It’s gameday! The Eagles are hosting the New York Jets in what is a matchup that has ‘W’ written all over it. But, that doesn’t mean we’re without bold predictions. It’s time to look into the Crystal ball once more!
Records so far:
Liam: 5-20
Thomas: 2-10
Liam’s picks:
Zoom zoom
The Jets cornerback corps has been dreadful this season. Allowing 286.7 passing yards per game, they’re not that far behind the Eagles…which is never a good thing.
One man struggling in particular, however, is Darryl Roberts, who has a PFF grade of just 43.9 so far. The Eagles will challenge Roberts vertically and without DeSean Jackson in the mix, that role will again fall to Mack Hollins.
Hollins already has 10 receptions in 2019, just nine less than his rookie season and is averaging 12.5 yards per catch, spicy. If the Eagles are going to obliterate the Jets defense, they have to be aggressive in challenging a faltering cornerback group.
My first bold prediction is for Hollins to catch his first TD of the season and register at least 50 receiving yards.
Sanders builds on his game
The first quarter of 2019 has been a mixed bag for rookie running back Miles Sanders. He led the team in receiving yards one week and fumbled the ball twice in quick succession, the next.
But last week’s win over Green Bay showed plenty promise, with Sanders having a 72-yard game, which is just as well considering the Jets vaunted run defense stands in front of him.
The Jets will be so focused on stopping the run however that I think it will open up options in the passing game, especially for Miles Sanders. I predict that as a result, he’ll put up 50+ receiving yards and score a receiving touchdown.
McLeod’s magic
If you haven’t seen my Film Room on Rodney McLeod, there’s still time before the game begins!
The Safety was used just about everywhere in last week’s win. He played inside, outside, in the box, and over the top, which is unusual. The Eagles are short at cornerback however and a plentiful group of Safeties is being asked to pick up the slack.
McLeod leads the team in tackles through four games and has been borderline-elite for the most part. With QB Luke Falk likely throwing from behind all game, I’m predicting McLeod to pick off his first pass of the season and lead the team in tackles again.
Dallas shines in New York
There’s been a lot of hype surrounding Dallas Goedert and his run-blocking this week, and rightly so. But the Jets have cluster injuries at linebacker and after two key drops earlier in the season, this has to be a red-circle matchup.
Goedert should be able to sneak underneath while Ertz draws all of the main attention, opening up the road to Checkdown city. I think Goedert records 70+ receiving yards and his second touchdown of 2019.
Breakin’ a Sweat
Luke Falk + Le’Veon Bell and an offensive line that is still kind of sub-par = the day that the Eagles should finally be able to get home to the quarterback. But I don’t think it’ll be Fletcher Cox, Brandon Graham, or Derek Barnett stealing the show.
Josh Sweat has flashed immensely in both of his last two games and has come heartbreakingly close to his first sack in both. That changes today, with the second-year edge rusher forcing 2 QB hits and a sack.
Thomas’ picks:
- Agholor gets 70 yards and a TD. He has a favorable matchup in man-coverage against slow corners.
- The Eagles will have less than 100 rushing yards. The Jets suck against the pass, so Wentz is going to sling it while New York stacks the box,
- Dallas Goedert records his second touchdown of 2019.
- Eagles double their current season sack total (3) after this game.
- Eagles win by under 10 points. The Eagles secondary is struggling and Gase can buy time to pass with chip blocks as other coaches have done before him.
What are your bold predictions? Let us know in the comments!
Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
