FOXBOROUGH - With training camp wrapped up, the Patriots turned their second preseason game into a long audition, the kind where roster hopefuls get every chance to make themselves impossible to ignore.
Most of the familiar names were nowhere near the spotlight after two days of joint practices with Philadelphia, and that left the night to rookies, depth pieces and players fighting for jobs. It also gave kicker Andy Borregales another chance to steady himself after missing three field goals in last week’s preseason opener against the Colts.
The Patriots opened the game by winning the coin toss and choosing to receive, with Lan Larrison and Hasan Haskins back deep. Tommy DeVito got the start at quarterback again, while Efton Chism, Rhamondre Stevenson, K.J. Britt, Jeremiah Pharms Jr. and Marcus Bryant were out for the coin toss.
The first scare came almost immediately. Philadelphia running back Ja’Quinden Jackson was injured on the opening kickoff, and the scene turned serious quickly enough that an ambulance came onto the field.
Jackson was loaded onto a stretcher and into the ambulance as the Eagles gathered around him. Later, the Eagles said Jackson has movement in all of his extremities.
From there, the game settled into a back-and-forth preseason grind, with both teams leaning on backups and rookies. The Patriots converted a 2nd-and-20 with a 28-yard catch from Lan Larrison, then kept moving after the break when DeVito found Efton Chism III on a crosser for a big gain into Philadelphia territory.
The Patriots’ offensive line was already under pressure, and it took another hit when Marcus Bryant left on the opening drive with an injury and was replaced by rookie Dametrious Crownover. Bryant was later ruled out for the rest of the game with an ankle injury.
That came on the heels of injuries to Ben Brown and Andrew Rupcich last week. Brown, expected to be a key reserve on the interior, will be out several weeks, while Rupcich was released after the Patriots reached an injury settlement.
Still, DeVito found some answers. He broke free for a 37-yard run after a play-action fake, then later put some air under a deep ball to Kyle Williams.
Williams ran under it and hauled in a 69-yard touchdown to put the Patriots ahead 10-7. The rookie speedster made the kind of play that changes the tone of a preseason night in a hurry.
Borregales had already given the Patriots points before that, drilling a 41-yard field goal straight down the middle after a drive stalled at the 23-yard line. Earlier, he had unleashed a heater trying to hit Kyle Williams on a slant on third down, but the pass bounced off Williams’ hands.
Philadelphia answered in short order. Andy Dalton hit Darius Cooper on a play-action boot for a 25-yard gain, then the Eagles’ offense kept churning until Britain Covey caught a slant for a 14-yard touchdown to make it 14-7. Before that, Ty Robinson had gotten into the backfield twice, including one sack by powering straight through the middle of the Patriots’ line and another by blowing past the protection on a stunt.
The Patriots kept hanging around, though. DeVito hit Kyle Dixon on 4th-and-1 to keep a drive alive, and later Morton found Nick DeGennaro in stride for a touchdown with 57 seconds left. Borregales added the extra point, and the Patriots moved in front 24-21.
There were more momentum swings before that finish. DeVito’s deep throw to Kyle Williams came after the Eagles had gone up 7-3, and after Philadelphia’s answer, the Patriots retook the lead when Lan Larrison punched in a two-yard touchdown run on a drive highlighted by a 20-yard burst from rookie Jam Miller. That made it 17-14.
The Patriots’ defense had its own bright spots. Rookie linebacker Namdi Obiazor broke up a 4th-and-3 pass on the Patriots’ nine-yard line to stop a promising Eagles drive.
Gabe Jacas also flashed, bursting into the backfield untouched and drilling Dalton again before Kindle Vildor appeared to snag an interception on a short throw. The pick didn’t stand, though, because Jacas was flagged for roughing the passer, which gave the Eagles an automatic first down.
The Eagles also got a touchdown from Carson Steele, who caught a wide-open pass in the flat after McKee connected with Erik Ezukanma for a 17-yard gain on 3rd-and-22. Steele hurdled a Patriots player on the way in to make it 21-17.
One of the game’s earlier signs of life for New England came from DeVito, who used his legs to break loose for that 37-yard run. He also took a hard hit on a third-and-14 deep throw, and the Patriots punted after Jeremiah Trotter got to him for a sack. There was another Patriots punt before that, with Ty Robinson again creating trouble inside.
The Patriots’ offense had a notable lineup to start the night, with DeVito at quarterback, Larrison, JaMychal Hasty, Kyle Williams, Efton Chism, Nick DeGennaro, Caleb Lomu, Marcus Bryant, James Hudson, Mehki Butler and Jacob Rizy on the field. Rookie first-rounder Caleb Lome started at left tackle after spending most of camp at right tackle behind Morgan Moses.
The Patriots will still have a few roster battles to sort out, and this one offered a clear look at where those competitions stand. Running back, tight end and linebacker remain spots to watch.
Jam Miller got the start last week and had a productive preseason debut. Larrison had just one carry in that game but finished second on the team with six catches.
The Patriots also added JaMychal Hasty and Hasan Haskins for the third running back job. At tight end, Eli Raridon has been a camp standout but was quiet in his preseason debut, while Tanner Arkin got work at fullback and continued to show physicality as a blocker.
At linebacker, Namdi Obiazor and Khalil Jacobs both played important roles on Thursday, and Britt made a standout play by punching the ball out from Anthony Richardson for a fumble.
It was the last home preseason game of the year, and for a lot of the players on the field, every snap looked like it mattered.
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