New England Patriots: 5 standout performances from blowout over Eagles

The New England Patriots absolutely dominated the Philadelphia Eagles in their second preseason game, winning by a final score of 35-0. It was an absolute wash from the start, as the Eagles rested most of their starters. That certainly didn’t stop the Pats from putting the pedal to the metal here however.

Originally, we were going to take a look at three winners and three losers from the game, but aside from Quinn Nordin, who had a horrible night kicking, there weren’t really any losers from this contest. It’s hard to find many negatives when you blow a team out this badly.

It’s always nice to focus on the positive side of things, and that’s what this game allows us to do. Let’s take a look at five standout performances from the New England Patriots demolition of the Philadelphia Eagles.

New England Patriots standout No. 5: Matthew Judon

Similar to the opening contest against the Washington Football Team, Matthew Judon didn’t see much action considering his status as a lock to be a starter. But similar to that game as well, Judon managed to make a large impact in a limited amount of time last night.

On just the third play of the game, Eagles center Nate Herbig launched the snap a couple of feet over quarterback Joe Flacco‘s head. Flacco was eventually able to catch back up to the ball, but Judon never gave up on the play, and was able to chase down his former Baltimore Ravens teammate, forcing a strip sack. Jalen Mills recovered, and Damien Harris punched in New England’s first touchdown of the night two plays later.

There’s nobody else on the field that could have made this play for the Pats other than Judon. Brought in to be a disruptive force off the edge that New England has been missing for a few seasons now, Judon has been just that so far. Imagine what he’s capable of doing over the course of a full game.

Judon’s performance has been indicative of the play of the revamped Pats defense. Judon has been an absolute force so far for the defense, which has looked great overall throughout training camp and the first two preseason games. If Judon and the defense can translate this performance to the regular season, there’s no question this unit will see substantial improvement compared to last season.

New England Patriots standout No. 4: Harvey Langi

After starting off his career with the Patriots, Harvey Langi spent two seasons with the New York Jets before finding his way back to New England. Langi isn’t necessarily expected to make the final 53 man roster, especially considering the glut of linebackers currently on the roster. But after a performance like last night’s, Langi may be making a case to stick around when all is said and done.

Simply put, Langi was everywhere tonight. He had five tackles, one of which was a sack, and another quarterback hit. He was applied some lockdown coverage, as he had an interception and another pass deflection along the way.

It was a superb all around performance from Langi, and he could end up forcing his way onto the roster as an extra layer of linebacker depth. This goes without mentioning Langi had another under the radar game last week, as he led the team with 10 tackles against Washington.

With Dont’a Hightower and Ja’Whaun Bentley firmly entrenched at the inside linebacker position, it makes Langi’s path to stick on the roster a bit more difficult. But Langi is a difference maker on defense, and you can’t have enough of those on your team.

Langi is certainly making an unexpected push to make the roster, especially after tonight’s game. An extra layer at linebacker certainly wouldn’t hurt, especially considering Hightower hasn’t always been able to stay healthy. In a crowded linebacker room, Langi did a great job of managing to stand out in this one.

New England Patriots standout No. 3: Jakobi Meyers

If there was any doubt about Jakobi Meyers spot on this team, it was erased with his performance last night. Meyers managed to stand apart among the teams receivers tonight, despite playing just the first quarter, which is a great sign that he is ready to take the next step forward after breaking out last season.

Meyers immediately made an immediate impact on the Pats second drive of the game, hooking up with Cam Newton for completions of 18 and 10 yards. Newton and Meyers had a great connection for most of last season, and it was nice to see it return to action, even with all the new additions to the receiving corp.

Meyers best play of the game however, was his 28 yard catch and run touchdown. Newton hit Meyers on a shallow cross at the 20 yard line, and Meyers did the rest. He outran his defender before pulling off a nifty juke that proved to be just enough to get him across the goal line.

Meyers finished with three catches for 56 yards and a touchdown, which was a very solid line considering he only played the first quarter. Meyers was forced into the top wide receiver spot last season due to a lack of other options, but even with a new group this season, Meyers has proved so far he still belongs.

With the new additions to the offense, Meyers will have more space to operate, and it should allow him to flourish this season. Even though he will have to split targets with these new players, Meyers is set to continue his role as a vital part of New England’s offense.

New England Patriots standout No. 2: Cam Newton

After ceding some ground in the quarterback race to Mac Jones these past few weeks, Cam Newton made a statement tonight. Newton firmly reasserted himself back a top the Patriots depth chart, and made sure the rest of the world knew it.

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Newton only worked three drives in the first quarter, but he was nearly perfect in his execution. He didn’t even have to do anything on the first drive, as Damien Harris quickly turned a short field into a quick six points. Newton quickly drove New England down the field on the ensuing drive, hitting Meyers and Kendrick Bourne for a couple of long gains.

Nordin would end up missing the ensuing field goal, but Newton and co. went back to work on his third drive, which ended with the Meyers touchdown. All in all, Newton went 8/9 for 103 yards and a touchdown, good for a nearly perfect 151.4 quarterback rating.

It’s not that Jones wasn’t good; he was (13/19, 144 yards), but he also had two quarters to work with compared to Newton’s one. Newton showed tonight that Jones still has some work to do before he is ready to take over the starting quarterback role.

If Newton can play like he did tonight in the regular season, the Patriots will have a shot to win every game they play. Newton’s struggles last season are well documented, but there was a lot working against him. Those obstacles certainly aren’t as plentiful this season, setting the stage for a potentially resurgent season from Newton.

New England Patriots standout No. 1: The running back room

The New England Patriots ground game was on full display tonight. New England’s rushing totals for the night were mightily impressive, as they finished with 44 carries for 207 yards and four touchdowns. In other words, they powered New England to victory tonight.

Damien Harris got things started with a quick touchdown on New England’s first drive. Although he finished with just 14 yards on six carries, the fact that Harris started this game and spent his time with the first team offense is a good sign for him.

In that regard, things didn’t seem so good for Sony Michel considering he wasn’t seeing much action in the first quarter. That quickly changed towards the end of the quarter, and Michel showed just why the Pats have hung onto him this long. He finished with 34 yards on seven carries, while also surprisingly having the biggest receiving contribution from the running back group, hauling in four passes for 37 yards.

Michel was eventually relived by rookie standout Rhamondre Stevenson, who followed up last week’s breakout performance with another one tonight. He led the team with 15 carries, while also picking up 66 yards and two scores. The big back manages to combine his big frame with a surprising elusiveness, and he looks like an absolute steal for New England so far.

Yet the star of the group tonight had to be J.J. Taylor. After seeing no snaps on offense in the first half, Taylor came out with his hair on fire in the second half. He led the team with 93 yards on the ground, despite just getting only 12 carries, while also punching in a score himself. Many have wondered whether Taylor would be able to stick around in a crowded running back room, but after a game like this, they almost can’t afford to cut him at this point.

The running back room is clearly one of the deepest spots on the Pats roster, and tonight only confirmed that. It was looking like the decision on what to do at this position might have been one of the toughest to make, but last night’s onslaught by the running backs may have made that decision easier. These guys have all shown they belong on the roster, and the coaching staff should take note once the final cuts have to be made.