The New York Jets put an impressive, morale-boosting ‘W’ on the board last weekend with a 31-21 victory over the Denver Broncos in Colorado.

And now the goal is to secure back-to-back victories for the first time this season as Week 6 sees New York take on yet another formidable opponent in the Philadelphia Eagles. The Jets have already faced three playoff teams from last season in the Buffalo Bills, Dallas Cowboys and Kansas City Chiefs.

After beating Buffalo in Week 1 and running the Chiefs very close before losing by three in Week 4, the Jets will be aiming to take down the reigning NFC champion Eagles at MetLife Stadium on Sunday.

While Philadelphia boasts glitzy skill-position stars such as quarterback Jalen Hurts and wide receiver A.J. Brown, any battle with the Eagles features heavy action in the trenches. In their victory over the Los Angeles Rams last weekend, Philly rushed for 159 yards, gave up just one sack and controlled the clock for close to 38 minutes. Defensively, the Eagles recorded four sacks, limited the Rams to 54 rushing yards and did not allow a point in the second half.

But New York’s win in Denver offers encouraging signs heading into this weekend. The Jets ran the football 32 times for 234 yards and one touchdown at an average of 7.3 yards per rush. And they made plenty of plays on defence, similar to the Eagles in LA. The Jets recorded four sacks, scored on a game-deciding fumble return by defensive back Bryce Hall and held the Broncos to just one touchdown in the second half.

More impressive than the statistics was the fact that the Jets rallied together as a team, determined to take down Sean Payton’s Broncos. They continue to play with great spirit and passion – qualities that can carry teams a long way in the NFL.

It won’t be easy against the Eagles, that’s for sure; but the Jets have the right mindset when it comes to taking on the NFL’s elite, with Bryce Hall telling me this week: “That’s life in the National Football League.”

New York Jets Player to Watch

Breece Hall – Running Back… It was a joy to watch Breece Hall have a massive day against the Broncos on the very field where he tore his knee ligaments last season. Hall – who rushed for 177 yards on 22 carries – might just be the most explosive running back in New York’s history. He averaged 8.0 yards per rush in Denver and showed his home run ability by scoring on a 72-yard sprint. Getting Hall going against the league’s stingiest run defence would be a real boost.

Philadelphia Eagles Player to Watch

Jalen Hurts – Quarterback… The Eagles are led by one of the very best players in the league in quarterback Jalen Hurts, who has won 22 of his last 23 regular season games and his last 11 on the road. Hurts has heated up as a passer in the last two weeks, topping 300 yards in beating the Washington Commanders and the Rams. And he remains one of the most patient and physical running quarterbacks in the game. Hurts has started 39 NFL games and has 50 touchdown passes and 30 touchdown runs to his name.

Stat Attack!

As good as he has been in the past 13 months, Jalen Hurts could give just enough chances to New York’s opportunistic secondary led by All-Pro cornerback Sauce Gardner. Hurts has thrown four interceptions in five games this season having only tossed up six in 15 starts in 2022.

Keys to the game

The Jets have to dominate the trenches and that is not limited to protecting Zach Wilson and getting Breece Hall going on the ground. New York has a talented defence with playmakers all over the field, so they have to tighten things up in the running game having allowed 146.2 rushing yards per game.

If the Jets can limit the Eagles’ ground attack, that could force Hurts to take a few more risks through the air. And that’s when the Jets could potentially add to Hurts’ interception totals for the season.

Oh and one more key for whenever a team faces the Eagles… you need to have an answer to the ‘Tush Push’ or what is becoming known as ‘The Brotherly Shove.’ With big men pushing him from behind and Hurts crowd surfing on the backs of his offensive linemen, the Eagles have converted 91.7 percent of their third-and-one and fourth-and-one scenarios with their starting quarterback under centre in 2023.

Fear not Jets fans, head coach and defensive mastermind Robert Saleh says he has something for the much-talked-about play. We’ll find out if it works on Sunday evening…