The New York Giants are coming off a statement win Sunday afternoon, beating the division rival Philadelphia Eagles 19-11 at Lincoln Financial Field for the first time since October 27th, 2013. The Giants finished holding their heads high, ending a 13-year road losing streak against the Eagles. The game had its ups and downs, but New York showed its aggressive defense, toughness, and why it stays at the top of the NFC East. On the other side of the ball, the Eagles lost their seventh straight game after starting 2-0.
The biggest difference maker in Sunday's game was the Giants' stellar defensive playmaking. New York made it extremely tough for Philadelphia quarterback Joe Milton III in his first NFL start. With consistent pressure, the Eagles couldn't find any consistency on offense. The Giants finished the afternoon with seven sacks, three of those coming from rookie standout Arvell Reese, who showed why he was chosen fifth overall in this past year's NFL Draft. It wasn't just the three sacks for Reese; he finished with three sacks, 12 tackles, and a forced fumble. The former Ohio State Buckeye pummeled Milton III for a second-quarter strip-sack that stopped a driving Eagles team. New York's defense forced five drives that ended in a three-and-out and stopped the Eagles on 13 of their 18 third-down attempts.
While the Giants looked as good as they have on defense, New York had to overcome some hurdles. Starting Quarterback J.J. McCarthy was forced to the sideline with a hip injury in the third quarter, forcing the Giants to turn to veteran quarterback Jameis Winston. Luckily, Winston did his job, completing 80 percent of his passes for 71 yards and a score. That touchdown was the only one for the Giants, and it put them up 13-8 late in the third. McCarthy came back in and put together some good drives after his injury, but the G-men will be looking for more of a spark from him next week. The Giants now turn to another familiar foe in the Washington Commanders, looking to overtake them after a tie earlier this season. After over a decade of road losses to the Eagles, the Giants have reason to celebrate, but they have a much tougher opponent coming up and need to polish some mistakes if they want to be serious contenders.
