Two of the biggest surprise teams of the 2015 NFL season -- one good, one bad -- will face off on Sunday afternoon when the New York Jets host the Philadelphia Eagles at MetLife Stadium. When the league schedule came out in April, there were few people who could have predicted the Jets as the undefeated club and the Eagles as the winless one heading into this now-pivotal Week 3 matchup.
Eagles vs. Jets 2015 live stream: Time, TV schedule and how to watch online
The Eagles are 0-2 and their offense is broken. On Sunday they take a trip to MetLife Stadium to face the undefeated Jets and the league’s best defense. Uh oh.
The season couldn’t have started much worse for Chip Kelly. After a winter filled with questionable moves that had people wondering whether he was a genius or a lunatic, the team looks to be in disarray and none of his offseason gambles have paid off. When the only positive thing you can say is that your quarterback is still healthy, you know you’re in trouble.
After cutting offensive line stalwarts Evan Mathis and Todd Herremans and trading away franchise running back LeSean McCoy, the ground game is clearly wounded. Despite the addition of last year's rushing champion, DeMarco Murray, the Eagles have rushed for a league-worst 70 yards on 33 carries. There are 35 players who have more rushing yards than the entire Eagles offense this season!
The problem starts up front with an offensive line that is getting manhandled in the trenches. Eagles running backs have been tackled at or behind the line of scrimmage on a league-high 39 percent of their attempts.
Murray has had virtually no room to run, gaining just 11 yards on 21 carries this season. According to Elias Sports Bureau, he is the first defending rushing champ to have that few rush yards in his first two games in nearly 80 years (Doug Russell, 1936 Chicago Cardinals). His pathetic yards-per-carry mark (0.5) is certainly problematic, but perhaps a bigger concern should be the fact that he's only been handed the ball 11 times in two games.
The Jets are probably the last team that the Eagles and their dreadful offense want to face in Week 3. Gang Green is 2-0 for the first time since 2011 thanks to a dominant, playmaking defense that has lived up to the preseason hype.
The Jets have allowed the fewest points in the league (17) and they are the only team that hasn't allowed a red zone touchdown this season. The biggest difference maker has been their ability to force turnovers. One year after ranking last in the league with 13 takeaways, the Jets already have a league-best 10 this year. They are the first team with at least five forced turnovers in each of their first two games since the 1992 Pittsburgh Steelers.
Although the offense has been lackluster and inconsistent, there probably is enough talent around Ryan Fitzpatrick to be competitive with the top teams. They've clearly benefited from the game-changing ability of the defense, too, with 31 of their 51 points scored this season coming off turnovers.
Expectations are soaring for this Jets team, which is trying to improve to 3-0 for the first time since 2009. That's the same season that a defensive-minded rookie coach (Rex Ryan) led the Jets to a 9-7 record and a trip to the AFC Championship. No pressure, Mr. Bowles, right?
How to Watch:
When: 1 p.m. ET
Where: MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, N.J.
Network: FOX
Announcers: Kevin Burkhardt, John Lynch, Pam Oliver
Online: NFL Game Pass, FOXSportsGO
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