The Eagles' Week 3 Good, Bad, Ugly
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ (CBS) — There were a lot of things to like, some to dislike and a lot to look forward to in the coming weeks if the Eagles continue to play as well as they did in the 24-17 victory over the Jets on Sunday at MetLife Stadium.
The Good
Running back and all-everything Darren Sproles. He sparked the Eagles with an 89-yard punt return for a TD and scored a 1-yard TD to end the first half.
Linebacker Jordan Hicks recovered a fumble when Brandon Marshall tried to lateral late in the first half. The fumble led to Sproles second TD. His fourth-quarter interception off a deflected pass may have saved the Eagles.
Defensive end Brandon Bair may have gained more playing time, deflecting two passes, including a fourth-quarter tipped pass that led to Jordan Hicks' interception.
Running back Ryan Mathews ran hard, gaining a game-high 108 yards on 25 carries, one for 28 yards. Mathews 23-yard TD reception from Sam Bradford gave the Eagles a 17-0 lead.
Rookie cornerback Eric Rowe had a pick and defended another pass in the third quarter. The player Chip Kelly was hoping to get looked like in the second half against the Jets.
Safety Malcom Jenkins has continued to play well. He was all over the field, among the leading Eagles tacklers—two coming on special teams.
Safety Walter Thurman's interception with 3:28 to play sealed the victory for the Eagles.
The Bad
Kicker Cody Parkey keeps having problems. His one kickoff bounced out of bounds in the first half, giving New York good field position. His kickoffs have been notoriously short.
The Ugly
The drops. Ryan Mathews dropped one. Sproles, who had a great game, dropped another on a wheel route that looked like a clear path to the end zone in the third quarter.
Tight end Zach Ertz coming out of the timeout with 1:14 left to play getting called for a false start, forcing them into a third-and-16 when they were trying to run out the clock.
