Patriots Beat Eagles 24-21 in NFL Preseason Week 2 as Tanner McKee Throws Two TDs and Ja'Quinden Jackson Leaves on Ambulance After Kickoff Scare

On Saturday, August 22, 2026, the New England Patriots defeated the Philadelphia Eagles 24-21 at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, in NFL Preseason Week 2 — a back-and-forth exhibition that opened with a frightening injury scare on the first kickoff and closed with a late go-ahead touchdown from quarterback Behren Morton to Nick DeGennaro. Eagles backup Tanner McKee threw two touchdowns in a productive night, but Philadelphia could not hold a one-point lead in the final minute.

Kickoff was 7:00 p.m. ET on NFL Network. The Patriots entered at 0-0-1 after a 13-13 tie against Indianapolis in Week 1; the Eagles were 0-1 after their opening exhibition loss. Both teams held joint practices earlier in the week before Saturday’s nationally televised matchup.

Editor’s note: This article draws on game data and reporting from ESPN, USA TODAY Sports, The Philadelphia Inquirer, AP, Philadelphia Eagles.com, New England Patriots.com, and Yahoo Sports, August 22, 2026.

Game at a glance

Detail	Information
Date	Saturday, August 22, 2026
Venue	Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Mass.
Week	NFL Preseason Week 2
Kickoff	7:00 p.m. ET
National TV	NFL Network
Final score	Patriots 24, Eagles 21
Quarter lines	PHI 0-14-0-7, NE 0-10-0-14
Records	Patriots 1-0-1 (1-0-1 home); Eagles 0-2 (0-2 away)
Weather	67°F, showers

Ja’Quinden Jackson injury scare on opening kickoff

The game’s first play produced the night’s most alarming moment. Eagles running back Ja’Quinden Jackson, signed on August 10 after spending his rookie season on Jacksonville’s practice squad, was on the kickoff coverage unit and dove to tackle Patriots returner Lan Larison after Larison was brought down at the 25-yard line.

Jackson landed on his back and lay motionless on the turf. Medical personnel from both teams rushed onto the field, placed him on a backboard, and loaded him onto a stretcher. Players from Philadelphia and New England knelt near the sideline as an ambulance drove onto the field. The entire Eagles sideline came out to support Jackson before he was transported to a local hospital.

The Eagles announced shortly afterward that Jackson has strength and movement in all extremities and was taken for further evaluation. Reporters noted he briefly raised his left arm before being loaded into the ambulance. Philadelphia has not disclosed a specific diagnosis. Play resumed after a several-minute delay, but the somber opening hung over the rest of the exhibition.

How the scoring unfolded

Neither team scored in the first quarter. Philadelphia broke through early in the second when Will Shipley capped a drive with a 5-yard rushing touchdown, finishing 11 carries for 56 yards on the night and giving the Eagles a 7-0 lead.

New England answered with a 41-yard field goal from Andy Borregales, then produced the biggest play of the half. Tommy DeVito connected with wide receiver Kyle Williams on a 69-yard touchdown pass — Williams beat coverage without safety help over the top — and the Patriots took a 10-7 lead with 2:48 left in the second quarter.

McKee responded before halftime. After replacing Andy Dalton, he directed a scoring drive that ended with a 14-yard touchdown pass to Britain Covey with 1:04 remaining, putting Philadelphia back ahead 14-10 at the break.

The third quarter stayed scoreless. In the fourth, Larison — the returner involved in the opening kickoff — punched in a 2-yard rushing touchdown to give New England a 17-14 lead with 13:33 on the clock.

McKee tied the game again. His 20-yard touchdown pass to Carson Steele with 3:39 left gave the Eagles a 21-17 edge and capped a night in which McKee went 16-of-22 for 173 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions (125.8 passer rating).

The Patriots had the final answer. Morton, a rookie quarterback, found DeGennaro on a 37-yard touchdown with 57 seconds remaining. Borregales’ extra point made it 24-21. Philadelphia’s last possession ended when Cole Payton was sacked by Quintayvious Hutchins at the Eagles’ 20-yard line; Payton fumbled and Casey Rogers recovered for New England with 42 seconds left, sealing the home win.

Quarter	Scoring play	Score
2nd	Shipley 5-yd rush (Elliott kick)	7-0 PHI
2nd	Borregales 41-yd FG	7-3
2nd	Williams 69-yd pass from DeVito (Borregales kick)	7-10 NE
2nd	Covey 14-yd pass from McKee (Elliott kick)	14-10 PHI
4th	Larison 2-yd rush (Borregales kick)	14-17 NE
4th	Steele 20-yd pass from McKee (Elliott kick)	21-17 PHI
4th	DeGennaro 37-yd pass from Morton (Borregales kick)	21-24 NE

Tanner McKee’s two-touchdown night

McKee entered Saturday’s game competing for the No. 2 quarterback role behind Jalen Hurts, who did not play in this exhibition. Dalton started and went 3-of-10 for 44 yards before McKee took over in the second quarter.

The 2023 sixth-round pick delivered the sharper performance. Beyond the touchdowns to Covey and Steele, McKee showed efficiency in the pocket and avoided turnovers against a Patriots defense that recorded four sacks. Erik Ezukanma led Philadelphia’s receiving corps with six catches for 84 yards, while Covey and Steele each found the end zone on McKee throws.

For an Eagles team that reached the Super Bowl in 2025 and carries championship expectations into 2026, McKee’s outing was a positive depth-chart signal — even in a loss. Preseason snaps do not settle a season, but two touchdown passes without an interception is the kind of tape backup-quarterback competitions are built on.

Patriots backups rally late

New England spread the workload across its quarterback rotation. DeVito finished 8-of-15 for 151 yards and one touchdown, including the explosive Williams connection that flipped momentum in the second quarter. Morton closed the game 13-of-17 for 129 yards and the decisive score to DeGennaro.

On the ground, the Patriots totaled 140 rushing yards. Larison added a rushing touchdown to his kickoff-return role, and the offense mixed efficiently between DeVito and Morton as the night progressed.

Defensively, Hutchins’ sack-and-fumble on Philadelphia’s final drive was the play that mattered most. New England did not force an interception, but the turnover in the closing seconds turned a one-score game into a settled result and gave the Patriots their first preseason win of 2026 after the Week 1 tie.

Williams’ 69-yard touchdown was the individual highlight on the Patriots’ side — a reminder that the wide receiver, entering his second season, can stress defenses vertically when coverage breaks down.

Context and what comes next

Preseason results do not carry into September, but Saturday offered both franchises meaningful evaluation tape before roster cuts.

For the Eagles, McKee and Shipley gave the offense useful production from players fighting for larger roles. Jackson’s injury scare was the dominant emotional storyline; Philadelphia awaits further medical updates on the 24-year-old who had been viewed primarily as a depth piece and special-teams contributor. The Eagles fall to 0-2 in exhibition play and face Preseason Week 3 action before the regular season opens.

For the Patriots, the late rally and home win improved their preseason record to 1-0-1 and extended positive momentum from joint practices with Philadelphia. Morton and DeVito each contributed scoring drives, and the defense closed with a takeaway when it mattered. New England hosts its final preseason tune-up against Cleveland before opening the regular season.

Both teams will trim rosters in the coming days. Saturday’s game — equal parts competitive finish and sobering opening minutes — added more data to decisions that arrive quickly in late August.

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Discussion

Saturday at Gillette opened with an ambulance on the field and ended with a Morton touchdown in the final minute.

1. McKee threw two touchdowns and Shipley ran for 56 yards, but the Eagles still lost 24-21. Does this exhibition change how you view Philadelphia’s backup quarterback race — or was the Jackson scare and the final-drive fumble the real story of the night?

McKee’s efficiency stood out in the box score; the opening kickoff and Payton’s late turnover framed the emotional arc.

2. Morton found DeGennaro for a 37-yard go-ahead score with under a minute left. For a Patriots team that tied Indianapolis in Week 1, does a late preseason win with backup quarterbacks tell you anything about New England’s depth before the regular season?

Share whether Jackson’s scare, McKee’s touchdowns, or Morton’s closing drive shaped your takeaway from Foxborough.

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