Kickoff: The Patriots will be playing preseason game number two this evening when they host the Philadelphia Eagles at Gilette Stadium. The two teams practiced together on Tuesday in a joint practice that was underhwleming from a Patriots perspective. New England has a lot to work on tonight, specifically along the offensive line which struggled on Tuesday. Expect the starters for both teams to play a fair amount in what is the most important game of the preseason. I would also expect to see Drake Maye for more than a series as well.

Four Downs

1st Down: Play the starters: The starters need to play more than one or two series tonight. Offensively, Jacoby Brissett should play at least three series. He needs to get into a rhythm with the receivers and tight ends. The offensive line was terrible in Tuesday’s practice, giving up 11 sacks. They clearly need the reps so the starting offensive line should play 3-4 series in this game.

Same goes for the defense. The trade of Matthew Judon means more snaps for Keion White, Anfernee Jennings and Josh Uche. They can use more work. The defensive line and EDGE players should play a quarter. The linebackers need the work as well, especially against the running game and from a communication standpoint. The secondary had a long day in practice against the Eagles and they could use more reps against Philadelphia’s talented passing attack.

Chances are the starters may not play against Washington in the preseason finale next Sunday, so Mayo and his staff need to give them an extended look tonight.

2nd Down: Drake Watch: Drake Maye only played one series last week. He needs to play more and that starts tonight. I know the Patriots are handling him with kid gloves in terms of his development but at the end of the day, Maye will not develop and get better unless he plays more. Look for him to play a quarter tonight. How the Patriots handle that quarter remains to be seen.

3rd Down: Offensive line under the microscope: We knew the offensive line might struggle this week against the Eagles and we saw it first hand in Tuesday’s practice. The Eagles defensive line and edge rushers dominated the Patriots, especially in team periods. As I mentioned on first down, I expect the first offensive line to play more tonight and we need to see something from them. They need to play better. What we saw the other was an abomination and unacceptable. This group needs to be better. The Patriots can ill-afford to go through another season with subpar offensive line play.

4th Down: Defense faces stiff challenge: The Eagles have one of the best skill groups in the NFL and one of the best offensive schemes in the NFL. The Patriots front seven was dominant last week, especially when it came to rushing the passer. They had five sacks. It will not be nearly that easy tonight for the Patriots defense. Philadelphia will pose match-up problems across the board and the defense must rise to the occasion and prove that last week wasn’t a fluke.

Extra Point: The Patriots and Eagles will meet for the 25th time in the preseason and for the first time in the preseason since 2021 when the Patriots beat the Eagles 35-0 victory at Lincoln Financial Field. Tonight’s game between the two teams will be the Patriots’ eighth preseason game in Foxborough and the seventh preseason game at Gillette Stadium.

Final Drive: Tonight is about getting a look at the starters, playing Drake Maye more than a series, competing and coming out of this game healthy. That’s it! It is that simple. If the Patriots do all of those things, it will be a successful night regardless of the score.