Eagles-Jets Halftime Recap

It's a beautiful day in the Meadowlands. The birds are singing, the Jets are flying, and the swagger of Gardner Minshew II is the highlight of today's game.

That's right, backup quarterback Gardner Minshew II is starting in place of Jalen Hurts, who was ruled out just a little over an hour before the game on Sunday.

The Philadelphia Eagles (5-7) have played in a back-and-forth scoring match against the New York. Jets (3-8) on this bright Sunday afternoon. Philadelphia is in the lead, 24-18.

On the Jets' opening possession, they had an explosive 81-yard punt return, setting them up for field goal territory already. Three minutes later, quarterback Zach Wilson connected with Elijah Moore for the touchdown.

Then, Minshew connected with his favorite target of the half, tight end Dallas Goedert, as well had help from running back Miles Sanders to score their opening possession. On a play fake from Minshew II, Goedert took it in for a touchdown.

So far, it's been a back and forth scoring game, both teams being able to score on their consecutive possessions. Now, it's a matter of defenses battling.

Philadelphia Eagles defense gave New York their first turnover just a few seconds before the two minute warning. With an Eagles blitz on the Jets 3rd and 3, that gave the Eagles another opportunity to extend their lead before the half.

When the Eagles had a holding call for 3rd and forever, Minshew II and Watkins connected for a crucial first down. The Eagles were since scrambling to get another few points on the board before the second half, and Elliott closed out their drive with a field goal.

Minshew II has had an impeccable day so far. Against a 32nd ranked defense, Minshew II threw 14-of-15 for 187 yards and two touchdowns. He also has three carries for 10 rush yards.

Zach Wilson has also had a great day. Wilson has 12-of-14 passes for 108 yards and two touchdowns.

Going into the second half, both teams need turnovers and aggressive defensive plays. The Eagles have never been a team to play harsh on defense this season, but if they want a chance at a playoff berth, they might need to start. If the Jets want a chance at back-to-back wins, they'll need to do the same.

You can catch all the second half action on CBS, as well as the sports radio station 94.1 WIP.

Photo Credit: Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images