With most starters on both teams rested, Friday night’s game represented a last chance for young players and veterans on the bubble to impress ahead of final cuts on Tuesday. The Eagles outplayed the Jets for most of the night as they built a 16-point fourth-quarter lead, but the Jets rallied to make it interesting late in a 19-17 loss.
New York struggled offensively as undrafted rookie Brady Cook made the start and completed 13 of 19 passes for 99 yards and an interception. Adrian Martinez replaced him in the second half but had two turnovers in the third quarter as the Eagles extended a three-point halftime lead to 13.
Nick Folk’s 41-yard field goal represented the only first half points for the Jets, after Cook’s best drive of the day saw him connect with Brandon Smith and Quentin Skinner on a two-minute drill. Harrison Mevis had the chance to tie the game in the third quarter, but his 55-yard attempt missed and the Eagles capitalized with Montrell Johnson’s 15-yard touchdown run on the ensuing possession.
Down 16 in the fourth quarter, the Jets got into the end zone for the first time on rookie Lawrance Toafili’s 19-yard touchdown run with 9:12 to go. Martinez scrambled for the two-point conversion to cut the lead to eight.
New York then got the ball back and drove downfield to score again on a one-yard run by rookie Donovan Edwards, but Edwards was ruled short of the goal line on the potential game-tying two-point conversion.
The Eagles went three-and-out on their next drive, giving the Jets the ball back near midfield with a chance to win and 2:31 remaining. However, the drive stalled at the Eagles’ 42-yard line after a key Zack Kuntz drop and a penalty.
There was one injury concern as defensive back Jarius Monroe left the game with an apparent hamstring issue late in the third quarter.
Here are the key takeaways…
- Although most starters didn’t play, one who the Jets hoped might benefit from some extra reps was rookie right tackle Armand Membou. However, if giving him a few early possessions with the backups was intended to help build his confidence, it didn’t really work as he had a holding penalty and a false start to lead to consecutive three-and-outs.
- One offensive lineman who didn’t play was backup tackle Chukwuma Okorafor. This could be a sign that his spot on the active roster is safe despite some preseason struggles. Unlike Okorafor, Max Mitchell and Xavier Newman, who are in the mix for reserve roles, both saw action.
- The battle between Cook and Martinez is a significant one, especially in light of the fact that Tyrod Taylor is recovering from a knee procedure. Would the Jets trust either of them to take early season reps in the event of an injury to Justin Fields? If not, they may need to add some veteran insurance. Based on this game, that might be a priority unless they’re confident Taylor will be healthy in time.
- Rookie Malachi Moore has been talked up by Aaron Glenn but had been quiet in the first two preseason games, so it was encouraging to see him flash with an interception and a run stuff in the backfield. He also made an impact on special teams, which could be his main role this year.
- One defensive player on the bubble who helped his chances was defensive end Braiden McGregor, who had a handful of pressures, including a third down sack. That sack came on a play where they lined up with three defensive ends in the game with Eric Watts aligned inside. That might give a clue as to one of the pressure packages that Steve Wilks will deploy on passing downs this year.
- The Jets have been using Jamaal Pritchett as the punt returner throughout preseason, but he muffed a punt in the first quarter, which was troubling. He did atone later with a nice 38-yard return, but if the Jets are concerned about Pritchett’s ball security, then they may just stick with the incumbent Xavier Gipson in this role. Pritchett also led the Jets with 54 receiving yards on four catches, including a spectacular catch and run where he broke two tackles to get to the marker.
- After the first preseason game, it looked like the Jets might need to find room for Edwards. However, after a pedestrian performance last week against the Giants, he struggled to get anything going here. Despite the late score, he was arguably outplayed by Toafili.
- With the Jets having added two defensive tackles via trade during the week, Derrick Nnadi and Leonard Taylor III made the start and played into the fourth quarter with their jobs potentially on the line but neither made much impact. Jay Tufele was rested, which presumably confirms that his spot is safe. One interior defensive line reserve who stepped up was the undrafted rookie Payton Page, who had an impressive sack.
Game MVP
The most impressive player in this game was Eagles kicker Jake Elliott, who made all four of his field goal attempts, including two from beyond 50 yards. The fact that a kicker was the MVP sums up how uninspiring most of this game was.
Highlights
Malachi Moore with the pick! pic.twitter.com/A4eT3tEjDz
— Jets Videos (@snyjets) August 23, 2025
Lawrance Toafili for six! pic.twitter.com/u0KhaEMl5P
— Jets Videos (@snyjets) August 23, 2025
Adrian Martinez does the two-point conversion himself! pic.twitter.com/wV0gHrzdVI
— Jets Videos (@snyjets) August 23, 2025
Donovan Edwards for six! pic.twitter.com/6h9GlTN6CI
— Jets Videos (@snyjets) August 23, 2025
What’s next
With preseason in the books, the Jets can now look forward to their regular season opener at home against Aaron Rodgers and the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sept. 7 at 1 p.m.
Read the full article here