Patriots Welcome Eagles To Gillette Stadium For Joint Practices

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Tuesday, August 12, 2014

Matt LaPan, GoLocal Worcester Sports Reporter

The Eagles are a team that make perfect sense for joint practices with the friendship of Bill Belichick and Eagles head coach Chip Kelly. Both teams also use a fast-paced, no-huddle offense. New England in spurts while Philadelphia uses Chip Kelly's fast-paced style on nearly every possession. 

The joint practice sessions have become increasingly popular across the NFL and create outstanding match ups for fans to see. Fans will get a chance to see the teams take the field Tuesday and Wednesday at 2 PM. Here are some of the match ups, and players to watch at practice:

Darrelle Revis & Brandon Browner vs. Riley Cooper & Jeremy Maclin:

Patriots fans did not get to see Revis or Browner when the Patriots took the field on Thursday. They will get the chance to see Revis and Browner against a good receiving group this week. Cooper and Maclin are a very good tandem that have great size and speed. 

This matchup will feature big-on-big and fast-on-fast, an incredibly intriguing watch for fans.

Nate Solder vs. Eagles Pass Rush:

Solder struggled to contain Redskins pass rusher Brian Orakpo both in joint practices with the Redskins, and in brief action in the Patriots' first preseason game. Although the Eagles do not have a similar caliber player, they do have a good pass rushing group. Trent Cole, Connor Barwin and 1st round pick Marcus Smith will all provide a solid test for Solder.

The 4th year tackle has a great opportunity to prove that last week's performance was just him shaking off offseason rust. He might also become a true worry for the Patriots as Training Camp continues.

The Patriots Offense vs. Cary Williams:

By now, most everyone knows what Williams said last week. Generally Tom Brady, Bill Belichick and the Patriots do not take bulletin board material lightly. With it only being the preseason, will the Patriots bother to go after Williams? Will the Williams comments lead to increased physicality in practice? How the Patriots approach the situation is a must-see part of practice.

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