NFL Preseason: Top moments from Eagles vs. Patriots

Week 2 of the NFL preseason is here, and the New England Patriots visited the Philadelphia Eagles to kick off proceedings.

Fresh off dominating college football en route to a Heisman Trophy and national championship with Alabama, DeVonta Smith was set to make his NFL debut for the Eagles on Thursday night.

He would do so without former Alabama teammate Jalen Hurts at quarterback, who was out due to illness.

The Patriots' budding quarterback competition between incumbent starter Cam Newton and first-round pick Mac Jones also fell under the microscope after Jones' impressive 13-for-19 debut against the Washington Football Team.

Here are the top moments from Thursday night's preseason matchup.

It didn't take long for the Patriots to assert their dominance against the Eagles.

After forcing a fumble and recovering it, the Patriots' offense was able to score on a 5-yard Damien Harris rushing touchdown.

For more up-to-date news on all things Patriots, click here to register for alerts on the FOX Sports app!

The Patriots' offense continued to find its rhythm in the first quarter, with Newton, in particular, getting off to a hot start.

He completed 8-of-9 passes in the first quarter for 103 yards and a touchdown to Jakobi Meyers.

For more up-to-date news on all things Eagles, click here to register for alerts on the FOX Sports app!

It took an entire quarter, but DeVonta Smith was able to record his first career NFL reception in the second quarter.

But the Patriots once again found the end zone, capping off a 16-play, 90-yard drive with a Rhamondre Stevenson touchdown.

This score gave the Patriots a 19-0 lead.

And an interception right before the half ensured the Eagles would enter the half scoreless.

The second half began much how the first ended, with Mac Jones continuing to guide the Patriots' offense into the red zone before the running game finished the deal.

This time it was J.J. Taylor leading the way, baffling the Eagles defense with the spin move.

He would also punch it in as the Patriots pushed their lead to 25-0.

The onslaught would continue on the ground for the Patriots, with the team recording its fourth rushing touchdown of the game in the third quarter.

This time, it was Stevenson scoring his second of the game.

The Eagles didn't really do much in the final quarter either, and some observers pondered what they hoped to accomplish during this preseason game. But others offered context as well, pointing out that the team didn't give a lot of action to key players.

Either way, it ended up being a dominant performance for the Patriots and their ground attack.

For more up-to-date news on all things NFL, click here to register for alerts on the FOX Sports app!