Philadelphia Eagles vs. New York Jets: Five Things to Watch, Predictions
PHILADELPHIA – If the Philadelphia Eagles want to look ahead to the Miami Dolphins in next Sunday night’s nationally televised showdown that could very well be a Super Bowl LVIII preview, they will do so at their own peril.
The New York Jets (2-3), who the Eagles (5-0) will face at 4:25 p.m. at MetLife Stadium on Sunday, have played better the last two games with Zach Wilson, and not Aaron Rodgers, at quarterback. Wilson has completed more than 70 percent of his throws in the past two games with two touchdowns and an interception and New York is 1-1 in those games with the loss being a 23-20 defeat at the hands of Kansas City Chiefs.
Their defense can make offenses look impotent, even an Eagles offense that is averaging 28.2 points per game.
So, the Eagles can’t afford to overlook the Jets, especially because the Dolphins basically have what amounts to a bye week hosting the winless and hapless Carolina Panthers.
Here are five things to be on the lookout for in Eagles-Jets:
History. It’s in the Eagles’ favor. They are 12-0 against the Jets in their history. The streak will grow to 13-0 as you will see in my prediction.
DeVonta Smith. Expect a 100-yard game from the Eagles’ receiver. Throw in a touchdown, too. New York has ruled out four cornerbacks for this game, including starters Sauce Gardner and D.J. Reed. The Eagles will get Smith involved after he had only one catch in last week’s win over the L.A. Rams.
DeVonta Smith
© Bill Streicher, USA TODAY
Life on the outside. Cornerback Darius Slay hasn’t missed many games to injury during his rock-solid NFL career, but he will miss this one with a knee injury. Head coach Nick Sirianni said that he doesn’t expect it to be a long-term issue, but for one game at least it will require some shuffling.
The most likely candidate to fill in is Josh Jobe, who went without a defensive snap last week because James Bradberry was restored to his role as strictly a cornerback without having to bounce in and of the slot.
Keep an eye out for undrafted rookie free agent Eli Ricks possibly getting some time in Slay’s spot as well. Ricks got the first 13 defensive snaps of his career last week, all in the slot. He said he has gotten outside corner reps all week, however.
Max Mitchell. Who? Exactly. He is expected to be the right tackle for the Jets after losing former first-rounder Alijah Vera Tucker for the season with an injury last week. This will be Mitchell’s first start of the season after a rookie season in which he made five.
Expect Mitchell to have his hands full with Eagles pass rush star Haason Reddick, who could have a second straight multi-sack game.
On the other side, Josh Sweat has 25 pressures, which is tied for the team lead with Jalen Carter, who is out with an ankle injury. As a team, the Eagles are tied with the San Francisco 49ers for the most in the league with 90.
Sweat could make it a long day for Mekhi Becton, who hasn’t lived up to the expectation of being the 11th overall pick in the 2020 draft.
Run game. The Jets will try to run the ball with Breece Hall and Dalvin Cook, but the Eagles have been stout in that area of the game, allowing just 61 yards per game to vault to the top of the league standings in run defense.
Not having Carter might hurt a bit, but Fletcher Cox is back after missing last week’s game with a back issue.
If the Jets can control the ball and pile up more than 100 yards on the ground, the Eagle could be in some trouble.
The Eagles, meanwhile, are second in the league in running the ball and the Jets have the NFL’s third-worst run defense.
Look for a big ground game for D’Andre Swift, with at least another 100 yards rushing.
PREDICTION: Eagles 23, Jets 16
