[brid autoplay=”true” video=”847793″ player=”23231″ title=”NFL%20Power%20Rankings%20Top%2010″ duration=”undefined” description=”The 2021 NFL preseason has started, meaning football fans can get excited about the upcoming regular season. With Week 1 about a month away, let’s dive into our NFL power rankings.” uploaddate=”2021-08-18″ thumbnailurl=”//cdn.brid.tv/live/partners/17660/thumb/847793_t_1629321835.png” contentUrl=”//cdn.brid.tv/live/partners/17660/sd/847793.mp4″]
After performing well last week, New York Jets rookie quarterback Zach Wilson ends his first exhibition slate Friday evening in Jersey. Meanwhile, Jalen Hurts needs to get some work in for the Philadelphia Eagles after missing last week’s game with an illness. Below, we preview this Jets vs Eagles preseason finale.
New York Jets vs Philadelphia Eagles: What you need to know
- The Jets host Philadelphia at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on Friday Aug. 27 at 7:30 PM ET.
- Sportsnaut forecasts the Philadelphia Eagles will beat the New York Jets, 20-13.
- Odds: Jets are 3.5-point favorites with the over/under set at 33.5.
Zach Wilson vs Jalen Hurts
Presumed Philadelphia Eagles starter Jalen Hurts was unable to go in the team’s second preseason game due to an illness. The expectation is that Hurts will see action on the Eagles’ exhibition finale. There’s no reason to believe he’ll head into Week 1 having thrown just seven preseason passes.
As for rookie quarterback Zach Wilson and his Jets, the youngster needs all of the reps he can get heading into Week 1. He played extremely well last week against the Green Bay Packers, registering 128 yards and two touchdowns on 9-of-11 passing.
- Jalen Hurts hurting: Outside of the sophomore quarterback coming down with an illness last week, reports from Philadelphia have been mixed relating to his performance. Hurts’ preseason opener did nothing to change that. Simply put, he needs more reps heading into Week 1 against the Atlanta Falcons.
- Mr. Wilson shining: After some initial struggles in his NFL preseason debut, Wilson came to play big time last week in a win over the Packers. He found a nice connection with free-agent signing Corey Davis, too. That’s big given how much New York will be relying on the young duo. Look for the Jets to get Wilson some more action against the Eagles in their preseason finale.
Advantage: Zach Wilson
Click here to see where the Jets and Eagles stand in our latest NFL power rankings
Devonta Smith vs young New York Jets cornerbacks
Devonta Smith made his NFL preseason debut last week, catching two passes for 19 yards on four targets. Unfortunately, he was unable to get any work in with Hurts due to the latter falling ill ahead of the game. First-year Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni would love to see the two find a connection here.
Jets head coach Robert Saleh will be relying a lot on young cornerbacks to do their thing in his defensive scheme. Said corners will have a chance to prove themselves in New York’s preseason finale.
- Expecting a lot from Devonta Smith: Philadelphia didn’t trade up in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft to give Smith a redshirt rookie season. The team needs him to produce at a high level as a rookie. While making the transition from college to the pros can be hard, Smith has been Philadelphia’s best receiver this summer. That bodes well moving forward.
- Greenish in Jersey: Bryce Hall, Michael Carter III, Brandin Echols and Elijah Campbell are four members of the Jets’ cornerback group who the team expect to see the field a lot this coming season. We’re intrigued to see how all four perform in the exhibition finale.
Advantage: Devonta Smith
New York Jets running back competition
- Rookie Michael Carter saw a bulk of the action last week against Green Bay, going for an impressive 52 yards on 10 attempts. All things equal, New York would love to see him be a three-down back as a rookie.
- With that said, veteran Tevin Coleman might have something to say about who gets reps once Week 1 comes calling. He has experience in offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur’s system dating back to their time together in San Francisco.
Bottom line: This Jets vs Eagles should be rather interesting with both young quarterbacks slated to give it a go. We’re also intrigued to see how rookie skill-position players on both sides perform in this preseason finale.