This was the Giants’ third straight loss to a top NFC opponent and now begs the question of how good the Giants really are after decimating five weak opponents to start the season.
New York got behind early after the Eagles put up two quick scores within the opening minutes of the game.
The Eagles got off to an aggressive start returning the opening kickoff 35 yards. Their first scoring drive of the game took only three plays and was capped off by a 41-yard touchdown run by fullback Leonard Weaver.
Minutes later, cornerback Asante Samuel intercepted Eli Manning near midfield and returned the ball 37 yards into Giants' territory. From there, Eagles QB Donovan McNabb threw a 17-yard touchdown strike down the middle of the end zone to tight end Brent Celek. The Giants blocked the extra point but it was still 13–0 in favor of Philadelphia.
The Giants finally got on the scoreboard with less than two minutes remaining in the second quarter after Manning hit tight end Kevin Boss for an 18-yard touchdown.
But the Eagles responded immediately and put the Giants back in a deep hole. With a minute and a half remaining, McNabb threw back-to-back touchdown passes—to DeSean Jackson for 54 yards and then for 23 yards to rookie wideout Jeremy Maclin. The Maclin touchdown came courtesy of another Manning interception.
The Philly fans were going wild. With Game 4 of the World Series to come later that night against the Yankees, Philly fans couldn’t have it any better.
With the first half ending 30–7 in favor of Philadelphia, the Giants had their work cut out for them, but truthfully, the game was lost.
After both teams exchanged field goals midway through the third quarter, the Giants caught a break off a blown kickoff return by the Eagles and recovered the ball deep in Philly territory.
New York scored with Ahmad Bradshaw running it in from the goal line, but the Giants showed little urgency during the drive down by a double-digit score.
Starting the fourth quarter, Philly went back to rushing the ball and sealed the game with a huge 66-yard touchdown run by rookie running back LeSean McCoy. That put the Eagles up for good 40–17.
Eli Manning had a very poor outing, ending the game completing 20 out of 39 passes for 222 yards with two interceptions and one touchdown. Manning’s performance resulted in a paltry 55.7 quarterback rating.
Despite the tough loss, Manning remained optimistic, saying, “We’ve been through struggles before and phases where we have not played well and bounced back.”
“It’s about pride right now and about playing better football. We’ve got to get back to winning.”
Overall, the Giants offense couldn’t get any rhythm going until the game was well decided. Kevin Gilbride also called way too many running plays when the team was down by multiple scores. In that situation, aggressive play calling is usually what’s required, but Gilbride and his offense showed no sense of urgency.
Pierce Tells It Like It Is
As for the defense, their main issue was poor tackling. On Philly’s big runs, both plays unfolded because of blown tackles at the line of scrimmage by the Giants.
Middle linebacker Antonio Pierce was upset after the game. He said in the press conference, “We’ve got a lot of concerns. We’re not doing anything well on defense. It’s a complete embarrassment and disappointment. We didn’t tackle, we gave up big plays, we didn’t cover, and we’re not communicating. What we’re doing right now isn’t working.”
If there were any bright spots for New York, it was the play of tight end Kevin Boss and wideout Hakeem Nicks. Boss caught three passes for 70 yards and a touchdown while Nicks caught four passes for 53 yards.
Boss continues to shine and shows a lot of toughness after the catch. Nicks displays great hands and has a huge upside as a playmaking receiver.
Next week the Giants must find a way to break out of their recent slump, as they’ll be facing the San Diego Chargers, who are a better team than their 4–3 record indicates.
New York’s defense could have a challenging time containing the Chargers’ offense, which is led by quarterback Philip Rivers, running backs LaDanian Tomlinson and Darren Sproles, and All-Pro tight end Antonio Gates.
