Patriots Edge Eagles 24-21: Carson Steele's 19 Touches Lead a Backups-Only Week 2

New England beat Philadelphia 24-21 in a game neither Jalen Hurts nor Drake Maye appeared in at all — a true backups-and-roster-bubble affair that still produced one of the busiest individual workloads of the preseason so far.

Carson Steele touched the ball 19 times, the heaviest workload of the weekend

Steele carried 12 times for 33 yards and caught six passes for 84 yards and a touchdown on seven targets — 19 total touches, real three-down usage in a crowded Philadelphia backfield. Will Shipley also found the end zone on the ground (11 carries, 56 yards, a touchdown), but neither back's workload matched Steele's combined volume.

Tanner McKee looked like a real QB2 without a challenger on the field

With Jalen Hurts never appearing in the box score, McKee ran Philadelphia's offense and delivered his cleanest game of the preseason: 16 of 22 for 173 yards and two touchdowns, a 125.8 rating. Andy Dalton struggled in his own relief stint (3 of 10, 44 yards, 45.4 rating).

New England's Tommy DeVito made plays with his arm and his legs

DeVito threw for 151 yards and a touchdown on 8 of 15 passing despite being sacked three times, a 110.7 rating, connecting with Kyle Williams for a 69-yard score (two catches, 74 yards). He also added 44 rushing yards on just three carries, a 14.7 average including a 36-yard scramble.

Behren Morton was arguably more efficient in his own stint: 13 of 17 for 129 yards and a touchdown, a 117.0 rating, finding Nick DeGennaro for a score (four catches, 61 yards on five targets).

What to do with this

Carson Steele's 19 touches is the single biggest usage story from the entire weekend so far, and Tanner McKee's clean two-touchdown game is a real data point if Philadelphia's QB2 job ever matters. Check the rookie rankings to see where Steele and McKee currently sit, and use the best ball tool to see how a crowded Philadelphia backfield is being valued. Full box score: ESPN.