5 takeaways from the NY Giants meaningless loss to the Eagles in Week 18
That went just about as everyone expected it would. On Sunday, the NY Giants decided to rest the majority of their starters (including Daniel Jones and Saquon Barkley) in a move that some people didn’t like, but we thought it was the right decision by Brian Daboll and Co. With the backups in action, the Eagles didn’t have many issues posting a 22-16 win over NY, though things got a bit interesting late.
This loss doesn’t matter for the Giants, as they’re the No. 6 seed in the NFC playoffs and they’ll be taking on the Minnesota Vikings next week. While you never want to lose a game, Daboll won’t lose any sleep over this one. Here’s our takeaways from the action, including a special shoutout to a controversial player.
5.Kenny Golladay finally got his touchdown with Big Blue
What a play by Kenny Golladay. Late in the fourth quarter, Kenny G, who has been a major bust ever since signing his four-year, $72 million contract, has been one of the most hated guys in the New York area thanks to his poor play. However, Golladay finally scored his first touchdown with the Giants, and it was one of the best grabs of the season.
With the Giants down by two scores, Webb tossed a deep ball down the field for Golladay, who had Darius Slay all over him. Golladay reached out with one hand and somehow was able to trap the ball into his body and come down with the incredible catch. This TD is going to be watched countless times over the next few days.
https://twitter.com/Giants/status/1612242560214499328
This is exactly what the Giants paid Golladay for. It just sucks that this fantastic play came in a meaningless game, and in a loss. Golladay is expected to be released this offseason – things just haven’t worked out for him in the NFC East. If that ends up happening, he can at least have that epic TD with the Giants to look back on.
4. Evan Neal continues to struggle in the trenches
The up and down season continues for right tackle Evan Neal and we are officially worried. Neal, the No. 7 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, has shown flashes of brilliance this campaign on the opposite side of the offensive line to Andrew Thomas. However, he has also shown his youth on several plays. This includes a rough start vs. the Eagles.
Neal was lined up against Haason Reddick and he had no chance against him early on. Reddick had Neal looking like the rookie he is early on in this contest and fans weren’t happy about his play whatsoever. Neal gave up a sack to Reddick, while he was also called for a false start, which had people shaking their heads.
We understand that Neal is young and still has a ton of potential, but his play can’t be this shaky late in the season. Right tackle feels like a legitamate rough spot for the Giants right now, which no one expected in Week 18. Neal needs to get things together and fast, as the Vikings defensive line will look to give him plenty of issues once the Wild Card Round arrives.