Philadelphia Eagles @ New York Jets
Final Score: Eagles 19, Jets 17
Writer: Chris Helle (@ChrisHelleQBL on Twitter/X, Reddit)
Unless you’re a fan of either of these teams and intently watching how the 53-man roster shapes out, this wasn’t a very important game to follow. Both teams were rolling out their roster-bubble players as the cut deadline quickly approaches. At QB, Kyle McCord played the full game for the Eagles while the Jets started Brady Cook for the first half and brought in Adrian Martinez for the second. It was a really sloppy contest. The first half saw 8 punts and a trade of interceptions, but Philly held a lead of 6-3 at the break. The Jets fell behind by starting the second half with a missed field goal, a fumble, and an interception, while Montrell Johnson Jr. had a 15-yard TD for the Eagles. The Jets bounced back with a pair of TDs by Lawrence Toafili and Donovan Edwards, but a failed 2-pt conversion attempt set the stage for a do-or-die final drive for the Jets that stalled and turned it over on downs.
Two Up
- Montrell Johnson Jr. – He put a lot of good reps on tape, including his TD, to separate himself from the remainder of Philly’s RBs.
- Jamaal Prtichett – Despite starting the game as a special teamer, his reps at WR were impressive and showed his versatility.
Two Down
- Eagles QBs – Kyle McCord played the full game and looked uninspiring while Dorian Thompson-Robinson rode the bench. Sunday, the Eagles acquired Sam Howell in a trade, likely signalling their lack of faith in either to be the QB3 behind Tanner McKee.
- Adrian Martinez – Was nowhere near as effective a passer as Brady Cook. His ability to extend plays with his legs was impressive, but he couldn’t close out the final drive with the game on the line to give the coaches anything more to think about.
Philadelphia Eagles
Quarterback
Kyle McCord: 15/35, 136 Yards, 1 INT | 3 Carries, 3 Yards
McCord was given the opportunity to earn his spot on the depth chart by playing the full game for the Eagles. Unfortunately for him, consistency was not on his side as errant throws were sprinkled in throughout the game. He tried to make up for this by taking shots at some deep balls, but overthrowing a ball into double coverage resulted in an easy interception by the safety on the Eagles’ third drive. There were a number of decent passes dropped by the receivers, but the misfires were all inexcusable.
Running Back
Montrell Johnson Jr.: 15 Carries, 57 Yards, 1 TD | 2 Targets
Johnson provided a spark to this backfield that none of his counterparts could match. He was explosive through the gaps at the line of scrimmage and made a number of strong cuts to make the first defenders miss. His 15-yard tuddy was a mix of his explosiveness and good blocking before he fought his way through the second-level defenders. Both of the targets that came his way were uncatchable, but he likely showed enough of his skill set as a runner to earn a roster spot.
Keilan Robinson: 9 Carries, 23 Yards | 1 Target
Philly alternated drives between Johnson and Robinson in the backfield. He had a few shifty runs, but was swallowed up at the line of scrimmage more times than not. His longest run went for 12 yards, but could have been much more if he hadn’t gotten too excited and stumbled in the open field. To my eyes, Johnson appeared to be the more well-rounded RB, but maybe Robinson can sneak into the 53-man roster for special teams.
ShunDerrick Powell: 1 Carry, -4 Yards
Ben VanSumeren: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 11 Yards
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Terrace Marshall Jr.: 7 Targets, 5 Receptions, 51 Yards
A relatively strong day for Marshall could have been even better had there not been a number of missed opportunities. Almost all of his production came on short and quick release routes, while he dropped one, and a deeper pass was broken up by the defender. McCord threw one deep for him that was well overthrown, though it doesn’t show in the stat sheet as the play was called off by a penalty.
Elijah Cooks: 6 Targets, 2 Receptions, 14 Yards
Cooks did what he could with the opportunities he had. One of the balls that went his way was broken up by the defender, but he made a few contested catches, including one that didn’t count because McCord led him out of bounds. All of his other targets were off the mark.
Ainias Smith: 5 Targets, 2 Receptions, 10 Yards
It was much tougher sledding in this one than Smith had in either of his other two preseason games. His two catches came on a screen and a shallow crosser, but he dropped a pass and slowed down on another missed target. He was the designated punt returner for the day, so hopefully his usage there and his prior performances aren’t forgotten by the coaching staff.
John Metchie III: 2 Targets, 1 Reception, 14 Yards
Recently acquired by Philly, Metchie only played into the early 2nd quarter before being pulled from the game. Both of his targets came immediately on their first possession: short routes, with one being off the mark by McCord. He actually was targeted again on their second possession, but it was another errant throw by McCord that got wiped from the box score due to a penalty.
E.J. Jenkins: 3 Targets, 2 Receptions, 9 Yards
Darius Cooper: 3 Targets, 1 Reception, 8 Yards
Kyle Granson: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 19 Yards
Cameron Latu: 1 Target, 0 Receptions
Ife Adeyi: 1 Target, 0 Receptions
New York Jets
Quarterback
Brady Cook: 13/19, 99 Yards, 1 INT | 2 Carries, 13 Yards
There might not have been any highlight-level plays, but Cook played very well outside of 2 passes. The first was a poor decision throwing to a receiver who was locked up, and his other was an underthrown out route that the CB made a great play to undercut. All of Cook’s other incompletions came from a few drops and a spike during the final 2-minute drive of the half. His ball placement was impressive on most of his throws, and he led a strong final drive to get points on the board going into the half.
Adrian Martinez: 7/14, 86 Yards, 1 INT | 1 Carry, 13 Yards, 1 Fumble (Lost)
Martinez was brought in for the second half, and it was abundantly clear that his mobility is his forte. He almost threw an interception on his first drive, had the defender not dropped it, and still turned the ball over twice in the rest of the half. The fumble shouldn’t be entirely on him, as the blindside defender hit his arm while he was throwing it, but Martinez wasn’t stepping into his throws. Almost all of his passing production came from easy throws that the receivers made yards after the catch. Sack avoidance might be his other calling card, but the errant throws were ugly… and often.
Running Back
Lawrance Toafili: 7 Carries, 38 Yards, 1 TD
There’s no doubt that Toafili was the most exciting runner for the Jets’ backfield. He seemed to always make the first man miss regardless of how long he broke the run off for, and had an elusive 19-yard TD where he made three defenders look silly. He was also returning kicks, so the coaching staff appears to like what they have in the rookie.
Kene Nwangwu: 6 Carries, 29 Yards | 4 Targets, 3 Receptions, -1 Yard
While Toafili and Edwards each found the paydirt, Nwangwu made a decent case for earning a roster spot. He showed good vision on his runs and made a few great cuts to get to the second level. One of his checkdown targets was a flat-out drop, but he did have a screen designed for him that was unfortunately sniffed out by the defense.
Donovan Edwards: 9 Carries, 26 Yards, 1 TD | 2 Targets, 2 Receptions, 11 Yards
The Michigan alum is a bruising runner who knows how to get downhill. He broke off runs of 22 yards and 16 yards that both got erased by penalties. His touchdown was a short 1-yarder, though he failed to convert the ensuing 2-point conversion. It will be a difficult decision for the coaches to decide who to keep for this running back room.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Jamaal Pritchett: 7 Targets, 4 Receptions, 54 Yards
Pritchett’s day almost started in disaster, muffing a punt that was luckily recovered by his teammates. He made up for it with a huge 41-yarder on his next return. He was brought in as a receiver for the second half and showed his play-making ability on a few catches with impressive yards after the catch. The missed targets were on uncatchable balls.
Brandon Smith: 4 Targets, 3 Receptions, 42 Yards
Smith’s calling card of the day was a nice 21-yard reception on a dig over the middle. The lone incompletion his way was a pass broken up by the defender, but he later made up for it with a strong-handed contested catch for a 14-yard gain.
Quentin Skinner: 4 Targets, 3 Receptions, 40 Yards
Skinner’s route tree was on full display. He started his day off with an impressive 27-yard deep ball. His other two completions were shorter passes, a hitch and slant, but he had a 24-yard reception that got wiped from the box score due to a penalty.
Arian Smith: 1 Target, 0 Receptions | 1 Carry, 10 Yards
Dymere Miller: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 24 Yards
Jeremy Ruckert: 2 Targets, 2 Receptions, 8 Yards
Stone Smartt: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 4 Yards
Zack Kuntz: 3 Targets, 1 Reception, 3 Yards
Neal Johnson: 1 Target, 0 Receptions
Malachi Corley: 2 Targets, 0 Receptions