Eagles Move to 3-2 with 31-6 Demolition of Jets

The Eagles offense was sort of a no-show, but the defense was present and accounted for in a 31-6 beat down of the visiting New York Jets on Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field.

The win lifted the Eagles’ record 3-2 as they prepare to set out on a three-game road trip now, with trips to Minnesota next week, Dallas the following week then capped by Buffalo.

It was wonderful send by a defense that had just three sacks entering the game.

Defensive end Brandon Graham led the sack parade with three, which was a career high for the veteran. His previous single-game best was back on Dec. 13, 2012 against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Orlando Scandrick, signed just this week, had two sacks. The cornerback also accounted for one of the defensive scores. On his second sack, he ripped the football away from Jets quarterback Luke Falk and raced 44 yards to make the score 21-6 with 7:39 to go in the fourth quarter. Scandrick’s first sack also produced a fumble, but the loose ball skipped out of bounds.

Also recording sacks were Derek Barnett, his second this year, Vinny Curry, is first of the season, Hassan Ridgeway, Daeshon Hall, and Josh Sweat, which was the first of Sweat’s two-year career.

The 10 sacks tied for the second-highest total in franchise history. The last time they Eagles defense had 10 was against the Detroit Lions in 2007. The record is 11, which happened in 1991 against the Troy Aikman-led Dallas Cowboys.

Linebacker Nathan Gerry had the Eagles’ other defensive touchdown.

On a fourth-and-one, Falk tried to throw the ball to Le’Veon Bell. Gerry stepped in front of it and rumbled 51 yards into the end zone. It was the first pick-six of Gerry’s career, and gave the Eagles a 14-0 lead in the first quarter. It was the second pick of the season for Gerry and third of his three-year career.

The defense held New York (0-4) to just 128 yards of offense and nine first downs. It certainly helped the cause that Sam Darnold missed another game as he recovers from mono. Falk made his second career start in Darnold’s place.

The Eagles’ defense may have had a shutout except Corey Clement muffed a punt that gave New York the ball inside the red zone at the Eagles’ 19-yard line. On the first play from there, Vince Smith raced into the end zone on an end around.

The Eagles’ offense, however, struggled. Late in the first half, they had just 97 yards of total offense. They ended the game with 265 yards and just 17 first downs.

Quarterback Carson Wentz was just 17-for-29 for 189 yards and one touchdown. His passer rating was 89.6.

The running game, which hammered out 176 yards in last week’ win over Green Bay, finished with just 84.

Penalties were their undoing. The Eagles committed nine of them for 76 yards, and often times had them playing behind the chains in first-and-long and second-and-long downs.

The offense did have its moments, with Jordan Howard scoring his team-high fifth touchdown of the season, this one on a one-yard plunge that opened the game’s scoring, and the first touchdown of the season by tight end Zach Ertz, who has scored eight touchdowns in each of the past two years.

Also, Darren Sproles put up 32 all-purpose yards to move into fifth-place on the NFL’s all-time all-purpose yards. Shortly after moving up the ranks, Sproles suffered a quad injury and did not return.

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