The Giants finally walked out of Philadelphia with something they hadn’t had in 13 years: a win.
New York’s 19-11 victory over the Eagles snapped a brutal road losing streak that dated all the way back to Oct. 27, 2013.
For a franchise that had spent more than a decade getting buried in Lincoln Financial Field, Sunday was a long-overdue reset. It wasn’t clean, it wasn’t pretty, and it came with plenty of mess along the way.
But the result was the one thing that mattered.
The Giants are now 5-2-1, and the win gives them a tighter hold on the NFC East with the Nov. 10 trade deadline looming. It also came with a few warning signs that could not be ignored, even in a game that ended with Big Blue celebrating in Philly.
Arvell Reese was the headliner on defense. The 21-year-old linebacker was everywhere, piling up 12 tackles, three tackles for loss, three quarterback hits and three sacks.
He entered the day as a strong Defensive Rookie of the Year candidate and may have strengthened that case even more with what he did against Philadelphia. Reese now leads the team with 4.5 sacks and at least 68 tackles.
Special teams also came through in a big way. Dominic Zvada bounced back after missing both of his field goal attempts against the Texans two weeks ago and drilled all four of his kicks against the Eagles. The 23-year-old undrafted rookie connected from 53 and 49 yards out twice, pushing his season total to 64 points and putting him back on pace for Big Blue’s all-time rookie scoring record.
Offensively, though, the Giants never really found their footing. They finished with 24 carries for 51 yards from their running backs, a number that only added to the feeling that the backfield could use help.
Devin Singletary and Greg Desrosiers Jr. did not give the offense much room to breathe, and even with Cam Skattebo likely returning from a hamstring injury next week, the need for another option is obvious. With the deadline nearing, there was already a sense New York could have used an upgrade, and that feeling only grew louder after Sunday.
The sloppiness was hard to miss, too. The Giants were flagged nine times for 86 yards and also put the ball on the ground three times.
They recovered two of those fumbles, and Charlie Jones’ muffed punt was the lone turnover, but the lack of discipline nearly caught up with them. If this team wants to make noise in January, those mistakes have to get cleaned up.
The quarterback situation added another twist. J.J.
McCarthy left with a hip injury on the Giants’ first possession of the third quarter, and the offense had already been stuck in neutral before that. New York had not reached the red zone once in the first half and trailed 8-6 at the break.
Then Jameis Winston stepped in for one drive and gave the Giants their first touchdown of the afternoon. He completed 6 of 8 passes for 71 yards and threw a five-yard touchdown to Isaiah Likely.
There was also the matter of John Harbaugh’s post-bye reputation, which somehow held up again. He came into the game with a 16-3 career record coming off a bye, and Sunday’s result pushed that to 16-3. The Giants still have plenty to sort out before Thursday’s matchup with the Washington Commanders, but they did something no New York team had done in 13 years: win in Philadelphia.
That matters. And with the Commanders falling 20-13 to the Rams and the Cowboys beating the Colts 27-23, the Giants remain in the driver’s seat in the NFC East. Dallas is still the closest competition, but New York’s place at 5-2-1 gives them room to think bigger as the deadline approaches.
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Abdul Carter Could Force A Huge Giants Decision Against Philly
Abdul Carters arrival has already given the Giants a different kind of edge rush presence, one built on burst and urgency rather than patience. He has shown a quick average time to pressure among edge rushers, and after returning to full practice Thursday following an illness, he is back in the mix as New York starts mapping out how to attack Philadelphias offense.
The matchup could push the Giants into some interesting choices up front, especially with a young quarterback on the other side and a game plan likely to lean heavily on speed, discipline and timely adjustments. Carters role is part of that equation, and how the Giants deploy him against Philly may end up telling us a lot about how aggressive they want to be in a game where one defensive wrinkle could matter a great deal. [Read more 🡒]
Giants Have A Backfield Concern At The Worst Time Vs Eagles
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Malik Nabers, meanwhile, appears set to give the offense a lift after dealing with a knee issue, which is at least one bit of good news for a Giants group trying to stay afloat through the injury report. The Eagles have their own receiver absences to manage with DeVonta Smith and Dontayvion Wicks out, but the bigger concern for New York is whether it can cover for a key piece in the backfield and still keep the offense on schedule. [Read more 🡒]
Giants Defense Has A Chance To Make A Statement Against Philly
Dennard Wilson has helped give the Giants something they badly needed after last season: a defense that looks far sturdier and more organized, even while dealing with injuries to key players. A year ago, New York finished 24th in EPA per play, a frustrating marker for a unit that too often failed to hold up its end. This season has looked different, and the improvement has been noticeable enough to make the defense one of the more interesting parts of the teams late-season picture.
Philadelphia offers a chance for that progress to show up in a bigger way. The matchup gives the Giants a stage against a division opponent, and it should tell a lot about how far Wilsons group has come from last years version. For a defense that has already shown more bite and resilience, this is the kind of spot where a strong performance would carry some real weight, even if the full test still has a few wrinkles to come. [Read more 🡒]