Super Bowl Quarter Score 2018: Eagles vs. Patriots 1st-Quarter Update and Recap

The Philadelphia Eagles made a statement early in the 2018 Super Bowl at U.S. Bank Stadium, taking the dynastic New England Patriots for a trip down the field on the game's opening drive, eating half of the first quarter's clock in the process.

Those Patriots did what champions do, though, ending the lengthy drive with only a field goal surrendered on the way to an eventual 9-3 end-of-quarter score favoring the Eagles.

Nick Foles—the feel-good story after taking over for MVP contender Carson Wentz—completed his first three attempts and looked nothing but unrattled in front of a Philadelphia-heavy crowd.

The NBC broadcast talked about the read-pass option (RPO) early and often on the game's first drive, and rightfully so, based on this simple-looking third-down conversion by Foles to Torrey Smith:

That one, in particular, likely looked familiar to the Patriots:

This, as planned, opened up the ground game, with Jay Ajayi looking good and Corey Clement picking up 16 yards out of the backfield as a receiver. Yet when the field shrunk, the New England defense held strong—a staple of defensive coordinator Matt Patricia's unit all year, which earned him head coaching looks.

It didn't take long for Tom Brady to move the ball once he had it in his hands, though. He hit Chris Hogan for a 28-yard gain and then caught the Eagles with 12 men on the field.

This chess match between Brady and a sub-happy Eagles defensive line is something NFL Network's James Palmer addressed:

One of the best (only) ways to beat Brady is via the ability to bring adequate pressure with only four defensive linemen, an area where the Eagles excel. Brady fired the first shot in this key matchup, to say the least, though his opening effort also ended in a field goal to tie the game at three.

Ball back in his hands, Foles didn't have to do much to start his second drive, not with LeGarrette Blount carving up his former team for a 36-yard gain:

Not to be outdone, one of the best free-agent adds of last offseason, Alshon Jeffery, climbed the ladder on the very next play and reeled in a 34-yard touchdown grab:

While picking up yards in chunks like that commanded the spotlight, rookie kicker Jake Elliott, formerly of the Cincinnati Bengals practice squad earlier this season, missed the extra point, leaving the score at 9-3, Eagles.

Brady looked more comfortable on the second drive, dinking and dunking plodding coverages by the Eagles, setting up a red-zone opportunity for his offense at the start of the second quarter.

Regardless of the outcome of the second quarter's opening drive, it's clear both defenses were still in a feeling-out phase. It looks like there is plenty of scoring ahead, though halftime adjustments could see a lurch in the action in what should be a close game throughout.

Stats courtesy of NFL.com.