Getty Philadelphia Eagles tight end Zach Ertz high-fives quarterback Carson Wentz.
The Jets are looking for their first-ever win against the Eagles franchise Sunday in South Philadelphia. Philadelphia has gone a perfect 10-0 against New York.
It’s optimistic to think that trend will continue considering the Jets are both banged up and lacking overall talent. Their offense has been stagnant, especially without starting quarterback Sam Darnold, and the defense has been on the field entirely too long. All these things should spell an easy and confidence-building victory for the Eagles. The team is a two-touchdown favorite to win the game.
With that in mind, it’s time for some bold predictions. The Eagles are looking to show everyone why they were a preseason favorite to win the Super Bowl. Heavy.com has the Eagles beating the Jets, 34-20.
1. Miles Sanders Notches 100 Yards. The rookie has been trying to break out since Week 1. This is the perfect spot for him. Yes, the Jets boast one of the better run defenses in the league but the Eagles have proven they never abandon the run. Sanders should see a steady diet of carries and finally turns one loose — maybe a 64-yard rush for a touchdown. His numbers have been surprisingly good so far. Sanders has 445 all-purpose yards through four weeks.
BIRDS EYE VIEW: Jordan Howard (186) and Miles Sanders (178) are the first @Eagles running back duo with 175+ rushing yards each through 4 games since Wilbert Montgomery (348) and Mike Hogan (189) in 1978. #FlyEaglesFly
2. Eagles Pull Starters in Fourth Quarter. The Birds are dizzying two-touchdown favorites for one reason: the Jets are really, really bad. Typically this is has been the type of game Philly loses, at home against an inferior opponent. Not this time. Carson Wentz builds an insurmountable lead through the air and the Eagles put their offense on cruise control. It’s 21-0 before the first bathroom break.
3. Carson Wentz Throws for 400 Yards. Carson Wentz has somehow quietly been the best quarterback in football, according to Pro Football Focus. Even so, he hasn’t provided that statement game that everyone can point to and say, “Wentz is back.” He’ll use the full complement of receivers Sunday — Alshon Jeffery, Nelson Agholor, Mack Hollins — to spread the ball around, plus tight ends Zach Ertz and Dallas Goedert en route to 400 yards and three touchdowns.
Through four weeks, PFF’s Highest-Graded…
Quarterback: Carson Wentz
Running Back: Ronald Jones
Wide Receiver: Chris Godwin
Tight End: George Kittle
4. Fletcher Cox Gets First Sack. It’s been slow sledding for Cox who hasn’t yet registered a sack. He’s looked a bit sluggish while fighting back from offseason foot surgery. The whole defensive line has struggled, but now they get to play the Jets and one of the worst offensive lines in the NFL. This unit will feast early and often, with Cox picking up not one but two sacks.
5. Sidney Jones Gets Toasted. It’s not all good. The Eagles’ secondary remains uninspired after signing Orlando Scandrick and Ryan Lewis off the street. The Jets receivers aren’t great but they know Jones is nursing a bad hamstring and can’t run at full speed. They will target him like a discount shopper. Jamison Crowder should beat Jones for at least one touchdown, maybe two.
6. Eagles Don’t Cover the Spread. This game won’t be close. As stated above, the Eagles should be able to pull their starters out early in the fourth quarter. However, the ability to cover a 14-point spread is one of the hardest chores in sports. And head coach Doug Pederson doesn’t care about that stuff. The Jets will pile on a meaningless touchdown to make the final score look a lot closer than it was.
7. Nelson Agholor Shows Up. Agholor has been much-maligned over the past two weeks, with his deficiencies on display for the world to see. He’s been working out overtime in the gym while saying and doing all the right things. It’s true the Jets have a pretty decent nickel corner, Brian Poole, but Agholor steps up and goes for 100 yards. And he does it with superfan and local hero Hakim Laws in the stands watching.
8. Rasul Douglas Takes a Pick-Six Back. Douglas has been the one constant in the Eagles’ secondary this season. He’ll draw his first start today, probably matched up on Robby Anderson for the majority of the day — and it’ll be an audition to be the starter for the rest of the year. Douglas will lock down Anderson while coming up with a key interception in the second quarter. He’ll return it for a touchdown.
9. Don’t Start LeVeon Bell in Fantasy. The Jets will start off by feeding Bell as a way to jump-start their anemic offense. It won’t work. The Eagles own the fourth-best rush defense in the league limiting opponents to 62 yards on the ground per game. They’ll be dug in and ready to trip Bell up in the backfield. Linebacker Zach Brown is one to watch there.
10. Doug Pederson Goes for Two. The head coach talked about his philosophy about going for the two-point conversion over kicking the extra point earlier this week. He has charts and statistics for figuring out when and why to do it. It sounds analytical, but he admitted that sometimes it’s just a gut feeling. The Eagles want to start fast and going for two right out of the gates might keep the offense in rhythm. Pederson goes for it on the first scoring drive and never takes his foot off the gas.
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