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NY Giants defense stifles Jalen Hurts, Eagles in 13-7 win | Takeaways

By Matt Lombardo

Nov 28, 2021; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants inside linebacker Tae Crowder (48) intercepts a pass in front of free safety Xavier McKinney (29) during the first half against the Philadelphia Eagles at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 28, 2021; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants inside linebacker Tae Crowder (48) intercepts a pass in front of free safety Xavier McKinney (29) during the first half against the Philadelphia Eagles at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports /
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The NY Giants defense came up huge in a 13-7 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles, that further tightens the NFC East division race 

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — It’s fitting that on an afternoon the NY Giants retired the number of one of the franchise’s greatest defensive players, that the current incarnation of Big Blue’s defense ruled the day against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Sunday, as the Giants hoisted Hall of Fame defensive end Michael Strahan’s No. 92 into the MetLife Stadium rafters, New York’s defense stifled Jalen Hurts and the Eagles’ offense in a 13-7 NFC East victory.

Hurts finished just 11-of-23 passing for 97 yards with three interceptions and a woefully pathetic 19.9 passer rating.

There were moments were Hurts broke loose on big runs, but in the biggest moments of drives, the NY Giants’ defense stepped up and made its biggest plays.

A Tae Crowder interception at the one-yard line on the first half’s final play, and Xavier McKinney coming down with a pass intended for Jalen Reagor deep downfield slammed the door on a pair of promising Eagles drives.

Later, in the fourth quarter, Boston Scott coughed up a fumble at the 41-yard line that Julian Love snagged from the air to seal the Giants’ victory.

Sunday’s win, combined with the Dallas Cowboys’ loss to the Las Vegas Raiders muddles the NFC East race, but vaults the NY Giants right back into it.

However, if the NY Giants are going to be viewed as legitimate contenders, they are going to need significantly more from quarterback Daniel Jones and the offense.

Here are three key takeaways from Sunday’s NY Giants victory over the Eagles:

Lack of sustained drives continue to be NY Giants’ undoing

It was always unreasonable to expect wholesale changes from the NY Giants’ offense, five days after Jason Garrett’s firing as offensive coordinator, but a familiar theme reared its ugly head against the Eagles.

Twice in the second half, and three of the NY Giants’ first-seven possessions ended on three-and-outs.

The offense’s ineptitude can largely be tied to the offensive line allowing pressure on what seemed like each of Daniel Jones’ drop backs — more on that below — but the NY Giants were marred by third down drops that brought drives to a halt.

Never was this more evident than when Love’s fumble recovery gave Jones and the NY Giants’ offense the ball back with 1:34 remaining, nursing a 13-7 lead, and Riley Dixon ran out to punt with 1:19 remaining.

That New York punted the ball back to Hurts and the Eagles offense, after using just :23 off the clock gave Philadelphia the chance to drive down the field with a real chance to win the game.

It’s difficult to win in the NFL when your offense only scores touchdowns on less than 40 percent of trips into the red zone, and can’t consistently produce clock-killing, ball-controlling drives. The NY Giants have struggled to do either. Especially Sunday.

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