Giants Need to Show More Down the Stretch, and Other Thoughts Following a 48-22 Drubbing

The Giants looked way out of their league against the Eagles. If they want to get into the playoffs and stay there, they will have to show a lot more grit.

It was probably safe to say that the New York Giants were a long shot to beat the Philadelphia Eagles Sunday at MetLife Stadium.

But at the very least, one might have hoped that head coach Brian Daboll's group of players would at least have found a way to make it more interesting.

Such was not the case, as the Eagles destroyed the Giants 48-22, dealing the Giants' dwindling playoff berth hopes another blow and leaving those who witnessed the debacle to wonder if the Giants might even win another game this season.

The game was over pretty much by halftime, the Eagles taking a 24-7 lead as the Giants had no answers for all the little evil nuances the Eagles pulled out for this game on both sides of the ball. Quarterback Daniel Jones was harassed worse than a celebrity stalked by the paparazzi, though he somehow managed to protect the ball from hitting the turf at all costs.

"We got beat handily," head coach Brian Daboll said after the game, stating the obvious. "They’re a good football team. Give them a lot of credit. Got to get back to work."

The Giants, who started the day as the sixth seed in the NFC playoff hunt, fell to the seventh spot, aided by Carolina's win over Seattle. Next week the Giants have a big showdown with Washington on primetime, the head-to-head tiebreaker going to the winner should it need it.

But the Giants, who are 1-3-1 since coming out of their Week 9 bye, haven't exactly been giving off hope that their injury-decimated roster has the firepower necessary to finish out what's been a surprising first season under Daboll and his staff.

"I think the guys strained. They gave effort," Daboll said. "They got off to a fast start, which they normally do – which is not how you want to play against that team. And (they) certainly competed. They kept making plays.

"We kept giving them opportunities; (there were) some short fields in the kicking game, whether it was a dropped punt or a return. The guys are busting their tails; we just got to do better."

The Giants aren't cooked, not yet, at any rate. And as Daboll has done after every game, win or lose, his message to his team was to flush the game and get ready for the next one.

"You just got to get ready," he said. I told you before when you’re winning, it’s fine. When you’re losing, it’s humbling. You lose like this, you own it. You don’t make any excuses. They played well. And we get to have an opportunity to get ready and play a big game on Sunday night."

Some additional thoughts...

Not the End of the World. Yes, the loss to the Eagles hurts because it's the Eagles. It's a division rival that has gotten the better of the Giants in 14 of their last 17 meetings, often by more than one score.

But in terms of the bigger picture, the Giants, who we can all probably agree was just not going to hold up in a track meet against the much more complete (and healthier) Eagles, still have everything they want in front of them and control of their destiny.

Had the Giants beaten the Eagles, who they're not going to catch in the standings at this point, and then turned around and lost to the Commanders this weekend, who they need to get ahead of for a postseason ticket, that probably would have hurt even more.

Special Teams Concerns. I've been somewhat reluctant to bring this to the forefront, but I've developed a genuine concern about the Giants' special teams. This unit has continued to be a problem all season long, mainly in terms of kickoff and punt coverage, not to mention there always seems to be something that goes awry at least once a month with the kicking game.

But let's stick with the basics, namely the coverage. Yes, players are shuffled in and out of the lineup due to their workload and injuries. And yes, the Eagles are the best of the bunch.

But at this point in the season, there should be no excuses for guys not holding their lanes which leads to 66-yard kickoff returns by Boston Scott, as was the case Sunday. Punt returners shouldn't be averaging 7.3 yards per return, as Brittain Covey did.

These coverage problems are happening far too often and are continuing late into the season. They are just as much of a contributing factor in the Giants' recent skid as anything. And again, I realize the injury factor and how it plays a role in it, but that's also an excuse.

The Barkley Decision. I've gone back and forth about the decision to play running back Saquon Barkley and how I feel about it.

On the one hand, a coach can't go into a game and think, "I have no chance to win, so I might as well rest my top players." If Daboll or any head coach ever operated that way, he should be fired immediately.

That said, some of these decisions must have a degree of prudence, especially when it comes to guys who, as was the case with Barkley, were "50-50" to play due to a neck issue. He came in early for treatment, went through a pre-game workout, and the decision was made to let him play, albeit on a pitch count (despite what Daboll calls it, the plan did involve limiting his touches, hence the pitch-count reference).

Thankfully Barkley came through the game no worse for the wear. But in retrospect, did it make sense to put him out there and expose him to a potential hit that might have knocked him out on next week's game against the Commanders--a game in which the Giants will need all hands on deck?

Barkley played in just 20 snaps Sunday, contributing 28 yards on nine carries and two receptions for 42 yards. Was having a guy who was bothered by his injury and unable to deliver as he's done so in previous games worth it in a game in which, even if the Giants had won, they had no chance of catching the Eagles in the standings?

Jones's Step Forward. Quarterback Daniel Jones had no chance to make a play after standing behind an offensive line that sprung leaks in pass protection at an alarming rate. Jones, who completed 18 of 27 pass attempts for 169 yards and one touchdown, was sacked four times. Despite being under duress for most of the game, he held on to the ball, which might not have been the case in prior years.

But if you're looking for a bright spot from the offense, look no further than the Giants going two for two with Jones under center in the red zone. Jones finished off both of his red zone drives, the first when he found receiver Isaiah Hodgins for a 2-yard pass completion (extended when Jones rolled out of the pocket to buy some time and get away from the pressure coming up the middle).

There was also Jones's 1-yard touchdown run when he fooled everyone by taking in the keeper.

The Giants are still not a red-zone juggernaut--far from it. But against the top-notch Eagles defense, that Jones and the Giants were able to convert in the red zone--previously known as the "dead zone" as far as this team has been concerned in recent years--is a positive takeaway.

Schedule Screwing. This doesn’t have anything to do with this week’s game per se, but in thinking about the NFL’s decision to flex next week’s game against the Commanders to Sunday night, the Giants might have gotten screwed as far as their schedule goes.

Why? The game was originally supposed to be a 1 p.m. kickoff. Now with it being in prime time, the Giants won’t be returning by train to New Jersey until the wee hours of the morning. And with the Giants set to visit the Minnesota Vikings on Saturday (Christmas Eve), that likely means that the upcoming schedule could see the Giants having to replace what would have otherwise been a regular practice with a walk-through.

In other words, the Giants, still clinging (barely) to a postseason berth, are looking at a shorter week made worse by the schedule change.

Game Balls. Yes, it's a silly exercise to pick out game-ball-worthy players following a loss of this magnitude, but humor me anyway.

On offense, quarterback Daniel Jones gets the game ball. Again, no one on the Giants offense stood out to earn a game ball. But kudos to Jones. He was under duress all game long and was sacked four times, including twice on the opening drive, which squelched a promising-looking drive to open the game.

Yet give Jones credit for protecting the ball (something Tyrod Taylor didn't do once he relieved Jones). Jones finished 18 of 27 for 169 yards and one touchdown, and in addition to not losing the ball, he also didn't throw any interceptions.

On defense, let's roll with outside linebacker Azeez Ojulari. On a day in which the Giants defense had very few answers to counter the Eagles quick-paced strategy, Azeez Oulari, last year's team sack leader who, in just his second game back from IR, continued to deliver on the pass rush.

Ojulari recorded two sacks for minus 19 yards this week to go along with two tackles for a loss and two quarterback hits in 41 defensive snaps. Per Pro Football Focus, he also posted two stops (zero or negative yardage).

By The Numbers. Here are three notable numbers following this game.

41 - That's how long the Giants have gone since they scored 30+ points in a regular-season game. The last time they accomplished that came in a 37-34 loss to the Dallas Cowboys on October 11, 2020.

9 - The number of possessions (out of 12) on which the Eagles scored against the Giants.

4 - The number of times the Giants have allowed 27 or more points in their last six games.

Up Next. The Giants head down I-95 for their big rematch against the Washington Commanders, which was flexed to Sunday night. The Commanders, who had a bye this week, will have had three weeks of nothing but Giants football. 

---

Join the Giants Country Community

• Sign up for our FREE digest newsletter
• Follow and like us on Facebook
• Submit your questions for our mailbag
• Check out the new Giants Country YouTube Channel.
• Listen and subscribe to the daily LockedOn Giants podcast.
• Subscribe and like the LockedOn Giants YouTube Channel
• Sign up for our FREE message board forums
• Get your Giants tickets today from SI Tickets!