NFL: Week Eight – New York Giants vs. Philadelphia Eagles
New York Giants (17) vs. Philadelphia Eagles (40)
Donovan McNabb and the Philadelphia offense rebounded from a sub par effort against Washington on Monday to route the reeling Giants. The Eagles blitzed the Giants early on scoring a pair of touchdowns in the first four minutes of the game to build a 13-point lead and never look back.
Leonard Weaver rumbled 41 yards on a draw play to score the game’s first touchdown just 1:34 into the game. The Giants ran just two plays on offense before Asante Samuels picked off an Eli Manning pass setting up a three-play 10-yard drive that culminated in a 17-yard touchdown strike to tight end Brent Celek.
McNabb completed 17 of 23 passes and threw three touchdowns to three different players and the ground game rolled up 180 yards and a pair of scores against a beleaguered Giants defense.
The Eagles have excelled at converting big plays into points all season long and Sunday was no different. The Eagles converted three Giants turnovers into 17 points and had scoring plays of 41, 54, and 66 yards. DeSean Jackson added a 54-yard touchdown catch while LeSean McCoy chipped in a 66-yard scamper in addition to Weaver’s touchdown run. Jackson has scored a league high of six touchdowns of 50 yards or more this season.
While the Eagles offense was firing on all cylinders the Giants offense never got out of the garage as the Giants feel behind 30-7 by the half and managed just 17 points for the entire game. Manning struggled to complete 50% of his passes for the second straight week hitting just 20 of 39 passes and throwing a pair of interceptions. The Giants did manage to run for 141 yards but it meant little as Philadelphia’s secondary excelled at keeping the Giants receivers in check all afternoon.
The Eagles appear to have righted the ship after an embarrassing loss in Oakland two weeks ago. The defense has been setting offense up with turnovers ending up with good field position making it easy for the Eagles to score and as long as McNabb gets enough protection to sit in the pocket he is going to find Jackson and Jeremy Maclin when they run open down the field. It also gives the team an opportunity to utilize tight end Brent Celek more in pass routes. When McNabb has time to throw and the line is opening holes in the running game the Eagles are one of the most dangerous offensive teams in the league.
After sprinting out to a 5-0 start this season the Giants appear to have hit a wall all of a sudden in losing their last three games. Manning has gone in the tank completing just 49.7% of his passes and throwing 6 picks during the current losing streak. The Giants are currently playing without starting safety Kenny Phillips or corner back Aaron Ross and the Saints exposed the secondary a couple of weeks ago. The Giants defense has allowed 112 points and 8 touchdown passes over the last three weeks. The Giants need to figure things out quickly as the Eagles and Cowboys have now sprinted past them in the standings to claim the top two spots atop the NFC East.
In watching the Giants today they have several issues to address to get things turned around. First, and foremost, they need to get Manning back on track. After throwing 10 touchdowns and just two interceptions the first five weeks of the season Manning has thrown just 3 touchdowns and 6 interceptions the last three weeks.
The special teams have not played well of late allowing two returns of 30 yards or more today with Ellis Hobbs taking a kick back 39 yards and Jackson getting a 30 yard punt return that almost went for a touchdown. Meanwhile they averaged just 22.9 yards per kick return and Domenik Hixon inexplicably fumbled the ball on a return with little contact.
The offensive line just does not seem as crisp as it was last season. Folks keep asking what is wrong with Brandon Jacobs this year and a lot of him struggling has to do with the line not opening holes for him the way it did last year. Jacobs is getting hit a lot more in the backfield this year than he was a year ago. He has not been able to get to the second level before contact the way he did last year. Jacobs is tough to bring down for linebackers and defensive backs but is much easier to bring down when a defensive lineman is able to knock him off stride and slow him down.
The defensive line is not generating the heat that it did last year either further exposing a secondary already weakened by injury. Osi Umenyiora still looks a bit tentative out there as he works his way back from a knee injury while Justin Tuck is playing with a bum shoulder. Starting defensive tackle Chris Cantyhas not played since week one due to a calf injury.
This week’s win sets up a showdown at Lincoln Financial for supremacy of the NFC East next Sunday night while the Giants look to right the ship when the Chargers come to town next weekend.
News, Notes, and Observations
McNabb has not thrown an interception since week one versus the Panthers. He has also thrown at least one pass of 50 or more yards in each of his last four games.
Hakeem Nicks was held out of the end zone for the first time in five games for the Giants.
Weaver’s 41 yard touchdown run was the longest run of his career.
McCoy’s 66-yard run was the longest of his career.
Asante Samuel has picked off a pass in three of his last four games for Philadelphia and has five for the season.
Philadelphia’s Jason Babin recorded a sack for the second straight game.
Philadelphia’s Trent Cole was held sackless for the first time this season.
