Patriots score on Edelman double-pass, defense bounces back in 17-10 win over Eagles
By Matt Dolloff, 985TheSportsHub.com
The Patriots scored their only touchdown on a Julian Edelman double-pass, and the defense bounced back from a Week 9 defeat as the Pats earned a 17-10 road win over the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday.
However, the New England defense did get off to an inauspicious start as Jason McCourty got flagged for a 49-yard defensive pass interference penalty. That set up an eventual Eagles field goal to give them a quick 3-0 lead.
On offense, the Pats punted on each of their first two possessions, the second of which rookie Jake Bailey dropped at the 5-yard line. But the Eagles responded with a 16-play, 95-yard touchdown drive that took 9:33 off the clock.
Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz found tight end Dallas Goedert in the end zone, but Patriots cornerback Jonathan Jones ripped the ball out of his hands as he hit the ground. The officials initially ruled an interception and touchback for Jones, but upon review, they ruled that Goedert hit the turf with possession of the ball to overturn the call and give him the TD and a 10-0 lead for Philadelphia.
The Patriots answered with a promising drive, but couldn’t quite complete the answer. Tom Brady threw the ball away on third down and gave way to kicker Nick Folk, who made it 10-3 with his first field goal of the game.
New England grabbed two more field goals before going to halftime with the score at 10-9 Eagles. First the Patriots defense forced a punt, then on the next possession nose tackle Danny Shelton knocked the ball loose from Wentz’s hands and Lawrence Guy recovered to give Brady a short field. Though the Pats couldn’t completely capitalize again, they closed the gap after the defense had settled in and started making more plays.
Getting the ball to start the second half, the Patriots went to the hurry-up offense and drove right down the field. Rex Burkhead sparked the drive and changed the game altogether on a first-and-10 catch-and-run when he broke a tackle behind the line of scrimmage and instead turned it into a 30-yard gain.
Six plays later, from the Eagles’ 15-yard line, Josh McDaniels called the double-pass. Edelman completed the throw to Phillip Dorsett in the end zone for the touchdown, then James White made the two-point conversion on a draw play to make it 17-10 Patriots.
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The teams traded punts for the rest of the game. After allowing 10 points and 147 total yards to the Eagles on their first three drives, the Patriots defense allowed just 108 yards for the rest of regulation.
Up Next: The Patriots get their third big test in a row next Sunday at Gillette Stadium, when Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys come to Foxboro.
Matt Dolloff is a digital producer for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Have a news tip, question, or comment for Matt? Follow him on Twitter @mattdolloff or email him at [email protected].
