Bryce Brown scores an 8-yard TD in the second quarter against the Patriots. Photo by Pete Lerro/contrastphotography.com

All three quarterbacks who were given a chance to be the Eagles starter when OTAs started this year had an opportunity to display their skills Friday night at the Linc against the New England Patriots in the preseason opener for both teams.

All three engineered scoring drives, all threw the ball with strength and velocity, but Vick clearly left the field with a solid lead in the competition. The Eagles (0-1) lost the game 31-22 but left the game with a good feeling that the bad karma from 2012 was being shown the door.

“It was great,” Mike Vick said after the game. “Great experience, good to be out there playing ball. We are always excited and had a great time out there. It was good to go out and get a feel of live action.”

Eagles new head coach Chip Kelly wanted to use this game to see which quarterback could move the team.

Kelly wanted to see who responds with quick thinking, a valuable asset to have in the coach’s spread offense.

Vick came through with flying colors going 4 for 5 for 94 yards and a big-time 47-yard strike to DeSean Jackson for a touchdown. Vick’s short workday finished with a near perfect QB rating of 158.3, the highest score a signal caller can get.

Vick talked about the TD pass to Jackson.

“They were doing a great job of disguising their coverages,” Vick said. “They play some different fronts and differences from what they did the past three days and I kind of knew what they were going to do. They have some pretty savvy safeties. I did a good job holding the coverage. The route concept we had gave us options and DeSean took advantage of the opportunities and the funny part it is that we talked about it on the bus…about getting that same look and it happened on the first series and first possession. It just goes to show that when you are on the same page with your teammates and guys who put their time and effort into the game like you, good things can happen.”

After a rough first series that resulted in a turnover, Nick Foles led the Birds on a 10–play, 66-yard scoring drive that tied the score 14-14.

Foles finished 5 of 6 for 43 yards and a 96.5 rating.

Foles talked about bouncing back after losing a fumble on his first series.

“It’s huge, I mean I fumbled the ball which is never a good thing but I thought our guys mind set never changed,” Foles said. “Our defense did a great job, [the Patriots] were not able to get any point off of it and we were able to go out there and just march down the field. [RB Bryce] Brown and the offensive line did a great job to get in the end zone so it’s always a great feeling when something happens, adversity happens in a game and you are able to come back from it and score a touchdown.”

Rookie Matthew Barkley got a solid amount of playing time starting in the second quarter. The former USC star was 11 of 22 for 103 yards including an 11-yard catch and run touchdown pass to former Patriots receiver Greg Salas.

Barkley agreed he got off to s slow start but said he played better as the game unfolded.

“I thought it started a little slow then when it finished on a great note,” Barkley said. “I think it was great to get in that no-huddle rhythm. That is how we have been practicing every day, so that is what I am used to. When Chip got into that tempo package, I felt like I did better.”

The offensive line is banged up again this year with Jason Peters still dealing with a hamstring injury. Peters did not play against the Patriots.

In his place was be journeyman offensive lineman Allen Barbre, who has floated around the league for five years.

Barbie did Ok, as did the rest of the first line – no major breakdowns and Vick and Foles walked off the field after their shifts unscathed.

Dennis Kelly, the second-year tackle out of Purdue who started 10 games last year will miss the rest of the preseason after undergoing minor back surgery (if there is such a thing).

Obviously this was a great opportunity for Barbre, who has not played in a game over the last two seasons and has started a total of five games in his five seasons in the NFL and he made the most of it.

Barbie said his ability to play more than one position paid off for him.

“I think being of versatile and being able to back up more than one position is important,” Barbie said after the game. “I can back up guard and tackle. I’ve played mostly guard in camp and OTAs …I switch to tackle a little bit this week and I played. Being versatile and being able to help the team out if something happens.”

The Eagles defense did not put on much of a show as a team.

The Patriots scored their first touchdown on the opening series without throwing a pass. Brady handed off six times in the 80-yard drive, the back-breaker was a first play from scrimmage when Stevan Ridley waltzed through the Eagles defensive line and raced 62 yards before being pulled down by a hustling Bradley Fletcher.

Brady showed his brilliance when he lofted a pass into the deepest part of the end zone and found Shane Vereen, who made a shoe-string catch that withstood a video challenge.

“It was pretty neat,” Patriots center Ryan Wendell said. “Shane made a great catch, it was pretty awesome.”

The Eagles also got burned in the second quarter when when poor tackling allowed LeGarrette Blount to reverse field after it looked like he was cornered behind the line of scrimmage. He out ran, it seemed, the entire Birds defense 51 yards for a score.

The Eagles defense gave up 248 rushing yards on the night including two the big running plays.

Safety Curt Coleman said a combination of not hitting much in training camp, and so many new players may have played a part on some of the missed tackles.

“That is something we hadn’t gone against, an actual NFL offense,” Coleman said. “We’ve been going against a lot of our offense which is a totally different breed. When you see that type of thing coming at you, gap plays, power plays, guards pulling…it was different. All it takes is one guy to be out of the gap and the run springs.”

The Eagles and Nick Foles got the first game back awkwardness out of the way. When Riley caught a nice 19-yard pass in the first half, Eagles fans seemed to welcome him back.

Riley said he did not remember their reaction.

“I don’t know, I didn’t pay any attention,” Riley said. “I know I had that one catch and people said it was a good reaction.

Barbre said Kelly’s offense is explosive and Eagles fans will like the product.

“We’ve got some good stuff,” Barbie said. “We just have to keep developing it, keep working on it and we could be doing some good things this year. It’s definitely an exciting offense. We can move the ball, we can have a lot of fun playing bal. We did a little bit of it tonight. It is a little tiring but if we’re getting tired, the (other team’s) defense is getting tired.”