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Terrence Brooks was a star on defense for the Patriots

Although Terrence Brooks was penalized for this hit on Dallas Goedert, Brooks had a team-high tying seven tackles.jim davis/Globe Staff

PHILADELPHIA — Terrence Brooks needed some help.

Frigid conditions had enveloped Foxborough last week and the Florida-born Brooks forgot one essential item in his equipment bag.

“You forgot your ice scraper?’’ a teammate chided. “Rookie mistake!”

Brooks smiled and shook his head, “I know, I know.’’

Though Brooks has played plenty of games in cold weather, it still can be a bit of a shock to the system at first.

“For a Florida guy it’s always a little different getting used to the cold,’’ Brooks said Friday. “For the most part, you’re going out there competing against other guys, not against the cold. It’s something that I notice, don’t get me wrong, but it’s not something that’s going to be a major factor to me. It’ll be fine.’’

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It hasn’t taken Brooks much time to acclimate to the Patriots organization. Since signing as a free agent with that “core special teamer” label, the safety quickly proved he can be counted on to contribute on defense.

Brooks, filling in for an injured Patrick Chung (chest, heel injuries), was flying all over the field in Sunday’s 17-10 win. He had two quarterback hits and two passes defended in addition to a career-high seven tackles. He played a big part in keeping Eagles tight ends Zach Ertz and Dallas Goedert in check.

“I give a lot of credit to Patrick Chung,” Brooks said. “He’s always in my ear, helping me get things right. We’ve got a lot of great smart players around here, and they just brought me along and helped me out.”

When looking for a new team, Brooks said he wasn’t looking for any guarantees, just an opportunity, and that’s what he received in New England.

“Really it was all kind of a blur when I got the call to come and visit,’’ Brooks said. “I got up here, chopped it up with a few coaches, especially Bill [Belichick], we just talked about pretty much an opportunity and that’s all I asked for. He assured me that I was going to get that chance. So, coming in, being guaranteed something, that was never the situation, just [wanted] a fair opportunity to go out and play defense and show what I could do that was given to me and every day I’m appreciative of that.’’

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Brooks, who was worked out by safeties coach Steve Belichick when he was coming out of Florida State in 2014, said he has a special place in his heart for both Belichicks.

“I love those guys,’’ he said. “They believed in me, they’ve given me the opportunity. They’re patient with me and they’ve just given me the chances.’’

Brooks has been a sponge during his brief time in New England, learning as much as he can from the plethora of long-tenured Patriot defenders.

“Being away from defense and being away from that scheme it took a little time to get that rust off and really keep understanding the coverages and things like that,’’ said Brooks.

“For the most part the vets here have helped me so much. Pat [Chung] has been like a mentor to me.

“So, I’ve been backing him up and trying to really just learn everything and absorb all the information he has given me of what he’s learned over the years, so hopefully I can take that to my game and model from it.’’

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Earlier this season, Brooks had one of the signature moments of his career when he snagged an interception against the Jets, the team he played for the last two seasons. The outpouring of support from his teammates after that pick bowled over Brooks.

“Words can’t express [what that meant],’’ said Brooks, who has the ball sitting atop his locker.

“So many emotions and so many things I’ve been through throughout the league and on that team especially, it was just awesome to get over here with a group of guys that are all pulling for me and they all wanted me to do great in that game and to come away with that pick, it felt awesome just to see how many of my teammates ran on the field just to congratulate me and pump me up, it’s probably a moment I’ll remember forever. It was a special one.’’

Head injury for Dorsett

Patriots receiver Phillip Dorsett had to leave Sunday’s game with a head injury.

Dorsett was injured early in the second half after he caught the only New England touchdown of the game. He caught the 15-yard touchdown pass, which came on a double-pass trick play and was thrown by Julian Edelman. After catching the pass, he got hit hard by Eagles corner Rasul Douglas.

Dorsett left the game, went into the blue pop-up medical tent on the sideline for several minutes, then left with training staff members for the locker room. He was initially declared questionable to return with a head injury, then ruled out shortly after.

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With Dorsett out and receiver Mohamed Sanu playing despite rolling his ankle midway through the game, the Patriots were down to young receivers N’Keal Harry and Jakobi Meyers along with Edelman.

Chipping in

The Patriots’ two leading tacklers were unlikely heroes – defensive tackle Danny Shelton and Brooks, who led the way with seven tackles.

Shelton continued to have a breakout season. He fell out of favor last season with the Patriots and was a healthy scratch several times, finishing with just 21 tackles and no sacks in 13 games. This season, he has 38 tackles and three sacks in only 10 games.

Shelton’s six solo tackles against the Eagles set a career high. He also added his third sack of the season and forced a fumble in the second quarter. Shelton, a fifth-year veteran, guessed it was the first time since college he led his team in tackles.

Shelton was a big reason the Patriots held the Eagles to just 81 rushing yards, a game after allowing 210 to the Ravens.

“This was just a product of the team coming together in the bye week and really focusing on those mistakes that we made from the past nine games,” Shelton said. “As a defensive front, we needed to do our part to add to the team success. It was really a goal of ours up front to do better with our technique, get off blocks better.”

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Harry debuts

Harry made his long-awaited debut Sunday, and wound up playing more in the second half because of injuries to other receivers.

Early on, Harry was mostly in the game on running plays but said that physical work — especially a crack block on defensive end Derek Barnett — helped him get back into a groove after a long time away from competitive football.

“Just that first hit goes a long way, just getting it out of the way and seeing how it feels,” Harry said. “I haven’t played in a game in over a year besides that Detroit game but that was only three snaps and that was a preseason game.”

Harry hurt his hamstring in that game, missed the rest of the preseason and went on IR the first week of the regular season. He did not play against the Ravens after he was activated from IR, but he was deemed ready after the bye week. He finished with three catches on four targets for 18 yards, getting more work in the second half after Sanu got banged up and Dorsett left the game with a head injury.

“I think he did pretty good with it,” Sanu said. “Still got a lot of ground to do and he’s got to keep getting better.”

Harry’s first catch as a Patriot, an 11-yarder over the middle, went for a first down. He said he should have done better on the one incompletion, but the others, he said, were “just routine plays that I’m supposed to make.”

Eagles shorthanded

The Eagles came into the game depleted offensively, missing starting running back Jordan Howard (shoulder) and wide receiver Alshon Jeffrey (ankle), and the lack of firepower showed up in a big way as Carson Wentz, relying on the tight end tandem of Zach Ertz and Dallas Goedert, was only 3 for 13 on third down and was sacked five times.

“In games like this, the penalties [7 for 39], the turnovers [a lost fumble], just lack of production overall as an offense kept us stymied the rest of the game,’’ Eagles coach Doug Pederson said.

“We’re a better football team than what we played tonight. We’ve got to coach better, play better, we didn’t make enough plays, I thought the defense really kept us in this football game for the most part.

“Offensively we failed to execute. We were in too many second and longs and third and longs, it’s hard to put your quarterback in that position.”

Asked about the Eagles’ lack of execution offensively, Wentz could only laud the stifling Patriots defense.

“They had a really good plan, they always do,’’ said Wentz, who finished 20 of 40 for 214 yards and a TD. “That’s a really good defense. So hats off to them. They did a great job taking some things away we wanted to do.”

“It’s frustrating, because we came out pretty hot, didn’t convert on that first drive, but got 3 points and then went down and scored [to go up 10-0], and that was it for our offense. They played a great defensive game.”

Inactives

The Patriots inactives included tight end Ryan Izzo, receiver Gunner Olszewski, offensive tackle Korey Cunningham, quarterback Cody Kessler, and defensive tackle Byron Cowart. Chung and running back Damien Harris were ruled out on Saturday.


Nora Princiotti, Scott Thurston and Ben Volin of the Globe staff contributed. Jim McBride can be reached at james.mcbride@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @globejimmcbride.