If there was any doubt, the Eagles are still the class of the NFC East until proven otherwise.
The Giants might have revealed some cracks in the surface in their Week 6 win over the Eagles in North Jersey, or perhaps caught the Birds by surprise, but Sunday’s 38-20 Eagles trouncing in the rematch made sure the Eagles still lead the division comfortably heading into the break.
It was the first Eagles win this season by more than one possession, and first regular-season win by more than a possession since beating the Cowboys 41-7 in Week 17 last year. These don’t come very frequently for the Eagles, who enter the bye at 6-2 (2-1 in the division) and can feel pretty good about surviving the first tough leg of their schedule while they take the next week to get healthier, figure out some of their offensive issues that are still outstanding, and to see if there’s a trade deadline deal to make sense.
The next time you’ll see them will be another huge game – Nov. 10 at Lambeau Field against the Green Bay Packers in a major NFC showdown. The trade deadline will be over by then.
Let’s go ahead with the observations:
Under center, more wrinkles continue to be a bonus for the offense
The Eagles unveiled 16 snaps of under center last week and used Fred Johnson as an extra offensive lineman against the Vikings and saw some major positives, including a 79-yard touchdown catch from DeVonta Smith off play-action. The under-center formation made a return against the Giants, and yielded more benefits. Saquon Barkley’s 65-yard touchdown run on the game’s second offensive snap came from an under-center handoff, and so did his 28-yard run on the final play of the third quarter.
Another wrinkle with star wide receiver A.J. Brown sidelined was using more tight ends, including three-tight end personnel groupings that put Dallas Goedert, Grant Calcaterra and either Kylen Granson or Cam Latu on the field. The impact wasn’t just limited to the run game as Jalen Hurts, fresh off his perfect passer rating against the Vikings, threw four touchdown passes.
A new direction for the ground game – literally
The Eagles’ answer for missing center Cam Jurgens wasn’t so much about personnel as it was play calling. As predicted, Brett Toth replaced Jurgens, but for the first time this season the Eagles dedicated their ground game to running outside the tackles. It’s not what they’ve typically done, but desperate times…
Many of Barkley’s big plays were either designed outside runs, or runs that broke outside – and even some screen passes outside. Even Barkley’s 9-yard touchdown catch came outside the tackles. Overall, Barkley had his first 100-yard game and finished with 150 yards before leaving in the fourth with a groin injury. His new backup, Tank Bigsby for the second straight week, also saw plenty of space in going over 100 yards.
The challenge for the Eagles going forward, with all this on tape, is still getting an inside run game going before the opponents catch up, and to try to find a way to run between the tackles at some point. Tank Bigsby added a 37-yard run on a 2nd-and-26 from a shotgun handoff that was designed to break to the outside.
No X, no problemWithout A.J. Brown, the Eagles were without their only true “X” receiver, but the Eagles didn’t try to shoehorn anyone into that role. They activated rookie training camp sensation Darius Cooper on Saturday and played him in some three-receiver formations, sometimes at the X. Cooper is the closest thing the Eagles have to a backup X. John Metchie also some time in three-wide formations.
Mostly, the Eagles mixed two-receiver, two-tight end formations and used a lot of reduced split formations, keeping their receivers closer to the line of scrimmage. Using trips and bunch formations helps receivers get schemed open when they can’t naturally win 1-on-1s.
DeVonta Smith, as usual, lined up inside and outside. Smith typically takes on the role as top targeted Eagles receiver when Brown is out, although he’s been more targeted this season even when both play. He finished with another good game, and with him as the top receiver, Jahan Dotson played the role of providing the dagger with his 40-yard touchdown catch in the fourth that put the Eagles up by 25.
Dallas Goedert is having a career season
It’s ironic, I guess, that it comes in the year he took a pay cut and what could be his last year in an Eagles uniform. Goedert caught two more touchdowns, a 6-yarder and 17-yarder, giving him seven for the season – a career high.
Actually, Goedert’s seven touchdowns are two more than he had in 2023 and 2024 combined and just one fewer than his last three years combined.
Better run defense effort
The Eagles were much better against the run than their first encounter against the Giants. Sure, the Giants lost Cam Skattebo to a gruesome ankle injury early in the game, but Skattebo only picked up 12 yards on three carries. Jaxson Dart ran for just 17 yards. The Giants averaged just 3.2 yards per carry after averaging 4.4 yards per carry in Week 6.
Last week, the Eagles held to Vikings to 3.9 yards per carry, so they’ve made a lot of improvement there since the first six weeks.
Five sacks was very good but …
Many of them were the result of Dart holding onto the ball, getting stuck in the pocket, and doing that behind an offensive line that’s average on a good day. On the first snap of the second half, Dart held onto the ball for at least five seconds before finally running into another sack by Jordan Davis, who had two sacks.
This shouldn’t trick Howie Roseman into thinking that the Eagles are fine with their edge depth, even with Brandon Graham eventually coming back. Jihaad Campbell played some on the edge some to help, as Nakobe Dean again saw snaps at on-ball linebacker. But they can’t use this game as evidence to think they’re fine at the position.
Tush Push controversy lives on
Another week, another controversy surrounding the Tush Push. In the second quarter, on 4th-and-1, the Eagles executed a typical Tush Push for two yards to the New York 9-yard line. Giants cornerback Deonte Banks came out of the scrum with the ball. Replay showed Banks simply taking the ball away as Hurts extended his arms for more yards. It was legitimately a takeaway for the Giants – except the referee said the whistle had already blown for forward motion, which isn’t reviewable.
Giants coach Brian Daboll, in his infinite wisdom, angrily threw the flag anyway – challenging the spot instead of forward motion. Obviously, he lost. A totally ridiculous challenge. But the fact that Banks really did have possession will be the storyline for the anti-Tush Push faction, and the early whistle for forward motion will be more fodder for why the play is too hard to officiate.
Finally, an improvement in the return game
Took long enough, but the Eagles return game was finally an ignition more than a deflation. Will Shipley returned a kickoff 41 yards after the Giants’ first touchdown to give the Eagles possession at their own 47-yard line, and the Eagles scored a touchdown on the drive. Shipley returned the next kickoff 32 yards late in the second half, and the Eagles scored a touchdown on the drive. Gipson showed some nice moves on a 17-yard return in the third.
Eagles fans classy after Skattebo injury
In news that will never make the national media, Eagles fans were all class after Giants rookie star Skattebo was carted off the field after a gruesome ankle injury that was so horrific that many Eagles and Giants players couldn’t even look at Skattebo as the rookie writhed in pain.
The crowd at the Linc gave Skattebo a loud standing ovation as the cart took him into the locker room. Sure, it’s an obvious gesture, but it definitely cuts against the typical Philadelphia fan stereotype, and definitely won’t get any coverage outside of Philly.
Unfortunately, the referee who accidentally called the Giants “the Jets” didn’t get as lucky, but he deserved all those jeers.
Bye week considerations
Despite their flaws, the Eagles are 6-2 going into the bye week. They probably would’ve signed up for that before the season, especially with games against the Rams, Chiefs, Buccaneers, Broncos, Vikings and three NFC East games on the schedule. But the bye week needs to be an essential time for them to continue to figure out ways to make the offense – especially rushing offense – more consistent and imposing, and for Howie Roseman to make sure he’s adding depth in the right areas.
The Eagles could probably use depth help – or a difference maker – at cornerback and EDGE, and perhaps a veteran interior offensive line addition wouldn’t be bad. Even another tight end who can block could be a good addition, but Roseman of course isn’t going to add four players at the deadline. That’s why it’s imperative the coaches do some self-scouting and figure out how to improve in the areas that Roseman can’t upgrade.
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