The New York Giants may have sat all of their starters and key backups but their practice squad and third-string players did more than make for their absence.
Davis Webb and the Giants’ defense gave a valiant effort but it wasn’t enough as the Eagle starters pulled a late winner in Philadelphia by a 22-16 final.
“Tough game. It came down to a few plays. Give Philly credit but I thought our guys competed all the way through the end.” Giants head coach Brian Daboll said.
Philadelphia scored on their opening two scores with the return of quarterback Jalen Hurts to the starting lineup from a shoulder injury. After an opening drive field goal, Boston Scott would punch in another goal-to-go situation for a 10-0 first-quarter lead.
But the early Eagles lead would turn into a battle as Davis Webb and the Giants’ defense would sure up and keep Philadelphia’s offense out of the end zone for the rest of the game. Against Philadelphia’s starters, the Giants held the Eagles to under 400 yards of total offense, and a pedestrian 1/5 in the red zone.
It just wasn’t enough for Davis Webb and the offense.
In his first career start, Webb was 23-40 passing for 168 yards. His fourth-quarter touchdown run that saw the third-rounder run over an Eagles safety kept the Philadelphia home crowd silent and stressed as the waning minutes ticked away.
“I thought he made some good plays and some plays he could have done better. He gave us a chance at the end.” Daboll added.
But Jalen Hurts and the Eagles would respond with a seven-minute drive late in the fourth to go up 13 and keep the Giants’ offense reeling. Kenny Golladay’s first touchdown as a Giant receiver would cut the deficit to six, but the incoming onside kick was recovered by Philly effectively ending the game.
Philadelphia, needing to play their starters for the full contest, wrapped up the NFC East title and the conference’s #1 seed with the win.
The loss finishes head coach Brian Daboll’s first season with New York at 9-7-1. The Giants will take on the Minnesota Vikings in the wild-card round with times to be announced.
Game Notes
- Boston Scott’s first-quarter touchdown was the 10th time the running back has scored against New York. Scott has 17 total touchdowns in his entire career.
- While they didn’t play their starters, Brian Daboll and his staff tried to pull out all the stops to level the playing field. Instead of kicking a field goal to go down seven late in the first quarter, the Giants ran a fake but were unsuccessful. An on-side kick to start the second half was also unsuccessful as well.
- Golladay’s first touchdown catch as a Giant came on the final offensive play of the regular season where he outjumped Darius Slay for the score.
- It was the ninth consecutive loss New York has suffered at Lincoln Financial Field and the Eagles. If the Giants pull off an upset in Minnesota, they very well could meet these same birds in the divisional round and end a decade-long road drought.
