After two miserable weeks in Philadelphia, the Eagles finally got their first win of the 2015 season, and moved closer to playing like the team we all expected to see. The Philadelphia Eagles avoided an 0-3 start as they defeated the New York Jets by the final score of 24-17.
From their very first drive, the Eagles offense looked like an entirely new group of guys. With starting running back DeMarco Murray missing the game with an injured hamstring, quarterback Sam Bradford spread the ball out, helping the Eagles effectively move down the field.
Both Ryan Mathews and Darren Sproles picked up the ailing running game early on. The Eagles moved effectively on the opening drive, leading to a 30-yard Cody Parkey field goal to put the team on top early.
As good as the offense looked early on, the Eagles defense continued playing like a top-caliber defense. The defense came out swinging with both the pass and run defense, holding the Jets to seven points and six punts in the first half.
While the offense and defense got off to hot starts, it was the special teams that provided the momentum shift. On a Jets punt, Sproles lost his footing after the initial catch, but in true Sproles fashion, recovered and took the punt 89 yards for the score.
One offensive issue that made it’s way into this game early on was the big drops. Mathews had a big drop with a wide-open field as he tried to turn up the field before securing the ball. Mathews however would redeem himself with a 23-yard reception for a touchdown.
The Jets would shoot themselves in the foot on their next drive. On a Brandon Marshall reception, he attempted a lateral as he was being tackled, but the ball would end up in the hands of linebacker Jordan Hicks for the fumble recovery. The Eagles took advantage with a one-yard Sproles touchdown run.
The Jets would finally get on the board with six seconds left in the opening half with an 18-yard touchdown pass from Ryan Fitzpatrick to Marshall.
The second half saw some key defense from the Eagles, especially with the play from the defensive backs. Safety Eric Rowe caught his first interception of his career.
The Jets had a late flurry with Fitzpatrick finding Jermy Kerley for a fourth quarter touchdown. They would again get a chance to get back in it when Mathews fumbled, giving the ball back to the Jets, however a Brandon Bair deflection caused Fitzpatrick to throw an interception to rookie linebacker Jordan Hicks.
The interceptions would not stop there as Walter Thurmond got one of his own, giving the Eagles another opportunity to wind the clock down.
The Eagles would seal the victory late in the fourth when a late illegal hands to the face penalty against the Jets allowed the Eagles to get an automatic first-down, and go into victory formation.
Next week, the Eagles head to FedEx Field to take on Kirk Cousins and the Washington Redskins in their second divisional game of the year. Murray is expected to return as well, making things interesting in the offensive backfield.
Let’s see if Bradford and the offense can put the last remaining pieces together to play up to their expectations.
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