N.Y. Giants at Philadelphia
PHILADELPHIA (Interstat) — Jalen Hurts accounted for four touchdowns and Saquon Barkley gashed his former team for 150 rushing yards as the Philadelphia Eagles avenged an early-season loss with a commanding 38-20 victory over the New York Giants on Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field.
In a game that saw the Eagles’ offense operate with ruthless efficiency, Hurts completed 15 of 20 passes for 179 yards and three touchdowns while adding another 22 yards on the ground. His primary target was DeVonta Smith, who caught six passes for 84 yards. The Eagles improved to 6-2, while the Giants fell to 2-6.
The tone was set on the game’s opening drive. After a touchback, Barkley, facing the team that drafted him for the first time since signing with Philadelphia, took a handoff and exploded through the left side for a 65-yard touchdown run on the second play from scrimmage, electrifying the crowd of 69,879.
The Giants responded with a methodical 11-play, 63-yard drive, capped by an 18-yard touchdown pass from Jaxson Dart to Cam Skattebo to tie the game 7-7. Dart finished 14 of 24 for 193 yards with one touchdown and one interception, but was sacked five times by a relentless Eagles pass rush.
Philadelphia reclaimed control in the second quarter. Hurts engineered a 13-play, 65-yard drive, culminating in a 9-yard touchdown pass to Barkley to take a 14-7 lead. The Giants managed a 47-yard field goal from Graham Gano to pull within 14-10, but the Eagles struck again just before halftime.
Hurts led a two-minute drill, moving the Eagles 75 yards in just over two minutes. He found tight end Dallas Goedert on a 6-yard scoring pass with 21 seconds left in the half, giving Philadelphia a 21-10 lead at the break.
The Eagles extended their lead in the third quarter with a 40-yard field goal from Jake Elliott. The Giants answered with a Gano field goal from 34 yards, making the score 24-13.
Any hope of a Giants comeback was extinguished in the fourth quarter. After a 29-yard run by Tank Bigsby, who finished with 104 yards on just nine carries, Hurts connected with Goedert for their second touchdown of the day, a 17-yard strike that made it 31-13.
On the ensuing possession, the Giants appeared to have a 68-yard touchdown pass from Dart to Darius Slayton, but the play was nullified by an offensive pass interference penalty. The Eagles’ defense forced a punt, and the offense put the game away with a quick-strike touchdown drive. Hurts launched a 40-yard deep ball to Jahan Dotson to push the lead to 38-13.
Dart led a late scoring drive for the Giants, capping it with a 2-yard touchdown run with 2:44 remaining, but the outcome was long decided. Backup quarterback Tanner McKee took over for the Eagles and kneeled out the clock.
The Eagles’ defense was dominant, with Zack Baun and Cooper DeJean each recording six tackles. The defensive line consistently pressured Dart, with Moro Ojomo, Jalyx Hunt, Jordan Davis and Jalen Carter each recording a sack. For the Giants, Bobby Okereke and Dane Belton each had eight tackles in a losing effort.
The win solidifies the Eagles’ position atop the NFC East, while the Giants continue to struggle, having lost four of their last five games.