A closer look at the ballers and fallers in Eagles week 15 win over Giants

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The Eagles can wipe the sweat from their foreheads after a tightly fought contest against the New York Giants. A first-round bye is secure, but there is plenty that needs addressing between now and then. Let’s take a look at who shined and who didn’t on Sunday.

 

Ballers:

Nick Foles:
He wasn’t perfect, but Foles answered the call in the way that the Eagles paid him to. 4 touchdowns, 0 interceptions and 237 passing yards against the Giants she the Eagles backup settle into a rhythm comfortably early on as he found solace in the arms of Agholor and Jeffery. Some key throws down the field and impressive poise in the pocket allowed Foles to pick up right where Wentz left off, clawing the Eagles back from defensive demise.

 

Nigel Bradham:
Bradham was simply a beast on Sunday. Leading the team in tackles, the former Bills linebacker continued to make a statement: Pay me. Bradham is a pending free agent and the Eagles would be wise to bring back arguably their most consistent and dominant player that doesn’t line up along the defensive line. Bradham batted away passes, bought down ball-carriers with authority and took strong and secure tackling angles all day, something that could not be said for many other players on the unit.

 

Rodney McLeod:
A surprise standout was Rodney McLeod. The starting safety has somewhat regressed over the last few weeks, with some key mistakes leading to big plays for the opposition. On Sunday however, he hit hard and he hit often. McLeod seemed to be oozing with confidence as he collided with receivers and running backs, truly giving the back-line of defense a sense of stability once again.

 

Nelson Agholor:
He may have had a drop, but he bounced right back with a reception on the very next play. Nelson Agholor led the team in receiving yards with 59 and caught a beautiful pass in the end zone for touchdown number 8 on the season. The USC product was as impressive as we’ve come to expect and while many may have panicked after the drop, this was a big day for Agholor, proving those days are long, long behind him.

 


 

Fallers:

 

Ronald Darby:
Darby was simply not good enough. Ronald Darby gave up a key eight-yard reception to Engram in the early stages of the game to move the chains and that set the tone for Eli Manning. The veteran quarterback would throw everything he could to Darby, including a huge 22-yard reception by Roger Lewis and that blistering touchdown reception from Tavares King. Include a pair of flags and what you have is not the performance that the Eagles need from their number one cornerback.

 

Halapoulivaati Vaitai:
Big-V had big problems on Sunday courtesy of Olivier Vernon. While he may have only given up one sack, Vernon was a constant nightmare for Vaitai and Foles, accounting for 5 quarterback hits. Vaitai’s play has been an Achilles heel all season long, but with Carson Wentz unable to magically escape trouble, it could be even more troubling.

 

LeGarrette Blount:
Jay Ajayi finally snatched the Lion’s share of carries on Sunday, leaving Blount relegated to third-and-short situations for the most part. Averaging just 3 yards per carry, Blount’s role is diminishing…and fast.

 

 

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Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports