The Philadelphia Eagles come home after a major victory against the Packers to take on the Jets. The Eagles will look to use a huge week four victory to jump start a tough stretch of games coming up. The Jets have struggled tremendously this season, and they will be coming off a bye week looking for their first win all season. Here’s what to watch for tomorrow:
1 – Trust the Run: The Eagles racked up 176 rushing yards – their season high – in a win over the Packers last Thursday. Jordan Howard and Miles Sanders let the charge rushing, and it proved to be a major offensive catalyst. The Eagles need to keep at least a 60-40 split of passes to runs, and that number should probably be closer to 50-50. The Eagles need to rush more, and with more rushing attempts, Carson Wentz will have more opportunities to hit his targets.
2 – Bend, Don’t Break: The Eagles’ secondary is in shambles right now. With injuries and just overall poor play, the secondary is nothing to fear. The Eagles let Aaron Rodgers throw for over 400 yards against them, and Davante Adams had over 100 yards receiving in just the first quarter. The Eagles need to shut down opposing WRs. The Jets don’t have a prominent WR1, but the Eagles need to be on high alert to shut down any threat.
3 – Limit Le’Veon: Le’Veon Bell is a major offensive weapon. Bell is a potent pass catcher and rusher, as well. With the Jets QB situation in question due to health and injuries, Bell will be leaned on heavily. Bell can hurt the Eagles so many different ways, and it’s vital they mitigate him from the start. The Eagles’ defense simply can’t lose this battle.
4 – Don’t Hurt Yourself: When it comes to miscues and mistakes, the Eagles unfortunately find themselves high on the list. Whether it be penalties, miscues, or other mishaps, the Eagles limit themselves due to self-inflicted mistakes. It’s week five; the Eagles need to erase most of these errant faults and work on bringing about more efficient results. The Eagles need to step up defensively, erase the dumb penalties, and play effectively as a unit.
5 – History: The Eagles are a perfect 10-0 all time against the Jets. The Jets join the Houston Texans as the only other current NFL team to never have beaten the Eagles. Can the Jets change history, or will the Eagles continue their winning ways thus keeping perfection in tact?
Eric Fenstermaker 