The Eagles gave themselves a big scare after the break, allowing New York and Tyrod Taylor to believe in a Christmas miracle. But the Giants were too short and Phily finally wins.
Philadelphia Eagles (11-4) – New York Giants (5-10): 33-25
It should have been a walk in the park for the Eagles, the third quarter turned into a nightmare. Leading 20 to 3, the locals saw their lead reduced to two small points in 15 minutes, largely handicapped by two more than avoidable losses of balls. Notably the first: a fumble by Boston Scott caused on the kickoff of the second half by… a teammate!
Finally, the Eagles put their heads back together from the start of the last quarter, led by a decisive Jalen Hurts (24/38, 301 yards, 1 TD, 1 int + 8 races, 34 yards, 1 TD) in the good times. D'Andre Swift's touchdown (20 races, 92 yards, 1 TD) sets the record straight to lead 27-18. The Giants try to revive the suspense with a nice 70-yard touchdown from Tyrod Taylor (7/16, 133 yards, 1 TD, 1 int) for Darius Slatyon (3 rec, 91 yards, 1 TD) 5 minutes from the END. But the Eagles secure a field goal to lead 33-25 and seal the fate of the match.
Tyrod Taylor? You read correctly. Brian Daboll changed quarterbacks at the break, good job for him! Tommy DeVito performed poorly in the first half: 9/16, 55 yards… Taylor had the merit of bringing interest to a match that was sorely lacking.
Two quarters and then go
Beyond Tyrod Taylor's performance, it was Philadelphia's huge gap in the third quarter that restarted the match. Two possessions, two turnovers and 0 points scored. Two losses of balls which allowed the previously uninspired Giants to score 15 unanswered points
However, during the first two periods, the Eagles were calm. Jalen Hurts scores his 15e touchdown of the season and sets the record for touchdowns scored by a quarterback on the ground. Philadelphia's defense was immediately present throughout the entire match. They contained the Giants under 300 yards, allowing “only” 10 points if we remove the touchdowns scored on turnovers.
Haason Reddick, in particular, shone on New York's fourth attempts, twice allowing the Eagles to recover the ball on a play that was a little too telephoned by the G-men attack.
No Christmas miracle for New York, even on a last desperate attempt to equalize with a Hail Mary. The Giants will have to play the return game in two weeks in New York against these same Eagles. For Philadelphia, this victory offers a clear advantage for the future division title following the defeat of Dallas. Above all, it is the end of a terrible series of three defeats. The Eagles must now capitalize on this success to arrive in better shape than the copy rendered in this match.
