10 Key Takeaways from the New England Patriots’ Win Over the Philadelphia Eagles

The New England Patriots used a dramatic last-minute fourth quarter comeback to overtake the Philadelphia Eagles and escape with a 24-21 victory in week two of the 2026 preseason.

Akin to their first live action of the summer, New England used the week's joint practices to evaluate their starters and placed a heavy emphasis on playing time for new arrivals and youth during Saturday night’s game. The result? An evolving depiction of the team’s developmental pipeline and depth, ripe with risers and fallers.

From a gutsy performance under center to “dogs*** defense,” inconsistencies at the line of scrimmage and the emergence of new leaders at key battleground positions, the Patriots’ first win of the 2026 season came with a mixed bag of encouraging improvements and unsettling regressions. 

Here are 10 key takeaways from the New England’s preseason victory over Philadelphia:

After an up-and-down performance in the preseason opener at right tackle, first-round pick Caleb Lomu started at his collegiate position — left tackle — for New England on Saturday night and played into the fourth quarter. Lomu experienced some struggles during the week against the Eagles’ first and second-team defensive units on the right side of the offensive line, and began to see more extended run on the left side during Thursday’s practice.

Lomu played left tackle in college with the Utah Utes and has been transitioning to right tackle as the heir-apparent to Morgan Moses, but may have a longer path to significant playing time than initially expected. In obvious passing situations, the Patriots regularly used tight ends or running backs as chippers to help Lomu contain edge rusher A.J. Epenesa, but he allowed a second-quarter sack to defensive tackle Ty Robinson on a misidentified stunt by the opposing defensive line.

At one point, it appeared Lomu may spell both tackles and serve as a key backup along the interior after seeing reps at guard during spring practices. More recently, Lomu’s shrinking role would suggest that he’s closer to a redshirt season than a role as a meaningful contributor. Injuries along the front may force him into action, but that’s far from plan-A as the regular season nears.

On the defensive line, second-round pick edge rusher Gabe Jacas flashed on occasion as a pass-rusher, tracking down Andy Dalton on a play-action boot in the first quarter to force a throw-away and recording two quarterback hits on Tanner McKee in the second quarter (one was called a roughing the passer penalty). 

He had trouble setting the edge against on the ground, but did register a tackle at the line of scrimmage on an outside run on the first snap of the third quarter. Jacas finished the game tied for second on the team with four tackles, and was much more involved on a per-snap basis than in his debut last week. 

With question marks all along the defensive front, Jacas has earned an increased volume of snaps with the first-team defense in recent practices and may still be on track for a spot as a day-one contributor. The addition of another pass-rushing presence was a need for the Patriots entering the offseason — and while Jacas’ arrival was anything but smooth, he’s certainly looked the part since taking the field. Now, it’s about finding consistency, as head coach Mike Vrabel commented in his post-game press conference:

“I mean, I think [Jacas is] just still inconsistent. I think that the effort is certainly there. The willingness. He is a very coachable player. We are just putting a lot on him right now as far as special teams, covering kicks and playing on kick return. We have to be able to see what he can do and maybe what we feel like we can count on when the regular season comes. And I think he will just continue to improve because he has that type of attitude, and he is willing, and I know he will get back to work real quick.”

Jacas’ role may be limited to obvious passing downs early, but his potential as a powerful situational edge rusher would give New England a much-needed boost in that area as Harold Landry III works his way back from the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list.

Kyle Williams has been scraping for more reps all offseason, and his performance in back-to-back preseason games may start earning the second-year receiver more opportunities moving forward.

In the preseason opener, Williams made the most of his two receptions — scoring the Patriots’ only touchdown of the night and wrapping up his one half of action with 37 yards. He made a more explosive impact on the second preseason bout, returning to the end zone on a 69-yard touchdown reception that gave New England its first lead of the game late in the second quarter.

Williams showed off his elite deep speed and quick release package on the vertical route down the right sideline — a signature of his game through the early stages of his career. He finished last night’s contest with two receptions, 74 receiving yards, and the touchdown grab. 

While Williams’ ability to stretch the defense isn’t in question, his efficiency in other areas of the route tree have yet to progress. Without his touchdown factored into his final statline, Williams would have recorded just one reception for five yards on five targets. Vrabel echoed that sentiment in his post-game press conference, exclaiming:

“I just want to give Kyle as many opportunities to continue to improve and do the things that we have asked him to improve on and he knows he needs to improve on. And I love his ability outside the numbers to be able to stretch the field. We wanted to give him some more opportunities to be able to do that as well as work on some of the stuff that Todd [Downing] and Josh [McDaniels] have him trying to improve on.“

Williams has all the tools to become a dangerous downfield target in the Patriots’ passing offense, but needs to refine the details in his game to be relied upon in a more significant role. His explosive plays are always welcome, but he’ll need to round out the rest of his route tree to see a higher snap share with the starters.

Seventh-round rookie quarterback Behren Morton stole the show on Saturday night with a gutsy second half performance that culminated in a last-minute game-winning touchdown pass.

Behind a struggling backup offensive line, the passing attack took time to find their rhythm against Philadelphia. Tommy DeVito was sacked three times in the first half and hit on several other plays, and eventually resorted to using his legs to get the offense in motion; he had a 36-yard run in the second quarter and finished with 44 yards on the ground. DeVito managed one downfield connection in the first half — and made the most of it on the 69-yard touchdown strike to Williams — but finished just 8-of-15 with 151 yards passing and that one touchdown.

Morton took over quarterbacking duties to open the second half, and faced an entirely different battle than in his preseason debut against the Indianapolis Colts. Last week, Morton commanded a conservative offensive approach that leaned heavily on the running game. Last night, he was forced to make plays — and came through when it mattered most.

Leading two separate fourth-quarter touchdown drives of 10-plus plays (12 plays, 59 yards; 11 plays, 73 yards), Morton spread the ball around to a variety of different receiving threats. Wide receivers Tejhaun Palmer, Kyle Dixon, Cameron Dorner, and Nick DeGennaro all made clutch plays from Morton en route to the comeback victory, which was capped off by a 37-yard touchdown from Morton to DeGennaro with 57 seconds remaining in the game. The rookie finished with 13 completions on 17 passing attempts, 129 yards, and the game-winning touchdown pass, but not all of his highlights came on offense.

In relief of punter Bryce Baringer, Morton stepped into the game as the Patriots’ emergency punter in the second quarter. He punted three times for 133 yards (44.3 yards per punt) and had one touchback. 

Morton was a key catalyst in New England securing the win, and made a bold statement for inclusion on the 53-man roster in the process.

The Patriots were fortunate on the injury front throughout the 2025 season, but the pendulum is beginning to swing in the opposite direction to start 2026.

One week after losing both Ben Brown and Andrew Rupcich due to injury, the offensive line took another major hit when offensive tackle Marcus Bryant exited the game on the opening drive with an apparent lower-leg injury. A seventh-round pick last year, Bryant’s strong performance throughout camp and against the Colts planted him firmly in the running for the swing tackle job, but it’s unclear how much time he’ll be forced to miss now that he’s sidelined — or how that will impact his standing on the 53-man roster as cutdown day approaches.

On special teams, punter Bryce Baringer also left the game after booting the ball away twice to start. That opened the door for Morton’s additional contributions, but also raised questions about Baringer’s availability. Vrabel refrained from commenting on the punter’s status in his post-game press conference: 

“Bryce [Baringer] wasn’t feeling great after the first two punts, so I figured instead of risking anything there with Bryce or with Andy [Borregales], that Behren was able to get us out of there.”

Baringer is set to enter 2026 on the final year of his rookie contract, and a consistent training camp cemented him as the most secure specialist on the roster heading into the fall. Now, the Patriots are left with several question marks at key positions of need with one game left in the preseason.

Those question marks extend into the trenches on both sides of the ball, and may become louder following Saturday night’s showing against the Eagles. 

Without Marcus Bryant in the lineup for the vast majority of the evening, sixth-round pick Dametrious Crownover saw extensive time at right tackle. Similar to their gameplan with Lomu, New England aided Crownover with a healthy dose of tight end and running back chips as he played nearly the entire game. Although he held up well in large part, Crownover allowed a drive-ending sack to Joshua Weru on New England’s first possession of the third quarter, but finished as the team’s highest-graded pass blocker with a grade of 80.1, per PFF.

Along the interior, the Patriots were without the services of free agent addition Greg Van Roten and started tackle James Hudson III at right guard. Hudson played right guard in the first half against the Colts before reverting back to left tackle, but has not put together an inspiring outing through two preseason games. He committed two holding penalties on the first drive against Philadelphia, and later allowed an uncontested sack to a blitzing Jeremiah Trotter Jr. 

New England’s inability to control the point of attack also reared its head on defense, as the Eagles built their offensive gameplan around running back Will Shipley early and short screen passes late. Shipley racked up 51 yards on nine carries in the first quarter (5.7 yards per carry) and scored a touchdown over a gap created by a greatly displaced Bradyn Swinson early in the second quarter. Carson Steele also made his presence felt, hurdling over safety Eric Butler on a fourth quarter touchdown reception.

After being gashed to start the game, Vrabel burned an early timeout to reset the tone — an in-game decision that also led to a fiery statement from the Patriots’ head coach post-game, but paid dividends in the team's response between the white lines.

When asked about the rationale behind the first quarter timeout in his post-game press conference, Vrabel responded with the following remarks:

“I saw dog [expletive] defense, and I wanted to talk to them, and I figured that if I did not call a timeout, that I would not be able to get what I wanted to say off my chest.”

New England’s head coach didn’t parse words in the huddle or at the microphone, but his message rang through loud and clear. Steele ran as the primary back for Philadelphia late in the game, and finished with 12 carries and 33 rushing yards (2.8 yards per carry) — a vast improvement from the front-seven’s earlier woes. More of his damage was done as a receiver (six receptions, 84 receiving yards, one touchdown) in the second half.

In conjunction with the performances of Eric Gregory and Leonard Taylor III, edge rusher Amari Gainer began to create disruption in the third quarter with three tackles, two tackles-for-loss, and a sack. Deeper in the defensive line rotation, seventh-round pick Quintayvious Hutchins sealed the victory with a strip-sack that was recovered by defensive tackle Casey Rodgers on the Eagles’ final possession.

Sixth-round pick Namdi Obiazor was active in coverage, largely because he was frequently targeted when matched up against Philadelphia running backs. He recorded two tackles in the game and registered a key pass breakup against tight end E.J. Jenkins on a 4th-and-3 end zone shot on the first drive of the third quarter. Undrafted free agent Khalil Jacobs got his first start on Saturday night, also registering two tackles in the win.

It may not have been pretty early, but the Patriots’ front-seven tightened enough late to squeak out a victory. The second and third-team’s struggles at the line of scrimmage were present during joint practices, and may have been the justification for visits from defensive tackle DaQuan Jones and linebacker Shaq Thompson earlier this week. We’ll see if either of those results in a signing like Van Roten’s did; if Saturday night’s performance was any indication, there may be movement sooner rather than later.

At the third-level of the New England defense, the competition for the fourth cornerback spot behind the elite trio of Christian Gonzalez, Carlton Davis III, and Marcus Jones has been heating up over the last two weeks. 

After recording an interception in the preseason opener, Kindle Vildor was a standout yet again against Philadelphia. He opened the game with a tackle short of the sticks on a 3rd-and-7 in the first quarter, and later recorded three pass breakups on one drive in the second quarter, including two almost-interceptions and a drive-stopper on 3rd-and-10. Vildor’s play has gotten stronger as Charles Woods has been slow to return from an earlier-camp injury, and he's made the debate surrounding the fourth corner spot an especially hot topic. That’ll only continue after Saturday night.

Fifth-round pick Karon Prunty is also vying for a depth cornerback role, and put together another solid showing as he pushes for a roster spot. In 29 coverage snaps, Prunty was targeted once and didn’t allow a catch. He and Vildor are the favorites to round out the corner room if New England goes in a direction other-than Woods.

John Saunders Jr. once again made notable contributions in the win, leading the defense with a team-high eight tackles on the night. He leads the Patriots with five interceptions through training camp practices and preseason games, and has made a case to be considered as the team’s third safety behind Kevin Byard III and Craig Woodson.

Another key battleground position for New England took another turn against the Eagles, as Lan Larison surged ahead as the leader for the third running back role.

Seventh-round rookie Jam Miller appeared to gain ground with a team-high 14 carries and 55 rushing yards last week, while Larison failed to produce anything between-the-tackles (seven carries one yard). The former UC-Davis Aggie was an effective receiver out of the backfield with six receptions and 38 receiving yards against the Colts, and used his savvy as a threat out of the backfield to jump-start the offense on Saturday night, as well.

Larison’s 28-yard reception in the first quarter got the offense moving early, and he also provided a spark late on the Patriots’ 12-play, 59-yard touchdown drive to take a 17-14 lead in the fourth quarter. On that drive, Larison converted a 4th-and-1 and a 3rd-and-9 as a runner before scampering in for a two-yard touchdown. He finished the night with nine carries, 33 rushing yards, and one rushing touchdown, and added three catches and 41 receiving yards to his total.

Also adding value as a kick returner, Larison (3.7) topped Miller (3.3) in yards-per-carry, while the latter led the team in total rushing attempts (11) and popped a 20-yard run on the final play of the third quarter. On Larison’s play, Vrabel stated post-game:

“I felt like Lan [Larison] certainly had a good performance, a gritty, tough performance tonight, and did some really good things. It is fourth-and-1, and he gets hit behind the line of scrimmage and finds a way to get the first down. And then we have another long pass, and then he is able to break a couple tackles there on third down when we needed it at the end of the game, so he did some good things.”

With a more extensive stay in the Josh McDaniels’ offense, Larison should be on the inside track to land the role — but dark horses linger in the room behind him.

Hasaan Haskins, a former fourth-round pick by Vrabel in Tennessee (No. 131 overall in 2022), entered the mix last week after Terrell Jennings was placed on injured reserve and subsequently released with an injury settlement. He began to see an increased snap share during joint practices with Philadelphia and scored a touchdown on Thursday, but didn’t see that success translate to the game. Haskins ended the night with four carries and 16 rushing yards.

In addition to Haskins, JaMycal Hasty rejoined the team last week after spending 2025 with the Miami Dolphins’ practice squad. His performance left more to be desired; Hasty rushed five times for 12 yards and turned the ball over with a costly fumble forced by former New England teammate Shaun Wade in the fourth quarter. That takeaway led to Steele’s touchdown reception and gave the Eagles’ a 21-17 lead.

Those underwhelming figures put up by Haskins and Hasty should make the picture in the Patriots’ backfield much clearer in the final stages of the preseason. Larison is the lead dog.

Kicker Andy Borregales was seemingly in the doghouse following a two-for-five showing in the preseason opener that included misses from 55, 56, and a potential game-winner from 49-yards out. As penance for his misses, Borregales spent this past week working exclusively on the skinny goal posts at practice — converting on 8-of-11 attempts heading into Saturday night. 

Although he saw limited action during the game, the second-year kicker was flawless in his second outing of the young season. He made his only field goal attempt from 41-yards out and knocked in all three extra points. 

A nice bounce-back performance from Borregales.

The second week of the preseason was framed as a “measuring stick” for New England with two joint practices and a preseason game against Philadelphia. From a dominant Wednesday session from the starters to a gripping game performance from the reserves, the Patriots passed their latest tests while learning where the cracks still remain.

Next, New England will take to the road for the first time in the 2026 campaign for the preseason finale against the Cleveland Browns on Thursday night. With cutdown day quickly approaching, that bout will prove to be one of heightened importance for many of those roster hopefuls trying to make a lasting impression on the coaching staff in Foxboro.

What were your biggest takeaways from the Patriots’ win against the Eagles? Drop your thoughts in the comments below and join the conversation on Patriots Roundtable.

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- New England Patriots Outlast Philadelphia Eagles, 24-21, in Preseason Thriller

- What to Watch For: New England Patriots vs. Philadelphia Eagles Preseason Week 2

- 5 Key Takeaways From New England Patriots-Philadelphia Eagles Joint Practices: Day 2

- 5 Key Takeaways From New England Patriots-Philadelphia Eagles Joint Practices: Day 1

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