Patriots to Square Off vs. NFC Contender in Joint Practice This Preseason
By Ryan Bunton
Entering the 2024 season with low expectations, New England Patriots fans will get an early glimpse into how the team stacks up with one of the NFC's best squads.
Per Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Patriots will host the Philadelphia Eagles for a joint practice on Aug. 13 in Foxborough. New England is slated to face off against the Eagles in their second preseason game on Thursday, Aug. 15.
#Eagles will have one joint practice with the Patriots on Tuesday, Aug. 13 in Foxborough, Mass. ahead of their second preseason game on Aug. 15, NFL sources said.
— Jeff McLane (@Jeff_McLane) May 28, 2024
Only one day of joint practices is an unconventional approach, as many joint practices last the duration of the week leading up to the preseason game. Jerod Mayo and Nick Sirianni may have opted for a singular practice given the abbreviated week with a Thursday night game. The coaches may have also been looking to minimize the brush-ups and altercations that frequently come in multi-day joint practices as players becoming acquainted with their competition.
The Patriots and Eagles squared off in Week 1 of the 2023 regular season, with Philadelphia edging out New England 25-20 at Gillette Stadium.
Fans will get their first look at the Patriots on Thursday, Aug. 8th in Foxborough, hosting the Carolina Panthers at 7:00 p.m. The Eagles matchup is their second preseason game, before New England closes out their exhibition slate with an away contest at the Washington Commanders on Sunday, Aug. 25. The Patriots will then have two weeks off before the Jerod Mayo era officially commences on Sept. 8 in Cincinnati against the Bengals.
The then-defending NFC champion Eagles finished last season 11-6 after losing five of their last six games, and were eliminated in the NFC Wild Card round by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a 32-9 blowout loss. The Birds will certainly be looking to bounce back in 2024.
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