Eagles stomp Giants to advance to NFC Championship Game, 38 to 7

The Birds are one win away from going back to the Super Bowl!

The Philadelphia Eagles are through to the NFC Championship Game after beating the New York Giants in the Divisional Round on Saturday night! Final score: 38 to 7.

This game was reminiscent of the early season 2022 Eagles. In both good and bad ways.

The good involved the offense getting off to a hot start.

Philly’s first five drives produced four touchdowns for a 28-0 lead at halftime. Despite telling Pam Oliver that his shoulder is “nowhere near 100%” for a pregame interview, Jalen Hurts threw the ball well. He also used his legs effectively. And so did the Eagles’ running backs, who had success on the ground.

Jonathan Gannon’s defense, meanwhile, did a great job of harassing Daniel Jones early and often. The Giants had absolutely no answer for Haason Reddick.

The bad involved the Eagles going a bit cold in the second half. They went scoreless in the third quarter and also allowed the Giants to get on the board for the first time.

But the Birds tightened up in the fourth quarter and scored a field goal to extend their lead to make it a 24-point game. And then a late touchdown when Philly’s backups were in made it a 31-point game.

Can’t make this stuff up:

All told, it was a very impressive win that certainly does nothing to slow down Philly’s hopes of winning another Super Bowl title.

The Eagles will host the winner of Sunday night’s battle between the San Francisco 49ers and Dallas Cowboys next weekend. Their opponent in that game figures to offer more resistance than the Giants did.

But who’s betting against the Birds at The Linc when they look like the best team in the NFL?

Read on for a recap and stay tuned for BGN’s postgame coverage, including the BGN Radio postgame show!

FIRST QUARTER

• The Giants won the coin toss and elected to defer to put the Eagles’ offense on the field first. Philly’s first play from scrimmage was a Miles Sanders run for two yards. Then Jalen Hurts took a deep shot to an originally wide open DeVonta Smith, who had to slow down a little bit for the ball for a 40-yard catch. Then Dallas Goedert stiff-armed the crap out of Xavier McKinney on a catch-and-run for nine yards. Big boy move. Hurts to A.J. Brown on third down picked up just enough for another first down. Hurts took off running to set up a 3rd-and-5. On third down, Hurts threw to a crossing Goedert and the tight end made a great one-handed grab and then took it to the end zone for the opening TOUCHDOWN! Wow. Excellent start. Nice job by Zach Pascal to help free up Goedert without getting called for a pick. EAGLES 7, GIANTS 0.

• The Giants used seven plays to drive to the Eagles’ 35-yard line. Facing 3rd-and-3, Haason Reddick sacked Daniel Jones. Pretty weak way for Jones to go down with Reddick getting a hand on the QB as he passed by … but Jones tripped. Brian Daboll decided to go for it on 4th-and-8 and Reddick got to Jones again. Felt like there should’ve been an intentional grounding there.

• The Eagles started with good field position at their own 48-yard line. They ran the ball three straight times to get to the Giants’ 29-yard line, which a nice hard-running third down effort by Kenneth Gainwell to pick up 14. Hurts took off running and got tackled after picking up nine yards, which caused some concern, but he was OK. Two plays later, Hurts hit DeVonta on one of those WR bubble screens and A.J. Brown’s blocking helped to pave the way for another TOUCHDOWN! Rolling. EAGLES 14, GIANTS 0.

• Jones improbably completed a pass into Eagles territory after the pass rush knocked him off his spot but failed to get home at all. Then a blitzing C.J. Gardner-Johnson helped to force a pick on a quick throw by Jones that was jumped by James Bradberry. Nice call by Jonathan Gannon! (Gasp!) Almost like there’s value in forcing the other team’s hand sometimes instead of just sitting back!

SECOND QUARTER

• The Eagles failed to score off the takeaway. A false start turned 3rd-and-8 into 3rd-and-13 and Hurts scrambled and threw the ball out of bounds.
• The Giants took over at their own 9-yard line. They got to 3rd-and-4 and Jones’ pass was caught around the marker but bobbled (credit Bradberry for the instant hit) and thus spotted where the receiver was downed behind the line as opposed to forward progress. The Giants decided to punt instead of going for it on 4th-and-1. The Eagles thank them.

• The Eagles took over at their own 37-yard line. They went with six straight Sanders runs to get to 3rd-and-3 from the Giants’ 20-yard line. On third down, Boston Scott came into the game … as a decoy, effectively, with Hurts going with a keeper to run for the first down himself. Hurts hit Goedert on an RPO throw that almost went for a score as the tight end bounced off defenders … but he got tripped up at the 3-yard line. No matter, though, with Scott staying in to cap off the drive with a touchdown. Who else but the Giants Killer?

• Saquon Barkley got tackled by Reed Blankenship for a loss. Then Jones somehow avoided two incoming Eagles rushers to bring up 3rd-and-11. On third down, Jones avoided yet another Reddick sack … only to reset and get hit by Reddick as the QB threw the ball out of bounds. Three-and-out. Defense dominating. Giants with no answer for Reddick.
• The Eagles took over at their own 28-yard line and used seven plays to get to 3rd-and-6 at the Giants’ 32-yard line. With the defense shifting over to cover a quick throw to DeVonta, the receiver cut back and maybe could’ve gone the distance had he not been tackled/tripped up by Isaac Seumalo. Still went for the first down, though. The Eagles got to 2nd-and-goal at the 5-yard line after a Giants unnecessary penalty and Hurts immediately took off running after taking the shotgun snap for the Eagles’ fourth touchdown. Makes it look so easy out there. Nick Sirianni curiously lined up to go for two … but it was just an attempt to see if the Giants might jump offside, apparently. They took a timeout and Jake Elliott came in for the extra point. EAGLES 28, GIANTS 0.
• The Giants went four-and-out and then the Eagles took a knee to end a dominant first half.

THIRD QUARTER

• The Eagles survived a Giants deep shot where Bradberry got beat but Jones threw off target to bring up 3rd-and-6. On third down, a blitzing K’Von Wallace (!) pressured Jones into an incompletion. The Giants’ eleventy billionth three-and-out.
• The Eagles had a three-and-out of their own after DeVonta couldn’t hold on to a hot throw from Hurts, who was getting blitzed. Thought the QB did a great job recognizing the pressure and throwing the ball quickly and accurately with anticipation there.

• The result of Zech McPhearson making a nice ST tackle on punt coverage was the Giants starting at their own 12-yard line. Also kudos to Brett Kern for his longest punt of the season at 56 yards. Saquon broke a run that looked like it might go to the house but Marcus Epps was able to take out the running back’s legs from behind to limit the damage to 39 yards. The Giants drove to 3rd-and-2 from the Eagles’ 23-yard line. On third down, Jones was able to run for a first. The Giants got to 1st-and-goal from the 8-yard line and broke out a tricky direct snap to Barkley, who handed off to Matt Breida for the Giants’ first score of the night. Only took until 6:15 remaining in the third quarter. No shutout … shame. EAGLES 28, GIANTS 7.
• Hurts to an open Goedert kicked off a drive with a 23-yard gain. Two Boston Scott runs went for another first down. The offense got set back with Hurts looking to take a shot but instead getting strip-sacked … and the QB was fortunate to be able to recover the ball. On 3rd-and-17, Hurts completed to DeVonta short of the sticks to bring up a punt. The Eagles motioned Kern into the slot and then had Blankenship hard count to try to get the Giants offside … but New York predictably didn’t fall for it. The Eagles took the delay of game penalty and punted it 36 yards to the Giants’ own 7-yard line. A bit disappointing to get zero points there but at least they took 4:56 off the clock. Also, probably should’ve just gone for it on 4th-and-8 in no man’s land there (too long for FG, too short for punt).
• The Giants successfully converted a sneak to avoid going three-and-out to end the third quarter.

FOURTH QUARTER

• The Giants got to 4th-and-6 at their own 42-yard line and decided to punt. Down 21 points with a little over 13 minutes left in the game. Cowardice that worked in the Eagles’ favor.
• The Eagles methodically moved into Giants territory with their run game. Gainwell had another nice third down run, this one looked like it could have potentially went to the house before he got tripped up from behind. Kenny G has been better recently. The Eagles inexplicably took a delay of game penalty that set them back. Hurts took a deep shot to A.J. Brown in the end zone … but the ball was overthrown. Had him, missed him. Another Gainwell third down run, this one on 3rd-and-12 (!), went for a first thanks to help from Isaac Seumalo pushing him past the marker. The Eagles got to 3rd-and-9 and Hurts’ pass along the right sideline was in danger of being picked but broken up by DeVonta. Jake Elliott had to come in for the field goal from 30 yards out. He made it. While a touchdown would’ve been preferable, kudos to them for taking 7:56 off the clock. EAGLES 31, GIANTS 7.
• The Giants took over with 5:11 left in the game. They would’ve had a touchdown if not for Richie James dropping a pass while wide open thanks to a a blown coverage. Josh Sweat strip-sacked Jones to set up 4th-and-16 … which the Giants converted with a completion to former Eagle Marcus Johnson. C’mon. The Giants went on to turn the ball over on downs after Jones nearly threw two picks that were not caught.
• Gardner Minshew and some other backups entered the game with 2:51 remaining to close things out. Gainwell took a carry on the left edge to the house for a 35-yard touchdown run. Boom! Peep that score: EAGLES 38, GIANTS 7.
• The Giants racked up some garbage time yards before the clock expired. Credit to Josh Jobe (!) and K’Von Wallace for dishing out some big hits.

FINAL SCORE: EAGLES WIN, 38 to 7

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LINEUP NOTES

• Zach Pascal, not Quez Watkins, was clearly WR3 on the opening drive.

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INJURY NEWS

• Lane Johnson showed some signs of hurting after the Eagles’ first touchdown but remained in the game.
• Landon Dickerson got banged up earlyish in the second quarter. Andre Dillard came in to play left guard. Dickerson returned shortly after.
• A.J. Brown appeared to be a bit banged up after the deep shot to him in the end zone that was overthrown.