Revenge Game?: Patriots to Face Eagles and Ex-Coach Matt Patricia
The excitement is in the air as the NFL fully fleshed out this year's regular season schedule, giving New England Patriots fans their first look at the road ahead. Maybe having to host the Philadelphia Eagles, fresh off losing Super Bowl LVII to the Kansas City Chiefs, will dampen some spirits. But legendary quarterback Tom Brady's appearance will surely ramp the optimism.
As exciting of a day it will be as the Patriots pay tribute to the recently retired Brady, fans can also look forward to seeing the new-look Patriots offense under coordinator Bill O'Brien and face off against a stout Eagles defense that will be affected (in a way) by senior defensive assistant and ex-Patriots coordinator Matt Patricia.
The season opener will be the first time Patricia faces the Patriots since leaving Foxboro after a disastrous 2022 season where he served as the offensive play-caller. Under Patricia's leadership, the Patriots regressed offensively as quarterback Mac Jones struggled for consistency in a system that was predictable at times, according to opponents.
Patricia's unit finished 26th in total yards and 17th in points per game. But now, the Patriots are hoping for a lot more after hiring O'Brien for his second stint as the play-caller in New England.
Truth be told, O'Brien and the Patriots couldn't have barely drawn a harder opening game than the Eagles. From the first snap on, the Patriots won't have a big margin for error. Although if reports of a dysfunctional relationship between Jones and Patricia are true, maybe it will give the third-year quarterback an extra edge to go out and prove himself.
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