The Sports Xchange

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — The New York Jets were trying to start 3-0 for the fifth time in franchise history, but the Philadelphia Eagles had other ideas on Sunday.

New York, which caused 10 turnovers while committing just two turnovers in the first two weeks, lost the turnover battle 4-1 and fell 24-17 to the Eagles.

“You can’t turn the ball over four times,” Jets head coach Todd Bowles said. “They beat us at our own game.”

Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick completed 35 of 58 passes for 283 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions for the Jets (2-1).

Fitzpatrick threw a 16-yard scoring strike to wide receiver Brandon Marshall with six seconds left in the first half and a 7-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Jeremy Kerley with 9:37 left in the game.

Jets kicker Nick Folk nailed a 53-yard field goal with 2:34 left, but the Eagles recovered the subsequent onside kick and ran out the clock

Marshall had 10 catches for 109 yards but committed two costly mistakes. He fumbled the ball out of bounds for a loss of 8 yards on a first-quarter catch and inexplicably tried to lateral to tight end Jeff Cumberland at the end of a 15-yard gain in the second quarter. The Eagles recovered the ball and Philadelphia running back Darren Sproles scored seven plays later.

“Wrong time to gamble,” Marshall said. “I was pressing, trying to make a play. Probably the worst play in NFL history.”

What we learned about the Jets

1. Everything needs to be in perfect concert for QB Ryan Fitzpatrick to win games. That’s not a knock on Fitzpatrick, who has been long on moxie and short on arm strength his entire career. But with RB Chris Ivory active but standing on the sideline because of a quad injury and No. 2 WR Eric Decker out with a knee injury, Fitzpatrick had little to work with Sunday other than WR Brandon Marshall (10 catches for 109 yards and one touchdown). RB Bilal Powell (seven catches for 44 yards) and out-of-mothballs WR Jeremy Kerley (six catches for 33 yards) aren’t stretching defenses. Nor did Powell (10 carries for 31 yards) do anything to open up the passing game for Fitzpatrick. The veteran still has a long leash — the whole world knows what QB Geno Smith can and most importantly can’t do — but Sunday was a reminder the Jets have almost no margin for error on offense.

2. With WR Brandon Marshall, you take the good and you take the bad — and you will get both. Marshall has a touchdown in all three games this year and at least 100 yards receiving in each of the last two, but he was responsible for maybe the worst play you’ll see on an NFL field this season in the second quarter, when he tried to lateral to TE Jeff Cumberland after a 15-yard gain. The ball bounced off Eagles LB Connor Barwin and was recovered by LB Jordan Hicks. The Eagles scored seven plays later — the decisive touchdown, as it turned out. The bizarre play was a reminder of a 2011 Monday night game in which Marshall, then a member of the Miami Dolphins, ran out of bounds untouched on what would have been a long touchdown catch against the Jets. Marshall is a terrific player — he surpassed 10,000 yards receiving on Sunday — but there are going to be reminders why he has never played for a playoff team.

3. CBs Darrelle Revis and Antonio Cromartie are aging and banged up — Revis with groin and hamstring injuries and Cromartie with a hyperextended knee — but nobody wants to test the potential Hall of Famers. Eagles coach Chip Kelly fancies himself the re-inventor of offense, but even he didn’t poke the bears on Sunday, when one Eagles receiver caught a pass. Burgeoning second-year star Jordan Matthews had six catches for 49 yards as Kelly has QB Sam Bradford rely on the running game and safe routes with RB Darren Sproles and TE Zach Ertz. With a limited offense, the Jets are going to need their superstar cornerback duo to scare teams into narrowing their own offensive game plans.

Etc.

–RB Chris Ivory (quad) was active Sunday but did not play a snap in the Jets’ 24-17 loss to the Eagles. Coach Todd Bowles said he decided not to play Ivory because he didn’t practice much during the week and he preferred to rely on RBs Bilal Powell and Zac Stacy, who combined for 34 yards on 12 carries. This will mark the fifth time in six NFL seasons that Ivory has missed at least one game. He has rushed 34 times for 148 yards and two touchdowns this year.

–RG Willie Colon (knee) was injured in the Jets’ 24-17 loss to the Eagles on Sunday. Colon was seen exiting MetLife Stadium on a cart shortly after the defeat. The 32-year-old underwent knee surgery after the 2013 season, opened training camp on PUP this year because of a left knee injury and has regularly been listed as questionable with a knee on the injury report this season. Coach Todd Bowles didn’t provide an update on Colon.

–WR Brandon Marshall had his usual interesting game on Sunday, when he finished with 10 catches for 109 yards and a touchdown in the Jets’ 24-17 loss to the Eagles. Marshall surpassed 10,000 yards for his career. He reached the milestone on a 14-yard catch. Marshall has a touchdown catch in all three games this season and has back-to-back 100-yard efforts. However, Marshall also authored one of the most bizarre plays of the season in the second quarter, when he tried to lateral to TE Jeff Cumberland after a 15-yard gain. The ball bounced off Eagles LB Connor Barwin and was recovered by LB Jordan Hicks. The Eagles scored seven plays later.

–TE Jeff Cumberland (head) was injured during the Jets’ 24-17 loss to the Eagles on Sunday. The Jets didn’t announce Cumberland’s injury until the final minutes of the fourth quarter. Coach Todd Bowles didn’t provide an update on Cumberland after the game. Cumberland, who was held without a catch in the first two games of the season, had two receptions for 10 yards on Sunday.

–CB Darrelle Revis (hamstring) didn’t play the final defensive series of the Jets’ 24-17 loss to the Eagles. Revis battled a sore groin during practice last week and was listed as questionable on the injury report. He said after the game that he was fine.