Eagles beat writers make their predictions for the Jets game in Week 6

by Jeff McLane, EJ Smith, Josh Tolentino, and Olivia Reiner
Published Oct. 13, 2023, 5:00 p.m. ET

The Eagles visit the New York Jets on Sunday. Here are the game predictions from the beat writers.

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Jeff McLane

EJ Smith

Josh Tolentino

Olivia Reiner

Jeff McLane

If the Jets are to have any chance against the Eagles, their defense will likely have to carry the day. They have playmakers at all three levels, specifically defensive linemen Quinnen Williams and Bryce Huff, off-ball linebackers Quincy Williams and C.J. Mosley, and cornerback Sauce Gardner. The Jets’ run defense numbers aren’t great. They’re allowing nearly 4½ yards a rush and are susceptible on the edges. I could see the Eagles running a lot of outside zone and sweeps. If the O-line concentrates a similar amount of attention on Quinnen Williams that it did last week vs. Aaron Donald, the Jets — unlike the Rams — have enough at other spots to compensate. But I think D’Andre Swift and a seemingly rejuvenated Jalen Hurts will have opportunities on the ground.

» READ MORE: Jalen Hurts ‘gets freaky’ with his legs, and all seems well again for the QB after the Eagles upend the Rams

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In the passing game, the Jets are statistically stronger. They’ve had considerable success covering tight ends, and kept Kansas City Chiefs All-Pro Travis Kelce in check a few weeks back. Dallas Goedert is coming off his best game of the season, and if the Eagles can get him matched up against the linebackers in open space, I think he could have another big day. Jets coach Robert Saleh’s scheme became more quarters-heavy a year ago and is essentially still his base coverage. It’s an effective zone inside the red zone. The Jets have the third-best defense inside the 20-yard line, which may not bode well for the Eagles, who have struggled down there of late. Coach Nick Sirianni and play caller Brian Johnson need to call more passes into the end zone that take advantage of receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith and Goedert’s ability to win in the air.

The greatest edge the Eagles have is their defensive line against the Jets’ offensive line. There should be ample opportunity for Josh Sweat vs. Mekhi Becton, who moved from right tackle to the left a few weeks back. While Sweat has been consistent all season, Haason Reddick has rebounded from a slow start that was likely hindered by having to wear a cast on his surgically repaired thumb. He’s probably licking his chops with Max Mitchell penciled in to replace right tackle Alijah Vera-Tucker — the Jets’ best O-lineman — who suffered a season-ending injury last week.

The Jets are going to want to establish the run to help quarterback Zach Wilson. They average a third-best-in-the-NFL 5.4 yards a carry, with running back Breece Hall averaging over 7 yards a clip. The Eagles have among the league’s best run defenses, though, and defensive coordinator Sean Desai will likely welcome play calling that tilts toward the rush. The Darius Slay and Justin Evans injuries could further complicate matters on the back end for the Birds. Desai has had to juggle his lineup in the secondary for almost every week. But Jets receiver Garrett Wilson isn’t to be trifled with. It makes sense to shade coverage toward his side.

If the Jets can shorten the game with a strong running game, and if they can pressure Hurts enough on key downs, they stand a shot. Zach Wilson has played better since his deer-in-headlights performance once Aaron Rodgers went down for the season. But he hasn’t faced a defense anywhere near the Eagles’ level since the Cowboys in Week 2. I think he’ll fold here and it could possibly get ugly.

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Prediction: Eagles 33, Jets 16

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The Eagles are on a roll after a decisive victory in Dallas. They’ve won five in a row, the third-longest streak in the NFL, and moved into first place in the NFC East. Now comes what figures to be the harder part: on short rest, a primetime Thursday night showdown against a talented opponent, the Washington Commanders. Jeff McLane advances this high-stakes matchup between two division rivals separated by a half-game in the standings. Listen here.

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Even though the Eagles have flirted with upset losses at times this season, they looked more like their old selves against the Rams.

That version of the Eagles should be able to comfortably beat this Jets team. Going into the season, I predicted the Jets to hand the Eagles their first loss of the year, but as my colleague Mike Sielski pointed out earlier this week, Rodgers’ absence changes the complexion of things quite a bit.

» READ MORE: Lose to Aaron Rodgers? Understandable. Lose to Zach Wilson? That would be a major stumble for the Eagles.

With Slay and Evans both out for Sunday, the Eagles’ lack of continuity in the secondary may finally catch up to them. Still, this offense has been one of the worst in the league and there’s a path to beating the Jets for the Eagles through their pass rush.

For as much flack as Zach Wilson gets, and some of it is certainly deserved, the offensive line in front of him can’t be overlooked when considering his struggles the last two years. He has been pressured on 42% of his dropbacks this season, according to Pro Football Focus, which is the sixth-highest rate among qualifying quarterbacks. If the Eagles are able to take advantage of this porous Jets offensive line, even without Jalen Carter they should be able to neutralize Wilson and make the Jets a run-first operation.

On the other side of the ball, getting an early lead would go a long way toward eliminating the run-first option for the Jets. It won’t be an easy task; this Jets defense has impact players at premium positions and matches up decently against the Eagles as a result.

The second-year cornerback Gardner has the length and athleticism to stick with one of the Eagles’ top receivers, and Quinnen Williams will be a handful. Unlike Donald last week, though, the Jets have a deep group of interior rushers, which will put the onus on Landon Dickerson and Sua Opeta to win one-on-one matchups when the protections slide away from them.

If Gardner shadows Brown, Smith could have a big game after a quiet performance against the Rams last Sunday. The Jets will be without Gardner’s fellow starting outside cornerback D.J. Reed, leaving the side opposite the rookie of the year to unproven reserve corner Bryce Hall. At the very least, the Eagles’ track record would suggest Smith will be involved early after the one-catch game against the Rams.

Overall, the Eagles have enough talent and important matchup advantages to win. Missing Slay and Carter could put some stress on the defense to compensate, but the Jets offense hasn’t shown enough to suggest it’s truly ready to capitalize.

Prediction: Eagles 24, Jets 17

Unsurprisingly, the Jets aren’t the same team without Rodgers. However, Saleh still has the Jets expending maximum effort, and the defense remains one of the better units in the league. In their two victories, the Jets gave up just 16 and 21 points to the Buffalo Bills and Denver Broncos, respectively.

If they aspire to have any chance to upset the reigning NFC champions, then the road map to victory will be controlling time of possession and limiting the Eagles to fewer than 20 points. That’s a tough ask against a Hurts-led offense that has yet to hit full stride. Coming off his one-catch performance, expect Smith to pop off early. Linebackers Mosley and Quincy Williams are well-known names, but the Jets’ run defense has struggled, and that could create a clear path for Swift to explode. If the offense can correct its mistakes in the red zone, then the Eagles will further solidify themselves as one of the best teams in the NFL.

The Eagles will be undermanned on defense, but there’s still enough star power at all three levels to overcome Carter’s and Slay’s absences. Against Wilson and this banged-up offensive line, there should be plenty of opportunities for sacks and turnovers.

Prediction: Eagles 24, Jets 10

» READ MORE: How Sean Desai’s Eagles defense made adjustments and shut out Rams in second half of the Week 5 win

When the Eagles’ schedule was released in the spring, this matchup against the Jets seemed like the first real test of the season. Rodgers was expected to be the final piece that could put the Jets over the top and into Super Bowl contention, posing a threat to the Eagles roughly a third of the way through the season.

Alas, Rodgers is out with an Achilles tendon rupture, changing the complexion of this game, at least from a defensive standpoint for the Eagles. Zach Wilson is no four-time MVP Rodgers, but he has shown signs of improvement through five games this season. In his last two games (a 23-20 loss to the Chiefs on Oct. 1 and a 31-21 win over the Broncos on Oct. 8), Wilson completed 72.3% of his passes, a drastic improvement over his 56.3% career average.

Meanwhile, the Eagles’ passing defense ranks 25th in yards against (1,238) and 30th in touchdowns against (11). But in the second half last week against the Rams, the defense held quarterback Matthew Stafford to nine completions on 20 attempts for 75 yards and no touchdowns. The Eagles will try to build on their second-half performance last week without three starters in Slay (knee), Carter (ankle), andEvans (knee).

Still, the Eagles offense has a far more challenging task in going up against a talented Jets defense. Quinnen Williams, Quincy Williams, Mosley, and Gardner are some of the best at their respective positions in the league. The Eagles offense has gradually started to click, but the 27th-ranked red zone offense (42.1%) has yet to show real growth.

Despite their litany of sidelined players on defense, the Eagles have found ways to win this season while missing starters. If they can show up the same way they did in the second half against the Rams on defense and iron out some of their shortcomings in the red zone, then they have the potential to maintain their undefeated record against the 2-3 Jets.

Prediction: Eagles 27, Jets 17

The Eagles visit the New York Jets on Sunday. Join Eagles beat reporters Olivia Reiner and EJ Smith as they dissect the hottest story lines surrounding the team on Gameday Central, live from MetLife Stadium.