Carson Wentz Pulls Last-Second Win over the Giants. Eagles Win 22-21
Philadelphia, PA – In the NFC East, a losing record can win this division. At worst, 2-14 can give any of the four teams in this place a home playoff game. That’s sad to think about, but we’re not here to talk about the mediocracy that is the NFC East, nor are we here to discuss whether the NFL should change its playoff bracket system. We are here to break down the primetime football game that took place on Thursday night between the New York Giants and the Philadelphia Eagles. Similar to the week 4 Thursday night game between the Denver Broncos and New York Jets, many had this game labeled as an ugly matchup, and for the first three quarters, that’s what we as viewers got. But come the start of the fourth quarter, this game turned a complete 180, and became a season classic, as Philly leaves the Linc with a 21-20 win and the lead in the NFC East.
Eagles win ugly, but it can’t continue
Many in the Philadelphia sports radio/television community are just about fed up with Carson Wentz. With the Eagles possessing a 1-4-1 record going into week 7, in certain aspects, you can’t really blame them for the sentiment. Watching Wentz play in 2020 is like watching LeBron James during his first stint with Cleveland; a superstar trying too hard to make plays, ultimately committing too many mistakes and coming up short when it matters. With the plethora of injuries that this Eagles team has had to deal with in the 2020 season, Wentz has tried his best to pick up the slack, which has led to both moments of greatness and a tendency to overthink on a play. Against the Giants, Wentz had his best performance of the year. At least, on paper he did. Wentz completed 25/43 of his passes (58% completion) for 359 passing yards (14 rushing), three total touchdowns (two passing, one rushing), and an ugly RedZone pick to Giants cornerback James Bradberry. Wentz played his heart out against the Giants, standing in a crumbling pocket on nearly every passing down, getting hit 10 times on the night (3 of those hits resulting in sacks). A lot of Wentz’s throws were altered in trajectory due to getting hit/being under pressure so much. But, in the few moments Wentz actually had time to work with, he made plays, the epitome of which came in the Eagles’ final drive of the night.
Down 5, ball at Philly’s 40 yard-line, with two timeouts and 1:55 left on the clock, Wentz got to work. He connected tight end Richard Rodgers (6-85) on a crossing route as Wentz scrambled right and threw cross body for 30 yards. A pass interference call and 2 Boston Scott (12-46) runs later, and Wentz has the Eagles set up inside the 10-yard line. Third and goal, Wentz scrambled right, looking for the rookie wideout John Hightower (1-59) on a crossing route in the endzone, but throws the ball short. Then, flag; defensive holding against Giants defensive back Logan Ryan. It’s first and goal at the 3. Next play, center Jason Kelce gets called for a facemask on defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence. Now it’s first and goal at the 18-yard line. It doesn’t get any more dramatic than this, folks. Wentz takes the snap, waits in the pocket, and fires a pin-point bullet of a pass to Scott on a wheel route, placing the ball just over the head of linebacker Andre Harper. Scott makes the grab and falls into the endzone for the 18-yard touchdown.
“It wasn’t pretty,” Wentz said about the game in his post-game presser with NFL Network. “We left a lot of points out on the field. We got to be better than that. But the way we fought these last couple of weeks, and to pull out a win at the end, it was amazing.”
So, despite getting harassed all night by the Giants front seven. Despite working with what can arguably be described as asinine play-calling by Eagles head coach Doug Pederson. Despite having third stringers and practice squad members serving as his primary weapons and protection, Wentz got the job done. He willed Philly to their second win of the season, along with a half-game lead in the NFC East due to their tie. It was an ugly game and an even uglier win for Philly. But that style of play isn’t a consistent model for success. It’s what cost the Eagles a couple of game-winning drives against the Steelers and the Ravens in weeks five and six, respectively.
They blue (blew) it. The Giants had it all, and they blew it.
Big blue is in big trouble. This is a roster that is littered with talent gaps and mediocrity at one of the more underappreciated but heavily relied-on offensive position groups; the offensive line. The Giants O-line got second-year quarterback Daniel Jones killed against the Eagles pass rush. Eight quarterback hits, three sacks, and six tackles for loss buried Jones and the Giants trio of active running backs (Devonta Freeman, Wayne Gallman, and Dion Lewis). Jones, like Wentz, did his best to elevate this team to a higher level of play. He threw guys open, escaped sacks to buy his playmakers time down the field, and even carried the rock himself to help jumpstart the Giants game in the third quarter (watch out for the turf monster, kids). Jones finished the night completing 20/30 passes (66% completion) for 187 passing yards, two touchdowns, and an interception that was more Evan Engram’s (6-46) fault than Jones’. On the Ground, the previously mentioned running back trio combined for 65 yards on 16 carries and a Wayne Gallman touchdown. Jones, who came into this game leading the Giants in rushing yards with 204, finished with the team lead again, adding 92 more rushing yards on four carries and a lost fumble.
The worst part of this for New York; the Giants could have won. On a third and seven in the fourth quarter, with 2:14 left on the clock, Jones floated a beautiful lob pass to Engram on a corner route down the left sideline. Engram was wide open, no defender in sight for at least 5 yards in any direction. And he let it slip through his hands. Engram dropped what could have been the game-sealing catch, helping set up Philadelphia’s ensuing game-winning drive. What a shame.
Big Blue’s defense did it’s best to contain Wentz. And for most of the game, they kept the Eagles offense in check. Blake Martinez and James Bradberry, who both were signed in free agency this year, have been game-changers for New York. Martinez, who is second in the league in total tackles, added nine more and a pass deflection to his scorecard, while Bradberry picked Wentz off in the endzone in the second half. But it just wasn’t enough.
What’s next?
The Eagles path to clinching the division gets easier in the coming weeks, as they’re set to host another division rival in the 2-4 Dallas Cowboys in week 8.
As for the Giants, their path gets increasingly worse, as they host a 4-2 Tampa Bay Buccaneers team that just took down the seemingly unstoppable Aaron Rodgers and his Green Bay Packers in week 6.
Writer
-By: Juan Guarin-Camargo