Eagles hold on for win vs. Patriots: How Philadelphia’s defense staved off New England

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The Philadelphia Eagles held on to defeat the New England Patriots 25-20 on Sunday at Gillette Stadium. Here’s what you need to know:

New England got the ball with under two minutes remaining and 56 yards away while down five points, but couldn’t close out its final drive to score.
Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts went 22-of-33 passing for 170 yards and one touchdown, while Patriots QB Mac Jones completed 35 of his 54 passes for 316 yards with three touchdowns and one interception.
The Eagles beat the Patriots on the ground — rushing for 97 total yards compared to New England’s 76 yards — while Philadelphia’s defense came up big in key moments.

The Athletic’s instant analysis:

Philadelphia’s offense flat despite win

This was a bad day for the Eagles’ offense, which has the firepower to be among the best in the NFL. The unit scored one touchdown, was 4-of-13 on third downs, had four three-and-outs, one four-and-out and a costly fumble. The Eagles did not have a gain of longer than 23 yards.

It was Brian Johnson’s first game as play caller, but this is the same offensive system as last year. They must be better on Thursday against Minnesota. — Berman

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Eagles escape with win vs. Patriots despite lackluster offensive performance

Eagles saved by defense, but still work to do

The Eagles’ defense did just enough to hold on for a win — and it scored a touchdown while forcing two turnovers — but there’s still considerable work required for this unit.

In particular, Philadelphia looked vulnerable in the middle of the field. Their linebackers and safeties are the weakest part of the depth chart. The pass rush came through with two sacks in the fourth quarter but must be more consistent. — Berman

The Eagles will be thankful they have Jake Elliott. The veteran kicker is one of the best in the NFL and lived up to that reputation with four field goals, from distances of 32, 56, 48 and 51 yards. (Elliott also missed an extra point.)

Elliott’s range is critical for the Eagles. He was 8-of-9 on field goals of 50-plus yards during the past two seasons, and he’s now 2-of-2 this season. — Berman

How New England’s running game struggled

The Patriots’ running game is concerning. The Pats were without three of their projected starting offensive linemen in this one, and it showed. Without left guard Cole Strange, right guard Mike Onwenu and right tackle Calvin Anderson, the offense turned to a quick passing game that had middling results.

When they did run the ball, there were very few holes. Rhamondre Stevenson finished with 25 rushing yards on 12 carries and Ezekiel Elliott had 29 rushing yards on seven carries — plus a fumble that turned into an Eagles touchdown on their ensuing drive.

The Patriots are going to need to hope for improved health from their offensive line, otherwise, the running game could continue to struggle. — Graff

Patriots’ defense offers bright spot

The Patriots defense is still really good. This loss wasn’t on them. Against an offense that ranked among the best in the league last season, the Patriots’ defense allowed only one touchdown — and that was only after the Eagles started on the Patriots’ 26-yard line thanks to Elliott’s fumble.

They contained Hurts thanks to a swarming pass rush that finished with three sacks. They allowed only 4.1 yards per play. That unit is probably going to keep the Patriots in a lot of games this season and it’ll just come down to whether the offense can do enough. — Graff

GO DEEPER

Patriots have a lot to feel good about despite squandering chance at upset vs. Eagles