3 Takeaways from Patriots' Week 1 Loss vs. Eagles
After spotting the Philadelphia Eagles 16 points in the first quarter on Sunday afternoon, the New England Patriots did a tremendous job of battling back and keeping their 2023 season opener interesting. But they were still unsuccessful in their quest to upset the NFC champions.
The Patriots fell 25-20 at Gillette Stadium, beginning the new campaign with a competitive loss. It's the third straight year they have lost their season opener.
New England quarterback Mac Jones threw a pair of second-quarter touchdowns to cut Philadelphia's lead to two points ahead of halftime. But the Eagles scored nine points to open the second half and effectively put the game away.
Here are three takeaways from the Patriots' Week 1 loss.
New Offense Showed Some Encouraging Signs
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Bill O'Brien has returned to New England this season as offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach, a role he previously held in 2011. After more than a decade away at other stops, he's returned to renovate the team's offensive scheme.
There were some encouraging signs from Sunday's game. When New England couldn't get its run game going early, it pivoted to a pass-heavy attack. Jones had a career-high 54 attempts (35 of which were completed) while throwing for 316 yards, three touchdowns and one interception.
Kendrick Bourne caught two of Jones' passing TDs, the second of which cut the Eagles' lead to 25-20 with 3 minutes and 37 seconds to go in the fourth quarter. Hunter Henry scored the Patriots' only other touchdown.
The Pats showed a willingness to improvise on the fly, which is often important to offensive success. If they can build upon what they learned in the weeks to come, then this unit may have a solid season ahead of it.
Too Many Costly, Early Mistakes
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While New England's offense eventually got it going, its slow start proved costly. Several miscues occurred that could have prevented the Patriots from needing to overcome a 16-0 first-quarter deficit.
In the first, Jones was intercepted by cornerback Darius Slay, who gave the Eagles a 10-0 lead by returning it 70 yards for a touchdown. On the Pats' next offensive snap, an Ezekiel Elliott fumble was recovered by Philadelphia, which quickly went on to score another TD four plays later.
It was the first time New England committed two turnovers in the first quarter of a game since Week 9 of the 2015 season, according to ESPN's Mike Reiss.
"I feel like in the most critical times I played my worst. ... I know I can do it. I've done it before," Jones said, per Kyle Hightower of the Associated Press. "I let the defense down and I'll have to live with that."
Without those early mistakes, Sunday's game could have taken a much different turn. So the Patriots need to avoid those type of events happening in the weeks to come.
A Youth Movement Is Well Underway
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New England has continued to get younger and is being built around a much different core than it had only a few years ago.
That trend continued Sunday, when many members of the Pats' 2023 draft class made immediate impacts in their NFL debuts on the defensive side of the ball.
Cornerback Christian Gonzalez (a first-round pick) had seven tackles and a sack. Defensive lineman Keion White (second round) recorded a pass defense. Linebacker Marte Mapu (third round) collected three tackles.
"We knew when we drafted them, when we got them in here and actually put pads on, that they were really good players," Patriots linebacker Matthew Judon said, per Dakota Randall of NESN.
And they're also only one game into their NFL careers. So it's a good sign that these rookies have already stood out, as they're only going to improve as they continue to gain experience throughout their first year.
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