The New York Giants hosted the NFC East-leading Philadelphia Eagles at MetLife Stadium on Sunday in hopes of pulling off an upset and maintaining their postseason standing.
They’re still hoping. The Eagles showed why they have the best record in the NFL as they systematically dismantled the overmatched Giants, 48-22, in a matchup between two teams heading in different directions.
Here are some winners, losers and in-betweens from the debacle.
Winners
Azeez Ojulari: Showed some life in the pass rush phase with two sacks of Jalen Hurts. Unfortunately, the Giants’ defense is a mess right now, so it seems bittersweet but it doesn’t take away the fact that he is rounding back into form.
Isaiah Hodgins: Hodgins continued to show his value, catching four passes for 38 yards including another touchdown. He also added a garbage time two-point conversion.
Richie James: James had no real impact in the game but if you took a flier on him in fantasy football this week, he paid off again with seven receptions for 61 yards and a score.
Others: Graham Gano, Gary Brightwell
Losers
Offensive line: The Giants started the same five for the second straight week. They were hoping for some continuity but that never materialized. They were poor in pass protection and didn’t open many holes in the run game. Against a front like the Eagles, that’s a recipe for disaster. Seven sacks and constant pressure made for a long day for the Giants’ quarterbacks.
Defense: When you can’t defend the run or the pass, there’s not much left. Philly just ran the Giants right out of East Rutherford, racking up 253 yards rushing and getting exposed by the Eagles’ receivers on the back end. Too many backups are being asked to play key roles and that’s not going to cut it against a contender.
Special teams: A fumbled snap on a punt by Jamie Gillan paved the way for an easy Philly touchdown. When you have a depleted roster littered with subpar NFL talent, the’ teams’ are going to suffer and that was evident in this game. They allowed several long kickoff returns to nemesis Boston Scott, too. The teams are not in good shape right now.
Others: Fabian Moreau, Saquon Barkley
Mixed reviews
Daniel Jones: Jones is a man without a team. He had no shot from the outset to have any success. The Giants got down early and stayed there, facing him to pass more than he wanted to. Still, he threw for a touchdown and ran for another.
Playoff hopes: The Giants are now 7-5-1, tied with Washington (7-5-1) for the final playoff spots in the NFC. If the Seattle Seahawks lose to the Carolina Panthers, they’ll remain in the picture. If they win, the Giants fall to eighth place and out of the playoff picture.
Others: Kayvon Thibodeaux
