Giants' season comes to an end after falling to Eagles in NFC Divisional Round
PHILADELPHIA -- The New York Giants' playoff run came to an end Saturday in Philadelphia with a loss to the Eagles in the NFC Divisional Round.
Jalen Hurts erased lingering doubts about the state of his right shoulder by throwing two touchdown passes and running for a score during a dominant first half, and the Eagles overwhelmed the Giants 38-7 on Saturday night in an NFC divisional playoff game.
Hurts is back, and so are the Eagles as a Super Bowl threat. Top-seeded Philadelphia will host the NFC championship game next Sunday against either Dallas or San Francisco.
Hurts missed two late-season losses with a sprained right shoulder and then showed the Giants nothing in the season finale when the Eagles ran a vanilla offense designed to protect the Pro Bowl QB.
Under bright postseason lights at the Linc, the Eagles unleashed an offense designed to clobber the Giants. Hurts dazzled early with his arm and Philadelphia's offensive line opened big holes for Miles Sanders and Kenneth Gainwell as the Eagles finished with 268 yards on the ground. Hurts finished 16 of 24 for 154 yards.
"I think we were just starving, eager for an opportunity to come out here and play," Hurts said. "We just wanted to come out and play our best ball. I think we chose the right time to do that. We were very efficient on both sides of the ball, we scored early and often. We just want to keep it going and be consistent."
Hurts showed he was fine when he aired out a pass on the second play of the game and hit DeVonta Smith in stride for a 40-yard reception. The fun was just starting in Philly.
Hurts was flawless on the drive, completing passes of 9 yards, 5 yards, and then — boom — a 16-yard TD pass on a one-handed grab by tight end Dallas Goedert.
Second drive, more of the same. Hurts had completions of 12 yards and 9 yards en route to a 9-yard TD pass to Smith.
It was 14-0 in the first quarter and the Giants already needed a standing eight count. New York turned the ball over on downs on its first possession, and Daniel Jones was intercepted by James Bradberry on its second.
The Linc was bonkers with full-throated chants of "E-A-G-L-E-S!" filling the air and coach Nick Sirianni went wild chest-bumping assistants on the sideline.
Hurts' shoulder may not have been 100 percent.
But his passing was: He went 7-of-7 for 89 yards in the first quarter.
"Yeah like they were saying. Anybody would look great at QB for the Eagles.. yeah ooook. HATERS MAN!! Jalen Hurts is SPECIAL," Lakers star LeBron James tweeted.
Even when the calls were obvious for the Eagles, the Giants were helpless to stop them. Case in point: The Eagles had the ball on the New York 3. Give the ball to Boston Scott? Yes they did. Scott scored his 11th touchdown against the Giants for a 21-0 lead. He has only 19 TDs in his career. Giants defensive coordinator Wink Martindale riled up Philly fans this week when he insisted Scott wasn't a "Giant killer."
Hard to argue against that point now.
Hurts wrapped the half with a 5-yard touchdown run — he bobbled the shotgun snap but still coasted untouched into the end zone — for a 28-0 lead. There have been only four more lopsided first-half playoff shutouts in NFL history.
"I'm so proud of this team, how we came out here. I'm so proud of these fans. It's a Philly thing, you know? It's special," Hurts said.
Gainwell finished with 112 yards on 12 carries, including a late 35-yard touchdown. Sanders had 17 rushes for 90 yards.
Coach Brian Daboll's Giants were discombobulated from the start and looked nothing like the team that beat the Minnesota Vikings 31-24 last week for their first postseason win since their Super Bowl victory under Tom Coughlin 11 years ago.
Matt Brieda had an 8-yard TD run for the Giants in the third quarter. Daniel Jones was 15 of 27 for 135 yards and a pick.
Hurts ran, threw and directed the offense with the same authority as he did when he led the Eagles to a 14-1 start and won over a city that still wasn't so sure about him in the preseason. In last year's playoff loss to Tampa Bay, Hurts threw two interceptions and was just 23 of 43 for 258 yards.
NEVER BREAK THE CHAIN
There was a busted link at the Linc.
The game was briefly stopped in the opening quarter because of a broken first down chain. The NFL still uses chains connected to two signal poles to measure the distance to a first down. With the Giants driving midway through the quarter, the game was delayed because of an "administrative stoppage." The chain was quickly replaced and the game resumed with the Eagles ahead 7-0.
M-V-P
Two-time NL MVP Bryce Harper, who led the Phillies to the World Series, narrated a hype video. Three-time AL MVP Mike Trout, a New Jersey native and Eagles fan, attended the game and exhorted the crowd to get louder.
UP NEXT
The Eagles moved to 6-0 and Hurts threw two touchdown passes in a 26-17 win over the Cowboys in October. The Cowboys won 40-34 on Dec. 24 against Hurts' backup, Gardner Minshew.
The Eagles last played San Francisco in 2021 and lost.
Giants react to loss in Philadelphia
It was a tough loss, but the Giants and their fans have a lot to be proud of -- not only making it to the playoffs, but winning a Wild Card game on the road against the Vikings.
Saturday night, they just ran into the best team in the NFC this season, the Philadelphia Eagles, and right now, head coach Brian Daboll isn't thinking about moral victories.
"Feel like crap. That's as honest as you can be. You work extremely hard to get to this spot. You do not take it for granted. This is a hard place to get to, this division round, and to move forward. I feel more for the players and the coaches because we put everything we had into it and we just, we didn't get it done," he said.
"We just didn't execute well enough early on. Didn't score points. Turnover was critical. Just kinda fell behind. They're a good team. We got off to slow start, that really put us back," quarterback Daniel Jones said.
"It's tough, I mean, anytime you put your heart out there and give it your all and fall short, it hurts. Especially this team and our story this year. Losing is tough. Very unfortunate way to end the season," safety Julian Love said.
Giants front office will be ready to get next season started Sunday, and their first moves need to be locking up Jones and running back Saquon Barkley to long-term deals.
Giants suffer tough loss to Eagles
The Giants suffered a tough loss to the Eagles.
The team got off to a bad start when the pipes in their hotel busted early Saturday morning. Who knew that would be the highlight of their Saturday?
New York's defense was busted open early in the game as the Eagles marched the opening kick off 75 yards down the field for a touchdown. Philly put up 28 points in the first half.
Meanwhile, the Giants offense couldn't put anything together until the third quarter, and by then, the damage was done.
The Giants blown out by Philadelphia 38-7, ending their Super Bowl dreams.
"Crash landing here. Give Philly credit. They just, they did everything better than we did today. Tough game, you know. We got, we really got beaten all facets. So it wasn't one thing in particular. It was, you know, team game and just didn't get it done, so congratulations to Philly. They get to move on, and unfortunately, we don't," Giants head coach Brian Daboll said.
The Eagles gets to host the NFC championship game next week.
Giants fans left disappointed at New Jersey watch party
What started out as a joyful, exciting Giants-Eagles watch party in Clifton, New Jersey, ended with disappointment.
The place emptied out as the Giants were dominated by the Eagles.
The rivalry between the Giants and the Eagles has been going on for decades, and while fans thought Saturday's game was going to be tough, they were hoping for a win.
Unfortunately, the Giants only scored one touchdown, and fans lost steam, many filing out after the Eagles kept scoring.
Although Big Blue didn't perform as expected, fans want it known that although they're disappointed, the support is still here.
"It's so disappointing. It's sad. I think you feel the energy in the air tonight," fan Leslie Malecki said.
"Win or lose, I'm still a Giants fan 'til the day I die. It is what it is. You gotta take the wins with the losses," fan Juan Sanchez said.
You win some, you lose some. It was a tough night for Giants fans, but they're sticking by their team.
Giants' season comes to an end
The New York Giants' playoff run came to an end Saturday.
The Giants had to play a perfect game to compete with the top-seeded Eagles, and it was far from perfect.
Any questions about the health of Jalen Hurts were quickly answered. He led the Eagles on back-to-back touchdown drives in the first quarter, then Daniel Jones threw an interception.
The Giants were dominated in this game.
The Eagles jumped out to a 28-0 lead at the half and never looked back.
This was a statement game for the Eagles, and the end of the road for the Giants this season.
Emotions high at New Jersey watch party
Emotions were high at the official Giants watch party at Tommy's Tavern and Bar in Clifton, New Jersey.
Folks were on the edge of their seats, glued to the TV screens, early in the game.
There was a sea of red, white and blue cheering on the Giants in Philadelphia.
Giants fans say we may be the underdogs, but that only gives Big Blue more fuel.
"Every time we're underdogs, we come on top. Underdogs come on top. We're gonna take it all the way," fan Odaly Roche said.
"I'm feeling good. As long as Brian Daboll has a good little plan cooking up for us," fan Shiv Naik said.
"They haven't seen our best yet. The very first game, we was out three injured players. The last game, we played our third-string. This time we're fully out there. Let's see what happens," fan Wayne Higgs said.
"We should be able to beat the Eagles. I know we haven't beat them in a while, but I'm feeling confident. It's been six years since we made the playoffs. We beat the Vikings Sunday. Let's go Big Blue ... the whole team. Let's go," fan Tiffany Taggart said.
Excitement high in NYC ahead of Giants-Eagles game
The excitement was high in New York City on Saturday ahead of the playoff game between the New York Giants and Philadelphia Eagles.
Fans of both teams headed to Jake's Dilemma on the Upper West Side to watch the game.
The Giants and the Eagles have had a decades-long rivalry. The two teams have met four times in the playoffs with each team winning twice.
Saturday night's NFC East showdown will determine who's going to be moving forward to play the winner of the NFC West.
Right now, the Eagles are a favorite, but what does that mean to New Yorkers?
Giants fans were showing up and showing out for the underdogs.
"I think if we can stop the run, we have a good shot. Eagles are good, but we've got a lot going for us as well. I'm excited," Giants fan Harry Kuch said.
"It's about to be a rare three-game sweep of the Giants this year. This is Eagles country now, baby," Eagles fan Mark DiStefano said.
"I took the Eagles to win the Super Bowl before the year even started, so I can win a lot of money if the Eagles win, so I'm rooting for the Eagles. I don't care if I'm from New York. Go Birds," fan Evan Molloy said.
Even though there are lots of Eagles fans out in the city, Giants fans are saying it doesn't matter; New York will take that win home.
Offensive lineman Andrew Thomas on playoff game, Daniel Jones
The Giants haven't had much success in Philadelphia. They haven't won a game there since 2013.
There are plenty of factors at play to get redemption.
CBS2's Otis Livingston spoke to offensive lineman Andrew Thomas and asked how they can turn that around in this all-important playoff game, starting with dealing with the notoriously rowdy crowd.
"Yeah, I know the crowd is gonna be crazy. Divisional opponent. Philly fans are crazy. They're gonna bring the juice. But we have to focus on what we have to do. Finishing our job. Executing our assignment. We can't control what's going on with the crowd, so we're just focusing on that," he said.
"Your coach has gone out on a limb, had some 4th-down plays. What does do for offensive line, and an offense in particular, that added confidence that he has in you that he knows you guys can make that happen?" Livingston asked.
"He told us from the beginning since he got here that he was gonna be aggressive. If we have an opportunity to make play, he's gonna put it in our hands. As a player, you love that. When a coach believes in you, it gives you extra confidence. We're confident in ourselves, but when your coach believes in you, it just gives you that extra edge," Thomas said.
"What has it been like, watching Daniel Jones, the maturation of him? I know you've only been here for a couple years, but to watch him and the way he's playing now and the groove that he seems to be in?" Livingston asked.
"Yeah, proud of his development. He works extremely hard. One of the hardest workers on the team. To see him finally get some shine from the media and stuff like that, it's pretty cool to see," Thomas said.
Giants hope to upset the top-seeded Eagles
Big Blue is getting ready to take on the Eagles in Philadelphia as they both try to advance to the Super Bowl, and there's a history of both teams going head-to-head in the playoffs.
They've met four times. Each side won twice.
The Giants won the first two match-ups in the 1981 and 2000 seasons, and the Eagles won the last two in the 2006 and 2008 seasons.
Saturday's game will break that tie.
We'll see if the third time is the charm this season. After dropping their two regular season meetings to the Eagles by 26 and 6 points, the Giants will try to win the most important match-up -- the divisional playoff game.
Daniel Jones and Big Blue were all business as they arrived at Lincoln Financial Field around 5 p.m.
There may be a little added intensity. Saturday morning, the water in the team's hotel was inoperable for a while. It was eventually fixed so the Giants were able to shower.
Whether it was gamesmanship or just coincidence, the Giants will have to be laser-focused in effort and execution if they want to pull off the upset of the top-seeded Eagles.
The team was able to pull off the upset on the road at Minnesota last week, and in doing so, they were able to quiet the boisterous Vikings crowd on a number of occasions Sunday.
No trip to Philly would be complete without talking about that aspect of the game -- the rowdy Philadelphia crowd.
CBS2's Otis Livingston asked Saquon Barkley what he is expecting from the Philly fans.
"Philly is Philly. Their fan base is crazy. They're going to be loud. There's going to be cheers. There's going to be boos. There might be some double birds. That's Philly, you know? It was funny, when we were coming into the game last time, we were coming in and there was a little kid and his parent. I was just staring, and I was like, 'I want to see if he's going to flip us off.' He didn't, he just gave us a thumbs down, and I was like, 'OK, we're going in the right direction,'" he said.
He added, "But I expect it to be a hostile environment. It's the playoffs. That's how it's going to be. You know how Philly fans are. Growing up in Pennsylvania, I know how passionate they are. It's going to be fun. This is the stuff that you dream about as a kid."
At stake Saturday night is a trip to the NFC championship game.
The Giants are hoping their defense plays more like the Week 18 match-up when mostly back-ups were able to keep them in the game against the Eagles, who were playing for the top seed in the NFC.
Reports: Giants' hotel loses water
The Giants may have had some trouble taking showers at their hotel before the game.
Click here for the story from CBS Philadelphia.
Giants continue playoff run in Philadelphia
The Giants continue their playoff run Saturday in Philadelphia, where Big Blue will take on the Eagles in the NFC Divisional Round.
Tonight's game is adding fuel to what's already one of the NFL's greatest rivalries. Kickoff is at 8:15 p.m.
The Giants took a short, 90-minute bus ride down I-95 and settled into their hotel rooms Friday ahead of the game.
New York has lost nine straight games in Philadelphia, but they're hoping for a different outcome with everything on the line this time.
"We're getting ready to play a game. It's obviously the biggest game of the year, and they've had a good attitude, they've prepared well. It's been consistent," said Giants head coach Brian Daboll.
MORE: Garden State divided by Giants-Eagles rivalry
Players said they won't be phased by Eagles fans berating them.
"Everybody looks at it in a different way. I don't really tune it out, I just make it my own noise. When I hear crowd noise, I don't see it as, like, that's the opponent's crowd. It's a crowd cheering at the end of the day," said Giants defensive lineman Leonard Williams.
Phil and Michelle Shank, who married in 2019, will be among those cheering, but on opposite sides. Phil is a life-long Eagles fan. Michelle is all about the Giants.
MORE: A house divided: The Giants-Eagles rivalry is real in Phil and Michelle Shank's home
"They're usually kind of quiet with just some looks being shot back and forth when the other team gets the upside. We try to keep it even keeled. Plus as you know, Philadelphia fans are historically very calm and laid back " said Phil Shank.
The Giants and Eagles have gone head-to-head in the playoffs four other times. Each team has won twice.
Fanalysis NFL Divisional Round
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