Jets “D” Leads The Way in 20-14 Comeback Win over The Eagles
-Tom Mele, Contributor
The Jets (3-3) with their improbably 20-14 win over the defending NFC Champion Philadelphia Eagles (5-
1) are right where they wanted to be when the season started six weeks ago. In the Playoff Hunt. The Jets were 0-12 lifetime against the Eagles and on Sunday at MetLife they were missing their topcornerbacks as Sauce Gardner and D.J. Reed were in concussion protocol.
The secondary got even thinner as Brandon Echols and Justin Hardee were also out with injuries. Stepping in to stop the bleeding were Craig James and Tae Hayley who were activated from the practice squad and their play helped a defense that week after week gets scrappier and tougher.
The game started with a 19 play 90-yard drive by the Eagles that resulted in a Jalen Hurts short yardage TD, which at first was ruled a fumble but then overturned. The Jets followed with a drive that resulted in a FG and then QB Jalen Hurts was intercepted when a ball deflected off TE Dallas Goodert into the arms of DL Quinnen Williams.
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The Jets could not do anything with that momentum and eventually turned the ball over on downs. The
Eagles quickly stuck as Hurts found WR A.J. Brown for 49 yards on a catch and run. Brown (7-131) set an
Eagles record by going over 125 yards in receiving yardage for the 4 th week in a row. A short TD Pass to RB D’Andre Swift gave the Eagles a 14-3 lead and that was all the Jets D would give the rest of the game.
RB Breece Hall (12-39) started the comeback taking a short pass and running for 25 yards which ignited the home crowd. Hall for the day caught five passes for 54 yards. This resulted in another FG from Greg Zuerlein. On the next defensive series LB Quincy Williams recovered a forced fumble by LB C.J. Mosley
leading to yet another Zuerlein FG and the Jets were only down 14-9 at the half.
Going into the 4 th quarter the Jets trailed only 14-12 as Zuerlein kicked his fourth field goal of the day. The Jets inability to convert 3 rd downs and get six in the red zone allowed to the Eagles to maintain the lead conversely the birds were 6-11 on 3 rd down conversions and converted what looked like a game clincher on a 3 rd and 7 pass from Hurts to Goodert with only 2:31 left.
The first play coming out of the two-minute warning defensive back Tony Adams made the play of the game intercepting Jalen Hurts on third down and returning it all the way to the eight-yard line. The next play Breece Hall scored putting the Jets 20-14 and QB Zach Wilson (19-36 186yards) completed the two- point conversion to WR Randal Cobb.
Up by six with 1:45 left the Jets defense stiffened once more forcing the Eagles to turn it over on downs and seal the upset victory. It was the first time In Jalen Hurts career he had three interceptions in a game. The Jets defense this year has allowed only three td’s and forced nine turnovers to three of the top QB’s in the NFL in Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes and Jalen Hurts.
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"It's a big win. They're the NFC Champs. We took the AFC Champs to the wire, we beat Buffalo. Probably
let one slip away with the Patriots, Dallas game is what it is. Winning this game and going into the bye
week is nice. We have to come out of the bye week with even more intent and more of that mindset,
continue to find ways to get better so we can finish stronger."