Patriots rally late to hand Eagles a 24-21 preseason loss

The Philadelphia Eagles took a late lead but could not finish the job, falling 24-21 to the New England Patriots in their second preseason game Saturday at Gillette Stadium. New England quarterback Behren Morton connected with Nick DeGennaro for a 37-yard touchdown with 57 seconds remaining, erasing a four-point Philadelphia advantage. The Eagles had one final opportunity, but Cole Payton was sacked by Quintayvious Hutchins and lost a fumble that Casey Rogers recovered.

The ending spoiled an impressive performance from Tanner McKee, who completed 16 of 22 passes for 173 yards and two touchdowns. McKee found Britain Covey for a 14-yard score before halftime and connected with Carson Steele for a 20-yard touchdown that gave Philadelphia a 21-17 lead with 3:39 remaining. Steele finished with six receptions for 84 yards and a touchdown while adding 33 yards on 12 carries. Will Shipley rushed for 56 yards and a touchdown on 11 attempts.

Andy Dalton started but completed only 3 of 10 passes for 44 yards. Philadelphia’s backup-quarterback competition may have shifted significantly after McKee posted a 125.8 passer rating.

The Eagles generated four sacks. Ty Robinson recorded two sacks, three tackles for loss and three quarterback hits before leaving in the first half. Jeremiah Trotter Jr. added a sack, while Joshua Weru was officially credited with a full sack.

Philadelphia allowed 388 total yards, including touchdown passes covering 69 and 37 yards. The game began with a frightening injury to Ja’Quinden Jackson. The Eagles said Jackson had strength and movement in all extremities before he was transported to a local hospital for further evaluation.

Philadelphia fell to 0-2 in the preseason and will return home for its exhibition finale.

This article originally appeared on Eagles Wire: Patriots rally late to hand Eagles a 24-21 preseason loss