The Eagles fell backwards into a one-score win over a poor, poor Giants squad on Christmas Day. In lieu of my usual first and second half observations, this week's story is one jammed together from all four quarters. It's the holidays and I'm battling a cold. Bear with me.
Before we get to specific talking points, I want to rant about this team. They should've demolished New York. The Eagles will take a win in any matter they can with how the last three games transpired, and they still remain in control of the NFC East, but this was not encouraging. Last year's Eagles are burying this Giants team in the second quarter before fans at home even got buzzed on eggnog.
The coaching is alarming. The Birds make small, dumb mistakes that add up. Undisciplined. The conservative nature that Nick Sirianni has displayed in 2023, and increasingly as of late, is so antithetical to what he did earlier in his Eagles tenure. The two best teams in the NFC embarrassed them and they had a last-minute meltdown in Seattle on national television. Unless the quarterback is pulling off some MVP plays, they are rudderless. This game's response is so far behind the level that should be expected for a championship team. It's simple. They're not that team at the moment. A return to the Super Bowl is obviously still a possibility, but I'm somehow more down on this team than I was 24 hours ago even as they pick up their 11th win of the year.
Let's get to the other points...
The Highs
• An Eagles linebacker... making a play? Shaquille Leonard was thrust into an even larger role with the continuing injuries to the Birds' LB unit. He had some legit juice crashing through the Giants' line of scrimmage early in the first quarter for a big tackle for loss.
Everyone is well-aware of how few resources the Eagles pour into the linebacker group and it's impossible to have strengths at every single spot, but 2023 has been a new low for the franchise's most maligned position. Leonard may not quite be the player he once was, but just slight competency at linebacker is a breath of fresh air for this franchise.
• We might be living in a world where Britain Covey is an All-Pro. Imagine saying that yourself at the beginning of last season.
• The most "no, no, no, no, YES" play of the game:
• Watching wide receivers block downfield is one of the great little aspects of this sport. On a beastly touchdown catch-and-run from DeVonta Smith, Olamide Zaccheaus was putting in work on Adoree' Jackson:
While I've been negative about the Birds here, that is a teamwork element that drives winning.
• Here's a "Tush Push" take: The Birds don't run it enough. Hurts barreled through the line and into the end zone on the league's most famous play on the Eagles' opening drive. It shouldn't be relegated to merely third/fourth and one situations. Third and three? Run it! Run it twice!
• They've both been plagued with weird bouts of drops this season in a way that feels like the universe is out to get Philadelphia, but A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith are special in the open field. Two elite playmakers. Watching how bogged down and slow and, frankly, loser-y, the Eagles' receivers were for a while, it never gets old watching these two dudes own secondaries.
• D'Andre Swift's hurdle over Giants cornerback Dane Belton was the greatest Christmas gift the "Run the ball!" crowd could ever receive. Certainly players look great in specific jerseys. Haason Reddick in the Kelly greens made him look like a superhero. Swift was made for the Eagles' black uniforms. The No. 0 gels well with them.
The Lows
• Jalen Carter slowly jogging off the field for a substitution, drawing a penalty on himself, is unacceptable. Sirianni immediately chewed Carter out and that's the correct mode of action, but Sirianni should've called a timeout instead of letting the Giants get a play off. It was the first half. The timeout is expendable.
• I've seen enough screen passes for a lifetime.
• The angle the FOX broadcast kept showing of Jackson's pick-six gave me all the Ronde Barber vibes possible.
• Giants kicker Mason Crosby wasn't on the roster two days ago. Crosby knocking through a 50-plus yard field goal against the Birds was the lock of the century.
• Reed Blankenship channeled some big-time "2015 Eagles" energy when Darius Slayton burnt him to a crisp on the Giants' 66-yard fourth quarter touchdown.
• The Giants' final drive was an abject embarrassment for this defense. The Delaware Valley shouldn't have been sweating this one out.
The Whoas
• A bizarro moment for Boston Scott when facing the Giants:
What is Zaccheaus doing?
• STFU about Santa and snowballs, everyone.
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