Jets rally late to beat the Eagles for the first time

The Jets’ undermanned defense showed up against the Super Bowl runner-up. It showed heart and fight and refused to lose. And the Jets as a whole showed they could wind up playing for something this season.

All seemed lost when Aaron Rodgers tore his left Achilles tendon four offensive snaps into the season. Not anymore.

The Jets beat the Eagles, 20-14, on Sunday at MetLife Stadium and will head into their bye with a 3-3 record.

This was a statement win. The Jets knocked off the last unbeaten team in the NFL and now are 1-12 against the Eagles.

They intercepted Jalen Hurts three times and forced four turnovers. The biggest was an interception by Tony Adams late in the fourth quarter with the Jets down 14-12. He returned it 45 yards to the Eagles’ 8-yard line, and on the next play, Breece Hall’s 8-yard touchdown run with 1:46 remaining gave the Jets the lead.

“The defense, per the usual, was outstanding,” coach Robert Saleh said. “These first six weeks, we’ve played a gantlet of quarterbacks. I know we haven’t gotten all wins, but we’ve embarrassed all of them.”

That’s a big statement from Saleh, but the Jets have gotten the better of Hurts and Buffalo’s Josh Allen. They lost a close game to Patrick Mahomes and Kansas City, but they made his night difficult.

It’s a testament to the defense, which held the Eagles and their second-ranked offense to zero points after halftime.

“Any given Sunday,” Saleh said.

The Jets were without starting cornerbacks Sauce Gardner and D.J. Reed, both of whom were sidelined with concussions. They also lost defensive back Michael Carter II during the game with a hamstring injury.

Their replacements stepped up. Everyone did for the Jets to pull off this improbable win, coming back from 14-3 down.

“You see what we do on a week-in and week-out basis. How can you count us out?” defensive end John Franklin-Myers said. “You see defensively we’re going to shut the door every time.”

The Eagles had one last shot from their 25, and the Jets’ defense came up big again.

Hurts threw incomplete on first and second down. On third down, he threw it to DeVonta Smith, but Quincy Williams made sure he went nowhere and held him to a 2-yard gain. On fourth down, Jordan Whitehead nearly picked off Hurts’ long pass to Smith that fell incomplete — and the Jets then lined up in victory formation.

“Our team didn’t blink,” defensive captain C.J. Mosley said. “I’m really proud of this team. I’m proud of this defense to be able to always work through adversity.”

The Jets struggled to put the ball in the end zone, going 1-for-4 in red-zone opportunities, but they got the one that counted.

Hall finished with 93 yards from scrimmage and the Jets’ only touchdown, which was followed by Zach Wilson’s two-point conversion pass to Randall Cobb. Greg Zuerlein kicked four field goals.

Zach Wilson completed 19 of 33 passes for 186 yards. Garrett Wilson caught eight passes for 90 yards. He suffered a non-contact injury but finished the game and later called the turf “garbage.”

Quincy Williams had 12 tackles and a fumble recovery, and Bryce Hall and Quinnen Williams also had interceptions. Jermaine Johnson had three passes defended and hit Hurts’ arm on one of his interceptions.

Hurts was 28-for-45 for 280 yards, passing for one TD and running for another. A.J. Brown had seven catches for 131 yards.

“We needed that win,” Zach Wilson said. “Everyone kept fighting. I thought everyone was battling all the way across the board. No quit in this team.”

The Jets, who also were without backup cornerback Brandin Echols (hamstring), faced an uphill battle. Hall started at one corner and Craig James at the other. James was elevated from the practice squad Saturday.

Tae Hayes, another practice squad call-up, also spent time lining up outside.

“Just really, really proud of the defense and its resolve,” Saleh said.

Leading 14-12 in the fourth, the Eagles had a chance to extend their advantage, but Jake Elliott missed a 37-yard field goal wide right with 8:13 left. Franklin-Myers had a big sack on third down for a 4-yard loss.

The Jets couldn’t capitalize on that break, though. They gave the Eagles the ball back five plays later, and they started at their own 20 with 4:43 left.

Philadelphia faced a third-and-9 from the 45 just after the two-minute warning with the Jets out of timeouts, and Hurts threw it into traffic. The pass was intended for Dallas Goedert, but Adams stepped in front of it to pick it off and put the Jets in position for the victory.

“We’ll always be in all these games,” Saleh said. “I think we’ll go toe-to-toe with anybody. It says a lot about this group and how mentally strong they are and how much they love one another and appreciate one another and fight for one another.

“We’re going to continue battling. We’re going to continue to try to find a way to write our story for this year.”

By Al Iannazzone

al.iannazzone@newsday.comAl_Iannazzone

Al Iannazzone covers the Jets for Newsday after spending nearly two decades on the NBA beat with Knicks and Nets.