Observations from the Eagles’ win over the Giants, 20 to 13

The Birds are 14-3!

The Philadelphia Eagles beat the New York Giants at Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday! Final score: 20 to 13.

With the Eagles already locked in to the No. 2 seed in the NFC playoff picture, this was a pretty meaningless game for the Birds. But their backups went out and beat the Giants’ starters anyway to finish the regular season with a 14-3 record.

All attention now obviously turns to the playoffs. The Eagles will be hosting the No. 7 seed in the Wild Card round next weekend.

Read on for game highlights and observations.

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THE QUARTERBACKS

TANNER MCKEE: 27/41, 269 yards (6.7 y/a), 2 TD, 0 INT, 100.6 passer rating … 3 runs, 1 yard

Despite playing with backups against the Giants’ starters, McKee looked pretty good! Pretty accurate, for the most part. And he clearly knows where to go with the ball, often throwing with anticipation. McKee deserves to be QB2, though Kenny Pickett will likely keep that title if/when healthy. After this season, however? Pickett could be trade bait with McKee moving up to QB2 behind Jalen Hurts.

IAN BOOK: DID NOT PLAY

KENNY PICKETT: DID NOT PLAY

JALEN HURTS: INACTIVE

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FIRST HALF OBSERVATIONS

• Braden Mann, not Jake Elliott (unlike last week), handled kickoff duties.
• The Eagles’ starting defense: EDGE Bryce Huff, DL Moro Ojomo, DL Jordan Davis, DL Thomas Booker, EDGE Jalyx Hunt, LB Oren Burks, LB Jeremiah Trotter Jr., CB Kelee Ringo, CB Isaiah Rodgers, S Avonte Maddox, S Tristin McCollum.
• Maddox shifted to the slot and Sydney Brown came in at safety for nickel packages.
• While covering Darius Slayton, Ringo nearly picked a Drew Lock pass on fourth down. Settled for the PBU instead to force a turnover on downs.

• The Eagles’ starting offense: QB Tanner McKee, RB Kenny Gainwell, TE Dallas Goedert, TE Grant Calcaterra, WR Jahan Dotson, WR Johnny Wilson, LT Fred Johnson, LG Tyler Steen, C Nick Gates, RG Jack Driscoll, RT Darian Kinnard.
• McKee’s first attempt was a completion to Goedert for a first down. He completed two more passes to lead the Eagles on a four-play, 51-yard scoring drive capped off by the first career touchdown for rookie wideout Ainias Smith!

• Jahan Dotson was back to return the Giants’ first punt.
• The Eagles lined up for a Tanner McKee Brotherly Shove on fourth down but the Giants jumped offside on the hard count.
• Goedert dropped a third down McKee pass to bring up a 39-yard field goal Jake Elliott field goal attempt that missed wide left. The Linc was windy … but still not comforting to see.
• Jordan Davis blew up a couple Giants screens.
• The Giants extended a drive with a fake punt attempt.
• Jeremiah Trotter Jr. missed a tackle in the backfield that would’ve created a turnover on downs.
• Sydney Brown helped to break up a fourth down pass downfield to Nabers for a turnover on downs.
• Nick Gates had a really bad shotgun snap that went over the head of McKee, who is 6’6”. McKee was able to recover for a 14-yard loss.
• Jahan Dotson set some personal bests as an Eagle in the second quarter:

• Will Shipley had some nice runs and catches late in the second quarter.

• Elliott made his second field goal attempt, a short kick from 24 yards out.

• McKee did have a pick dropped while forcing a third down throw towards the sideline late in the second quarter.

SECOND HALF OBSERVATIONS

• Isaiah Rodgers returned the first kickoff of the second half 51 yards to the plus 43-yard line.
• Rookie Trevor Keegan, playing in his first NFL regular season game, came in for Tyler Steen at left guard.
• Bad read by McKee on fourth down resulted in an errant and incomplete pass for a turnover on downs.
• Sydney Brown had a bad whiff on a Tyrone Tracy run. And then he missed a tackle on Wan’Dale Robinson by failing to wrap up.
• Tristin McCollum made a good third down solo tackle on Nabers to force a Giants field goal attempt from 25 yards out.
• McKee did a great job of knocking a tipped pass down to prevent an interception.
• Fred Johnson got beat by Kayvon Thibodeaux to allow a third down sack.
• Ringo made an awesome special teams tackle as a gunner on punt coverage to cap off a 59-yard punt by Mann.

• The broadcast showed A.J. Brown looking real sleepy. Hard to blame him.

• McKee threw his second touchdown pass of the game to summer standout E.J. Jenkins for the tight end’s first career score.

• Drew Lock hit Nabers downfield for a 45-yard touchdown with the rookie breaking a tackle attempt from McCollum after roasting Eli Ricks.

• Graham Gano made a 53-yard field goal for the Giants to make it a four-point game with 7:21 to play.
• Kenny Gainwell unexpectedly re-entered the game in the fourth quarter.
• The Eagles converted a 3rd-and-1 with a Tanner McKee Brotherly Shove!
• Facing 4th-and-3 at the two-minute warning, the Eagles got the Giants again with a hard count. The Giants’ tank game is too strong. Case in point: a Thibodeaux roughing the passer wiped out another third down stop.
• Elliott made a 32-yard field goal to give the Eagles a seven-point lead with 0:47 left in the game.
• Sydney Brown had a game-clinching interception to kill the Giants’ comeback attempt!

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EAGLES INJURY UPDATES

• Isaiah Rodgers was shaken up after colliding with Sydney Brown and Malik Nabers in the second quarter. But Rodgers was able to finish the game.