Two proud franchises continue their preparation for the regular season. How will each team approach this game and who is the best bet against NFL odds?
Thursday, August 19, 2021 – 07:30 PM EDT at Lincoln Financial Field
A quarterback controversy is brewing in Boston. Former MVP Cam Newton was underwhelming last year. Questions about his arm strength plagued him throughout the season. The Patriots drafted Mac Jones out of Alabama. Jones divided pro scouts with his potential. Some believe he was poised to be a star, others believe he is the product of a dominant Alabama system.
Jones looked pretty good in the week one preseason game and appears to be making a strong push for the starting spot. Jones was 13-19 for 87 yards. He made some good reads and looked like he will be an NFL starting-caliber quarterback. Of course, the caveat is that this is preseason and he will have to prove it in the regular season. Still, Jones is off to a good start. Newton got less time last week going 4-7 for 49 yards.
This quarterback battle is fantastic news if you are planning on backing the Patriots in the preseason because both quarterbacks will have proper incentive to play their best. Head Coach Bill Belichick will have to give both quarterbacks appropriate time to prove their worth to the team. This is important to note because we know that both top quarterbacks should be given plenty of chances to prove their worth; and the incentive to make the most of those chances.
The Patriots and the Eagles have been scrimmaging together this week. These players should be quite familiar with each other by the time the game kicks off on Thursday night. Practice reports indicate the Philadelphia defensive line has been getting the better of the Patriots offensive line so it’ll be interesting to see how about plays out.
While the Patriots’ top 2 quarterbacks fight for the starting job, Jalen Hurts is secure in his role as team leader. Hurts looked OK in the season debut. He went 3-7 for 54 yards. Hurts has had a pretty good training camp so far trying to continue on the momentum he built to end the season. His backup, Joe Flacco is a great player to back in the preseason going 10-17 for 178 yards and a TD. Flacco is probably past the point in his career to be a valuable regular-season starter. However, he can still beat the second-string defenses. 3rd string QB Nick Mullens did well in his preseason performances in San Francisco, so this should be a quality preseason game from a quarterback perspective.
The Eagles have a new head coach, Nick Sirianni. He seems eager to implement a culture of winning so we should expect him to try to win the game, rather than just escape with no injuries. Sirianni is a firecracker and it’ll be interesting to see how he fares in Philadelphia. Javon Hargrave has been impressive for the Eagles, according to reports out of training camp. Hargrave struggled in camp last season with injuries. This year he is getting off to a better start and more resembling the player he was on the Steelers.
Jalen Reagor is also one to watch as after a disappointing rookie year, there will be a calculated intention to get it more involved in the offense. Reagor had 2 catches for 20 yards last week. He only had 3 targets. I expect him to double his targets this week. Another wide receiver to watch is Quez Watkins. Watkins has impressed all camp and followed it up with a 79-yard touchdown catch last week. Watkins should be a favorite of Flacco during their plays together.
As mentioned earlier, the Philadelphia defensive line is the strength of their team. New England is anxious to evaluate the quarterbacks, yet both players need pass protection to give them time to show what they can do. If the Philadelphia defensive line is able to create pressure and get in the backfield early, both quarterbacks may have problems giving impressive performances. In order for New England to have success, they will need to slow down the ferocious pass rush of the Philadelphia Eagles.
A quarterback controversy is not good for a team’s season-long prognosis but I love it in the preseason. A quarterback controversy means that we will get top-level play (on a preseason scale) from both players. With both quarterbacks needing to impress, look for them to be aggressive and intense. For my NFL picks, I like the New England Patriots here as there as their quarterback play can be counted on to be more consistent for the majority of the game.
NFL Pick: New England Patriots -1.5 (-110) with Bovada (visit our Bovada Review)
*The line and/or odds on picks in this article might have moved since the content was commissioned. For updated line movements, visit BMR’s free betting odds product.