The Philadelphia Eagles got their first win of the season against the Jets despite DeMarco Murray being out in Week 3 and players like Darren Sproles and Ryan Mathews stepped up in his absence. Sam Bradford struggled again, but the Eagles now have a win heading into Week 4 and have avoided the dreaded 0-3 start.
The Eagles made a number of big moves this offseason, including adding Bradford and Murray, but so far those two players have struggled to get things going. The Eagles came into the game 0-2 and while the NFC East division has been up and down overall, the team did not want to go winless in three games. The Jets have never beaten the Eagles and that is still the case after Week 3. Murray was inactive after suffering a hamstring injury and moving forward he could be limited a bit until he is fully healthy.
Mathews and Sproles stepped up for Murray and they were the main reasons why the Eagles ended up getting the win. Bradford struggled overall, but Murray came through rushing the ball, going for over 100 yards and also added two catches for 20 yards and a touchdown. Mathews rushed for 108 yards on 25 carries and his work was a major improvement over Murray the first two weeks, as he had just 11 yards on 21 rushes in the two losses for Philly.
Darren Sproles showed why he is worth a gamble for fantasy owners, as he hit big with a punt return touchdown and a rushing touchdown in the game. Sproles had four catches and also had a very impressive return TD, which went for 89-yards and helped spark the Eagles. The team had to hold off the Jets late as the team tried to come back, but the Eagles were able to do so and now they remain in the mix behind the Cowboys in the division for the time being.
Chip Kelly praised his team in the press conference after the game and said that he felt good about getting the first win of the season. Kelly was asked about Bradford and he continued to express confidence in his quarterback. Bradford has three touchdowns and four interceptions this season and on Sunday he only had 118 yards with one touchdown while completing half of his 28 passes. Kelly is expecting more out of Bradford and the offense and now the team takes on the Redskins, who lost to the Giants on Thursday.
The Eagles defense is dealing with life without Kiko Alonso and that injury was a major hit after the team traded LeSean McCoy for him to the Bills. The Eagles schedule picks up and now that the team has avoided the 0-3 hole there are chances for improvement. The team needs to get Murray going and if he can't be 100 percent for Week 4, expect more work from Mathews and Sproles on offense.
