darius Slay's hands, and he ran it all the back into the end zone for the Eagles' first touchdown of the game.
The Patriots then got the ball back after the kick resulted in a touchback and had even worse luck on their second drive.
Jones flipped the ball to Ezekiel Elliott, who had the ball torn out of his hands by Jordan Davis, and the defense recovered the fumble. The Eagles offense then took over at the New England 26-yard line, and four plays later, DeVonta Smith was in the end zone.
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It's an absolute gut punch to start the first game of the season, especially when the defense has looked pretty solid, and the offense appeared to be working swiftly.
There's plenty of time to turn things around, even though the Patriots are now down 16-0 at the start of the second quarter. Hopefully, they will stop shooting themselves in the foot to create more problems for themselves and not let the game get out of hand.
Patriots trail 16-0 after the first quarter. Per @ESPNStatsInfo, it's the largest deficit the Patriots have faced in the 1st quarter of a game since 2013 vs. the Broncos (17).
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) September 10, 2023