FOXBOROUGH -- Jake Elliott was the hero for the Philadelphia Eagles on a rainy day at Gillette Stadium, converting all three of his field goals in the second half to preserve a 25-20 win over the New England Patriots in the season opener. Elliott hit a 56-yard field goal -- the longest in Week 1 for the franchise since 1960 -- along with 51 and 48-yard kicks to keep the Patriots' comeback attempt out of reach.
The Eagles tried their best to blow a lead that was once 16, as Julius Peppers forced a Jalen Hurts fumble with 3:15 left to get the Patriots the ball at the Eagles' 41 down 25-20. Philadelphia's defense stood tall after the fumble, however, as Jordan Davis notched his first career sack to pin the Patriots into a third-and-12. The defense forced an incompletion followed by a fourth-down stop on a Hunter Henry completion with 2:24 left.
After the Eagles failed on a fourth-and-2 that would have sealed the win, the Patriots drove down the field to the Eagles' 20 in the final minute. Jalen Carter had a third-down sack that forced a fourth-and-11. Kayshon Boutte's catch on fourth down was incomplete, allowing Philadelphia to hold on for the win.
Kendrick Bourne finished with two touchdowns for the Patriots, as Mac Jones had three touchdown passes in a game for the fourth time in his career. The deficit was just too big for a Patriots offense to overcome, even if the unit outgained the Eagles, 382-251.
The Eagles defense was the catalyst for the early 16-point lead, with consecutive turnovers in the first quarter that built that huge advantage. Darius Slay had a 70-yard interception return for a score on a drop by Bourne on third down that landed into his hands. Slay was off to the races after that, putting Philadelphia up 10-0. On the Patriots' next offensive play, Davis forced a fumble on an Ezekiel Elliott reception that led to the Eagles offense having a short field.
Hurts found DeVonta Smith for a five-yard touchdown to cap a four-play drive that gave Philadelphia a 16-0 lead. The Patriots claw their way back with touchdowns on consecutive possessions at the end of the first half to make it 16-14, but the Eagles held firm with the lead thanks to Elliott's efficiency on field goals.
Here are some takeaways from the opening week thriller, but a recap of the game can be found in our live blog below -- including all the updates and analysis from Gillette Stadium.
Why the Eagles won
The Eagles were able to hold on for the victory after nearly blowing a 16-point lead. On a day during which the offense was subpar, the defense came through with takeaways on consecutive plays and a huge third-down sack by Jalen Carter in the final minute to preserve the victory. Darius Slay and a 70-yard interception return for a score to make it 10-0 in the first quarter and Jordan Davis followed with a forced fumble on Ezekiel Elliott that led to an Eagles touchdown.
Sure the defense wasn't perfect and the offense was subpar, but they made the plays they had to in crucial moments. Felt like a "bend but don't break" kind of day in Sean Desai's debut.
Why the Patriots lost
New England got off to a slow start, having two turnovers in the first 15 minutes to fall into a 16-0 hole after one quarter. The Patriots responded on offense with two touchdowns prior to halftime and outgained the Eagles, 382-251, yet the deficit was too big to overcome. The penalties and lack of protection on the interior of the offensive line also hurt, being down both their starting guards and starting right tackle. Jones was only sacked twice, but was pressured up the middle all evening. Jones looked like an NFL quarterback again, but the early mistakes need to be corrected for a team expected to be carried by its defense.
Turning Point
Darius Slay's 70-yard interception return for a touchdown was the Eagles' first touchdown of the season, an indicator of the big plays the defense made throughout the afternoon. Mac Jones' pass tipped off Kendrick Bourne's hands and into the arms of Slay, who took it back to the other end zone to give the Eagles a 10-0 lead late in the first quarter.
Slay's fifth career touchdown ended up being the difference for the Eagles in the final score, part of two takeaways the defense had in the win. Those takeaways helped the Eagles build a 16-point lead.
Play of the game
Jalen Carter's sack on Mac Jones with 58 seconds left forced the Patriots into a third-and-long and took them out of the red zone on the potential game-winning drive. Carter's first career sack ultimately ended up stalling the Patriots' drive, giving him a game-changing play in his debut.
The quote
"Some people do get nervous, but not me. I'm ready to make a play. I'm here." -- Jalen Carter on his NFL debut. Carter finished with a sack in his first career game, along with a quarterback hit and a tackle for loss.
Up next
The Eagles (1-0) will host the Vikings on Thursday in Week 2 in a short week. The Patriots (0-1) will look for their first win against the Dolphins on "Sunday Night Football" next week at Gillette Stadium.