No lyrics for this week’s game preview, it’s strictly business for the Philadelphia Eagles. Luckily for them, last night’s game went as planned for our beloved Birds. The former winless New York Giants defeated the Washington Redskins in a classic NFC East slopfest. That means with a win this week against the New York Jets, Philadelphia would return to relevance in their division.

But it won’t come easy as the Jets are one of the hottest teams in the NFL right now. They’re coming off an impressive win against the Indianapolis Colts on the road. Andrew Luck looked downright awful against the Jets’ new-look defense led by head coach Todd Bowles. Of course the Eagles are trying to finally get their offense going and they’ll have to do so against one of the best units in the league.

That being said, let’s get right into some matchups to watch for when the Eagles take on the Jets at MetLife Stadium!

Three Storylines To Watch For

1) Can the offense actually show up to play a full football game?

60 minutes, that’s how long a regulation football game is in the NFL. Someone might want to make sure the Eagles’ offense knows that because they’ve failed to show up in both of their games this season. Not only is the offense starting slow, they’re nowhere near as consistent as they normally are once they do get rolling. Considering he’s constantly praised for being an offensive guru, Chip Kelly has a ton of work to do in a short amount of time. It’ll be interesting to see if they can get anything going on the offensive side of the ball against the Jets.

2) Can the running game be brought back to life?

Remember when the Eagles had one of the best rushing offenses in the NFL? Yeah, I know it seems like a century ago but it isn’t. It’s embarrassing to see how poorly the offensive line is “blocking” in the running game. The Eagles have one of the NFL’s best backfields but it all means nothing if there aren’t any holes to run through. Kelly seems intent on making these sweep run plays work and it just isn’t happening. Either he starts making some changes this week in New York or they’ll continue to struggle to run the ball.

3) With injuries adding up, how will the Eagles’ defense perform?

The Eagles may take the field on Sunday without three starters on the defensive side of the ball. Mychal Kendricks, Kiko Alonso and Cedric Thornton are all injured and two of the three will miss Sunday’s game. Kendricks is the only player with a chance to play against the Jets and even if he does, he’ll likely be limited. That means other players such as Jordan Hicks and Brandon Bair will have to step up in their absence. Will the defense be able to carry the offense like they did in the season’s first two games?

Key Matchup To Watch For

Eagles’ offensive line vs. Jets’ defensive line

This matchup will likely determine the outcome of Sunday’s game. Considering how good the Jets’ secondary is, the Eagles only chance to win the game will be by running the ball. That means their struggling offensive line will have to somehow block Muhammad Wilkerson, Leonard Williams and the rest of New York’s big boys up front. Philadelphia’s offensive line will also have to be prepared for New York’s unique blitzes that Todd Bowles loves to use. If the Eagles’ offensive line continues to struggle, it could be another long night for the Birds.

Bettor’s Odds

According to Bovada, the Jets are 2 1/2 point favorites against the Eagles and rightfully so. Usually a team gets a 3 point advantage when they’re at home so this almost can be seen as the Eagles being the favorites as well. Either way it’ll likely be a close game with the Jets grinding out the win due to their defense.

My Prediction

As much as it pains me to say this, I don’t think the Eagles have a chance in this game. Somehow, someway their offense may turn things around but I just don’t see it happening. At least not this week against this insanely talented Jets’ defense. That being said, I’m picking the Jets to win by nearly a touchdown. The final score will likely make the game seem closer than it actually was.

Final Score Prediction: Jets 23, Eagles 17

That’s all for my Eagles vs. Jets preview, be sure to check back here at PhillyInfluencer.com for all of the latest news regarding your beloved Birds and everything else happening in Philadelphia!