The New England Patriots apparently made quite an impression on one of the NFL’s most respected defensive coaches. Philadelphia Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio called his team’s two joint practices against New England “two of the most valuable days of training camp,” according to 94WIP’s Eliot Shorr-Parks.
That is meaningful praise from Fangio, who has coached in the NFL for nearly four decades and has seen just about everything the sport can offer. The Patriots and Eagles held consecutive joint practices in Foxboro before meeting in their second preseason game. The starters did not play in New England’s 24-21 victory Saturday, largely because both teams believed they had received enough competitive work during the two practices.
Fangio’s assessment suggests Philadelphia got exactly what it wanted from the trip. The Eagles were able to test their defense against Drake Maye and a Patriots offense featuring former Philadelphia star A.J. Brown. New England, meanwhile, received an opportunity to measure its progress against one of the NFL’s deepest and most talented rosters.
The result was two competitive sessions that challenged both teams in ways a preseason game might not have.
Patriots Offense Gave Fangio Plenty To Study
New England’s offense produced its best work during the first joint practice. Maye consistently pushed the ball downfield and found success against Philadelphia’s talented secondary. He connected with Brown, Romeo Doubs and DeMario Douglas during a session in which the Patriots’ passing attack created several explosive plays.
The Patriots’ official website described Maye as “outstanding” during the open-field portions of practice. His ball placement stood out on multiple throws, including a difficult completion to Brown while Maye faced pressure.
Philadelphia responded during the second session. The Eagles’ defensive front created more problems for New England, while their secondary forced multiple turnovers. Fangio’s unit also made the Patriots work considerably harder in the red zone.
That back-and-forth competition was exactly what Fangio wanted.
“It’s great to go against a new team, new schemes, new players,” Fangio said before the practices, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer. “You learn things. You’re going to get unscouted looks and plays, and you see how people react.”
Maye offered a similar assessment after the second practice.
“We had a lot of great work,” Maye said. “That’s a good football team over there. I think it’s just not riding the roller coaster.”
The Patriots quarterback acknowledged New England was sharper during the first session but viewed the second day’s struggles as an important learning opportunity.
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Fangio Praise Shows How Far Patriots Have Come
Fangio’s remarks also provide another indication of how much the perception of the Patriots has changed. New England is no longer viewed as an opponent another team can casually dismiss during training camp. The Patriots won 14 games and reached the Super Bowl last season, then strengthened their roster by adding players such as Brown and Doubs.
Fangio’s defense entered the joint practices with no shortage of accomplished players, including Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis, Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean. New England still created enough problems to make those sessions especially valuable to the Eagles.
The Patriots then defeated Philadelphia in the preseason game despite resting Maye and most of their starters. Rookie quarterback Behren Morton directed an 11-play, 73-yard fourth-quarter drive and connected with Nick DeGennaro for the winning touchdown.
Preseason results will not matter once the regular season begins. The work that happens before those games can be much more revealing.
Fangio’s comment indicated the Patriots gave Philadelphia two days of exactly the type of demanding, unpredictable football that coaches seek during August.
Coming from a coach with Fangio’s experience, that might be one of the best compliments New England received all summer.