The newly-crowned NFC East champions were coming off a rousing 43-35 victory over the Los Angeles Rams, but the Philadelphia Eagles were playing their third consecutive road game when they visited Eli Manning and the New York Giants on Sunday. At 2-11, Big Blue are in the midst of a horrible season, but go back to Week 3 in the City of Brotherly Love and it took a pair of field goals in the final minute to give Doug Pederson’s club a 27-24 victory. Of course, the Eagles had quarterback Carson Wentz at the helm for the first meeting. What would his absence mean in this divisional rematch?
Formidable foe?
What went right for the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday at AT&T Stadium? It’s the same formula that has worked all season. One aspect of the team struggles a bit and other parts of the club pick up the slack. Against the Giants, the Eagles’ defense allowed a whopping 504 total yards. Eli Manning threw for 434 yards and three touchdown vs. one interception, but The Birds countered with veteran Nick Foles, who helped his club overcome a 20-7 second-quarter deficit. The well-traveled quarterback threw for 237 yards and four touchdowns, but how about the Philadelphia special teams? Those units blocked a PAT, a punt, and a field goal on Sunday, paving the way for a five-point win, and Pederson’s squad did not commit a turnover in the contest.
Of course, this is a team that has a few flaws. Manning exploited the Philadelphia secondary in a big way. The Eagles are ranked 22nd in the NFL against the pass. Jim Schwartz’s secondary will have to perform better once the postseason rolls around. Rave reviews?
The victory
The 34-29 victory by the Philadelphia Eagles gave the team a 12-2 record, the most wins by the club in a season since 2004.
That year, Andy Reid’s Birds finished 13-3 and reached Super Bowl XXXIX. Meanwhile, the team’s current head coach was very pleased with his backup quarterback’s performance. “I thought he played well,” said Pederson after the game via the Associated Press. “There are some things he would like to do over. Every game is going be that way.
I thought he handled himself extremely well, a lot of poise. He did a nice job.”
All told, the Eagles have now earned an off-week when it comes to the first round of the playoffs. They finish 2017 with home dates against the Oakland Raiders and Dallas Cowboys, the former on Christmas night. A pair of wins would give the Eagles a 14-2 record and set a franchise mark for most victories in a season.
