The Eagles are 12-1 for the second time in franchise history after winning 48-22. New York Giants Sunday at MetLife Stadium.
The win was the difference between the Eagles and a playoff berth for the second straight season. Super Bowl A contender and a leaky team floundering for a playoff berth.
After 13 regular season games in Eagles history, they went 12-1 in 2004. NFC Championship Lost 24-21 New England Patriots In Super Bowl XXXIX. (Technically, the 1949 NFL champion Eagles were also 12-1, but that included their NFL championship win at 14-0. Los Angeles Rams)
Myles Sanders’ 144 yards rushing against the Giants pushed him to 1,068 yards this season, making him the first Eagles rusher to surpass 1,000 yards in a season since LeSean McCoy had 1,319 at the AJ0 Brownyard’s in 2014. 2022 gave him 1,020 yards, making him the first Eagles receiver to surpass 1,000 receiving yards since Jeremy Maclin had 1,318 in 2014.
The Eagles are the only undefeated NFL team on the road, and their 23 rushing touchdowns and plus-13 turnover differential make their 12-1 record the best in the NFL.
With more than 35 points in each of their last three games, the Eagles’ 123 combined points were their most in a three-game span since 1950.
An interesting nugget at Yankee Stadium is that the Eagles led 34-14 early in the fourth quarter. Ironically, former Eagles head coach Rich “Richie the Gay” Codit scored a fourth-quarter touchdown for the Giants in that game.
The New York Giants’ 48-22 rout of the Eagles was a mountain of good, a touch of bad and some downright ugly.
The Good
Quarterback Jalen Hurts Again it was amazing. He finished 21 of 31 for 217 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for 77 yards and another score.
Running back Miles SandersTwo touchdowns and 144 yards rushing on 17 carries, averaging 8.4 yards per carry. His 40-yard touchdown run with 6:01 left in the game capped two big blocks. Pulling tight end Grand Calcadera Giants safety Jason Pinnock and another at tight end Jack Stoll Giants linebacker Jaylen Smith made a pass for Sanders’ second score. Calcadera stumbled a few times before actually reaching the pin, but did his job nonetheless.
Hurts’ 10-yard touchdown run sealed the game with 1:41 left in the third quarter.. On the play, center Jason Kelce pulled right and blocked Giants linebacker Tae Crowder, left guard Landon Dickerson blocked Giants nose tackle Dexter Lawrence and left tackle Jordan Mailata pulled right. By the time Mailata reached his point, Hurts was already through the hole for the score. It’s a well-crafted play blocked to perfection.
The Eagles produced 24 points in the first halfscoring on four of five drives, accumulating 217 yards of total offense, averaging 6 yards a play, picking up 14 first downs, converting 4 of 7 third downs (two by penalty; one TD by conversion) and 1 of 4 on-down conversions (which resulted in a touchdown ), Hurts completed 17 of 24 for 156 yards and two touchdowns.
On the Giants’ fourth drive, they were able to move the ball across midfield. On second and six at the Eagles 46, Brandon Graham And Patrick Johnson Did a great job of bringing down Saquon Barkley for a four yard loss. Graham pushed right guard Mark Glowinski out and Johnson came in from the back side. On third-and-10 at midfield, linebacker TJ Edwards batted away Daniel Jones’ pass. Graham then recovered a fumble The result was Boston Scott’s fourth quarter TD. The Eagles finished with seven sacks for minus-35 yards.
AJ Brown’s 33-yard touchdown catch With Giants defenders Nick McCloud and safety Jason Pinnock nowhere to be seen, Brown was yards away before getting the ball in his hands. It’s a great read and Hurts finds it, as he catches Brown breaking free in the middle of the field. Brown actually ran that play in the slot, starting on the right side and running right through McCloud. McLeod was five yards behind when Brown was on his fifth.
DeVonda Smith’s 41st touchdown catch Giants defenders Darney Holmes, who overthrew Smith for a yard, and tight end Julian Love, may have been blindsided for an impact with Smith, as he threw wildly at the ball and receiver. It’s a beautifully thrown pass by Hurts, whose touch is light years better than it was at this time last year. By halftime, Smith had five catches on seven targets for 64 yards and a touchdown.
The Eagles’ second driver, as they moved 91 yards over 12 plays, taking 4 minutes and 55 seconds. Hurts’ 9-yard completion to Kyuse Watkins on third-and-four at the Philadelphia 15, Hurts’ eight-yard scramble to another third-and-six at the Eagles’ 41, and, of course, Hurts’ 41-yard touchdown strike to Smith on fourth-and-seven.
On the Giants’ first drive, Sox by Hassan Reddick And Josh sweats for a combined nine yards, pushing New York to the 33 from its 42 and forcing the Giants to a third-and-17. Sweat, Reddick, Javon Hargrave and Fletcher Cox put an exclamation point on Jones, forcing a fumbled incompletion on the Giants’ last possession and a fourth-and-eight at the Eagles 23 with 9:58 to play.
Eagles on opening drive, they traveled 84 yards over 14 plays in a chew-up of 8 minutes, 5 seconds. A big play came on the eighth play of the drive, when Hurts 7 yard pass to Smith A third-and-six was converted at the New York 31. The Eagles converted three of three first downs with penalties, a Hurts-Smith connect drive and Miles Sanders’ three-yard touchdown run He finished driving.
Left tackle Jordan Mailada, left guard Landon Dickerson and center Jason Kelce The Giants could do nothing to stop the Eagles on the opening drive, which was a sign of the day to come, with everything shifting and down Black Eagles to create an open lane for Sanders to get into the end zone for the first score.
The Bat
Right guard Isaac Seumalo Edge rusher Aziz Ojulari scored inside for an 11-yard sack, putting the Eagles back to two. The following play the Giants intercepted a punt, leaving an open door for their first touchdown.
Gary Brightwell’s 13-yard run up the middle on the first play of the Giants’ second drive. Fletcher Cox was easily pushed aside by Giants right guard Mark Glowinski and Javon Hargrave. The interception was intercepted by left guard Shane Lemieux.
unattractive
A week later, when special teams shined, they reverted to their pathetic ways. Punter Arryn Siposs gets no protection over the middle. After a solid defensive performance earlier, Patrick Johnson is tackled by the Giants’ Ellerson Smith, his left arm rising to block the ball in the end zone. Three plays later, the Giants scored first. Sibos was injured in the game and later left the field.
Security Kavon Wallace getting hit Tight end Daniel Bellinger ran for an 11-yard gain at the Eagles’ four after a blocked punt on the Giants’ first play.
Cornerback Darius Slay Jones’ two-yard touchdown pass to Isaiah Hodgins with 2:57 to go won the game. Slay got little help from the defensive front, who gave Jones a healthy amount of time to find a breaking receiver over the middle.
Joseph Santoligido is an award-winning sports writer from the Philadelphia area who has written feature stories for SI.com, ESPN.com, NFL.com, MLB.com, Deadspin and The Philadelphia Daily News. In 2006, he was nominated for an Emmy Award for his special program segment “Love at First Peep” for ESPN.com. In February 2006, high school wrestler A.J. On Detwiler, he is best known for an ESPN.com feature that appeared on SportsCenter. In 2015, he was elected president of the Boxing Writers Association of America.
