Scouting Report: 3 Keys for the Patriots Defense to Slow Down the Eagles Offense

The Eagles’ offense and Patriots’ defense were among the league’s best units last season. They ranked top-10 in most efficiency metrics, constantly adapted to what opponents threw at them, and proved their toughness on a weekly basis.

Philadelphia’s talent and versatility made them a juggernaut who could beat you running or throwing. Not only did they gash defenses downfield with stud receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, but they kept offenses sidelined on agonizingly long drives with Jalen Hurts, a stable of talented backs, and a stacked offensive line.

The Patriots’ defense boasted one of the league’s best pass-rushing fronts, a deep group of do-it-all safeties, and a highly competitive, if undersized, cornerback room. While their two-gapping run defense bent at times, it rarely broke thanks to throwback players like Ja’Whaun Bentley, Davon Godchaux, and Lawrence Guy.

Neither unit has undergone much change since 2022, but key additions, like Patriots 1st-round corner Christian Gonzalez, and personnel changes, like the Eagles’ Brian Johnson taking over as play-calling duties, set the stage for potential schematic changes. We may not know exactly how these teams will plan for each other but Hurts and company had clear areas of strength in 2022 that should carry over into the season opener on Sunday.

Here are three keys for the Patriots’ defense to slow down a loaded Eagles offense.

1. Smother RPOs

Like every key on this list, limiting the Eagles’ run-pass-options will be easier said than done. It starts up front, where Philly led the NFL in EPA/play (0.150) and 10+ yard runs (20) on RPO carries last season. Nearly half of these rushes came on inside zone, but the Eagles’ offensive line, which is arguably the best in the league, can execute any scheme.

This should be a matchup of strengths, as the Patriots ranked 4th in EPA/play allowed against the run (-0.108). Their sample size against RPO runs is limited after facing the 11th-fewest in 2022, but they were still a top-10 unit in EPA/play allowed. This will be a tall test for the defensive tackle depth with nose tackle Carl Davis no longer on the roster, leaving Davon Godchaux as the only other natural fit at the spot.

The numbers say New England will handle their business in the trenches, but the outlook is less optimistic against the Eagles’ dominant RPO passing attack.

The Patriots’ sample size against RPO passes, like RPO runs, was limited in 2022. But despite strong efforts against screens and throws to the flat, their efficiency left much to be desired. Most of New England’s struggles came from defending slants in off-coverage. Playing from depth is helpful for reading concepts and avoiding pick plays, but can also create pitch-and-catch situations for good quarterbacks and receivers.

Besides the bubble screens often associated with RPOs, slants were the most common route Philly attached to their RPOs, typically with A.J. Brown on the receiving end. His big frame and strong hands made these throws virtually automatic, while his burst and toughness after the catch turned short completions into huge gains.

The Patriots’ best bet might be disguising coverages to keep Hurts on his toes and using match principles designed to take away quick in-breakers. We saw this strategy last season against the Bengals, who run a similar spread system that targets slants at a high rate.

The plan didn’t work to perfection, but the intention behind it would make sense against Philly and might be more effective with better execution. It could also keep the Eagles from dictating the game and potentially put their hyper-efficient offense behind the chains.

2. Watch Out for the Deep Ball

If the Patriots stick to their usual philosophy against Philly and go with a man-heavy approach, they’ll need to be on high alert for the deep ball.

No quarterback completed more go routes last season than Jalen Hurts, with the Pro Bowler leading most production and efficiency metrics on such attempts.

Hurts typically unleashed these when defenders had their backs to him in man technique, often while operating without a huddle to catch defenses off-guard.

A.J. Brown was a major factor in that success thanks to his elite route physicality, ball-tracking, and ability to win at the catch-point. The second-team All-Pro led every production metric on go targets, showing just how dominant he was in 1-on-1 matchups downfield.

Partner-in-crime DeVonta Smith was no slouch either, ranking top-10 in receptions (5, t-8th in NFL) and yards (191, 9th in NFL) on such targets.

New England’s undersized corner group struggled against bigger bodies last season like Brown last season, but they were a highly competitive group, allowing zero open targets on the 4th-most go’s faced.

The hope is that Christian Gonzalez will help alleviate the position’s size issue, allowing them to play the matchup style seen throughout New England’s second dynasty. But Gonzalez did struggle against high-point specialist DeVante Parker throughout training camp, so shadowing the likes of Brown will be a trial by fire for the 1st-rounder. Cornerbacks coach Mike Pellegrino actually touched on how Gonzalez can improve this area of his game earlier in the summer, so hopefully, those lessons will translate on Sunday more often than not.

3. Don’t Let Jalen Hurts Run Wild

Hurts’ ability to pick defenses apart with his arm or shred them on the ground makes him one of the league’s premiere dual-threat passers. His elusiveness and powerful build led to one of the most productive rushing seasons among quarterbacks in 2022, both on scrambles and designed runs.

The Patriots held up well against scrambles last season, allowing the 10th-lowest positive EPA rate (59.3%) on such carries last season.

Much of this credit goes to Matt Judon and Josh Uche, who were among the league’s best at chasing down quarterbacks when they broke the pocket.

When I asked Deatrich Wise what it takes to bring down elusive passers like Hurts, he noted the importance of staying on and moving your feet, then finishing the tackle.

To keep that success rolling in the season opener, expect New England to make Hurts uncomfortable by disrupting the pocket with stunts inside while using a spy like Mack Wilson or Marte Mapu to keep him contained.

The Colts used this strategy against the Eagles last season, and we saw the Patriots feature it against Zach Wilson. But to get themselves in a position to use these packages, New England will have to get Philly behind the chains by winning on early downs.

While the defense had success when quarterbacks tried creating outside of structure, they were one of the league’s least efficient units against designed quarterback runs, allowing the 2nd-highest positive EPA rate (58.2%) and 5th-most EPA/play (0.212).

These numbers paint an accurate picture of the team’s struggles, but these lapses had more to do with execution than personnel, so there’s hope New England will improve after having all summer to prepare for this matchup.

 

In addition to zone reads where Hurts can exploit undisciplined edge defenders, New England will need to be on high alert for draws against empty sets or when Dallas Goedert is split out as the #3 receiver.

When I asked Lawrence Guy about defending Philly’s QB draws, he emphasized fundamentals, situational awareness, and rushers understanding they can’t fly upfield.

A good rule of thumb in general for Sunday’s matchup.