6 rings: 3 matchups to watch in Patriots vs. Eagles on Sunday
The NFL season began with a 21-20 Detroit Lions victory over the reigning Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday - and the name of the game was the players on the field.
Patriots head coach Bill Belichick says it all the time: ‘Players win games’... well they can also lose them too. Chiefs wide receiver Kadarius Toney hauled in just one catch for one yard on five targets from Patrick Mahomes, while dropping three others. Said drops included a tipped ball that resulted in a pick-six, and another that would have put them in field goal range with just over two minutes to go in the game.
Players make an impact - and speaking of players, here are 10 to watch on Sunday afternoon when the Patriots welcome the Eagles to Gillette Stadium for their season opener:
10 - Tom Brady
Just kidding.
10 - LB Matthew Judon, Patriots
After putting up 28 sacks over his first two seasons in New England, pass rusher Matthew Judon staged a successful “hold-in” this summer and played just 12 preseason snaps throughout the summer. Now that the regular season is here, it’s time for the Patriots to unleash him.
Philadelphia’s offensive line won’t make it easy on him, however. Eagles tackle Lane Johnson has given up just one sack over the last three seasons (h/t Taylor Kyles), and it won’t get much easier on the other end with Jordan Mailata at the helm - something Judon understands. He told the media on Thursday that they’re defense is “going to have [their] hands full.”
Judon also expressed confidence in his unit:
“I’m very confident. I think we can rush from any position, change our matchups, change our looks,” the four-time Pro Bowler explained. “We’re going to try and build on the success we had last year.”
Time to shine.
9 - S Jalen Mills, Patriots and 8 - TE Dallas Goedert, Eagles
The Patriots lost a major piece of their defense this offseason in safety Devin McCourty. After starting all 205 gams he suited up for, the long-time captain in New England decided to call it a a career this offseason.
Now Jalen Mills, who New England is moving from the cornerback room to the safety, will be tasked with their FS role - which includes covering some monster tight ends.
Like Dallas Goedert, one of Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts’ favorite targets. In just 12 games last season, the former South Dakota State Jackrabbit caught 55 passes for 704 yards and three touchdowns. He also put up a 16-141-1 statline thought three postseason games.
“I’ll be ready for it if that’s my role, Mills told the media at his locker this week when asked about defending Goedert on Sunday. “Can’t give you the secret sauce on it yet.”
7 - OL Mike Onwenu, Patriots
Patriots guard Mike Onwenu missed the entirely of minicamp and all but one training camp practice this summer while rehabbing from offseason ankle surgery. He returned to action on August 23 however, and by the looks of it, he’s good to go.
The 2020 sixth-round pick has been New England’s best lineman for the better part of three seasons in Foxborough and entering a contract year, is expected to hold it down at right guard with the tackle position next to him up in the air.
Whether or not they decide to bump him outside, to a tackle spot that he played well at in 2020, remains to be seen. Either way, his production on the line this season is paramount to his team’s success on offense.
6 - WR JuJu Smith-Schuster, Patriots
Patriots wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster’s last NFL game was a Super Bowl championship… versus the Philadelphia Eagles. He now gets to face off against them once again - this time fully healthy.
The pass-catcher was dealing with a knee injury throughout the entirety of the 2022-23 playoffs and despite some reports that his joint could explode at any minute, the seventh-year pro sounds ready to go:
“"I don’t think my knee is a ticking time bomb,” Smith-Schuster told MassLive’s Karen Guregian last month. “If anything, it’s something that’s getting stronger every day."
He and new quarterback Mac Jones started to build up quite the on-field rapport towards the end of training camp. Sunday’s their time to truly show it off for the first time.
5 - LB Haason Reddick, Eagles
The Eagles front seven and pass rush was absolutely dominant last season, tallying 70 sacks - only the fourth team to do so in NFL history.
They were led by edge rusher Haason Reddick, who in just his first season with Philly, earned second-team All-Pro honors thanks to a career high 16 sacks and a league-leading five forced fumbles in 2022
Looking to build of his recent success, the former Temple Owl is presumably chomping at the bit given New England’s struggles along the offensive line this preseason. He should be an exciting watch on Sunday.
4 - WR A.J. Brown, Eagles and 3 - CB Christian Gonzalez, Patriots
Perhaps this one would have fit better in yesterday’s Crucial Clashes, but this matchup between two exciting players is one to keep an eye on.
The Eagles traded for A.J. Brown prior to last season, sending the 18th overall pick in the 2022 draft as well as a third round pick to the Tennessee Titans for the pass catcher. A pass catcher he was. Brown hauled 88 balls for 1,496 yards and 11 touchdowns during his first season in Philly and received second-team All-Pro honors for his performance.
Who will he be matched up against? None other than New England’s first-round pick in 2023: Christian Gonzalez. The 6-foot-2 boundary cornerback was immediately thrust into the Patriots’ CB1 role this past spring and has looked the part thus far. However with reports that counterpart Jack Jones will miss some time due to a hamstring injury he suffered on Wednesday, the 17th overall pick will now have even more on his plate given that it's just him, Jonathan Jones, Shaun Wade, and Myles Bryant in the room
No pressure, rookie.
2 - QB Mac Jones, Patriots
Mac Jones’ most critical NFL season to date begins with arguably his hardest task of the season: going up against the defending NFC-champion Eagles’ defense.
The third-year quarterback has had a rollercoaster beginning of his career, but is now looking to settle into role in New England with new offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien - a coach who can play to his cerebral and rhythmic strengths as a signal caller.
While it’s only the beginning, the way he and Billy O gel (or don’t) in Week 1 will be an interesting peek behind the curtain at how the rest of the regular season will go with this Patriots offense.
1 - QB Jalen Hurts, Eagles
The Patriots’ defense has their work cut out for them this weekend in 2022 MVP runner up Jalen Hurts.
The Eagles quarterback, who led his squad to a Super Bowl appearance last season, finished the campaign with a 14-1 regular season record and 35 total touchdowns while turning the ball over just eight times.
Against a defense that struggled against top-tier QB’s in 2022, keep an eye on Hurts to shine in Foxborough on Sunday.
Make sure to follow Mike on Twitter @mikekadlick, and follow @WEEI for the latest up-to-date Patriots and Boston sports news!
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