Young, Jarrett go down in preseason finale for Birds - Gloucester County Times - NJ.com
By Brad Wilson
The Express-Times
EAST RUTHERFORD — Andy Reid and his assistants kept hinting all week that some Philadelphia Eagles starters could play in Thursday's preseason finale against the New York Jets. Offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg even said it was possible the offensive line could play as a unit.
But when the Eagles took the field, one starter (plus specialists) played — rookie right guard Danny Watkins, who can use the extra work. He played a quarter and impressed in straight-ahead blocking. Prudence obviously won the day over more game preparation for an almost-all-new offensive line. And prudence may have been the best move overall, given that Eagles lost second-round draft pick, free safety Jaiquawn Jarrett, to a first-half right-quad contusion and backup quarterback Vince Young to a right hamstring strain late in the second quarter.
The Eagles will open the regular season Sept. 11 in St. Louis.
• NOT SO SPECIAL TEAMS: The Eagles' special teams had their ups and downs — mostly the latter — in the first half.
Rookie kicker Alex Henery missed his longest attempt so far as an Eagle, a 43-yarder, wide left on the Birds' first possession of the game.
On Philadelphia's second kickoff of the game Henery did not reach the goal line. And Chad Hall fumbled away one punt return after muffing, but recovering, an earlier effort. The Jets turned the Hall turnover into a touchdown.
Then late in the half on a 31-yard field goal try, punter Chas Henry picked the ball up after the snap — a good idea given the kick was likely to be blocked — and threw an interception trying to make a play, but the play was negated by an offside call against ex-Eagle Isaiah Trufant.
On the other hand, Blair Academy graduate Dion Lewis, the Birds' fifth-round draft pick, opened the game with a 40-yard kickoff return. Lewis showed some flash in inside running and catching swing passes; he finished the first half with 62 yards rushing on 15 carries and a touchdown and caught three passes for 38 more yards.
• COOPER CRUSHED: Eagles' wide receiver Riley Cooper took a vicious upper-body hit from Jets' safety Brodney Pool in the first quarter while trying to haul in a Vince Young pass. Pool was penalized for unnecessary roughness on the play; Cooper lost his helmet but bounced right back from the hit.
Young limped off the field after throwing an incompletion on a 4th-and-1 from the Jets' 9 late in the second quarter but walked into the tunnel under his own power.
• LAST CHANCE: The fourth and final NFL preseason game is generally considered strictly for reserves -- and it had to be even more so for the New York Jets coming into Thursday's game with the Philadelphia Eagles at Metlife Stadium.
The Jets came into the Eagles' game having played their stadium co-inhabitors, the Giants, Monday night in a game postponed from Saturday due to Hurricane Irene.
Not for many years has an NFL team played on two days rest. The only Jets' starter who played was rookie defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson. Indeed, Jets' No. 2 quarterback Mark Brunell was ruled out before the game even started as well, leaving the work to rookie Greg McElroy from Alabama and second-year man Drew Willy.
McElroy left the game in the second with right thumb injury; he was battered by Eagles rookie linebacker Brian Rolle (1.5 sacks) during a short stint. McElroy finished 3-for-6 for 29 yards on the game. The Jets' fans responded with a show of apathy of their own — the stadium was well less than half well.
•CUTS: The Eagles released cornerback Jorrick Calvin Thursday and re-signed cornerback Jamar Wall, who they had released earlier in the week. Trufant, a cornerback who the Eagles cut Wednesday, was signed by the Jets Thursday. NFL rosters must be at 53 players by Saturday. The Eagles now carry 80 players.
•EAGLES-JETS CONNECTIONS: Birds' secondary coaches Johnnie Lynn and Michael Zorditch played for New York (Lynn from '79 to '86 and Zorditch from '87 to '88).
The Jets' assistant head coach/offensive line coach Bill Callahan spent 1995-1997 in Philadelphia as the offensive line coach, and Jets quarterback Matt Cavanaugh played for the Eagles from 1986 to 1989.
The Eagles and Jets have played every year in the preseason but one (2000) since 1985, meeting twice in 1992. The Jets had won every game since 2002 and lead the preseason series 20-10.
But when it matters, the Eagles are perfect against New York — 8-0 in the regular season.
02 Sep, 2011--
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