The New England Patriots will host the Philadelphia Eagles tonight to kick off Week 2 of the NFL‘s preseason. Following a dominant performance by the Eagles during their joint practice in Foxborough, Mass., on Tuesday, it’s time for the Patriots to respond.
Pro Football Network’s Patriots beat reporter Dakota Randall and Eagles analyst Anthony DiBona highlighted their top players to watch for each team during tonight’s game.
Top Eagles Players To Watch Tonight
Jeremiah Trotter Jr., LB
Eagles rookie linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Jr. was the star of Philadelphia’s first preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens. Trotter showcased his potential with a promising performance, recording five total tackles and one sack.
Following his impressive performance, Trotter received first-team snaps with Philadelphia’s defense during practice earlier this week. Trotter’s instincts and comfortability playing inside linebacker stand out despite being a rookie.
If Trotter puts together another strong performance, he could challenge Zack Baun for the starting job opposite Devin White. Although, third-year linebacker Nakobe Dean is also pushing for that role as well.
This might be my favorite defensive play of the night. The Ravens motion pre-snap and you can see Avonte Maddox pushing Jeremiah Trotter Jr. over.
Tristin McCollum and Nakobe Dean do a beautiful job of passing off the mesh concept underneath. The coverage on the back end is… pic.twitter.com/SOkL7YPkDW
— Shane Haff (@ShaneHaffNFL) August 12, 2024
Tyler Steen, OL
While it appears as though Tyler Steen has lost the starting right guard job to Mekhi Becton, he won’t go down without a fight. Steen battled through his ankle injury in Week 1 of the preseason and played 34 total offensive snaps.
Despite clearly being bothered by his ankle injury against the Ravens, Steen didn’t allow a single pressure in 19 pass-blocking snaps, according to TruMedia. If the second-year offensive lineman wants to have any chance at unseating Becton, he’ll need a dominant outing against New England’s defensive front.
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Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore was happy to see Steen out on the field during the team’s first preseason game. Now it’s time for Steen to string together another strong showing to make the decision at right guard difficult for Eagles offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland.
James Bradberry, S
Earlier this offseason, it felt like James Bradberry’s days in Philadelphia were numbered. Yet, fast forward to today, and Bradberry is pushing for a back-up safety role for the Eagles. He surprisingly put together a solid debut at his new position against the Ravens.
Given Philadelphia’s lack of depth at the position, Bradberry making a successful switch to safety would be a huge win for the Eagles. Vic Fangio was quick to praise Bradberry after the team’s preseason opener.
“Yeah, he’s doing pretty damn good there,” Fangio said when asked about Bradberry’s progress at safety. If the veteran defensive back plays well against the Patriots, he could lock up a roster spot in Philadelphia.
Top Patriots Players To Watch Tonight
Drake Maye, QB
Obviously, it’s Drake Maye.
Patriots fans need to give up hoping that Maye will be the Week 1 starter. It’s not happening, and there’s a real possibility he sits for his entire rookie season. Maye’s looked that far behind during training camp.
Still, he’s going to play, and Jerod Mayo said he’d play more against Philadelphia than last Thursday when he saw just seven snaps against the Carolina Panthers. But it’s not just about the amount of reps; it’s about what the Patriots do with them.
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Will Maye see more time with the top offensive line? If he does, will he be asked to run an actual offense or a dumbed-down version? If Maye goes out there with the starting line and does nothing but hand the ball off and throw quick passes, that’ll tell you all you need to know about what the coaches think of his development.
The Starting Left Tackle
Will it be Vederian Lowe, who was the top left tackle in the last eight practices and the preseason opener? Will it be Chukwuma Okorafor, who began camp at left tackle but since has been entrenched on the right side? Or will the Patriots consider promoting rookie Caedan Wallace, who’s played both tackle spots with the second unit?
Regardless of what the lineup looks like, Patriots coaches will be looking for any sign that the O-line’s disastrous showing in Tuesday’s joint practice was a one-off.
Javon Baker, WR
I could’ve chosen myriad players for this spot, but I went with Baker.
The rookie fourth-rounder has flashed big-play potential throughout camp. Second-rounder Ja’Lynn Polk has been far more consistent, but Baker’s made more splash plays.
He’s been a bit of a roller coaster, however, with Tuesday’s joint practice representing a low point. Baker made a great play during 7-on-7s but struggled during 11-on-11s and committed two offensive pass interference.
Baker, like many others, was undermined by New England’s wretched O-line. But he also struggled to separate against the Eagles’ defensive backs. It’ll be interesting to see whether he rebounds Thursday night and starts building momentum toward the regular season.