Eagles defeat Jets to earn first victory of season

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. There was no sigh of relief to be heard in the Eagles locker room on Sunday, but the belated satisfaction could not be concealed. The Eagles were a desperate team that needed to wait until late September to experience a victory, which finally came in a 24-17 win over the New York Jets on Sunday.

It occurred without some of the key players who were supposed to contribute and in a fashion unexpected for the roster constructed this season.

The injury report was more crowded than it has ever been for coach Chip Kelly, and an offense that was supposed to be high-powered produced few highlights. Kelly relied on depth, defense, and special teams to moved to 1-2 in a win he described as “gritty” and “ugly.” But it kept the Eagles and Philadelphia, for that matter from entering October in a panic.

“I think it can do a lot, especially for us,” quarterback Sam Bradford said. “The first couple of weeks, there was a lot of pressure on us. I feel like we were pressing a bit. It’s nice to get that first win. Now, the pressure is gone.”

The Eagles were down three key defensive players and high-priced running back DeMarco Murray. It was not an enviable position for a team trying to avoid an 0-3 start.

Ryan Mathews replaced Murray and rushed for 108 yards. Jordan Hicks filled in for linebackers Mychal Kendricks and Kiko Alonso and recovered a fumble and caught an interception. Brandon Bair filled in for Cedric Thornton on the defensive line and deflected three passes. Even when safety Chris Maragos was injured during the game, rookie Eric Rowe stepped in to record a key interception.

“Some guys had some opportunities to step up and make plays,” Kelly said. “When you have an opportunity, if you’re dressed and you’re part of the 46 1/8active on game day3/8, you’ve got to contribute.”

It also helps to have Darren Sproles, whose 89-yard punt return in the second quarter gave the Eagles their first touchdown and a 10-0 lead.

The sixth return touchdown of Sproles’ career and third since coming to Philadelphia last season invigorated the team during an afternoon when points were hard to find.

“I think it gave 1/8the offense3/8 a spark,” said Sproles, who noticed the momentum shift from the return.

Sproles and Mathews were a key part of the Eagles’ running game, which looked unquestionably better than it had in the previous two weeks. The Eagles scored on their opening drive for the first time this season. Mathews’ first carry went for 27 yards, which is more than Murray totaled in two games.

“We really just kind of went back to basics,” Kelly said. “I like 1/8Mathews’3/8 style in terms of how it fits with what we’re doing.”

It’s a downhill style that Mathews described as finding “the quickest way to get from Point A to Point B.” The offensive line did a better job opening holes against a defensive line that was superior to the units the Eagles faced in the first two weeks.

After Sproles’ return touchdown, the Eagles added to their lead with an eight-play, 75-yard drive that was their best of the afternoon. Bradford connected with Mathews for a 23-yard touchdown on a wheel route.

That was Bradford’s lone touchdown pass of the day. His performance was mediocre Bradford finished 14 of 28 for 118 yards and one touchdown but he also did not turn the ball over. Jordan Matthews was the only wide receiver who caught a pass.

Avoiding turnovers was key. The Jets entered the game atop the NFL with a plus-8 turnover margin. They had forced 10 on the season. The Eagles were plus-3 in that category on Sunday. Their only turnover was a Mathews fumble, and the defense forced four.

“We knew, especially offensively, that their defense does a great job forcing turnovers,” safety Malcolm Jenkins said. “So ball protection was going to be a premium. Defensively, we wanted to go from two takeaways a game to plus-3, plus-4. ... That’s the difference. ... It’s a seven-point game. You take away one or two of those turnovers, and we probably don’t win.”

The first turnover came after Mathews’ touchdown. Jets receiver Brandon Marshall tried a lateral after a 15-yard catch, and Hicks recovered the loose ball. The Eagles responded with a 1-yard touchdown run by Sproles.

The second turnover came in the third quarter, when the Jets were driving and Rowe intercepted a deep pass in the end zone after running stride-for-stride with wide receiver Devin Smith.

The next two turnovers came in the fourth quarter, and both were in Eagles territory. One came three plays after Mathews’ fumble, when Hicks intercepted a ball deflected by Bair. Jets coach Todd Bowles called it a “momentum changer.”

After an Eagles three-and-out, the Jets again drove into Eagles territory. Fitzpatrick’s pass deflected off Marshall’s hands and into the arms of a sprinting Walter Thurmond.

“They beat us at our own game,” Bowles said.

By the time the game ended, the Jets had 98 more yards than the Eagles, the same amount of offensive touchdowns, and better third-down and red-zone efficiency. But the Eagles had more takeaways, more rushing yards, and more points.

The Eagles’ problems are not yet fixed, but that is easier to tolerate when the bus ride home is spent celebrating a victory. They visit Washington next week with a win in the standings and a chance to regain their footing in the NFC East.

“It was kind of ugly,” Kelly said. “But it’s what we had to do to win this football game.”

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