Eagles vs. Patriots: What Philadelphia Needs to Fix in Preseason Game No. 2

The Philadelphia Eagles are treating tonight's matchup with the New England Patriots like a dress rehearsal. That's because Philly plays again in only four days and, right now, the team is healthier than it's been since the start of training camp. 

Here's a look at what fans should be hoping the Eagles fixed in the 10 days they had off between the opener against Pittsburgh and tonight's game in Foxboro. 

Tackling and overall efficiency on defense

The Eagles' defense looked out of sync against the Steelers. Far too many tackles were missed and the unit seemed to lack basic football instincts. It felt similar to what plagued them throughout the first half of the 2011 season, which surely scares the hell out of Philly fans. 

Tonight, DeMeco Ryans has to make some plays, Brian Rolle has to show more discipline and—assuming he even gets a chance to redeem himself—Jaiquawn Jarrett has to show that he's better in all areas and that he just had a bad night against the Steelers.

The Eagles can't afford to miss tackles the way they did last season, and have to establish good habits right now.

Play from the No. 2 quarterback

I phrased that very specifically, because Mike Kafka was the second-team quarterback against Pittsburgh and he performed terribly before breaking his hand. That's scary, because there's a decent chance that, at some point this season, the Eagles are going to have to rely temporarily on Michael Vick's backup. 

It was encouraging, though, to see rookie Nick Foles play extremely well in second-half action. The third-round pick posted a 143.8 passer rating and tossed two impressive touchdown passes. 

So while I don't think Foles has to perform better while acting as Vick's primary backup tonight, the Eagles will be counting on him to continue to be effective. And if that happens, Philadelphia will have gotten improved play from the No. 2. 

This will be a factor tonight, but it won't be as crucial because Foles might not even see the field until the fourth quarter. Expect the starters to play less in the third preseason game, meaning we'll likely see Foles face first-teamers for the first time this summer.

Pass protection

Vick and the rest of the Philly quarterbacks faced quite a lot of pressure in the opener, and two of the four pivots who played wound up with hand injuries. That's a large concern. 

As a result of some lackluster pass protection against Pittsburgh, Demetress Bell has at least temporarily been benched in favor of King Dunlap. Bell was brought in to replace Jason Peters on the left side, but it's taking him some time to get acclimated. Dunlap is less heralded but he knows the system well and I believe Howard Mudd trusts him,

It'll be interesting to see how many snaps both left tackles get tonight in Foxboro, but I can't see either player winning this competition until the preseason wraps up.

Specific players to watch:

Brandon Boykin: Keep an eye on him as both a return man and a nickel corner. He was stellar on kick returns in the opener and is battling Joselio Hanson for the nickel spot.

Damaris Johnson: He'll again field punts, but he also stood out as a receiver against Pittsburgh. Will he get some work with the first-teamers in the third quarter? 

Brent Celek: Vick's safety valve makes his return to the lineup after missing nine days of camp and the Pittsburgh game due to a sprained MCL. He was also sidelined in the offseason after hip and hernia surgeries, so it'll be interesting to see how able is.

Bryce Brown and Dion Lewis: Don't expect to see much of Chris Polk tonight, but Brown and Lewis should have a chance to continue their battle for the backup running back job in the second half.

Brandon Graham: He's always a player to watch right now. But with Jason Babin still out, the former first-round pick should see plenty of action with and against first teamers on Monday night.

Nate Allen: He returns from injury. And based on what we saw from Jarrett last week, Eagles fans pray that he gets on track quickly.