The Eagles' Good, Bad & Ugly
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PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- There were some things to like, and whole lot of things on defense to dislike after the Eagles' fortunate 34-29 victory over the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium on Sunday.
The Good
- Safety Malcolm Jenkins' blocked field goal with 11:26 left to play that preserved the Eagles' 31-29 lead.
- Cornerback Ronald Darby's second-quarter interception turned the whole course of the game. The Eagles were waning, down 20-7, and not able to make a stop.
- Center Jason Kelce had an excellent game, getting down field and opening holes.
- Linebacker Kamu Grugier-Hill's blocked punt at the Giants' 29 that set up Nick Foles' 13-yard TD pass to Trey Burton and gave the Eagles a 21-20 lead with 2:20 left in the half.
- Quarterback Nick Foles going 4-for-4 on their first drive, which gave the Eagles a 7-6 lead.
- Derek Barnett's blocked extra point after the Giants' first TD.
- Defensive line pressure from Brandon Graham, Fletcher Cox, Tim Jernigan, Vinny Curry and Derek Barnett.
- Running back Jay Ajayi's strong running in clutch situations.
The Bad
- The Eagles defense gave up 29 points to a team that entered the game 31st in the NFL in points per game with 15.3. The last two weeks the Eagles
- Tight end Zach Ertz drop with 1:08 left in the third down on third-and-7 at the Eagles' 34.
- Receiver Nelson Agholor's drop on second-and-8 at the Eagles' 40 with 10:48 left to play.
The Ugly
- The Eagles' defense in the first quarter. They gave up touchdowns on the Giants' first two possessions—and first three possessions overall.
- Linebacker Nigel Bradham getting nailed for a 15-yard personal foul near the end of the half that enabled the Giants to get a 28-yard field goal from Aldrick Rosas and a 23-21 halftime lead.
- Cornerback Jalen Mills getting called for holding on third-and-goal at the Eagles' 7 that allowed the Giants to extend the drive and score on their first possession.
- Missed tackles. Pick any Eagles defensive player.
- We're not picking on Mills here, because he's actually played well overall this season. But he was nowhere to be found on Tavarres King's 13-yard TD reception from Eli Manning. King faked inside, Mills bit, and King was wide open.
- Linebacker Najee Goode jumping offsides on fourth-and-four with 4:25 left in the third quarter. It gave the Giants, though barely breathing down 31-23, and new life. It led to King's second TD and a 31-30 Eagles lead.
- Darby missing King on the short route, which turned into a 57-yard touchdown with 1:57 left in the third quarter. It also made what seemed what was shaping into a blowout into a competitive game.
- The Eagles gave up 504 yards to a two-win team that was averaging 296.2 yards a game coming in.
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