Exacting revenge for the blowout loss they suffered two weeks ago, the Philadelphia Eagles knocked off the New York Giants on Sunday, routing their division rivals and coming away with a 38-20 victory.
Philly got off to just about as fast a start as possible in this one, with Saquon Barkley hitting pay dirt from 65 yards out on just the second snap of the game. Barkley finished the day with 14 rushes for 150 yards and the score, and he added four receptions for 24 yards and another touchdown, which he scored on a wheel route out of the backfield near the goal line. Barkley did leave the game in the fourth quarter with what appeared to be a leg injury, but he had already put together a monster afternoon by that point -- and the injury didn't appear serious, with Barkley quickly exiting the medical tent and keeping his helmet on the sideline.
Jalen Hurts had himself a big day as well, throwing for four touchdowns -- one each to Barkley and Jahan Dotson, and a pair to tight end Dallas Goedert to celebrate National Tight Ends Day. Hurts wasn't asked to throw often (just 20 pass attempts), but he was efficient when he did, completing 15 passes for 179 yards. The lone real explosive play of the day was the touchdown to Dotson late in the game, but Hurts managed the game well throughout, and also rushed for 22 yards on his four carries.
The Philadelphia offense as a whole put together its best game of the year, setting season highs in both yards and points. It was actually the first time this season that the Eagles outgained their opponents, and just about everyone got in on the action. Even aside from Barkley, Goedert and Dotson, DeVonta Smith had a big day with six catches for 84 yards, while Tank Bigsby ran for over 100 yards in relief of Barkley.
On the other side of the field, things did not go as well.
Giants running back Cam Skattebo scored his team's first touchdown on a really nice-looking wheel route out of the backfield early in the game, but that score was unfortunately overshadowed by the gruesome-looking ankle injury he suffered later in the first half. Players on both teams looked heartbroken at the scene of the rookie's injury, which resulted in his ankle being placed in an air cast and carted off the field.
Following the injury, the Giants mostly struggled to move the ball until late in garbage time. Jaxson Dart was under constant pressure all afternoon, taking five sacks and plenty more hits. He managed to put together a fairly efficient overall stat line through the air thanks to some late production and he also found the end zone with a rushing score, but the Giants were held in check for the most part once the Eagles took their early lead.
In the end, Philadelphia dominated for much of the game, taking control early and never relinquishing the lead as it improved to 6-2 and dropped the Giants to 2-6 on the season. The Eagles will take their bye next week and have time to get Barkley healthy, while the Giants will host the 49ers in Week 9.
As mentioned above, Barkley had a huge day. He got started early with this 65-yard touchdown jaunt.
Before that play, Barkley didn't yet have a 20-plus-yard run this season. He added another to that tally later in the afternoon with a 28-yard scamper, but that was the play on which he suffered the injury that knocked him out for the remainder of the game.
Still, it was a big day for Barkley, rushing for a season high in yardage and more than doubling his previous high in yards per carry. He looked explosive for much of the game, which was a big change from how he had looked for much of this season to date. Now, he'll have an extra week to get healthy thanks to Philadelphia's bye.
The Giants lost Skattebo to what the team called a dislocated ankle. He was taken to a local hospital for further evaluation. Skattebo had been a breakout star for the Giants, taking over the backfield and running efficiently and explosively while also making an impact in the passing game.
Coming into this contest, had had rushed 98 times for 398 yards and five touchdowns, adding 23 receptions for 189 yards and a score through the air. Now, he is likely out for the remainder of the season, given the nature of his injury. For a Giants team already lacking in playmakers after the season-ending injury to Malik Nabers in Dart's first start of the season, it's a terrible turn of events.
Without those two guys for the remainder of the season, Dart's development could be hindered behind what looks like a leaky offensive line. He's been able to overcome his surroundings in many ways so far this season, but there is only so much that a rookie can do when the infrastructure starts crumbling around him.
With the game tied early in the second quarter, the Eagles lined up for a tush push play inside the red zone. Hurts snuck the ball up the middle for a first down, but Kayvon Thibodeaux emerged from the pile with the ball after simply ripping it out of Hurts' hands.
The Giants thought they had a turnover, but the officials blew the play dead by saying Hurts' forward progress had been stopped, even though it had not. That drive ultimately ended with Barkley's second touchdown, and the Eagles would hold onto that lead for the remainder of the game.
On fourth-and-goal near the 5-yard line, the Giants ran a nicely-designed play to get Dart into the end zone. There was a fake jet sweep and a fake toss, and Dart just ran it off tackle on the left side to cut into the lead. The game is all but over, but it was a very nice drive for the rookie here in garbage time.
Hurts just laid the ball all the way out there for Dotson on third-and-6, and Dotson went up over the top of practice-squad cornerback Corey Black and hauled it in for the score. What a great catch by Dotson to extend the lead even further.
The Giants went for it on fourth-and-11 and converted with a long touchdown to Darius Slayton, but he was called for pass interference and the touchdown is taken off the board. Brutal break for New York. It looked like hand-fighting until the very end when Slayton did push off on Quinyon Mitchell a little bit.
Jaxson Dart admirably tried to keep a play alive while in the process of being sacked, but Josh Uche hit him from behind and knocked the ball away before he could get rid of it. The play was initially ruled a sack and a fumble, but was overturned on review.
Dallas Goedert has now broken his career high in touchdown catches, set earlier today. This time it's a slide route and Goedert cuts up the field past a defender in the flat. Easy pitch and catch from Hurts to Goedert and now it's a three-score lead for Philly, 31-13.
Second big run of the game for Tank Bigsby, who this time picks up a second-and-31 all by himself with a huge run up the right side. Brutal run defense from the Giants there.
Barkley just hit another big run to end the third quarter but looks to be jogging off gingerly with some sort of leg injury. He is headed to the medical tent. We'll have to monitor that heading into the fourth quarter, obviously.
After all of Dart's nice third-down throws to move his team into scoring territory, he finally ran out of time on a third down and took a sack to end the drive. The Giants had to settle for a Graham Gano field goal to make it 24-13.
Really nice plays on back-to-back third downs to keep this drive alive for the Giants. First he fired a pass over the middle with great arm strength, then he escaped from pressure and lofted a chip shot over the top of a defender to Theo Johnson to move the chains. And now he just hit a third pass up the left sideline on a wheel route to Devin Singletary. Three very impressive throws showing different parts of his skill set.
After a nice-looking drive to just outside the red zone, Hurts got sacked on first down and it set Philly back behind the chains. The Eagles picked up some yards on third down but not enough to go for it on fourth, so they added on a Jake Elliott field goal to extend the lead to two touchdowns. It's 24-10.
With several injuries at cornerback, New York is using Deonte Banks and Corey Black at corner. Black is making his first carer appearance on defense and he just got called for pass interference on third-and-long to extend a drive.
Smith already has 5 catches for 75 yards in the absence of A.J. Brown. He's been open in the intermediate area of the field quite often and Jalen Hurts has had plenty of time to find him so far.
The coverage has been sticky for the Eagles so far in this game. Even Jaxson Dart's completions have mostly come late in the down. On this drive, there was a coverage sack on first down and then nearly another on third before Dart had to throw the ball late over the middle to a receiver who wasn't open. Giants punt and the Eagles have a chance to take a three-score lead now.
No surprise here, considering how the injury looked.
The Eagles respond to New York's field goal with a quick, efficient touchdown drive to stretch the lead to double digits. It's Dallas Goedert from a few yards out on a slant route from Hurts and the Eagles are now up 21-10 late in the half.
Flott is down on the field after a completion to DeVonta Smith got the Eagles into the red zone. It looked like he took a punch from a teammate who was trying to strip the ball from Smith.
The Giants put together a nice drive to get into Eagles territory and Jaxon Dart threw a (sorry) Dart to Theo Johnson on third down that should have been a conversion but Johnson couldn't hang on against two enclosing defenders. Instead of a new set of downs, it's a Graham Gano field goal to make this a 14-10 game.
The Giants get the ball back with a chance to tie the game here. Philly quickly stalled out after the punt following the brutal Skattebo injury.
Dart threw underneath for Skattebo over the middle and he is now down and injured. Players on both teams seem distraught at whatever happened. Based on the replay, which I do not recommend watching if you get queasy, it looks like a very serious ankle injury. He got rolled backward over his leg and it went in the wrong direction. He's been put in an air cast and carted off the field.
After the controversial non-fumble, the Eagles found the end zone two plays later. It's Saquon on the wheel route out of the backfield, just like Skattebo on the previous possession, but there was nobody even close to guarding him on the play. Eagles back up 14-7.
Here's the play where Hurts' forward progress was ruled stopped before the strip. The Giants are somehow challenging anyway.
The refs rightfully picked up an unnecessary roughness flag that would have been one of the weaker calls in recent memory, on Jalen Hurts running out of bounds near the first down marker. The Eagles converted on the next snap on a tush push, with Hurts' forward progress being ruled stopped with Kayvon Thibodeaux stole the ball out of his hands. The Eagles definitely caught a break with that one because he was still moving forward at the time Thibodeaux took the ball, but the Giants can't challenge the ruling.
Philly was again faced with a fourth-and-3 in Giants territory and again went for it. This time, instead of a false start, it's a run up the middle by Hurts scrambling away from pressure and the drive continues as the Eagles attempt to retake the lead.
The Eagles sent a blitz on first down and it left Skattebo wide open on a wheel route up the left side. He easily beat the linebacker up the field with a really nice move and Dart hit him in stride. Giants take advantage of the missed field goal and tie the game at 7-7.
Jaxson Dart has not had anybody open when he's dropped back to pass. He's tried to scramble several times, and he finally did so successfully on third-and-medium to extend this Giants drive into Eagles territory.
Philly was preparing to go for it on fourth-and-three, but an offensive lineman rocked back in his stance before the snap and was called for a false start. Jake Elliott's 58-yard field goal then clanged off the upright, so the Eagles didn't even get points out of a drive that included a couple nice runs by Barkley and Tank Bigsby.
An offsides penalty on second down set the Giants back behind the sticks and they couldn't make anything happen on second- or third-and-long. They're punting the ball right back to the Eagles, who now have a chance to take an early two-score lead.
Well, that was fast. The Eagles wasted zero time getting on the board in this rematch. Saquon cut back to his left on a duo run and just sprinted past the entire defense for a quick touchdown. Eagles lead 7-0 just 17 seconds into the game. That was Saquon's first 20-plus-yard run of the year.
Plenty of time to read Cody Benjamin's full breakdown of this game.
