You've heard of winners and losers. I now present to you the Big and the Blue from the New York Giants' ugly 19-11 Week 9 win over the Philadelphia Eagles. It's the same concept, just with a little more Big Blue flavor. The version you didn't want, but didn't know you needed. You're welcome.
For the first time since 2013, the G-Men came away with a win in the City of Brotherly Love. Was it pretty? Nope. Did the offense make watching paint dry seem like an exciting Sunday afternoon activity? Definitely at times. But after 13 straight losses in Philly, I don't think anyone's going to complain too much about the aesthetics.
The G-Men are now 5-2-1, sitting in first place in the NFC East, and somehow finding ways to win games that would've undoubtedly ended in heartbreak in years past. Without further ado, let's get into the Big and the Blue.
The Big and the Blue: What went right and wrong for Giants in their Week 9 win over the Eagles
Big: Arvell Reese is a defensive demon
Someone should probably check whether Arvell Reese is legally allowed to do what he did to the Eagles on Sunday. The 21-year-old rookie linebacker finished with 12 tackles (10 solo), three sacks, three tackles for loss, and a forced fumble, making a strong case to be the Defensive Rookie of the Year favorite.
His second-quarter strip-sack annihilation of Joe Milton III gave New York a short field and eventually three points from Dominic Zvada, but the real fun was watching Philadelphia try to figure out where No. 52 was coming from. Spoiler alert: They never did.
Blue: Giants' offensive line was a disaster
If New York needed another reminder that the offensive line could use some help, Sunday afternoon provided at least six of them. That's how many times the Eagles sacked Giants quarterbacks, adding nine QB hits and 14 tackles for loss for good measure.
The protection was a nightmare. At some point, the Giants have to figure out how to get the ball out of the backfield. They've been in the mix for a running back ahead of the trade deadline, but what's the point of upgrading the RB room if the backs can't get back to the line of scrimmage before getting crushed?
Big: John Harbaugh's Big Truss in Dominic Zvada pays off
Harbaugh could've doghoused Zvada after missing two field goal attempts against the Houston Texans in Week 7. Instead, the 64-year-old stuck with his undrafted rookie, and Sunday showed exactly why.
Zvada-matic made all four field-goal tries, including a 53-yarder and a pair from 49, accounting for 13 of New York's 19 points. Harbs put that Big Truss in his 22-year-old kicker, and it paid off instantly. Trusting your kicker is sometimes hard to do, but after years of kicking woes, I'll gladly take a little regular-season inconsistency if it means finally finding a long-term answer at the position. Harbs trusted his guy, and Zvada made like pizza and delivered.
Blue: Giants' rushing attack is going nowhere fast
24 carries. 51 yards. That was what Big Blue's running backs did to help out in the win on Sunday. That's 2.125 yards per carry, for what it's worth. Without Cam Skattebo and Tyrone Tracy Jr., there was absolutely nothing happening on the ground, and the offensive line didn't necessarily help.
The Nov. 10 trade deadline is two days away, and the G-Men might want to consider treating the running back and offensive line positions like the emergency they're becoming.
Big: Famous Jameis saves the day (for one drive)
For one glorious possession, Jameis Winston made the Giants' offense look like it's played football before. With McCarthy sidelined after taking a huge hit from Zack Baun, Famous Jameis stepped in and completed six of eight passes for 71 yards before finding Isaiah Likely for a five-yard touchdown that gave New York the lead.
The scoring drive was a nice reminder of why it's important to have a reliable, break-glass-in-case-of-emergency backup QB on the roster for those exact situations.
Blue: 13 years of misery in Philly
Rest in peace to one of the most annoying losing streaks in Giants history. From October 27, 2013, until Sunday afternoon, Lincoln Financial Field had been a house of horrors for Big Blue, with 13 consecutive road losses to show for it.
That's a lot of crappy Sundays and Eagles fans having too much fun at New York's expense. Reese fittingly slammed the door with a sack as the clock hit zeroes, officially sending the streak six feet under. Good riddance. Next!
Big: DJ Reader is playing like the best DT in football
D.J. Reader enters the game as Pro Football Focus' highest-graded defensive lineman, with a 90.4 overall grade. All the 6-foot-3, 335-pounder did was record a sack, four QB pressures, and two hurries while making life miserable for Philadelphia's offensive line.
The Eagles' running backs managed just 28 combined rushing yards, with Reader repeatedly eating up double teams and leaving his teammates free to clean up the mess. Reese will get plenty of attention for his ridiculous afternoon, and deservedly so, but Reader's less sexy work in the trenches helped make that possible. The 32-year-old is having one hell of a season.
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