Look out NFL; Mr. Brady looks healthy and ready to perform as well as he did in 2007, the same year he broke the NFL record for touchdown passes (50).

Despite all of the breaking news surrounding Michael Vick finding a new home in the NFL, there was still a preseason game to be played between the New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles.

Quarterback Tom Brady looked healthy as he made his first start since tearing his ACL in Week One last season, helping the Patriots defeat the Eagles 27-25 at Lincoln Financial Field.

After playing most of the first half, Brady finished 10 of 15 for 100 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. The Patriots led 21-6 at halftime and appeared to be in complete control of the Eagles in their first preseason game.

As far as the Eagles go, some of their starters looked a little shaky on offense. McNabb performed well (11 of 18 for 103 yards), but never seemed to be as comfortable he was used to in the offense. That may have been because of offensive lineman Jason Peters, who struggled after missing practice this week due to quad spasms.

Rookies LeSean McCoy and Jeremy Maclin had solid debuts with the Eagles. McCoy ran for 56 yards on 10 carries while Maclin caught just two receptions for 44 yards, but managed to gain 124 return yards.

As bad as it sounds, the Eagles’ backups were the ones that kept the team in the game against the Patriots, as they scored 19 points in the second half and fell just short of a comeback against one of the top teams in the AFC. Backup quarterback A.J. Feeley led the way and looked sharp, finishing 18 of 24 for 211 yards and one touchdown.

Running back Eldra Buckley made a strong consideration for making a roster spot, after recording a touchdown on the ground and in the air. The former Chattanooga standout was picked up off of waivers from the San Diego Chargers in the offseason, and performed well in the second half  for the Eagles against the Patriots.

As far as the defense and special teams in concerned, they seem to have a lot of work ahead of them if the Eagles want to be contenders in the NFC this season. Giving up 21 points in the first half may be a sign that the team has a long way to go now that safety Brian Dawkins and defensive coordinator Jim Johnson are no longer there to help.

Next week, the Eagles travel to Indianapolis to take on Peyton Manning and the rest of the Colts. It may be preseason, but the Eagles performance by some of their young players have given them high expectations for the upcoming 2009 season.

Share This!

•