8 takeaways from Patriots 24-21 preseason victory over Eagles

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – It was an entertaining preseason matchup between the New England Patriots and the Philadelphia Eagles, even without the starters playing.

There was some thought that star quarterback Drake Maye might play for one drive, but instead, it was Tommy DeVito and Behren Morton who each got a half. But what certainly caught everyone's eye was when a surprising player slotted in at punter.

Here are the takeaways from the Patriots' 24-21 preseason win over the Eagles:

1. A scary moment at the beginning of the game

On the opening kickoff, there was a very scary moment as Eagles running back Ja'Quinden Jackson remained down on the field following the play. His teammates immediately signaled for the training staff to come over, and they stayed with him before others came out, as well as the ambulance. Players from both teams were down on one knee, showing their support. He was put on a stretcher, and the entire Eagles sideline came over and gathered around him as he was loaded into the ambulance.

Philadelphia released an update shortly after, saying that he has "strength and movement in all extremities and is being taken to a local hospital for further evaluation."

2. Patriots offensive line depth continues to take a hit

After losing both Ben Brown and Andrew Rupcich to injury in the first preseason game, the Patriots went down another member of the offensive line early in Saturday's matchup. On the second offensive drive of the game, Marcus Bryant remained down after a run play and was eventually helped to the sidelines by trainers, immediately going into the blue medical tent. He was then helped to the locker room, with the Patriots announcing that he would be out for the remainder of the game with an ankle injury.

Guard James Hudson struggled, being called for two offensive holding penalties on the Patriots' five-play opening drive, one of which was accepted, while the other was declined to bring up fourth down. Dametrious Crownover was also flagged for a false start in the second quarter. Rookie tackle Caleb Lomu and center Jacob Rizy gave up a sack on the Patriots in the second frame. Lomu played nearly the entire game, only being taken out in the final minutes of the game, with Lorenz Metz coming in.

3. Behren Morton, the punter

Patriots rookie quarterback Behren Morton, whom the team selected in the seventh round of the 2026 NFL Draft, came out and punted the ball in place of Bryce Baringer during the second quarter. His punt went 48 yards, falling into the end zone for a touchback. But this wasn't completely random (only mostly random), as Morton was a kicker and punter in high school.

Following a failed one-minute drive at the end of the first half, Morton was back with a 43-yard punt. Then, in the second half, the Patriots put him in at quarterback, but after a failed third-down conversion on the opening drive, in which he was sacked, Morton proceeded to stay on the field while the rest of the special teams unit came on and punted the ball away.

He finished the night by completing 13-of-17 passes for 129 yards with a touchdown, as well as punting the ball three times for 133 yards, averaging 44.3 yards per punt.

4. Kindle Vildor taking advantage of every opportunity

During practice, Vildor has been a standout among the cornerbacks, getting increased reps with Christian Gonzalez out, as well as Carlton Davis and Charles Woods being limited some days. And he continued those efforts in the game. Vildor managed to almost get an interception, but the play did not stand as rookie outside linebacker Gabe Jacas was called for roughing the passer on Andy Dalton.

But, despite getting called back, he followed it up with two pass breakups on the next two plays, including one on third down that earned high praise from Mike Vrabel, who made a point to come out and celebrate his impressive tackle.

5. Efton Chism and Kyle Williams have some fun

Despite sitting a lot of their starters, both Efton Chism and Kyle Williams were in the game for the entire first half and were having some fun going up against the Eagles' backups. Chism had an impressive 24-yard completion on a crossing route in the second quarter, also converting on third down to keep the Patriots' drive alive.

However, the best play was when DeVito launched the ball to Kyle Williams, who used his speed and impressive release to get a step on Eagles cornerback Ambry Thomas, making the catch for a 69-yard touchdown. After his little dance in the end zone, Williams was met by A.J. Brown, DeMario Douglas, and some of the other receivers on the sideline, who wanted to be a part of the celebration with their teammate as well.

Chism finished the game with four receptions for 45 yards, while Williams had two receptions for 74 yards. And with that, it continues to show that the Patriots' wide receiver depth is deep.

6. Lan Larison and Jam Miller put together some nice runs

As the battle continues for the third running back, Hasaan Haskins was taking the majority of the reps during the first half. He finished with 16 yards on four carries (4.0 yards per carry).

But Jam Miller and Lan Larison both had some impressive runs, specifically on one drive at the end of the third/beginning of the fourth quarter. Jam Miller had an impressive 20-yard gain, while Larison had a 10-yard gain. He also had a nice fourth-down conversion, managing to keep pushing forward to get the one-yard gain as well as an extra yard. Larison finished with five touches for 23 yards on that drive, finishing it off with a two-yard touchdown.

However, JaMycal Hasty, who is also vying for a roster spot, had a rough moment, when he fumbled after the ball was punched out by Shaun Wade and recovered by the Eagles.

7. A game-winning drive by Behren Morton

Morton put together some impressive final moments to give the Patriots the victory in their second preseason game, leading an 11-play, 73-yard drive that resulted in a touchdown. The rookie quarterback hit Cameron Dorner, Larison, Nick DeGennaro, and Kyle Dixon for some short passes, as well as a few runs by Larison. But the shining moment was when DeGennaro caught the game-winning 37-yard touchdown pass from Morton to give the Patriots the lead with 57 seconds left in the game.

The undrafted rookie had an impressive showing, finishing with four catches for 61 yards and a touchdown.

8. Other notes

• Tommy DeVito showed off his speed with a 36 yard scramble in the second quarter
• Hassan Haskins and Lan Larison were back as the first two kickoff returners. Efton Chism was the first punt returner.
• LB Khalil Jacobs made a brief stop in the blue medical tent during the second quarter after being slow to get up following one play, but he returned to the sidelines shortly after.
• Rookie linebacker Namdi Obiazor had an impressive pass breakup in the end zone on a pass intended for Eagles TE E.J. Jenkins on fourth down. However, Chad Muma struggled despite having looked like the third option this summer, with the Patriots also having K.J. Britt, Jacobs, and Obiazor. Linebacker depth will be a major area to keep an eye on over the next week.
• Leonard Taylor managed to get his hands on a pass by Tanner McKee on 4th-and-1 for the Eagles, providing the Patriots with the ball back at their own 40. That marked the second failed fourth-down conversion of the night for Philadelphia.
• ABSENT: CB Christian Gonzalez, EDGE Harold Landry, S Craig Woodson, S Kevin Byard, RB TreVeyon Henderson, TE Eli Raridon, CB Channing Canada, SPT Brenden Schooler, FB Reggie Gilliam, EDGE Xavier Holmes, and G/C Ben Brown

Follow Patriots Wire on Twitter and Facebook.

This article originally appeared on Patriots Wire: 8 takeaways from Patriots 24-21 preseason victory over Eagles