Eagles vs Patriots: Philadelphia Grades, Notes & Quotes

The Philadelphia Eagles completed one of the biggest upsets of the season as they hung on to beat the New England Patriots 35-28 at Gillette Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

In a game full of momentum swings, the Eagles fought throughout the entire game and came away from Foxborough, Massachusetts, with an important win to move to 5-7 and only a half-game behind the Washington Redskins in the NFC East. 

Both teams started out cautiously with conservative play-calling. Then New England's offense started to crank into high gear as Tom Brady hung tough in the pocket amidst pressure and found the open man. At the end of the first quarter, the Patriots marched down the field and moved into the red zone on a 30-yard reception to Scott Chandler. Then Brady found James White for a touchdown on the first play of the second quarter to claim the first points of the day.

The Patriots then turned up the heat, and it looked like Philadelphia's defense might revert back to its form from the past two weeks. New England's offense traveled 80 yards on eight plays to score its second touchdown of the game. Walter Thurmond was late to react when the secondary switched assignments, and then Brady found Danny Amendola in the back of the end zone to make it 14 unanswered points to start the game.

But then the momentum changed when Bill Belichick tried to go for the knockout blow with a gimmick kickoff play. The attempted onside kick did not work and Philadelphia started its drive on its own 41-yard line. Then the Eagles used a combined attack of Darren Sproles and Kenjon Barner to get into the red zone. Sam Bradford found Zach Ertz in the back of the end zone for the five-yard touchdown score to bring their deficit to only seven points. 

Then Philadelphia's special teams made a big play as it seemed like both teams would be heading into the locker rooms for halftime. New England was forced to punt after deciding to push its luck and run its two-minute offense. Chris Maragos burst through the middle of the protection untouched and blocked the punt. Then Najee Goode picked up the loose ball and returned it for a touchdown to tie the game with only eight seconds remaining in the half.

On the first drive of the second half, New England moved the ball down deep into Philadelphia territory, but Brady made a fatal mistake in the red zone. He tried to force the ball to Amendola in the end zone, but the ball was batted up into the air. Malcolm Jenkins made the interception and then ran it back 99 yards to give the Eagles the go-ahead touchdown.

Philadelphia's special teams stepped up once again in the third quarter as Sproles exploded down the sideline on his 83-yard punt return for a touchdown to give the Eagles the 28-14 lead. Special teams and defense combined for 21 points as the Eagles led comfortably with only one quarter remaining.

Early in the fourth quarter, the offense rose their own level of play as both the run and pass attacks combined to travel 80 yards and eat up six minutes of clock before giving Philadelphia a three-score lead. Sam Bradford showed poise and patience as he waited for the play to develop before finding Jordan Matthews on a crossing pattern for a touchdown.

However, New England did not go down without a fight. Brady rallied the troops and led a comeback charge that went to the very end. It started with a touchdown reception from Chandler to bring life to Gillette Stadium. Then Brady brought the game to within one score as he crossed the goal line on a one-yard quarterback sneak.

The Eagles should have had the game wrapped up as the offense was in New England territory with under two minutes remaining, but Barner fumbled the ball to give New England one last chance. Philadelphia's defense stood tall and forced a turnover on downs to end the game.

Philadelphia survived New England's attempts to ruin the upset and earn its fifth win of the season. The Eagles return home to face the Buffalo Bills next Sunday.

Position Grades for Philadelphia

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Quarterback: B

Sam Bradford returned from his concussion and left shoulder injury in surprising fashion. Despite his injury history, he looked calm and confident in the face of pressure and delivered several key strikes to extend drives. Bradford finished 14-of-24 for 120 yards and two touchdowns.

Running Backs: B

Philadelphia ran the ball effectively against New England, especially early in the game, as it gained 128 yards on 33 attempts. Sproles got the start and led the team with 15 carries and 66 yards. The tailback also led the team with four receptions. Kenjon Barner added 39 yards and Murray 24 yards. The tailbacks looked decisive and explosive as they hit the holes quickly and failed to go down easily.

Wide Receivers: C

Only three receivers caught passes on the day for Philadelphia as the unit failed to feature in Chip Kelly's game plan. Jordan Matthews led the team with only 36 receiving yards on the day, but he also scored the touchdown that ended up being the difference.

Tight Ends: C+

Brent Celek and Zach Ertz caught three passes combined for 25 yards. Ertz beat safety Devin McCourty in the end zone to gain separation and score Philadelphia's first points of the day. Playing with two tight ends continues to create matchup issues and opens up different options for Philadelphia's offense.

Offensive Line: C+

The offensive line protected Bradford all game long as they only surrendered one sack. The line also looked more aggressive as they opened up holes for the running backs. However, penalties continue to be a problem for this unit, as they halted several drives with routine infractions. There were signs of improvement from this unit, but it still needs to stay focused mentally.

Defensive Line: B+

This unit continues to be the strong point of Philadelphia's defense. They consistently put Brady under pressure and rarely let him have time to survey the field and pick his target. Fletcher Cox and Vinny Curry both hit Brady four times on the day as they tormented New England's offensive line all game long.

Linebackers: B

Outside linebackers Brandon Graham and Connor Barwin came to play on Sunday. Both players sacked Brady twice and showed unique looks as they lined up on the same side of the field on a few occasions. But they also gave up some big plays in coverage as running back James White and tight end Scott Chandler beat them for touchdowns.

Defensive Backs: A

Malcolm Jenkins made the play that changed the outlook of this game. The safety intercepted a pass in the end zone and returned it for a touchdown to complete a 14-point swing on one play. Byron Maxwell also made a good play to follow the ball rather than his receiver on another Brady interception. Eric Rowe held his ground in his first career start, and every member of the secondary looked inspired throughout the whole game.

Special Teams: A

The special teams scored just as many points as Philadelphia's offense on Sunday. Chris Maragos is a routine standout in this facet of the game, blocking a punt at the end of the first half to tie the game. Then Sproles returned a punt 83 yards to establish a two-touchdown lead in the third quarter. This unit created some magic to propel the team to a victory in Foxborough.

Coaching: B+

Kelly and the rest of the coaching staff have come under question in these last few weeks, but it did not look like they had lost the locker room based on their performance today. Defensive coordinator Billy Davis also dialed up the right game plan to keep Brady guessing. Kelly also made the right decisions late in the game in running the clock and throwing the ball only when necessary.

Important Note No. 1: Sam Bradford

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Bradford returned from injury this week, and the Eagles pulled off an upset over arguably the best team in the NFL. Is that just a coincidence?

OK, there are several players responsible for Philadelphia's big win, but the offense looked cohesive and capable under Bradford's gaze. He looked comfortable and determined to get the win. 

The quarterback did not have to carry the team in this game, but he still made the most of his opportunities as he completed 14 of his 24 passes and threw two touchdowns. Bradford's two touchdowns came on red-zone plays, which is where he made poor decisions and threw interceptions in the beginning of the season.

After an initial adjustment period, Bradford looked to be finding his feet in Philadelphia's offense even before Sunday's game. Through his last three starts, he's thrown for 651 yards, four touchdowns and zero interceptions.

Bradford showed poise as he hung tough in the pocket and delivered passes when the Eagles needed him to come up with a play. Late in the fourth quarter, the Eagles were presented with a third down in which they could not afford to let the clock stop. Instead of running the ball, Kelly put it in the hands of his quarterback, and he delivered. Bradford stood tall in the pocket amidst pressure and found Riley Cooper for the key first down.

The quarterback's performance in a vital win against New England shows the potential Bradford possesses. Now Philadelphia needs consistency from the 28-year-old if it hopes to make a run at the NFC East title.

Important Note No. 2: Running Backs

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Philadelphia ran the ball effectively all game long against New England, but the production did not come from DeMarco Murray.

Darren Sproles led the charge with 15 carries on the day, and he caused problems in the running game, passing attack and return game. Kenjon Barner just edged out Murray with his nine carries to the former Cowboy's eight. Kelly's decision to use the smaller, more elusive backs proved to be the right call as they combined for 105 yards on 14 attempts, compared to Murray's eight carries for 24 yards.

Philadelphia handed last year's NFL rushing leader a big contract last offseason, but the tailback has been largely ineffective this season. The coaching staff ignored how much money they owe Murray and featured the backs that gave them the best chance to win. Against New England, Sproles and Barner looked explosive as they averaged seven-and-a-half yards per carry.

Murray has not suddenly lost his ability to run, but his style may not be a perfect fit for Kelly's offense. A lot of the tailback's runs take too long to develop as he stretches them wide across the field, rather than finding a hole quickly. The tailback did gain 19 yards in the game when he attacked down the middle of the defense and ran with some grit and decisiveness, but Philadelphia needs more consistent production from Murray. Otherwise, he will continue to lose carries to Sproles.

Something else to watch will be the distribution of touches once Ryan Mathews returns from injury.

Quote No. 1: Billy Davis

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"To get a win in Foxboro with Tom Brady at quarterback, no matter what the stats are, is so hard. The guys made a ton of plays," said Davis, per CSNPhilly.com's Reuben Frank.

Philadelphia's defensive coordinator came under immense pressure the past two weeks after his unit surrendered 45 points in back-to-back weeks. But Davis created the right game plan to slow down New England as his defense made some key plays to come away with the win on Sunday.

The Eagles put consistent pressure on Brady throughout the game as Davis came up with unique looks. Connor Barwin's first sack of the game came when he lined up with Brandon Graham on the inside to his left. Putting two talented pass-rushers on the same side of the line creates problems for blockers, and schemes like this led to matchup wins all game long for Philadelphia.

The stat line might show a slightly different story for the game, as Brady threw for 324 yards and three touchdowns, but Philadelphia made life difficult for the quarterback and forced critical interceptions. Malcolm Jenkins returned one 99 yards for a touchdown, and Philadelphia also scored following Byron Maxwell's pick.

A great game plan combined with inspired performances on the defensive side of the ball, and Davis put his players in position to make plays.

Quote No. 2: Chip Kelly

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"Sometimes, they don’t see in them what I see in them. I know we have a good football team. They showed it today," said Chip Kelly, per the Philadelphia Inquirer's Zach Berman.

Kelly remains adamant through the highs and the lows this whole season that the Eagles are a good football team. Philadelphia certainly showed it in traveling to Gillette Stadium and beating the New England Patriots.

However, the next few weeks will show whether the team has turned a corner and is finally living up to its potential, or if Sunday was just a flash in the pan.

The Eagles still have a lot to play for as they are alive in the race for the NFC East with a 5-7 record. The New York Giants lost, 23-20, to the Jets in overtime as they now draw even with Philadelphia. The Washington Redskins are currently still at the top of the division by a half-game, but they still face division rival Dallas on Monday night.

Philadelphia can still turn its season around, but it faces a tough slate ahead. Next week the Eagles take on the 6-6 Buffalo Bills, which will see the return of LeSean McCoy to Lincoln Financial Field. Then the next week they take on the Arizona Cardinals, who are proving to be Super Bowl contenders at 10-2.

If the Eagles can get through that two-game stretch, they will likely hold their fate in their own hands. Philadelphia will take on the Redskins at home in Week 16 before traveling to MetLife Stadium to take on the Giants to close out the regular season.

Sunday's victory showed that Philadelphia possesses enough talent to beat some of the best teams in the NFL, but its ability to replicate this performance through the next four weeks will determine if it is truly a good football team.