Ted Johnson’s Patriots-Eagles Take Suggests Potential Blowout

In terms of sheer talent, Ted Johnson believes the Patriots and the Eagles are lightyears apart.

Leading up to the Week 1 matchup between New England and Philadelphia, Johnson power ranked the top 10 players who will be on the field Sunday at Gillette Stadium. The first six slots were occupied by Eagles: DeVonta Smith, A.J. Brown, Jalen Hurts, Jalen Carter, Fletcher Cox and Lane Johnson, respectively. Matthew Judon checked in at No. 7, but two of the final three spots also belonged to Philly (Jason Kelce and Darius Slay). Kyler Dugger (No. 10) was the only other Patriot to appear in the ranking.

Johnson, a former linebacker who spent his entire 10-year career in New England, found it difficult to make the ranking closer to an even split.

“I stand by that list,” Johnson said on NBC Sports Boston. “I had a hard time putting more than Matthew Judon and Kyle Dugger. Maybe an honorable mention, Rhamondre Stevenson or Hunter Henry. But otherwise, the eight players I picked for Philly in that list, they have a combined 14 All-Pros. The Patriots, the two players, have a combined zero All-Pros. It’s a totally different team when it comes to talent. If you’re not sure, just look at the All-Pros that these guys have. They (Eagles) have a dominant offensive line, a dominant defensive line. They have elite wide receivers. It’s pretty obvious, the talent gap between the two teams.”

The oddsmakers clearly believe the talent level between the Patriots and the Eagles is disproportionate as well. Philadelphia is a 4-point road favorite for the season-opening showdown in Foxboro, Mass.