Eagles Finally Get Their T-Shirts and Hats

Philly set a new franchise standard with win No. 14 while clinching the NFC East and the No. 1 seed in the playoffs

PHILADELPHIA - It wasn’t pretty but anytime the t-shirts and hats are broken out after an NFL game, it’s meaningful.

The Eagles secured the NFC East, the No. 1 seed in the conference, a franchise record with their 14th win and some swag on Sunday, albeit in uninspiring fashion against the junior varsity of the New York Giants.

After building a 19-0 lead, it was certainly shaping up as a game that the Eagles could pull their starters but failures in the red zone and a host of dropped interceptions resulted in some shaky moments until Reed Blankenship secured an onside kick with 1:37 to play, to let them grab a 22-16 win.

“You want me to be honest? I want more,” receiver A.J. Brown said after the game when asked about the NFC East championship hat and t-shirt he was wearing. “It is cool for the moment. The past couple years (in Tennessee), I gave my hat to my daughter, and I am going to give this one to her and try and continue to give her more hats.”

Brown, who set the franchise single-season record for receiving yards by reaching 1,496, needs two more hats, one that says NFC champions and another that reads Super Bowl LVII kingpins.

“There are two more hats out there and I am trying to get it,” he said. “My sights are that I am looking forward and what I can try and do to get better and taking this game one game at a time in the playoffs.”

For Pro Bowl cornerback Darius Slay it was his first division title in his 10th NFL season.

“It means a lot to me. I’ve been in the league 10 years and never won a division in my life,” said Slay. “I got one. I’ve never had a bye week (in the playoffs). I’ve never seen the second round (of the playoffs). I get to see both of them at one time, so I’m thankful.”

The style points might not have been satisfactory to the fan base but the result at the end of the grind was something the players were proud of.

“This team has been working hard all year and all off-season,” Slay said. “We’ve been grinding. We knew what type of team we were going to be. I just know we didn’t come out how we wanted to play, but we got the thing done. We got the thing done. Just a good thing that we get to dress up one more time, and do it again.”

Veteran defensive end Brandon Graham was a part of the 2017-18 Super Bowl team so he knows all about the t-shirt and hat games as well as what a No. 1 seed means.

“I never get tired of (clinching games) but I know this is just the first step of what we’re trying to accomplish,” he said. “We’re trying to hold that trophy at the end of the day. Hopefully, I’m at that podium smiling after the Super Bowl, but it’s going to take one game at a time, one play at a time, and one day at a time.

“I think this team is excited for the challenge. This week we’re going to work, get the weekend off then we’ll get ready for what’s to come.”

Quarterback Jalen Hurts, who returned after missing two games with a sprained SC joint in his throwing shoulder and fought through significant soreness against the Giants improved to a gaudy 14-1 as a starter en route to finally officially validating the Eagles as the top dog in the NFC.

“I think it’s a huge accomplishment, and maybe I’m not realizing the magnitude of it just yet,” he said. “I just know that we have so much more out there for us, so I’m eager to get back to work and continue to grow with these guys.”

A leader by nature, Hurts is already turning the page.

“I challenge everybody in that locker room to not only hold themselves accountable but also hold the men next to them accountable,” he said. “Coaches, trainers, janitors, everybody, it takes everybody. It takes a village, truly. That’s where my focus is.

“The focus is just getting better every day and learning like I’ve always learned, and as a team learn as we’ve always learned. I truly feel like there is a lot out there for us. We just have to go and take it.”

-John McMullen contributes Eagles coverage for SI.com's Eagles Today and is the NFL Insider for JAKIB Media. You can listen to John, alongside legendary sports-talk host Jody McDonald every morning from 8-10 on ‘Birds 365,” streaming live on YouTube. John is also the host of his own show "Football 24/7 and a daily contributor to ESPN South Jersey. You can reach him at jmcmullen44@gmail.com or on Twitter @JFMcMullen