The Jets’ makeshift secondary will be tested this week.
Despite surviving against Denver, the Jets won’t play the Broncos at MetLife Stadium on Sunday. The Jets will face the undefeated favorite Eagles, who have Jalen Hurts, AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith, but will be without No. 2 cornerback DJ Reed, who is returning from a concussion.
At the beginning of the week, Reed was confident he would be able to play. He practiced limitedly on Wednesday and Thursday, but by Friday he had not cleared concussion protocol and did not practice. The Jets will also miss Reid’s backup Brandin Echols for the second straight week due to a hamstring injury.
This marks a new start for Bryce Hall, who performed well in the win over the Broncos. Hall recorded four tackles and returned Russell Wilson’s fumble 39 yards for the winning touchdown late in the fourth quarter.
Hall, 25, was a fifth-round pick in 2020 and had his best season in 2021. He started all 17 games that year, recording 16 passes defensed and 71 tackles. However, after the addition of Gardner and Reid, he played in just five games last season with no starts.
“He came to work every day like a rookie. You would never have known he was a relegated starter because he was intentional and aggressive in everything he did,” said the defensive coordinator. Jeff Ulbrich said. “Because of that, he gave himself a chance to have a big success for us on Sunday, and he did. And that was one of the things he talked about. [to his teammates] The night before the game, everyone knew he was going to play well because of that. ”
No. 1 corner Sauce Gardner (illness) missed Friday’s practice, but head coach Robert Saleh expects him to play. He is listed as a suspect.
A few injuries to the Eagles gave the Jets a breather. Philadelphia will be without key starters at cornerback (Darius Slay) and defensive tackle (Jalen Carter).
Carter, a rookie first-round pick (No. 9 overall), is off to a quick start becoming a key part of the Eagles’ top-ranked rushing defense. Starting safety Justin Evans (knee) was also placed on injured reserve by the NFC East powers.
Receiver/kick returner Xavier Gipson (ankle), defensive lineman Michael Clemons (ankle), and fullback Nick Bolden (calf) were all limited in Friday’s practice and are questionable. . …Special teams ace Justin Hardy (hamstring) has been ruled out.
