The biggest game of the season on Sunday Night Football. The Philadelphia Eagles vs. the New York Football Giants for sole-possession of first place in the NFC East. If you were to look up “shootout” in the dictionary, this game would be a prime example. Most often recognized as a defensive battle with a lot of hard hitting plays ended up being quite the contrary. Both offenses were on fire, the game was full of big time plays, and it looked as if all the receivers and running backs lathered up in PAM before the game because no one could tackle anyone.
The Eagles were fired up for this game. DeSean Jackson is a freak of an athlete and even spread some of his athleticism to head coach Andy Reid. In case you didn’t see it, Reid successfully reached a personal record for a three inch vertical chest bump with Jackson after his second touchdown. Watch as Reid and Jackson share one of the most awkward chest bumps of all time.
With the win, the Eagles improve to 4-1 in the division and completing the sweep of the Redskins and Giants. Barring any setback, the ‘Birds have most likely solidified a spot in the playoffs and clearly established themselves as one of the sharpest teams in the NFC. Not something I thought I would say after losing to the Oakland Raiders earlier in the season.
A lot to say about the game, so let’s get to the grades.
Quarterback: A—
Donovan finally grasped something on Sunday night—when in doubt, look for the speedy little receiver wearing #10. McNabb had his fair share of sloppy moments against the Giants, but he also connected on a few huge plays. After Michael Vick set up the first drive with a great 32-yard pass to DeSean Jackson, McNabb finished off quickly with a great throw to Brent Celek. The offense was not on the field much in the first half due to a punt return touchdown by Jackson and a fumble return for a touchdown by Sheldon Brown. A majority of the 26 passes thrown by McNabb came in the second half, where he and Eli Manning traded off big plays. While on paper the lesser Manning looked to have a better game, McNabb had timing on his side and made the biggest plays when they counted.
Running backs: C
Credit the Giants defense for shutting down LeSean McCoy and Leonard Weaver. Clearly head coach Andy Reid doesn’t even have enough faith in the running backs to give them a chance at 2nd and goal from the two yard line. Shockingly enough, that drive ended in a field goal, not a touchdown. The rookies need the confidence around the red zone with Westbrook sidelined and it worries me that Andy is a bit too pass-happy around the goal line.
Wide Receiver: A +
Where do I even start with DeSean Jackson? He was without question the most dominant player on the field and is neck and neck with Chris Johnson as the most versatile and athletic player in the league. On his punt return that he ran back for a touchdown, it looked like time froze for a second and Jackson practically walked around the Giants’ special teams. I love his celebration, so long as it doesn’t result in another “dropping the ball before the goal line” incident we all saw last season. After his big plays Sunday night, Jackson joined the history books, tying the single-season record of eight scoring plays for over 50 yards. He deserves to be thrown to 28 times a game like Brandon Marshall was on Sunday. He is a playmaker, and the best playmaker that the Eagles have seen in a long time.
Oh yeah, that Brent Celek guy played pretty well himself. He had 64 yards and a great second-effort that resulted in the opening touchdown.
Offensive Line: A
The offensive line had one if its most dominant performances against the Giants. As a unit, the only allowed one sack and two tackles for losses. McNabb was given all the time in the world to find his receivers and he did just that. Great overall effort.
Defensive Line/Linebackers: B
The defensive line, mainly Trent Cole, played pretty well on the whole. They forced a few fumbles and Jeremiah Trotter should have had an interception in the first half. The biggest problem with the front seven was that too many passes were thrown over the middle. Eli Manning had way too much time to find his receivers. Darren Howard finally woke up from his long nap and came to place, recording two sacks and a tackle for a loss.
Secondary: D
I’ve never seen worse tackling in my entire life. Asante Samuel looked like a fifth grader trying to bring down a senior in high school. He really needs to learn that throwing his 5-foot-10 185 pound frame is not going to knock down receivers with momentum. It goes back to the basic—wrap up his legs and slow him down. Eli Manning already gets enough undeserved attention as a quarterback in the NFL, so allowing his ten yard passes to stretch for 60 yards is only going to fuel that fire. Granted Sheldon Brown had a fumble recovery for a touchdown, but it practically fell into his hands and the hole opened up for him to practically walk in for a score.
Special Teams: A–
As I referenced earlier, DeSean Jackson’s punt return was one of the most impressive things I have seen all year. He made the Giants special teams unit look like a bunch of fools, tip-toeing down the sidelines and into the end zone. He just makes it look too easy sometime. On another note, the David Akers’ blocked extra point didn’t end up costing the Eagles, but it enabled the Giants to take the lead at one point in the game (31-30). Those are the little things that end up killing teams.
The Eagles head back to the City of Brotherly love for back to back home games. This Sunday they will take on the San Francisco 49ers, who are coming off their most impressive win of the season against the Cardinals on Monday night. The Cowboys have to take on the perfect Saints in New Orleans and the Giants battle the Redskins.
With the running attack of Frank Gore and the shut-down defense that the 49ers present, the Eagles will have their hands full on Sunday. Not to mention, Alex Smith’s favorite target is Vernon Davis. We all know how terrible the Eagles are at covering tight ends.
Have a good week. Happy Halladays to all those Phillies fans.








