Sunday was going to be a tough matchup no matter what for the Jets with Sam Darnold out. Luke Falk struggled mightily, and the Eagles took advantage en route to a 31-6 win. The Jets fell to 0-4 while the Eagles improved to 3-2, now atop the NFC East.
1st Half Recap
After a quick three-and-out by the Jets on their opening drive, the Eagles got the ball back and scored on a Jordan Howard one-yard run. On the next New York possession, Falk made a terrible decision on a pass that went right into the hands of Nate Gerry, who returned it for a touchdown. A quick start by Philly, something that rarely happens.
Eagles 14, Jets 0
After a quick outburst by the Eagles, the game stalled for a bit. Adam Gase made a terrible decision by sending out kicker Sam Ficken to attempt a 55-yard field goal down 14 into the wind, a kick he had trouble making even before the game.
Right before the two-minute warning, a tipped pass fell into the hands of safety Rodney McLeod, Jr., putting the Eagles in good field position. Carson Wentz led the team down the field and hit Zach Ertz on an 11-yard touchdown score.
At the Half: Eagles 21, Jets 0
2nd Half Recap
With the Eagles dominating, the Jets got a blessing after Corey Clement muffed a punt return. Vyncint Smith ran it in for a 19-yard touchdown a play later, and the Jets got on the board. The two-point conversion attempt was no good.
Eagles 24, Jets 6
With the game all but decided mid-way through the fourth quarter, newly-acquired cornerback Orlando Scandrick stripped the ball clean out of Luke Falk’s hands and took it to the house for a touchdown.
Final Score: Eagles 31, Jets 6
Three takeaways from the Eagles’ blowout win
1. Luke Falk stinks
What can I say, not every team has a sixth-round Gardner Minshew II on their bench ready to be a reliable starting quarterback. But my goodness, Luke Falk is not a good quarterback, and honestly, what were we to expect? Here’s another way of thinking about it: in comparing Jets and Eagles quarterbacks, Carson Wentz is obviously better. Veteran Josh McCown is still a good backup, and third-stringer Nate Sudfeld plays well in the preseason every year. I would say both these back-ups are better than Falk. On the Eagles, practice squad is Kyle Lauletta, a QB from the same draft class as Falk, taken two rounds earlier. Comparing what we’ve seen the last few weeks from Falk and what Lauletta showed he could do in the preseason, I would tend to pick Lauletta over Falk. Therefore, the Jets’ starter is so bad that he might not even make the Eagles’ P-squad.
2. The Eagles’ defense finally showed up
The Jets’ O-line is one of the worst in the league, and Falk held onto the ball much longer than he should have, but it was nice to see the Eagles’ defense finally play well. As a team, they recorded 10 sacks, a league-high for this season. At cornerback, a position that the Eagles have struggled with so far, Rasul Douglas played well and Craig James did his job in his first career start. The biggest surprise, however, was Orlando Scandrick. Signed just last Monday, he recorded two strip-sacks, one of which he took back for a touchdown. Other top performers on the defense included backup linebacker Nate Gerry, who got a pick-six, and Brandon Graham, who recorded a career-high three sacks.
3. Carson Wentz needs to be better
While it didn’t ultimately matter, Carson Wentz played his worst game of 2019. The Eagles’ offense only scored 17 points against a weak Jets defense. Wentz missed way too many short throws and finished the day just 17-for-29 passing for 189 yards and a touchdown. While it’s not terrible, you’d like to see Wentz do better against a defense of that level. Getting DeSean Jackson back will help, as Nelson Agholor has just two catches in the last two weeks as his replacement.
Final Thoughts:
New York wasn’t much of a competition for the Eagles, and it was evident from the start of the game. The Eagles travel to Minnesota to face the 3-2 Vikings while the Jets will host the 3-2 Dallas Cowboys in Week 6.
