Patriots-Eagles Recap: Another Test Passed

The New England Patriots put together a really good performance in all phases of the game Sunday afternoon as they dispatched the Philadelphia Eagles, 38-20.

Things did not look good in the early going, as the Pats D gave up an easy touchdown drive to the Eagles, including a 58-yard bomb from Vince Young to Riley Cooper.

Things got worse when the offense went three-and-out, putting a confused defense back on the field. The D surrendered a field goal, but they would regroup and only allow 10 points the rest of the way.

Here are some thoughts on the game:

MVP: Tom Brady, quarterback. Brady regained his early-season form yesterday, looking accurate and comfortable from the second quarter on. He ended up with 361 yards and three touchdowns (it could have been more if Bill Belichick didn't lift him for Brian Hoyer).

Brady hasn't looked this good since the Oakland game. If the cause of his recent woes was indeed physical (speculation includes a bone bruise), it looks as if he's healed.

Co-MVP: Deion Branch, wide receiver. Branch, after not doing much for a good part of the season, exploded against a talented Eagles secondary on Sunday. It's odd that the Pats would go to their wideouts (Wes Welker also had a good day) when Philly has had trouble with tight ends all season, but I won't complain about a good Branch performance.

Definitely improving: The defensive backfield. Despite giving up some long passes, the secondary has taken a step up late in the season. True, the defense allowed 400 passing yards, but a lot of those were invisible yards (given up in garbage time, after the outcome had been all but determined).

Once again, the Pats haven't been facing the league's elite passers (Young, Tyler Palko and the regressing Mark Sanchez) but they've done well enough to win. Let's hope the trend continues.

Odd to see: Brady running. Tom Brady showcased some mobility (that's being somewhat generous) in the game, rushing for 28 yards on five carries. In fact, he was the team's second-leading rusher.

It's odd to see Brady, so typically rooted to the pocket, moving around. It will be interesting to see if he runs at all next week (vs. the Colts), or if this was a one-game thing.