The second week of NFL preseason action begins with a rematch of Super Bowl 52 between the New England Patriots and the Philadelphia Eagles. On the road, the Patriots are favored by 1.5 points as they make the trip to the City of Brotherly Love. The game also has an over/under of 38.5 points.
The Eagles began their preseason with a 24-16 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in an unofficial battle over Pennsylvania bragging rights. For what it’s worth, the Eagles took a 13-0 lead midway through the second quarter, only to let the game get away from them in the second half. As a team that’s trying to overcome a poor 2020 season, we are likely to see more of the Philadelphia starters in the second preseason game.
Of course, the same can be said of the Patriots, who are coming off a win in their exhibition opener. New England took care of Washington 22-13 at home last weekend. However, the Patriots settled for field goals early and didn’t score a touchdown until the fourth quarter, when both teams had their reserves in the game.
Mac Attack
For the second straight week, we’re bound to see a healthy dose of Mac Jones, who is trying to beat out Cam Newton for the starting job. Jones was solid in his preseason debut, connecting on 13 of his 19 passes but only amassing 87 passing yards. Newton wasn’t much better in limited work, with the New England Patriots getting both of their touchdowns from running back Rhamondre Stevenson, a fourth-round pick this year out of Oklahoma.
As for the Philadelphia defense, they deserve a lot of credit for keeping the Steelers off the scoreboard until late in the second quarter last week. Ultimately, the Pittsburgh offense racked up over 400 yards of offense, so the Eagles weren’t as good when the backups came into the game. But the Eagles do have a deep defensive line, which should serve them well in a preseason game.
Is It Going to Hurts
For the Philadelphia Eagles offense, the preseason is all about getting Jalen Hurts more comfortable. It ended up being Joe Flacco, who got most of the reps last week, looking good in the process, while Hurts attempted just seven passes. But Hurts should see more action this week, especially with the Eagles trying to find some answers at wide receiver.
Meanwhile, New England’s defense was solid while the starters were in the game last week, which wasn’t long. They kept Washington out of the end zone until late in the second quarter, although the New England reserves bent a little more in the second half. If Bill Belichick gives the starters more action this week, the Patriots have the defensive talent to give Hurts and company some trouble as long as the starters remain in the game.
Bill’s Game
Not that preseason games matter that much, but Belichick is 10 games over .500 in his career, including a 7-2 record since 2018. Also, at first glance, Jones looks a little better than Hurts right now, at least in a preseason setting. Bet on the Patriots to beat the Eagles in Thursday’s preseason game.
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