The New York Jets battled against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday but their efforts, once again, came up short. The loss saw New York fall to 3-9 on the year. Despite the loss, there were certainly moments of optimism for the Jets, though there were also the typical concerns, too. It was bound to be a losing season in New York, so at this point, the team is just looking for positives to focus on after each game.

Even though Jalen Hurts didn't suit up, it was backup QB Gardner Minshew who displayed near pinpoint accuracy in this one as he guided the Eagles to the 33-18 victory. It was certainly a performance to forget defensively for the Jets, who not only struggled against the pass, but were also dominated by the running game.

Here are three takeaways from the Jets' loss to the Eagles in Week 13.

*Watch NFL games LIVE with fuboTV (Click for free trial)*

Jets Week 13 Takeaways

3. The defense really can't get much worse

The Jets' defense allowing the Eagles to torch them on the ground wasn't exactly a surprise. It was a battle of David and Goliath, in that regard, as the Jets possess a feeble rush defense, and the Eagles are one of the league's best running teams. However, with Jalen Hurts sidelined, as well as Jordan Howard, one would expect the Jets to at least put up a respectable performance against the run. That was far from the case in Week 13, as the Eagles racked up 185 rushing yards on 41 carries, picking up an average of 4.5 yards every time they ran the ball. Miles Sanders rushed for 120 yards, his first 100-yard rushing performance of the year, and even Kenneth Gainwell was finding ways to make big plays.

The Jets should have been able to hone in on the run and stack the box against Philly this week, but the pass defense was equally terrible. Allowing a backup quarterback to complete 80% of his pass attempts is asinine, and only stood to further allow the Eagles to exploit the Jets on the ground. The Jets were looking at a prime chance to catch a weakened Eagles offense by surprise, but instead, Minshew and Co. managed to drop 33 on the road.

2. Elijah Moore is coming into his own

Things on offense were certainly more positive, and one of the top performers in this one was rookie wideout Elijah Moore. The Ole Miss product has been on fire of late for the Jets, recording at least four receptions in five of his past six games. The rook brought his touchdown tally up to five for the season with an early score, his first TD connection with Zach Wilson this season. Moore was far and away the focal point of the Jets' offense, which is an incredibly positive sign for a rookie wideout, especially considering the lack of development the franchise has seen out of 2020 draft pick Denzel Mims. Moore was targeted 12 times on Sunday, hauling in six receptions for 77 yards and a touchdown. It was his fifth touchdown in as many games, and the 21-year-old is emerging as a true WR1.

1. Zach Wilson had his best game yet

No, it wasn't a win, but for Jets fans looking for any signs of improvement from rookie QB Zach Wilson, this was like winning the lottery. Wilson wasn't perfect, not even close, but he looked vastly more confident and in control of the offense. Turnovers have been a huge problem for the BYU product thus far into his career, but he threw just one interception against the Eagles on Sunday, and now has two in his last two weeks. Considering he threw nine interceptions across his first five games, this has been a pleasant improvement for the 22-year-old.

In addition to limiting turnovers, Wilson threw for 226 yards and recorded a career-high 23 pass completions. Wilson passed for two touchdowns and also ran for a score, his second rushing touchdown in as many weeks. He's finding ways to make plays even if he's still making rookie mistakes. The performance was encouraging, and while there's still a long way to go, there's plenty of reason for Jets fans to feel optimistic about the Utah native after his showing this week. This is a team that is trending upwards, and as Wilson continues to develop, both as a player and in terms of his connections with his receivers, the squad's upside will begin to shine through.