Hunter Henry scores Patriots first TD - then Kendrick Bourne emerges with the second

The Patriots looked just as disjointed as last season to start the game against the Eagles on Sunday afternoon but picked things up in the second quarter.

On a drive that went ten plays for 71 yards and just under five minutes, the offense finally started to perform almost seamlessly. We saw the first catches by Mike Gesicki, rookie sensation Demario "Pop" Douglas, and some great yardage gained by recently signed to the 53-man roster again Ty Montgomery.

All the excitement came to a head when Mac Jones hit Hunter Henry in the end zone for a 9-yard touchdown to give the Patriots their first points of the game. Seeing the connection between the quarterback and tight end reignited after a down 2022 season was a beautiful sight.

Besides the impressive drive the offense put together, Mac Jones' performance was also noteworthy.

For a team that was presumably going to be a run-first offense, Bill O'Brien called an almost pass-exclusive drive, having Jones go 7/8 for 67 yards and a touchdown. Stevenson was only handed the ball twice for a gain of four yards, showcasing Jones's strides in his third year already.

Then things got even wilder on the Patriots' next drive after the defense shut down the Eagles' offense again, totaling four straight three-and-outs for the reigning NFC Champions.

After a great punt return by Marcus Jones to give the offense the football at their own 37-yard line, Jones led the offense down the field in six plays for 61 yards, ending the drive with a 19-yard touchdown to Kendrick Bourne.

It was a fantastic way to go into halftime, with the Patriots set to have the ball to start the third quarter. The momentum certainly shifted in their favor, and it was perfect timing as Tom Brady was set to take the field for his ceremony.