3 Stats Eagles Fans Need to Know for Week 1 Matchup vs. Patriots

1. New England’s Secondary is Shaky

On paper, the Patriots looked like an average team against the pass last season. The 216.5 passing yards per game they surrendered was good for 16th-best in the NFL.

However, a closer examination reveals that New England’s passing defense got worse as the season went on. In their final seven games to close out the campaign, the Patriots gave up 256.9 passing yards per outing.

If that average lasted the entire season, they would’ve finished with the third-most passing yards allowed.

I’m not confident the Pats can be better in that regard this year. They lost star defensive back Devin McCourty to retirement, forcing the coaching staff to move Jalen Mills from cornerback to safety (something he hasn’t done since 2020. Rookie CB Christian Gonzalez was added to the fold, but he has a lot to prove before he’s labeled a shutdown defender at the NFL level. New England also lost starting cornerback Jack Jones to a hamstring injury, making them even weaker in the secondary.

The Eagles will likely have a top-10 passing attack for the second straight season as Jalen Hurts continues to be surrounded by elite targets like A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, Dallas Goedert, D’Andre Swift and more. Taking advantage of the Patriots’ lackluster secondary won’t be a problem if everyone does their part.

If New England isn’t ready for the aerial barrage that’s on its way, Philadelphia will put this game to bed before halftime.

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