N.Y. Jets' QBs Sink Eagles 29-15

Bill Parcells insists the New York Jets don't have a quarterback controversy. Vinny Testaverde is out to change that.

The Philadelphia Eagles still have the special teams troubles that tormented them last season. And it's going to take a lot to change that.

Glenn Foley, who beat out Neil O'Donnell to be the Jets' quarterback, and Testaverde, who now wants to beat out Foley, each led two scoring drives in a 29-15 exhibition victory over the Eagles Thursday night.

"It felt good to get back out there," said Testaverde, who was cut by the Baltimore Ravens. "The offense did some things but sputtered a bit, that's what the preseason is about."

To the Eagles, however, it looked a lot like their 6-9-1 season of a year ago.

"Definitely, this was below expectations," fullback Kevin Turner said. "It was upsetting. But we did some good things, and it wasn't all negative."

Curtis Martin, the star running back who left New England to rejoin Parcells in New York, sat out with a hamstring injury and Foley didn't play much, but it hardly mattered as the Jets opened a 20-3 lead.

Foley started slowly by hitting only one of his first seven passes before finishing 6-of-13 for 67 yards in little more than a quarter.

Testaverde, signed after Parcells dumped O'Donnell and his $25 million contract, was 7-of-11 for 94 yards and a 12-yard scoring pass to Blake Spence during two quarters against mostly Eagles defensive reserves.

"I'm not going into the quarterback thing," said Parcells, who refused to be drawn into a postgame QB debate. "I don't think anyone was sensational."

Except maybe Richie Anderson. With Martin taking the night off, Anderson led th first two scoring drives by carrying 14 times for 66 yards -- or four fewer yards than he gained last season.

"We sputtered a little bit early, but if we can run the football, that will make everything go," Foley said. "We really ran the ball well. When our offensive line plays as well as it did, it makes my job really easy."

Anderson, finding big holes in an Eagles defense that underwent only minor off-season tinkering, carried six consecutive times on an 81-yard drive finished off by his 1-yard TD run that put the Jets ahead 10-3.

Before that, the former Penn State running back's 17-yard run led to John Hall's 27-yard field goal on the Jets' initial drive.

The Eagles made it interesting for their home crowd by scoring two touchdowns in a span of 2:28 in the third period.

No. 3 quarterback Koy Detmer, trying to hang onto his roster spot, connected with Kaseem Sinceno on a 19-yard scoring pass play that cut the Jets' lead to 20-9.

On the Jets' ensuing possession, Ike Reese punched the ball out of Robert Farmer's arms and Matt Stevens, whose personal foul penalty set up Spence's touchdown, returned the fumble 50 yards for a touchdown. But Chris Boniol missed the extra point.

Ray Lucas, the former Rutgers quarterback whom Parcells envisions as a Kordell Stewart-type who can play multiple positions, then came on to lead a 66-yard drive that restored the Jets' double-digit lead.

Jerald Sowell's 5-yard TD with 12:29 to play finished off the drive, and the Jets later were awarded a safety when the Eagles were called for holding in the end zone.

Eagles quarterback Bobby Hoying, given little protection by a rebuilt line that was missing first-round draft pick Tre Thomas, completed passes only to his running backs as he went 3-of-8 for 4 yards in the first quarter.

Thomas sat out after having four wisdom teeth removed Wednesday.

"At times we were sharp, but we have a lot of things to iron out," backup quarterback Rodney Peete said.

Philadelphia didn't have much of a ground game without the now-departed Ricky Watters, with replacement Charlie Garner gaining 13 yards on six carries.

Peete wasn't much sharper than Hoying, finishing 6-of-12 for 65 yards, but neither were the special teams in their first game under new assistant coach John Harbaugh.

Rodney Farmer returned the opening kickoff 45 yards to give Foley plenty of operating room, and Boniol missed a chip-shot 21-yard field goal attempt that was deflected at the line of scrimmage and an extra point. Dedric Ward also had a 37-yard punt return that preceded Spence's score.

"But it's much too early to start comparing this to what went on last year," said Jimmie Johnson, the Eagles' special teams captain last season. "We've got three more exhibition games to get it together."

Bryan Cox, the volatile former Miami and Chicago linebacker signed last week by the Jets, played more than expected. He got in for a few plays in he second quarter and played most of the third quarter.

Eagles tight end Jason Dunn injured a knee ligament in the first quarter and will undergo tests on Friday.

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