It wasn’t the 35-0 beatdown everybody wanted to see, and there are definitely some areas of concern. But right now, all that matters is NFC East title, No. 1 seed, 1st-round bye, home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.
Eagles A Team 22, Giants B Team 16, but the Eagles have nothing to apologize for.
They did what they had to do, and after 18 weeks the Eagles are on top of the NFC heap. Win two games at the Linc, where they’re now 7-2 this year, and it’s off to the Super Bowl.
MORE: Eagles overreactions: Was Hurts really 'rusty' in return?
Here’s our 10 Instant Observations off the regular-season finale:
1. Sure, you would have liked to have seen the Eagles blow out the Giants’ backups, and the Eagles haven’t put together a consistently great performance on both sides of the ball since the first Giants game a month ago. But I’ve never believed there’s any connection between how a team plays at the end of the regular season and the start of the postseason. Think back to 2017, when people wanted to bench Nick Foles for Nate Sudfeld because of the way he played at the end of the regular season. That turned out OK. That said, there are things that need to be cleaned up. But that’s true for every team, and the Eagles are the only NFC team with two weeks to do that. The advantage of the bye is huge. When the Eagles open up play in the postseason, they’ll be healthy, rested and prepared. I didn’t expect this to be a six-point game either, but style points are irrelevant. All that matters is that W, and the Eagles did enough to get it.
2. He looked a little tentative, which is understandable after a two-game layoff, and he just seemed off much of the game. But he also made some really nice throws, and it was just good to see Jalen Hurts back out there healthy and doing his thing. He may not have looked quite like himself and I’m not sure what he was thinking on that interception – did he think he had a free play? - but the biggest thing is that he didn’t take any undue risks, he kept himself out of harm’s way and he made enough plays to keep the Eagles safely ahead. Give him two more weeks to knock off the rust at practice, get his timing back with the receivers and get that shoulder healthier, and I fully expect to see MVP candidate Jalen Hurts behind center when the playoffs open.
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3. A couple notes about Hurts: He finished the season 14-1 in 15 starts, joining Joe Montana, Aaron Rodgers and Patrick Mahomes as the fourth quarterback in NFL history to win 14 games in 15 (or fewer) starts and joining Dan Marino as only the second QB in history to win 14 games in a season before his 25th birthday. Marino went 14-2 as a 23-year-old rookie in 1984.
4. Was shocked the defense didn’t get any takeaways against Giants QB Davis Webb, who was making his first career start. They missed or dropped five interceptions, and missed four or five sacks, finishing with just two (one on a punter, one on a tight end) and 70 for the season – tied for 3rd-most in NFL history and two off the record. This defense has been very good all year, but they need to start making those plays instead of missing them. A dozen interceptions the first eight games, five the last nine games. Not good enough. They had so many opportunities Sunday. Webb was chucking it up for grabs. Got to make those plays.
5. A few thoughts about Nick Sirianni. For a guy who had never been a head coach and wasn’t even a hot candidate two years ago and replaced a beloved Super Bowl winner, Sirianni has really done a remarkable job here. The Eagles are now 23-11 in his two seasons, he’s the second Eagles coach ever to reach the playoffs in his first two seasons (along with Ray Rhodes in 1995 and 1996), he led this team to a franchise-record 14 wins and the No. 1 seed this year and the Eagles are now 20-4 in meaningful games since last year’s 2-5 start and the Roots Growing Underground speech. Sirianni’s a quirky guy, with his core values, Dawg Mentality, Connections and all that stuff that seems so corny on the outside. But he’s genuine, he’s authentic, and he gets 100 percent buy-in from his players. If he says Dawg Mentality, then dang-it, they believe in it and go out and do it. I don’t know if this team will win a Super Bowl, but for them to be sitting here with a 1st-round bye and two home games away from Arizona speaks volumes about the job Sirianni has done.
6. Jake Elliott hasn’t kicked very much this year. His 18 field goal attempts coming into this weekend were fewest among all regular NFL kickers this year. Then he goes out and goes 5-for-5, including a 52-yarder and a 54-yarder and reminds us all just how solid he is (the first 5-for-5 by an Eagles kicker since Alex Henery against the Giants in 2013). It’s been five years since a 23-year-old rookie Elliott made 42- and 46-yarders in the fourth quarter of the Super Bowl, and he’s always been clutch. Elliott has made seven of his last eight kicks from 52 yards or farther, and he’s over 50 percent in his career from 52 yards and out (52 percent). He’s now 49-for-55 over the last two years (89 percent). I’m always surprised when he misses a kick. A heck of a weapon going into the postseason.
7. What an incredible year for A.J. Brown, who had 4-for-95 Sunday and finished with 88 catches for 1,496 yards and 11 touchdowns. DeVonta Smith was 7-for-67 and became the first Eagles wide receiver ever to surpass 90 catches in a season, finishing 95-for-1,196 yards and seven TDs. The Eagles have never gone into a postseason with this explosive a 1-2 WR combo, and they both finished strong, confident and productive. Can’t wait to see what kind of damage they can do this postseason. Especially once Hurts gets back to where he was.
8. I like the way Jonathan Gannon deployed his defensive backs with safety Chauncey Gardner-Johnson back after missing five games with a lacerated kidney and slot Avonte Maddox still out with a foot injury. In base, Gardner-Johnson and Marcus Epps were the safeties, but in nickel it was Gardner-Johnson in the slot and Reed Blankenship – who replaced CJGJ during his layoff – back in at safety. Josiah Scott played better last week and does lead the Eagles with two interceptions the second half of the year, but the Eagles’ strongest secondary is with Gardner-Johnson and Blankenship both on the field.
9. Nice work by Boston Scott and Kenny Gainwell with Miles Sanders limited with that knee injury and ineffective early. Scott ran nine times for 55 yards and a touchdown and Gainwell ran five times for 34 yards and a seven-yard catch. The Eagles need to get Sanders back where he was a few weeks ago, but they’ve got terrific depth at the position and two guys who are capable of making big plays when called on. By the way, Scott’s TD was his 10th against the Giants Sunday and his ninth rushing. Only four players in NFL history have more career rushing TDs vs. the Giants: Emmitt Smith [21], Philly’s Leroy Kelly [14] and Jim Brown [12] – all Hall of Famers - and Larry Brown [12]. Only 11 players overall have more TDs vs. the Giants than Scott. The only Eagles with more are Brian Westbrook [13], Timmy Brown [11] and Tommy McDonald [11].
10. Lane Johnson sure seems on track to play in the preseason opener in two weeks, and by then it will be a month since he suffered that groin injury against the Cowboys. I can’t imagine the pain Johnson will be in playing with a core muscle injury, and my biggest fear is that without being able to use his core to generate power and set his anchor, he won’t be effective out there. But I give him a ton of credit for trying. Johnson at 80 percent is better than anybody else the Eagles can run out there at right tackle. Maybe 70 percent. He might be the Eagles’ best player. They’re just not the same team without him.