Jordan Raanan
Tim McManus
Tim McManus
ESPN Staff Writer
Tim McManus covers the Philadelphia Eagles for ESPN. He joined ESPN in 2016 after covering the Eagles for Philadelphia Magazine’s Birds 24/7, a site he helped create, since 2010.
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — The streak is over, thanks to rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart. The New York Giants finally won an NFC East game for the first time since the 2023 season with a 34-17 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles on Thursday night at MetLife Stadium.
Don’t tell Dart that the Giants had lost eight straight in the division. He said beforehand that these contests hold a “little more weight.” Still, this was his first start against an NFC East opponent, even if it was the defending Super Bowl champs. He hardly looked intimidated.
Dart brought energy to a Giants offense that has long struggled in the division. He threw for 195 yards on 17-of-25 passing with a touchdown and rushed for another score. He made plays all over the field with his legs. Rookie Cam Skattebo added three touchdown runs.
The Giants (2-4) looked like a different team with the two rookies leading the way.
New York Giants (2-4)
Stat to know: Dart did a ton of damage in this contest with his legs. He became just the third quarterback in the Super Bowl era to rush for at least 50 yards in each of his first three career NFL starts, joining Lamar Jackson and Jalen Hurts. Elite company. Dart ran for 60 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries, which doesn’t even include the handful of sacks he avoided with his mobility.
Turning point: Eagles QB Jalen Hurts overthrowing a wide-open DeVonta Smith. This occurred on a third down on the opening drive of the second half. It led to a punt for the Eagles. The Giants’ defense really turned it on after that play. That was the first of three straight punts. Then the Giants brought rare pressure, and cornerback Cor’Dale Flott had a massive interception of Hurts in the fourth quarter, helping to put the game away. The Giants’ defense didn’t allow a point in the second half.
Most surprising performance: WR Lil’Jordan Humphrey. After not elevating Humphrey from the practice squad last week in New Orleans, the Giants needed the veteran with Darius Slayton out because of a hamstring injury. Humphrey instantly jumped Jalin Hyatt and Beaux Collins on the depth chart and made plays. He finished with 55 yards on four receptions and played a wealth of the offensive snaps. Humphrey had not played in a game this season before Thursday night.
Trend to watch: The Giants scored touchdowns on each of their first two possessions for the second consecutive week. It’s the first time since 1978 that they’ve scored a touchdown on their first two possessions in consecutive games, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Dart credited the quick starts before the game to some schematics opposing defenses hadn’t seen yet from them. Credit to offensive coordinator Mike Kafka and coach Brian Daboll on that front. — Jordan Raanan
Next game: at Denver Broncos (Oct. 19, 4:05 p.m. ET, CBS)
Philadelphia Eagles (4-2)
The Eagles felt fortunate to play Thursday night following last week’s loss to the Denver Broncos because, as coach Nick Sirianni put it, “You don’t have to sit with this loss that we had on Sunday for too long.”
The bounce-back opportunity against the New York Giants instead devolved into a lopsided loss that will lead to questions about whether there are foundational cracks. The hope externally was that the long meeting between A.J. Brown, Jalen Hurts and Saquon Barkley would get everyone on the same page and move the team past some early-season frustrations. The offense looked decent in spots but Hurts’ first interception of the season — a fourth-quarter crusher in the red zone that Cor’Dale Flott returned 68 yards — highlighted a mistake-riddled performance in all three phases.
Philadelphia was outgained in each of its first five games and was outplayed badly by a team with a less talented roster Thursday night. It will be a long 10 days of examination before the Eagles have another chance to course-correct against the Vikings in Minnesota.
Biggest hole in the game plan: The Eagles had to have known coming in that the best way to defend Jaxson Dart was to bottle him in the pocket — especially after facing QBs with similar styles the past two weeks in Baker Mayfield and Bo Nix — but they lost contain on multiple occasions and it cost them. Dart ran for a 20-yard touchdown early in the first quarter. Later in the frame, he escaped to his right and found Wan’Dale Robinson, who broke a tackle and raced down the sideline for a 35-yard touchdown.
Turning point: The Giants’ defense forced a three-and-out on Philadelphia’s first possession of the second half. On the ensuing drive, New York put together a nine-play, 56-yard drive capped by a Skattebo TD to make it 27-17. Entering Sunday, Philadelphia had the highest rate of three-and-outs at 35.8% — a striking stat given all the talent on that side of the ball.
Stat to know: Hurts scored his 60th career rushing touchdown on a QB sneak midway through the second quarter. The only other player with 60 rush TDs in Eagles history is Steve Van Buren (69), per ESPN Research. The Eagles ran four consecutive tush pushes to bulldoze into the end zone. That was the first time since ESPN started tracking the “push sneak” in 2022 that the Eagles (or another other team) did it on four consecutive plays. — Tim McManus
Next game: at Minnesota Vikings (Oct. 19, 1 p.m. ET, Fox)
