The New England Patriots 2023 NFL season officially kicks off with their Week 1 bout against the Philadelphia Eagles. While many fans are thrilled to see legendary quarterback Tom Brady returning to watch the game as a fan, on the field, this is going to be an outrageously tough game for the Patriots. They are pretty big underdogs against the Eagles, and that isn't totally surprising.

The Eagles are fresh off a Super Bowl run last season, and they very nearly came out on top against the Kansas City Chiefs. They have an explosive offense that can rip off big plays in the blink of an eye, and a defense that is fantastic at pressuring the quarterback and forcing turnovers. On paper, it doesn't look like a fair fight.

New England will have a tall task in their season-opener, but winning isn't going to be impossible. However, they are going to need a few things to go their way if they want to open the season with a 1-0 record. Chief among the things on that list, though, involves the defense keeping superstar quarterback Jalen Hurts under wraps as much as they can.

Patriots need to limit Jalen Hurts if they want to win

The main reason the Eagles made it to the Super Bowl last year was Hurts. After being given the keys to the offense, Hurts broke out in a big way as a passer (306/460, 3701 YDS, 22 TD, 6 INT), while also remaining one of the most lethal running quarterbacks in the game (165 CAR, 760 YDS, 13 TD). Using an RPO-style offense, Hurts and the Eagles were virtually unstoppable.

In the past, New England has struggled to defend mobile quarterbacks operating within RPO schemes on offense. Guys like Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen have given Patriots fans nightmares as they have developed into the top players at the position, and now Hurts seems likely to join that category with them.

The good news is that the Patriots defense may actually be constructed to finally limit these sorts of offenses. As the NFL has shifted, Bill Belichick has gradually followed suit, and now has an extremely versatile defensive unit that can play a number of different schemes, and against an offense like the Eagles that can run a variety of different plays, that's going to be crucial.

The battle will start with New England's pass rush. Matthew Judon is going to be leading the way, with Josh Uche looking to follow-up his strong 2022 campaign as well. The Pats aren't going to win this game if Hurts is comfortable in the pocket for the entire day. Hurts isn't the best passer in the league, but when he has a clean pocket, he's very tough to stop.

When things get messy, Hurts' ability to create plays on his own is what makes him really dangerous, and this is where New England has gotten burned in the past. Generally, the Patriots secondary can cover well and create pressure, only to end up watching the quarterback scramble to keep things alive and find an open receiver, or break out of the pocket for a big rushing gain.

Limiting Hurts' big plays is going to be crucial. New England has an effective pass rush and a deep secondary that can mix up their coverages. Unscripted plays are where Hurts can win this game for the Eagles on his own, but if the Patriots can plug up the holes there too, their defense should be able to keep them competitive.

The key to this game is going to be Kyle Dugger. Dugger typically moves all over the field as a free-roaming safety, but against the Eagles, he will probably be playing in the box for much of the time, with Jabrill Peppers, Jalen Mills, and Adrian Phillips lurking deeper in your more typical safety positions. Dugger could be employed as a personal spy on Hurts who holds down the middle of the field in the event that he tries to break off a big run.

Dugger is the perfect fit for this role for a couple of reasons. Dugger is a strong open-field tackler who can dial up a surprise blitz on one play, and then drop back into coverage on the next one. Dugger will move around a lot in this one, but playing him closer to the line of scrimmage and taking advantage of his speed and tackling is New England's best hope on defense.

Another guy who could be an intriguing X-factor on defense is 2023 third-round pick Marte Mapu. Mapu is another linebacker/safety hybrid who can dictate play on defense against RPO offenses. Mapu spent a lot of time during training camp working his way back from surgery on a torn pectoral muscle, but he's good to go for this game, and while it will be his NFL debut, he could make a big impact in a similar role as Dugger.

The Patriots offense is a massive question mark for this game. While they should be better than last season, they have a really tough task on their hands going up against the Eagles defense to open the season. Ultimately, though, this game is going to come down to whether or not the defense can keep New England in this game.

Given the strength of their opponent, staying in this game and having a fighting shot at a victory would be a win in its own right for the Pats. But that's not going to be possible if Hurts is allowed to have a big game. It's going to be a tough task, but New England has what it takes to make this a battle for Philly, and it will be exciting to see if they can go punch-for-punch with a Super Bowl caliber team.