PFF’s Best New England Patriots Performances vs. Philadelphia

The New England Patriots led 10-3 at halftime last night. A lack of offensive execution in the second half stalled the offensive and the game ended in a 14-13 Philadelphia Eagles victory. Final results are not the most important part of the preseason, however. Teams are still trying to evaluate players and determine who could earn starting jobs or spots on the 53-man roster when the regular season begins. Despite the loss, there were some individual performances for the Patriots to feel good about.

Pro Football Focus grades every player in all NFL games. Below is a look at the highest-graded New England Patriots players against the Carolina Panthers. For regular season games, there is normally a minimum snap requirement to be included, but for the preseason everyone is eligible to be praised or reprimanded on PFN’s PFF report.

PFF Grading System

Before getting into the best Patriots performances from Thursday, a review of what the grades represent. There are five possible tiers a grade places a player in:

90-100 = Elite
85-89 = Pro Bowler
70-84 = Starter
60-69 = Backup
0-59 = Replaceable

Also Read – Eight Takeaways From the Patriots 14-13 Loss to the Eagles

Best of Preseason Week 2

ST – Joshua Uche (90.5). Grades Pro Football Focus hands out do not always make sense, especially in small sample sizes. Uche played five snaps on special teams last night: two on kickoff coverage, two on punt returns, and one on punt coverage. He made no tackles but received the game’s highest grade.

ST – Christian Elliss (90.1). Last week Elliss was the second-highest-ranked defensive player for New England. This week he ranks as the second-best special teams player, recording two tackles. Elliss’ work on both units should help him compete for a spot on the 53-man roster.

LB – Joshua Uche (82.8). Uche received the highest grade on special teams and defense. This one is more easily understood: Four pressures, two stops, and a sack.

RT – Chukwuma Okorafor (81.9). He allowed no pressures in 12 pass attempts. He also scored an 82.9 for his run blocking. An encouraging performance for a position that is currently under a microscope in New England.

DB – A.J. Thomas (78.9). New England Patriots starting safeties Kyle Dugger and Jabrill Peppers sat out the game. It gave Thomas another chance to show what he was capable of. He played 40 defensive snaps, recording five solo tackles with no missed tackles in the game. His second strong performance in a row.

DE – Keion White (78.7). New England will look to White to pick up some of the slack for Matthew Judon’s departure. He provided that last night, with four quarterback pressures. This included one sack and barely missing out on a second.

ED – Oshane Ximines (77.5). With two solid preseason performances and the trade of Matthew Judon, Ximines seems to be assured of a roster spot at this point. He registered three stops, two tackles, two pressures, and a sack against the Eagles.

Honorable Mention:

ST Jothan Russell, C David Andrews, ST Dell Pettus, DB Joshuah Bledsoe, CB Alex Austin, CB Isaiah Bolden

These 13 New England Patriots performed well in the loss. Some have now been praised in both preseason games. As the regular season approaches, these grades become more meaningful in determining what the team plans to do with starting roles and roster spots.