Saquon Barkley returned to MetLife Stadium and had his day.
The star running back faced his former team for the first time on the other side of a division rivalry and torched them for 176 yards and a score, while the Eagles on the whole dismantled the New York Giants, 28-3, in their most thorough victory of the season by far.
Barkley was all over the field, Jalen Hurts continued to take advantage of that overpowering connection with A.J. Brown, and the defense got to Daniel Jones consistently, leaving New York struggling to go much of anywhere.
The Birds are 4-2 now, with back-to-back wins for the first time this year. Here are the pivotal plays that got them there…
A small step forward
The Eagles did not go three and out on their first drive.
Hurts hit Brown for a quick 11-yard gain off the bat…then they went three and out. Progress.
And hey, Barkley broke out the truck stick before the Eagles had to punt it away, so that was an early highlight at least.
Unfortunately, the Eagles did not score in the first quarter again, so that's still hanging over their head after seven weeks.
The offense stalled out of the gate (again), Hurts got sacked three times, and until Barkley broke the game open, the Eagles with the ball looked like they were stuck in the mud (again).
But…
Barkley broke it open
The Giants stacked the line up front.
If the Eagles were going to beat them, they didn't want it to be through Barkley on the ground.
And to the Giants' credit, they did do pretty well to keep their former star contained…for a bit.
Then, on a 2nd and 10 from the Philadelphia 26, the Eagles' O-line blew up the left side and Barkley took off.
SAQUON. 55-YARD RUN.
📺: #PHIvsNYG on FOX
📱: https://t.co/waVpO8ZBqG pic.twitter.com/x02woOkZaj— NFL (@NFL) October 20, 2024
He ran 55 yards down the sideline to the New York 19 – fully turning the corner on a nasty block from center Cam Jurgens that sent Giants defensive back Deonte Banks stumbling at least five yards in the last layer.
The game's first big play finally broke, and from the name everyone had eyes on coming in.
A couple of plays later, he powered three yards straight through the Giants' defense to break the score, too. 7-0, Eagles.
.@Saquon scores against his former team!
📺: #PHIvsNYG on FOX
📱: https://t.co/waVpO8ZBqG pic.twitter.com/2zGWWrlScy— NFL (@NFL) October 20, 2024
The harder they fall
As stagnant as the Eagles' offense was at the start, the Giants weren't going anywhere with the ball either.
New York only had 76 net yards for the first half (52 passing, 24 rushing), and until a late field-goal drive took the game into the break at 14-3, Eagles, the Giants had the ball six times and punted six times.
Jones was sacked five times in the first half, with Jalen Carter, Nakobe Dean, Josh Sweat, Nolan Smith, and even Bryce Huff closing in on the Giants quarterback for a loss of yards.
Eagles have racked up 5 first half sacks!
📺: #PHIvsNYG on FOX
📱: https://t.co/waVpO8ZBqG pic.twitter.com/xwhiLvCEfB— NFL (@NFL) October 20, 2024
The Giants also failed to establish any sort of run game, with Jones leading the team in rushing on five carries for 20 yards by halftime – curiously, and even though Jones does have considerable straight away speed, the bulk of those carries were designed runs for the quarterback, too.
Devin Singletary, the running back the Giants brought in to replace Barkley, had three carries for eight yards at the half.
The second did not get any better for them.
That offseason "Hard Knocks" is aging horribly.
1 on 1 with the great one
When the Eagles need something big to happen, it's almost automatic that Jalen Hurts is going to go looking for A.J. Brown.
So at the New York 41 and going for it on 4th and 3, Brown lined up wide left to a 1-on-1 matchup with cornerback Nick McCloud.
It was bad news for the Giants right then and there, and on the snap, all Hurts had to do was loft it up for Brown to go get it. 14-0, Eagles.
JALEN HURTS TO AJ BROWN ON 4TH DOWN. 41-YARD TD.
📺: #PHIvsNYG on FOX
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/H2S70NsOda— NFL (@NFL) October 20, 2024
There's a conversation to be had about Hurts chucking a bomb downfield to Brown in questionable situations. Last week it was on the late-game scenario that did ice the win over the Browns, and this week it was on an early-game fourth and short, but that's twice now they've gotten away with it, so maybe it's a matter of just going with it until it stops working – I guess it is one aspect of the Eagles' offense that at least is.
Guaranteeing a big day
The Eagles had the ball at midfield early into the third quarter, and on the handoff, Barkley cut through the middle and broke free for a 38-yard gain, bringing himself above the 125-yard rushing mark for the day and setting up another Philadelphia score to make it 21-3.
Saquon having himself a DAY.
Over 125 yards rushing against the Giants.
📺: #PHIvsNYG on FOX
📱: https://t.co/waVpO8ZBqG pic.twitter.com/USP8wd6AeV— NFL (@NFL) October 20, 2024
On the Eagles' next possession, he took off again, this time for 41 yards to the Philadelphia 49 while dragging Giants tacklers along for the ride.
Saquon Barkley is at it again.
📺: #PHIvsNYG on FOX
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/iGCd9x3WWo— NFL (@NFL) October 20, 2024
That run brought Barkley up to 176 yards rushing and a touchdown on 17 carries – at a staggering rate of 10.4 yards per rush.
Barkley downplayed his return to the Meadowlands for the first time as an Eagle all week, but the setup was always there for a big day.
Barkley wasn't going to be denied it, and there was nothing his former team – or the Giants fans as much as they booed him every time he touched the ball – could do about it.
The Eagles converted on another touchdown via the "Tush Push" soon after to cap off that drive. It was 28-3. Drew Lock checked in at quarterback for the Giants, and the white flag for New York was essentially waved.
MORE: Eagles turn in most complete performance of the year
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