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.
3: Boston Scott was born to break Giants hearts
Seriously, what in the heck did Big Blue ever do to Boston Scott? The veteran running back loves playing against the Giants, as he has been known for scoring against the NY defense. This was once again the case on Sunday, with Scott scoring a first-half touchdown. Scott had +200 odds to find the end zone leading up to the action.
Congrats to those who bet on him, as there was never a doubt he was going to do some celebrating in this one. Frankly, we are sick and tired of having to watch Scott score a TD. It’s gotten to the point where we’d rather see Miles Sanders put up a TD over Scott. This madness must end.
For this career, Scott has played against the Giants eight times and scored 10 touchdowns. He has never, never played against the G-Men and not scored. This is a sick joke and no one in East Rutherford is laughing. The day Scott retires is a day Giants fans will be thankful for. He’s the definition of a Giants killer.
2. The Eagles didn’t look as dominant as we thought they would
While Philly was able to take down the Giants, the Eagles really didn’t look that strong in the six-point win. If the Giants weren’t playing with their backups, it really feels like NY could have kept things much closer and maybe even won. Jalen Hurts returned from his shoulder injury and he looked a bit rusty at times, including in the second half.
Rookie safety Dane Belton made Hurts pay for trying to be too cute in the third quarter, intercepting a ball in the end zone intended for DeVonta Smith. It was a big-time play for Belton and it most definitely silenced the crowd at Lincoln Financial Field a little bit. The Eagles have Super Bowl hopes, but there’s no way they’ll go on a deep run if they play the way they did in Week 18.
Hurts is one of the most electric players in the game, but he looked like a guy who hadn’t suited up for a couple weeks in this one. Imagine him facing the Giants starting D and having to deal with Azeez Ojulari, Dexter Lawrence, Kayvon Thibodeaux and others. This would have been a completely different contest if those pass-rushers were playing.
1. Giants must shift their focus to Minnesota ASAP
Yes, the loss will hurt for a little for Daboll and his staff, but it’s officially on to the playoffs for the Giants. With the San Francisco 49ers beating the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday, it means San Francisco locked up the No. 2 seed and Minnesota is No. 3. With that, the Vikings will host the Giants in the Wild Card Round.
These two teams met last month and NY nearly took down the Vikes, who needed a walk-off field goal from 60+ out from Greg Joseph to record a win. That was a contest that the Giants let slip away – which actually should give them confidence leading up to this next meeting. NY has proven they can hang tight with these guys.
Minnesota is loaded with star players, including Dalvin Cook and Justin Jefferson, but the Giants defense is going to be close to full health for this next game. Having Adoree’ Jackson and Xavier McKinney on the field will be massive for defensive coordinator Wink Martindale. This feels like a playoff showdown the Giants can come out on top of.
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