- REWATCH: Eagles-Giants on NFL+ Premium
- READ: Dart, Skattebo lead Big Blue to historic win over Philly
- READ: Eagles' Johnson wants offense to be 'less predictable'
- Dart returned from concussion protocol to finish off impressive win. The Jaxson Dart hype train is officially back. Rallying from a tough loss in New Orleans, Dart came through with several big plays in the Giants’ shocking Thursday night win over the Eagles. Dart left the game to be evaluated for a concussion late in the third quarter and missed two plays, but he returned and helped finish off the Giants’ most impressive win in a few seasons. Early on, Dart was cooking, throwing for 101 yards and a touchdown and running for an impressive 20-yard score in the first quarter. Even with a few stalled drives, including right after his return to the game in the fourth quarter, Dart played under control -- more impressive with center John Michael Schmitz leaving with injury. He also showed trust early in Lil'Jordan Humphrey, Dart’s preseason go-to guy, in Humphrey’s first game elevated from the practice squad this season and was rewarded with some nice grabs. This was a poised performance in a tough spot for Dart, coming off a three-turnover loss, and the rookie passed the test with flying colors.
- Hurts’ first INT of season came at worst possible time. Jalen Hurts would not be the first player to blame for the entirety of Thursday’s loss. On the whole, he played well. But Hurts’ first interception of the season -- breaking a streak of 304 straight passes without one -- came at an inopportune time for the suddenly stumbling Eagles. Down 27-17 with 11 minutes left in the fourth quarter, the Eagles had a chance to flip a bad game on its head. But Hurts’ throw to Jahan Dotson was undercut and run back 68 yards for a massive momentum flip. An Eagles score would have made it a one-score game, with Jaxson Dart just returning from concussion protocol. Instead, the Giants were just outside the end zone, and they punched it in for a game-clinching score. Hurts made several big plays early but also mishandled the final possession of the first half, and once again the Eagles had a cold stretch on offense. The questions aren’t going away, even with some positives on offense.
- Two big turnovers saved the Giants defense. The Giants turned in a pretty heroic effort defensively Thursday night, all things considered, yet the tides were shifting in the Eagles’ direction late in the game. The Eagles marched into the red zone thanks to some chunk plays and penalties, and the upset bid looked in doubt. But that was when Cordale Flott stepped in and jumped Jalen Hurts’ throw, running it back 68 yards for a massive play. If that didn’t end it, the next big play did. After the Giants made it 34-17, Dane Belton stripped AJ Dillon to officially drive a stake in the Eagles’ sides. Brian Burns also provided most of the Giants’ pass rush on Thursday, giving them a pair of third-down sacks, one in each half and each one very timely. There were some loose moments defensively early in the game, but the Giants fed off the offense’s success and really gummed up after halftime.
- Eagles defense humbled with poor showing. Even if you consider that defensive tackle Jalen Carter (heel) was inactive and that cornerback Quinyon Mitchell left Thursday’s game with a hamstring injury, the Eagles were thoroughly unimpressive against the Giants. The Eagles came out a bit flat on offense, but they were downright sloppy and sluggish on their first two defensive series, allowing the Giants to take a 13-3 lead. There was bad (and lazy) tackling and missed coverages. The focus seemed to improve as the Eagles made it a game, but they eventually looked worn down and physically worn by game’s end. When was the last time the Giants beat the Eagles at the line of scrimmage? It’s a big reason why the Giants have had so little success in the rivalry prior to Thursday. The Eagles had trouble containing Jaxson Dart as a scrambler and seemed to want little part in bringing Cam Skattebo down. They also were guilty of two big penalties, a facemask and an illegal contact flag, prior to Skattebo giving the Giants a 27-17 lead. By then, most of the damage was done.
- Skattebo gave Giants a huge lift. You didn’t think we’d get out of here without mentioning everyone’s favorite rookie running back, did you? Cam Skattebo, like his quarterback, entered Thursday needing to prove himself, after he lost a key fumble in Sunday’s loss. But against the Eagles, he grinded away early and got better as the game went on, finishing with three TDs and 98 rushing yards to power the Giants to a major upset. Skattebo ripped off a 12-yard run down to the Philly 1-yard line in the third quarter, and he was off. He jammed the ball in for his second score of the game to give the Giants a 10-point lead, with his third score putting it away in the fourth. He couldn’t quite get his first 100-yard game, and Skattebo was flagged 15 yards late in the game for excessively celebrating a first down, but he’s clearly a fan favorite who is giving the Giants some serious fuel. It’s not always perfect or pretty, but he’s a New Jersey grinder in the eyes of the Giants now.
Next Gen Stats Insight for Eagles-Giants (via NFL Pro): Giants QB Jaxson Dart scrambled to run only 2.4 seconds after the snap on his 19-yard touchdown. The average quarterback scores on only 3.6% of similar runs, according to the NGS expected-rushing-yards model.
NFL Research: Giants rookies Jaxson Dart and Cam Skattebo ran for scores Thursday night. The last time the Giants had two rookies with one or more rushing TD in the same game was in Week 10, 1980 versus Dallas, with Larry Heater and Leon Perry each rushing for touchdowns in that game.
