It wasn’t pretty, it wasn’t easy, but it’s a win. The Eagles are now tied at the top of the NFC East with the Dallas Cowboys and everything to play for after overthrowing the now 2-10 New York Giants to keep the playoff push alive. Here’s everything you need to know.
Wentz silences doubters
The Eagles entered tonight’s matchup with three healthy wide receivers. That number dropped to two when Alshon Jeffery was carted off with an ankle injury. Making life even tougher was the absence of Lane Johnson, who also suffered an injury during the game.
Despite working with a supporting cast of underdogs, Carson Wentz put the entire team on his shoulders when it mattered most and carried the Eagles to a much-needed win.
There were a few throws and moments he’d like back, but Wentz was absolutely surgical in the final five minutes of the game and throughout the overtime drive, delivering laser after laser and extending plays when he had to, pushing an ailing offense back into the game and into the driver’s seat.
If you’re (somehow still) looking for definitive proof that Wentz is the rightful future of the franchise, tonight delivered exactly that. Given how little help Wentz was given, he was excellent.
THE BOSTON BUS
Let’s take nothing away from former UDFA RB Boston Scott, who led the Eagles in rushing with 59 yards, averaging 5.9 per carry and slicing through the Giants like a hot knife through butter. Scott had a breakout game for a backfield that was missing Jordan Howard and likely wasn’t expecting to find some assertive running in the unlikeliest of places.
Scott helped maintain a (somewhat) balanced offense and more importantly, allowed Wentz to thrive in play-action looks and sprintouts. Scott hit the hole with assertion and flashed plenty of strong decision making.
Great Scott. Sorry, I had to.
A tale of two halves
Eli Manning started out relatively hot for the Giants, with Darius Slayton making Ronald Darby look silly on several occasions thanks to well-timed passes, receiving for 154 yards and 2 touchdowns. The Giants jumped out to a 17-3 lead and it looked as though the Eagles would once again buckle under their own pressure….but alas, it wasn’t to be.
The Eagles not only fired back in remarkable fashion, but the defense held the Giants to a just 30 offensive yards in the second half. The pass-rush (namely Vinny Curry) had an electric day at the office, consistently getting in Manning’s face and making life difficult.
The ship sails on
The Eagles were booed off the field at the end of the first half, and rightly so. But somehow, some way, Pederson and Schwartz rallied their troops back from what felt like one kick in the groin too many, The Eagles looked battered, bruised, and utterly deflated, but they stood strong and forced their way back into a winnable matchup, winning back the roars of the Philadelphia faithful in the process. And that, is a thought worth sleeping on.
Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
