Eagles vs. Patriots: Score, Recap & Highlights

Kembrell Thompkins, Curtis March, Eagles vs. Patriots

Kembrell Thompkins hauls in a first-quarter touchdown pass in front of Curtis March. (Getty)


Final Score: Patriots 42, Eagles 35

If you took the over in this one, you didn’t have much to worry about.

In a game with plenty of offense, the New England Patriots held off the Philadelphia Eagles 42-35 Friday night at Gillette Stadium for their first preseason win.

Here’s how it went down:


Tom Brady Had an Up-and-Down Start

Tom Brady, Kembrell Thompkins

Tom Brady and Kembrell Thompkins celebrate after connecting for a first-quarter touchdown. (Getty)

Making his first start of the preseason, Tom Brady was sharp — except for one crucial mistake.

Brady completed 8 of 10 pass attempts and connected with Kembrell Thompkins on a 15-yard touchdown strike. But he also made one key mistake: An interception that Cary Williams returned 77 yards for a touchdown that gave the Eagles a 7-0 lead.

Jimmy Garropollo Came in & Thew 2 Touchdown Passes

(Getty)

(Getty)

Brady was replaced by rookie Jimmy Garropollo, a sixth-round draft pick who played well in New England’s Week 1 loss to the Washington Redskins.

And Garroppollo was impressive out of the gate, hitting James Develin for a 15-yard touchdown that put the Pats up 14-7 with 2:39 left in the first quarter, then hitting Brandon LaFell from 4 yards out to extend the lead to 21-7 with 8:44 left in the first half.

Nick Foles & Mark Sanchez Both Threw Touchdown Passes

Nick Foles

(Getty)

Foles was sharp in the first half, completing 8 of 10 passes, including a 6-yard touchdown strike to Zach Ertz that brought the Birds to within 21-14 with 3:35 left in the first half.

Mark Sanchez, playing against a defense he faced twice a year while in the AFC East with the Jets, replaced Foles in the second quarter and hit Arrelious Benn for a 6-yard touchdown strike that tied the game at 21 with 41 seconds left in the first half.

Sanchez Threw an Interception & the Pats Made Him Pay

Mark Sanchez

(Getty)

Sanchez got off to a good start in the third quarter, but his success didn’t carry over at all to the third. Duron Harmon picked off a pass on the second play from scrimmage of the second half and returned it 33 yards to the Philadelphia 12.

Ryan Mallett, who started last week’s game but was relegated to third-string duty Friday, replaced Garrafollo and scrambled 6 yards for a touchdown on New England’s third play of the drive, giving the home team a 28-21 lead with 13:39 left in the third quarter.

Sanchez responded on the Eagles’ next drive, leading the visitors on a 10-play, 80-yard touchdown drive to tie it at 28.

But Mallett led the Pats on two more scoring drives in the third quarter, one culminating on a 10-yard touchdown run by Roy Finch with 6:23 left in the quarter, the next culminating with a 17-yard touchdown pass from Mallett to Brian Tyms with 5:15 left.

Sanchez was replaced with just over 4 minutes left in the third quarter by Matt Barkley. He put up an impressive line despite the interception: 11-of-12 passing for 117 yards, a touchdown and the one interception.


Matt Barkley Kept the Birds in it

Barkley entered the game late in the third quarter and promptly led Philadelphia on an 8-play, 77-yard drive capped by a 27-yard touchdown pass to Henry Josey on the last play of the third quarter.

The Patriots Sealed it With a Stop on 4th & Goal

Barkley had the Eagles on the doorstep with a chance to tie the game, but the Patriots came up with a stop on 4th and goal from the 1-yard-line, essentially sealing the win.


Pregame

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