Eagles at Giants: The good, the bad, and the ugly

Saquon Barkley channeled through a human tunnel late in the third quarter and came out the other side for 41 yards, before finally being dragged down by four New York Giants.

Barkley was not only pulling Giants with him, but lugging the Eagles along, too, rushing for a season-high 176 yards on 17 carries and a touchdown in leading the Eagles to a 28-3 victory over Barkley’s former team, the woeful Giants, at MetLife Stadium on Sunday.

Barkley outscored the Giants (6-3) and gained more yards (187) than his former team (119).

In their first NFC East game, the Eagles pushed to 4-2 and look in good position to turn around what has been a tedious first five games. The Eagles have the fourth easiest remaining schedule in the league with the final 12 games.

Over the last few weeks, based on a multitude of highly unreliable sources—the Eagles’ fanbase and the national media—Nick Sirianni looked finished. He was emotionally volatile. He was viewed more like “Sideshow Nick” than a quality NFL coach.

Sirianni and the Eagles looked pretty sharp on Sunday, doing what they were supposed to do against a substandard team like the Giants—squash them.

This did continue: The 2024 Eagles remain the first team in the 91-year history of the franchise that have failed to score in the first quarter over their first six games. They remain the only NFL team to be shutout in the first quarter this season. The 1972 Eagles (of the nightmare white helmet, green-winged era) even scored 20 points over their first six games. That team finished 2-11-1 and was arguably the worst team in franchise history.

The Eagles have gone seven-straight games without scoring in the first quarter, which is the third-longest streak in franchise history, adding to their already ignominious run of not scoring in the first quarter in a continuing franchise-record six games.

Against the Giants, Jalen Hurts was competent, completing 10 of 14 passes for 114 yards and a touchdown, while rushing for two touchdowns. A.J. Brown led all receivers with five catches for 89 yards and a touchdown.

As a team, the Eagles entered the Giants game with 12 sacks. They had eight against a makeshift Giants’ line on Sunday.

One other point: The FOX national broadcast had it wrong. The Eagles actually lead the all-time Eagles-Giants series, 94-88-2, including postseason and winning five of the last six regular-season games. Fox’s Chris Myers said the Giants lead the series overall “94 wins, to 89 losses, two ties.”

There was a mountain of good, a touch of bad, and some continued ugliness in the Eagles’ dominant 28-3 victory over the inept New York Giants.

The Good

Barkley has been everything the Eagles expected and then some. He reeled off runs of 55, 41 and 38 yards and showed what he can do when he is fed the ball with a season-high 176 yards rushing. His 176 yards rushing was the second highest in his career behind the 189 yards he picked up on Dec. 22, 2019, against the Washington Commanders in a Giants’ 41-35 overtime victory.

Right tackle Lane Johnson’s block on Giants’ game-destroyer Dexter Lawrence on Barkley’s 38-yard third-quarter run to the Giants’ 13. To that point, it gave Barkley 127 yards rushing on 13 carries. Johnson simply shoved big Lawrence into the backwash of the Giants’ rush, which created a gaping hole for Barkley causing every blue helmet to turn up field and find Barkley.

Right guard Tyler Steen did a decent job replacing the injured Mekhi Becton. He teamed well with Johnson, handled pass blocking against possibly the best defensive pass rush in the NFL and was a driving force on a couple of vital plays, like Barkley’s 38-yard, third-quarter run, and Hurts’ one-yard tush push score with 7:03 left in the third quarter.

Hurts hitting Brown for 15 yards down the middle of the field on the first play of the Eagles’ second drive of the second half. It was encouraging to see coming on first-and-10 at the Eagles’ 23.

Cornerback Darius Slay breaking up a third-and-three on the Giants’ opening drive of the second half at the New York 27. He collided with Giants’ receiver Wan’Dale Robinson just as the pass arrived. Perfect timing.

The Eagles’ first half defense. What do you to an offense that ranks near the bottom of almost every offensive category? You stomp on them. It’s what the Eagles did over the opening two quarters, sacking Daniel Jones five times for minus-41 yards, giving up a total of 76 yards of offense, averaging a meager 2.4 yards a play.

The Eagles’ five sacks in the first half by Bryce “Stat Sheet” Huff, Jalen Carter, Nakobe Dean, Josh Sweat and Nolan Smith for minus-41 yards. The Eagles finished with a season-high total of eight sacks, two each from Carter and Dean, even one from rookie Jalyx Hunt, for a combined minus-62 yards in the game.

Carter’s four-yard sack on Jones at the Giants’ 26 on New York’s first play of its sixth drive. Up until the two-minute warning, Brian Daboll’s offense had gained an embarrassing 32 yards of total offense over 23 plays, averaging a scant 1.4 yards a play.

Brown’s 41-yard touchdown reception from Hurts with 4:27 left in the half. It was a vertical down the sideline and Brown blew by Giants’ nickelback Nick McCloud for the score. Yes, for once, Sirianni’s penchant for taking risks paid off here in a 14-0 Eagles’ lead.

Cooper DeJean’s 28-yard punt return to open the Eagles’ fifth drive of the game to the Eagles’ 42. It opened the door to Hurts’ 41-yard touchdown pass to Brown and a 14-0 Eagles’ lead with 4:27 left in the half.

Barkley sparking his New York Giants’ return with a 55-yard sprint down the sideline on a second-and-10 at the Eagles’ 26. It took the ball to the Giants’ 19 and opened up what had been a dull defensive struggle to that point. It was only fitting that Barkley cap the five-play, 74-yard series with a three-yard touchdown run on the Eagles’ fourth drive. Barkley gained more on the 55-yard run than the Eagles had gained combined on their first three drives, which resulted in three punts and 30 total yards of offense.

Center Cam Jurgens’ block on the Giants’ corner Deonte Banks on Barkley’s 55-yard run. Jurgens helped make the play possible by pulling left and creating space for Barkley by getting in Banks’ path downfield.

Smith’s second sack of the season, taking down Jones for an 11-yard loss back to the Giants’ 34 in the first quarter.

Sweat pulling down Jones for a nine-yard sack on the Giants’ second possession at the New York 26 in the first quarter.

Brown’s 11-yard reception on the Eagles’ first play of the game to the Eagles’ 27. How crazy this sounds the 11 yards was half of the 22 total yards the Eagles had gained on their combined previous five opening drives.

The Bad

Hurts failing to see Barkley wide open swinging left out of the backfield on a third-and-two at the Giants’ five on the Eagles’ second possession of the second half. By now, Hurts should have better vision than that.

The Eagles were 0-for-5 on third-down conversions in the first half.

Defensive end Moro Ojomo getting flagged for encroachment with :37 left in the half pushing the ball to the Eagles’ 30. The Giants went from a first-and-10 to first-and-five.

Hurts not seeing DeVonta Smith crossing wide open over the middle on third-and-three on the Giants’ 41 in the Eagles’ fifth possession with 4:34 left in the half. Again, does this have something to do with Hurts’ reluctance to throw down the middle of the field? Or possible Hurts’ inability to recognize that area of the field? Hurts did spot Smith, about a second later and mailed one over his head on the sideline.

Left guard Landon Dickerson’s false start turning a third-and-five into a third-and-10 at the Eagles’ 34 on their second drive.

What was Sweat out there covering Malik Nabers on the first play of the game? Jones easily found Nabers slanting in for a 13-yard gain to the Giants’ 48. This might not be on Sweat as much as Vic Fangio having him out there covering a receiver.

The Ugly

Again, the 2024 Eagles failure to score in the first quarter. They remain the only team in the NFL not score a point in the first quarter. It marks the first time in Eagles’ history that they have not scored a point in the opening quarter in their first six games. They have been outscored 23-0 in the first quarter this season, and outgained, 433 yards to 311, with the gaping first-quarter difference coming in the Eagles’ 33-16 debacle against Tampa Bay, where the Eagles were outgained 194 to minus-5 yards by the Bucs.

Left tackle Fred Johnson, replacing the injured Jordan Mailata, getting beat—and beaten badly—by Brian Burns (who would have been a wise defensive end to go after last offseason) on a nine-yard sack of Jalen Hurts on the Eagles’ second possession at the Eagles’ 25. It was the Giants’ NFL-leading 27th sack this season. New York had a total of 34 last year. The Giants had four first-half sacks for minus-36 yards and finished with five for minus-45 yards.

Special teams has been a huge issue this season and starting the game with an illegal formation on the opening kickoff is a terrible way to start any game. Instead of starting at the 30, the Giants started at their 35.

The Eagles’ opening drive. The trend continues. The Eagles remain unable to generate anything on their opening drives. They have two first downs and have crossed midfield just once on their first possessions. Over their first six games, this is what the Eagles opening drives have amounted to:

Packers: 3 plays, minus-5 yards INT

Falcons: 4 plays, 24 yards Punt (crossed midfield)

Saints: 3 plays, minus-9 yards Punt

Bucs: 3 plays, 7 yards Punt

Browns: 3 plays, 5 yards Punt

Giants: 4 plays, 17 yards Punt

Total: 20 plays, 39 yards, 5 Punts, 2 first downs, 1 INT