The New York Jets defeated the Philadelphia Eagles for the first time in NFL history. The Eagles entered the contest as the final undefeated team in the league, following another upset on Sunday when the Cleveland Browns defeated the San Francisco 49ers. The Jets knocking off the defending NFC Champions capped off a wildly unpredictable Sunday.
The Eagles leave tonight’s contest with more questions than answers. Philadelphia entered tonight’s game with one of the better-rushing attacks in the NFL, and, for some reason, first-year offensive coordinator Brian Johnson appeared to abandon the run, placing the entire game plan on QB Jalen Hurts.
The Philadelphia signal-caller played well through three quarters, but the fourth quarter was a disaster for Hurts and the offense. Turnovers, mental lapses, dropped passes, and mind-numbing play-calling will get you beat in the NFL, and it caught up with Philadelphia on Sunday.
Give the Jets plenty of credit. Their front seven seemed to overpower the Eagles’ offensive line. Hurts was running for his life throughout the contest. (Offensive tackle Lane Johnson was lost for the game early in the first quarter, which hindered the offensive line.)
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What Did Social Media Say Following the Jets-Eagles Upset?
Several social media commentators are calling for the Eagles to fire OC Brian Johnson. The Eagles miss Shane Steichen; there is no other way to say it. Steichen is one of the better offensive minds in football, so there was an expectation that the Eagles would take time to adjust to a new offensive coordinator.
If Brian Johnson still has his job by tomorrow It’s going to be a long season. Pitiful play calls all year and this game is finally the one that got us. We should have lost multiple games already nobody looks confident in what’s happening . #PhiladelphiaEagles @Eagles
— SMITTY (@J_Smit_33) October 16, 2023
If you aren't going to fire Brian Johnson then I don't wanna hear excuses nor statements.
— Out of Context Philadelphia Eagles (@mexican_eagles) October 16, 2023
Unfortunately, Johnson’s play-calling has become vanilla and needs additional creativity.
5-1, but that 12-1 hurts the most. Terrible game. Maybe Brian Johnson ain't the answer as OC. #FlyEaglesFly https://t.co/JUhBpgt0p1
— Out of Context Philadelphia Eagles (@mexican_eagles) October 16, 2023
Many social media NFL commentators gave credit where credit is due to the Jets defense. The unit caused four turnovers and set up the game-winning score by intercepting Hurts, returning the pick inside the 10-yard line. As sloppy as the Eagles offense was, the victors get the spoils.
MORE: Philadelphia Eagles Depth Chart
Eagles receiver DeVonta Smith had some critical drops and took responsibility for them.
“I gotta catch the f*cking ball.”
– DeVonta Smith on his drops in the #Eagles 20-14 loss pic.twitter.com/43RRcVkNDN
— Philadelphia Eagles Central (@pheaglescentral) October 16, 2023
Where Do the Eagles Go From Here?
As with many teams around the NFL, the injury list for the defending NFC champions is a mile long. The entire secondary is banged up, and missing potential defensive rookie of the year Jalen Carter up front doesn’t help matters.
On the offensive side of the ball, losing Lane Johnson for any length of time is a massive hit. Johnson is one of the best tackles in the game, and the Eagles offense is not as dominant up front without him.