Patriots Preseason: 4 Takeaways From 14-13 Loss to Eagles

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — To paraphrase comedian Jerry Seinfeld, “the Drake was great,” for the New England Patriots on Thursday night … even if only for a brief moment.

Making his only his second appearance on a pro football field, rookie quarterback Drake Maye ran for a touchdown while leading the Pats on two of their three scoring drives. However, New England could not overcome a late-game rally, which resulted in an eventual 14-13 preseason loss to the Philadelphia Eagles at Gillette Stadium.

In addition to Maye’s standout showing, there were plenty of lessons to be learned from the Pats overall performance.

Accordingly, let’s take a look at four key observations regarding the action on the Foxborough gridiron.

“Got to … Love the Drake”

After playing only one series in New England’s 17-3 preseason win over the Carolina Panthers last week, Maye was given an extended look against the Eagles. For much of his time on the field, the No. 3 overall pick in April’s Draft did not disappoint. On his first drive, Maye led an eight-play, 38-yard drive, which resulted in a 51-yard field goal by kicker Joey Slye.

Still, Maye’s second drive would be the night’s most memorable, with the rookie once again engineering an eight-play drive — this time for 49-yards. The series was highlighted by a 23-yard pass to running back JaMychal Hasty. On third-and-goal with less than two minutes remaining, Maye took a quick fake off of a zone run across the goal line for a four-yard rushing touchdown.

Maye ultimately finished 6-of-11 for 47 yards passing, while adding 15 yards rushing on four carries and the aforementioned touchdown. However, the true story of the night was the poise, control and savvy with which the UNC product navigated the field. He showcased his passing prowess on completions to fellow rookies Javon Baker and Ja’Lynn Polk for 12 and six yards respectively. When met with adversity, the 21-year-old dispersed the ball when necessary and even completed an off-script pass under duress from a potent Eagles’ pass rush.

It may be early, but there is already plenty of reason to “love the Drake” in New England.

Still Finding the “Right Five” on Offensive Line?

Despite a dismal performance in their preseason opener, the Patriots once again deployed a starting offensive line consisting of Vederian Lowe at left tackle, Sidy Sow at left guard, David Andrews at center, Mike Onwenu at right guard and Chukwuma Okorafor at right tackle to protect presumed starting quarterback Jacoby Brissett.

While the collective effort of the unit was better, the pair of starting tackles still struggled with sealing off pass rushers along the ends. With time winding down in the third quarter, Eagles linebacker Nolan Smith beat Lowe off the edge, resulting in a third-down sack on Maye. Though it was the only sack allowed by both the first and second units, the Pats still have much work to do in determining their “o-line top five.”

Though he played on the right while providing protection for Maye, rookie Caedan Wallace kept the pocket clean for reserve quarterback Joe Milton, III. Through his first two games, the Penn State product has been the most athletic option at the position. Accordingly, it should be evident that Wallace has earned the opportunity to compete for left tackle reps with the first unit — perhaps as early as this week at practice.

New-Look Defense, No Problem?

With linebacker Matthew Judon having been traded to the Atlanta Falcons , the Pats face the daunting task of attempting to fill the large void in their pass rush. As Judon is no longer able to control the pass rush on third-down, the Pats must rely on their linebackers and defensive backs to create stunts. Unsurprisingly, they did so in this matchup.

New England’s new-look pass rush looks to be led by second-year defensive end Keion White. The Georgia Tech product created interior pressure on the Eagles line, culminating in a sack on Philadelphia quarterback Kenny Pickett for a loss of 12 yards.

In total, the Pats defense generated five sacks from five different players: linebackers  Oshane Ximines and Joshua Uche, defenisve end Deatrich Wise Jr., cornerback Isaiah Bolden and White each recording sacks tonight.

New England’s defense was especially strong against Pickett, sacking him four times in the first half — two of which came on back-to-back plays that resulted in Philadelphia turning the ball on downs with six minutes left in the second quarter.

On the Slye?

Perhaps lost in the drama surrounding both the quarterbacks and the offensive line, the Patriots have an interesting positional battle at kicker ready to reach a boil. Veteran Joey Slye has recently been making a strong push in his efforts to win the job from second-year kicker Chad Ryland.  Slye accepted the duties against the Eagles by putting the Patriots on the scoreboard in the second quarter when he connected on a 51-yard field goal. He added a 45-yard field goal in the fourth quarter.

When taking under account each of their stats from training camp and preseason (including field goals and point-after-trys), ESPN’s Mike Reiss has tracked Slye has having connected on 29 of 35, while the incumbent Ryland has made 28 of 33.

This one could come down to the wire … Stay tuned.

Related: Patriots Trade Matthew Judon, Who is ‘Next Man Up?’

Up Next:

The Patriots will wrap up their preseason slate by traveling to the nation’s capital to take on the Washington Commanders on Aug. 25 from Commanders Field. Kickoff is set for 8 p.m.