5 Studs and 3 duds from the Patriots Week1 loss to the Eagles

The Patriots almost pulled off a spectacular comeback, but fell short at the end. New England will start the season 0-1, losing their third straight Week 1 game. The Patriots didn’t play winning football and beat themselves with penalties and turnovers, causing the final score to be 25-20.

Mac Jones and the offense started with a 16-0 deficit but got the game within two points at halftime. However, the offense struggled in the third quarter, and the large deficit was too much for the offense to overcome.

There were a lot of positives and several negatives, so let’s take a deep dive and examine what went well for the Patriots and what didn’t.

Studs

TE Hunter Henry:

Henry looked like his 2021 self and was a security blanket throughout the game for Mac Jones. The tight end also delivered the catch of the game. With the Patriots trailing in the fourth quarter, they were looking to convert a fourth-down conversion, and Henry hauled in a one-handed catch from Jones to move the chains. The Newly named team captain recorded five receptions for 56 yards in his season debut. Last season, Henry wasn’t involved in the Matt Patrica offense, but so far, that’s not the case in the Bill O’Brien offesnse.

WR Kendrick Bourne

Well, Bourne is back for revenge. Last season, he barely saw the field, only recording 40% of the offensive snaps. In his first game with BOB as the offensive coordinator, Bourne tied his touchdown total from last season. The veteran receiver tailed two touchdown catches and six receptions for 64 yards. The Patriots offense is more dynamic, with Kendrick Bourne involved.

DB Christian Gonzalez

In his first NFL game, the first-round pick delivered a stand-out performance. Gonzalez had the tall task of lining up against the most challenging receiver group in the NFL. The former Oregon cornerback did great in man and zone coverage. One of the more impressive plays came when Bill Belichick dialed up a corner blitz, and the rookie executed and registered his first sack. Gonzalez also had a key pass deflection on an Eagles fourth down attempt late in the game. Impressively Gonzalez played 100% of the snaps against the Eagles.

LB Matthew Judon

After two dominant seasons, it’s hard to imagine Matthew Judon can keep improving, but Sunday’s home opener proved that wrong. Judon finished with a sack and three tackles, but it wasn’t the stats that made Judon stand out. The linebacker was constantly pressuring Jalen Hurts and looked like an All-Pro.

Ja’Whaun Bentley

The Patriots resigned linebacker Ja’Whaun Bentley last offseason, the deal has been worth it so far. Bentley led the Patriots with nine tackles in the season opener, including one tackle for loss. Along with Judon, he was disrupting the Eagles backfield and helped control the run game. The Eagles are known for running a lot of RPOs (run-pass-option) and Bentley did a great job of identifying which type of play the Eagles were running.

Honorable Mentions: Mac Jones, Ty Montgomery, Keion White, Trent Brown

Duds

First quarter

The Patriots went down early in the first quarter with mistakes coming from Mac Jones and running back Ezekiel Elliott. On the first offensive drive of the game, Mac Jones threw a pick-six when he was targeting Kendrick Bourne. On the next offensive play, newly signed running back Ezekiel Elliott fumbled the ball. Although conditions were harsh in the first half, the veteran has to improve his ball security. The Patriots would find themselves trailing by 16 points and never saw the lead in the game. The Patriots struggled to start fast last season, and it was costly. New England can’t afford to fall behind early, especially facing tough teams like the Eagles.

WR Kayshon Boutte

It’s hard to blame Boutte for the loss, but the rookie wide receiver had trouble adapting to NFL catch rules. Twice during the game, the former LSU receiver couldn’t keep both feet in play, which caused two incompletions. The Patriot’s offense was rolling down the field with two minutes left to play, and Mac Jones threw a strike to Boutte on the sidelines with 20 seconds left on the play clock. Boutte couldn’t keep both feet in bounds which caused a turnover on downs, ending the game. The rookie ended with four targets and zero catches, in his debut.

WR JuJu Smith-Schuster

Unfortunately, Smith-Schuster didn’t have a great Patriots debut, as he totaled four receptions for 33 yards. Jones targeted JuJu seven times, and the receiver had trouble haling in some of his passes, including one crucial third-down drop. It was also noteworthy Juju’s absence in the second half. Last week, Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated reported that Smith-Shuster’s knee could “explode” at any moment. The Patriots receiver downplayed the report, but Bill Belichick may be cautious regarding the wideout’s playing time.

Honorable Mentions: Deatrich Wise, Ezekiel Elliott, Mack Wilson