After the 49ers shockingly lost to the Browns, the Philadelphia Eagles were the last remaining undefeated team in the NFL going into their Week 6 matchup with the Jets.
That only undefeated status didn't remain for long.
The Eagles fell victim to the stout New York defense, losing 20-14. It's tough to stomach a world where Jalen Hurts loses to Zach Wilson. But that's what happened. Who is to blame?
3. DeVonta Smith and the Eagles receivers
Hurts and the offense outgained the Jets. They converted 7-of-14 third-down attempts. However, there were key moments that proved to be the difference between victory and defeat.
The Eagles wide receivers have been a handful and a half for opposing defenses this year, but on Sunday they bailed out a Jets defense that was missing their top two corners. Drops were a major problem.
DeVonta Smith had two inexcusable drops. Even AJ Brown, who had seven catches for 131 yards, slowed down and then dropped a long pass that could have been a touchdown.
Smith took responsbility for his careless ness with a NSFW response about what the receivers need to do better.
There are other, bigger reasons the Eagles lost the game, but those drops and miscues made it that much harder for Philly to get points on the board. A better day from Brown and Smith might have gotten the Eagles out of dodge unscathed.
2. Jalen Hurts
You will not win many football games at any level when your quarterback throws three interceptions.
Jalen Hurts has become such a great NFL quarterback in part because he's limited his turnovers. He did the opposite on Sunday.
Hurts threw just six interceptions in the regular season last year and had only one multi-interception game. This year, he threw two picks against the Bucs but otherwise hasn't given the ball away cheaply very often. So the fact that he threw three interceptions against the Jets was unusual (it was the second three-INT game of his career), but still a problem.
Those throws shot the Eagles in the foot. As well as the Jets defense played, Philly still averaged 5.0 yards per play. They simply gave the ball away too often.
The timing of the INTs didn't help either. Hurts threw two picks with the Eagles clinging to a two-point lead. The go-ahead score was directly set up by Hurts' interception with 1:50 remaining in the game.
The Jets have a good defense but their secondary was depleted by injury. Having that type of outing isn't acceptable. It doesn't matter if you're harried by the pass rush. The job of the QB is to protect the football. Hurts has to be better. He knows this. The Eagles know this.
Cleaning it up is the first step towards Philadelphia getting back to winning ways.
1. Losing Lane Johnson
It's obviously not Lane Johnson's fault he went down injured. But it's pretty clear that Johnson's absence was a key piece to the puzzle of how the Jets got one over on the Eagles.
Jack Driscoll replaced Johnson when he went out with an ankle injury in the first quarter. The Philadelphia offense, which drove down the field for a touchdown on the opening drive, just wasn't the same without him.
And this isn't new. In the past when Johnson has been missing, the Eagles offense has looked worse off. The right tackle is that important, both in terms of protecting Jalen Hurts and clearing the way for the running game.
Fortunately, x-rays were negative on Johnson after the game, but the ankle sprain could still impact his availability for future games. That's a huge concern considering the performance without him.
On the plus side, the Jets have one of the best defenses in the NFL and Philadelphia won't have to face them again. The problem is the Eagles face the Dolphins next and the offense will need to be at its best to keep up with that high-powered attack.
