PATRIOTS START 2018 PRESEASON WITH TWO STRAIGHT WINS
The Patriots improved to 2-0 preseason record for the eighth time under Bill Belichick (2000, 2001, 2003, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2016 and 2018).Â
PATRIOTS AND EAGLES ARE FREQUENT PRESEASON OPPONENTS
The Patriots and the Eagles met for the 23rd time in the preseason, the second most frequent preseason contests, behind the 27 meetings between the Patriots and the New York Giants. The Patriots will play the New York Giants in the 2018 preseason finale.Â
PATRIOTS DEFENSE REGISTERS EIGHT SACKS
The Patriots defense registered eight sacks against the Eagles. The last time the Patriots had eight sacks in a regular season game was at Buffalo on Sept. 20, 2015. DL Keionta Davis led the team with 1 ½ sacks. Also adding sacks were: S Patrick Chung, DL Vincent Valentine, LB Kyle Van Noy, DL Trent Harris ½, DL Adam Butler, DL Derek Rivers and DL Adrian Clayborn.
TOM BRADY MAKES HIS PRESEASON DEBUT WITH A START
QB Tom Brady made his 2018 preseason debut and finished 19-of-26 for 172 yards with two touchdown passes. He played until the last series in the second quarter. Brady opened the game by going 5-of-5 for 27 yards before culminating a 7-play, 62-yard drive with a 4-yard touchdown pass to WR Chris Hogan. He added a second touchdown on a 20-yard pass to RB James White in the second quarter.Â
TWO 2018 DRAFT PICKS START ON DEFENSE
2018 fifth-round draft pick LB Ja'Whaun Bentley and 2018 seventh-round draft pick DB Keion Crossen were in the starting lineup when the Patriots opened in the nickel defense. Bentley finished with five tackles, one pass defensed and a fumble recovery that he returned 54 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter. Crossen led the team with eight tackles.Â
S PATRICK CHUNG CREDITED WITH A SACK
S Patrick Chung was credited an 8-yard sack of Eagles QB Nick Foles in the first quarter. He has four sacks in the regular season with his last sack coming on a 12-yard sack of Colin Kaepernick at San Francisco on Nov. 20, 2016.
2018 FIRST-ROUND DRAFT PICK OL ISAIAH WYNN
2018 first-round draft pick OL Isaiah Wynn made his NFL debut when he entered the game at right tackle in the second offensive series of the game. Wynn did not play in the preseason-opener vs. Washington.Â
CB JASON MCCOURTY MAKES PATRIOTS DEBUT
CB Jason McCourty made his Patriots debut after he did not play in the preseason-opener vs. Washington.Â
TE JACOB HOLLISTER WAS IN THE STARTING LINEUP
TE Jacob Hollister was in the starting lineup at tight end. As a rookie in 2017, he had one start at New Orleans on Sept. 17 when the Patriots opened in a multiple tight end formation.Â
ADRIAN CLAYBORN FORCES A FUMBLE ON A SACK THAT WAS RETURNED FOR A TD BY JA'WHAUN BENTLEY
DL Adrian Clayborn forced a fumble on an 8-yard sack in the second quarter that was returned 54 yards for a touchdown by rookie LB Ja'Whaun Bentley. The last time the Patriots returned a fumble for a touchdown in the regular season was when LB Jamie Collins returned a fumble 14 yards for a touchdown at the New York Jets on Dec. 27, 2015.
GOSTKOWSKI WAS GOOD ON A 49-YARD FIELD GOAL
K Stephen Gostkowski drilled a 49-yard field goal late in the second quarter. He connected on a 52-yard field goal in the preseason-opener vs. Washington. He finished 3-for 3 by adding field goals of 37 and 29 yards.Â
SIXTH-ROUND DRAFT PICK LB CHRISTIAN SAM WITH THE PICK
Sixth-round draft pick LB Christian Sam picked off a pass that deflected off RB Matt Jones and returned the ball 11 yards in the third quarter. The Patriots converted the turnover into a touchdown when QB Brian Hoyer connected with WR Cordarrelle Patterson on an 11-yard touchdown pass.Â
NEWLY ACQUIRED WR CORDARRELLE PATTERSON SCORES FIRST PATRIOTS TD
Newly acquired WR Cordarrelle Patterson scored on an 11-yard touchdown pass from QB Brian Hoyer in the third quarter for his first touchdown as a member of the Patriots.Â
THE PATRIOTS DID NOT ALLOW ANY POINTS IN THE FOURTH QUARTER FOR SECOND PRESEASO GAME
The Patriots did not allow a fourth quarter points in both preseason games in 2018. In 2017, the Patriots defense finished the year by not allowing a fourth quarter point in the final five games.. The patriots allowed 8 points or less in 14 of the 16 games in the fourth quarter last year.
