Jalen Hurts Prepares To Play ‘Great’ Patriots Team To Start Season

The Philadelphia Eagles and the New England Patriots clash at Gillette Stadium in one of the more intriguing matchups on the NFL’s Week 1 slate.

The Eagles look to pick up where they left off as reigning NFC champions while the Patriots look to wipe away a disappointing 8-9 campaign.

While New England enters the season with plenty to prove, Philadelphia quarterback Jalen Hurts sees a capable defense to compete against.

“This is a great team,” Hurts told reporters in Philadelphia on Wednesday. “Well coached team we’re about to play against in a very tough environment. For us, we just have to control the things we can.”

Specifically, Hurts shared that the talent at each level of the defense makes New England a tough group to attack as an offense.

“They have a ton of athletes on the back end,” Hurts explained. “Their linebacking crew plays physical. I think in their D-linemen, they have really good edge rushers. The guys inside do a really good job as well. We just have to execute.”

In 2022, the Eagles finished in the top three in the NFL in both yards per game (389.1) as well as points per game (28.1). The Patriots played well on the defensive side of the ball, ranking in the top 10 in yards per game allowed (322.0) and points per game allowed (20.4).

The Eagles and Patriots engage in the Week 1 battle on Sunday at 4:25 p.m. ET on CBS.