Here are the winners and the losers from the New England Patriots’ 17-10 win over the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Stadium on Sunday.
Winner: The Patriots secondary
Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz almost doubled his passing yards in the final five minutes of the game, but while those drives finished with significant yardage, the Patriots allowed no fourth-quarter points. That was thanks in large part to New England’s secondary.
Wentz finished the game 20-of-40 for 214 yards and a touchdown. The Patriots secondary, particularly Stephon Gilmore and J.C. Jackson, were impressive in keeping the Eagles’ pass-catchers at bay. (It helped that their receiving corps looked depleted without Alshon Jeffery.)
Safety Terrence Brooks also played in Patrick Chung’s role while he was out with an injury. Brooks finished tied with a team-high seven tackles, but also added two pass breakups and a pair of quarterback hits; he has been a pleasant surprise since joining the team with the apparently-unfair label as solely a special teams standout.
Even on the Eagles’ second-longest play of the game, a 25-yarder from Wentz to Zach Ertz in the fourth quarter, the quarterback had to zip the ball into an incredibly tight and dangerous window. It was remarkable (and perhaps lucky) to complete the pass. Wentz tried something similar on the following play and McCoury got a hand on it, which nearly resulted in an interception.
Loser: Jason McCourty, CB
There was one exception to the strong play among New England’s defensive backs: Jason McCourty. He made a costly mistake in the first play from scrimmage by committing a pass interference that cost the Patriots 49 yards. Wentz later targeted receiver Mack Hollins down the right sideline on a double move, which fooled McCourty. J.C. Jackson took over for McCourty as the team’s second cornerback. That said, in the fourth quarter, McCourty got redemption with two crucial fourth-quarter breakups.
Winner: Danny Shelton, DL
The Patriots’ run defense looked improved against the Eagles, who finished with 3.9 yards per carry. New England had been porous against the Ravens, and perhaps this effort was proof that the Cowboys, the Patriots’ Week 12 opponent, may not pummel New England’s front.
Defensive tackle Danny Shelton, in particular, was a major part of the defensive line’s improvements. He finished with a team-high seven tackles and a forced fumble while spending a great deal of time in the Eagles’ backfield. He wasn’t just a force on running plays — he managed a strip-sack on Wentz.
Loser: Tom Brady, QB
The Patriots quarterback wasn’t sharp (26/47, 216 passing yards). He finished the first half with 14 incompletions, an unfortunate career-high. Brady had a few brilliant throws, including a pinpoint pass to tight end Ben Watson down the seam for 22 yards. Those impressive moments came too few and far between.
Of course, Brady’s supporting cast needed to do better. Offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels seemed intent upon experimenting with pushing personnel into situations where they need an increased comfort level. That’s why Sony Michel got four targets in the passing game for two receptions and 11 yards. That’s also why N’Keal Harry saw a handful of early snaps, even before Phillip Dorsett suffered a head injury that took him out of the game. In theory, that will produce long-term gains. In the short term, it didn’t look pretty.
Winner: Jake Bailey, P
The rookie punter accounted for 381 yards with eight punts, which included six inside the 20-yard line. His longest punt of the night was a 55-yarder. He was a standout in this game, which was largely a battle of field position. New England picked Bailey in the fifth round in the 2019 draft, which was essentially the death knell for punter Ryan Allen, the incumbent starter.
Loser: Nelson Agholor, WR
He dropped the pass on 4th-and-10 in the fourth quarter. The ball was catchable. It would have brought the Eagles into a situation where they could tie the game. The drop kept Philly out of the game.
