Eagles vs. Giants recap: Pederson’s play calls cost the team
By Ryan Quigley
This loss will be tough for the Eagles to swallow.
First half review
Defense:
- Eagles force a three and out. Eli Manning tries to be slick, yelling out “Rocky” at the line of scrimmage. Doesn’t work.
Offense:
- Zach Ertz is alive! He’s had a very slow start to the season and hasn’t quite been the security blanket Carson Wentz really needs. Good to see him contributing early.
- Bad, bad, bad throw by Wentz. A ball gets away from him and lands right in the hands of Landon Collins. Giants ball with great field position.
Defense:
- It didn’t take long for the Giants to make the most out of their golden scoring opportunity. Manning finds Odell Backham Jr. for a 26-yard score. Rodney McLeod didn’t take the best angle in pursuit of Beckham. Very bad start to the game for the Eagles.
Offense:
- Another drive, another bad showing from Wentz. The rookie QB’s third throw of the day goes for his second interception. Wentz off to a horrific start against the division rival Giants.
Defense:
- Giants score. Manning finds Roger Lewis wide open in the end zone. Giants take advantage of the early Eagles turnovers to take a 14-0 lead.
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Offense:
- Wentz uses his mobility to roll out of the pocket and find Trey Burton downfield for a big gain. Good start to a drive that the Eagles desperately need.
- Bryce Treggs makes his first catch as an Eagle. Wentz throws an absolute dart Treggs’ way and he brings it in past the first down marker.
- Offense stalls in the red zone. Eagles settle for a field goal. Giants up 14-3.
Defense:
- Eagles allow a big play to Will Tye, who breaks multiple tackles for a huge gain. Tackling is an issue early on.
- Sack! On third down, Destiny Vaeoa breaks through the Giants offensive line to bring down Manning. Eagles force a punt.
Offense:
- Wendell Smallwood shows off some impressive running, picking up a 19-yard gain on first down. Good response after a bad performance against Dallas.
- Wentz finds Ertz for a 30-yard gain. Ertz is contributing early and often.
- Wentz had a near touchdown pass to Jordan Matthews, who blazed past the Giants secondary. A Giant got a fingertip on the throw, taking enough velocity off the pass to keep Matthews from making the catch. So close.
- Eagles go for it on 4th and 2. The quarterback draw did not fool anyone on the defense. Awful play call by Doug Pederson. Eagles could have made it a 14-6 game, but the failed conversion keeps it a two-score game.
Defense:
- Eagles totally dominate the Giants offensive line. New York lost Justin Pugh on the drive, creating a massive hole up front. Three and out for the Giants.
Offense:
- Treggs! Wentz throws a bomb to the rookie wideout for a 58-yard gain. Pretty impressive debut for the first-year pro. His speed is exactly what the Eagles needed.
- Touchdown! The long throw to Treggs sets up an easy walk-in touchdown for Ryan Mathews. Terrific drive for the Eagles.
Defense:
- Rodney McLeod almost made an incredible diving interception. It was ruled a pick on the field, but the call was overturned following a review. The ground assisted McLeod in making the catch. Giants ball.
- Yeah, Leodis McKelvin isn’t very good. Was torched downfield for a long completion to Victor Cruz and allowed an easy touchdown to Beckham. Eagles down 21-10, largely thanks to McKelvin’s bad performance.
Offense:
- Rookie mistake by Wentz on first down. Rolls to his right facing pressure. Rather than throwing the ball away, he runs out of bounds for a 5-yard loss.
- Three and out. Wentz finds Ertz on third down, but the tight end os brought down far short of the sticks. Eagles punt.
Special teams:
- Darren Sproles strikes. A 66-yard punt return for the shifty veteran after a nice stop from the Eagles defense.
Offense:
- The Eagles are unable to get any points after the Sproles punt return. Once again, Doug Pederson decided to go for it on fourth down rather than take the points. Eagles still down 21-10 (although the score could have been 21-16 at this point).
Defense:
- Eagles defense bails out the offense. Three and out for the Giants.
Offense:
- The first play of the drive is a beauty. Wentz makes a terrific throw to Jordan Matthews for a 33-yard gain before being shoved out of bounds. Wentz being a little more aggressive with his throws compared to the last few weeks.
- After hitting Matthews once again for a nice gain, Wentz and the Eagles are halted in Giants territory. This time, Pederson decides to go for the field goal! But it’s blocked. How fitting. Score remains 21-10 Giants.
Terrible first half for the Eagles. Two turnovers allowed the Giants to take an early lead and the Eagles were forced to play catch-up from virtually the start of the game. Pederson’s playcalling was also questionable. It was arguably the worst first half the Eagles have played all season.
Second half review
Offense:
- Eagles move the ball nicely on the first drive of the second half. Darren Sproles was effective on the ground, picking up 22 yards on the drive.
- Nelson Agholor did something! The second-year receiver got open and showed off his quickness in the open field before running out of bounds on the Giants’ 3-yard line.
- Touchdown! Kenjon Barner fights his way past the Giants’ defensive line for six. Great drive to start the second half.
Defense:
- Giants running all over the Eagles to start the drive. Something they were completely unable to do in the first half.
- New York’s balanced attack opens up the field for Manning, who finds Sterling Shepard wide open in the end zone for his fourth touchdown of the day. Horrible coverage by the Eagles on the play. Defense looked gassed. Giants ahead 28-17.
Offense:
- On third down, Wentz throws a gorgeous ball to Treggs deep, who is blatantly interfered with, but no flag was thrown. Bad missed call from the refs. Eagles punt.
Defense:
- Eagles hold New York and force a punt. It’s arguable that the Eagles forced a turnover on the drive when Rodney McLeod caused a fumble and it was recovered by Vinny Curry, but it was decided that the receiver did not make a football move, despite having caught the ball and taking several steps. Referees do not know what a catch is.
Offense:
- Darren Sproles is a truck. Picks up a critical third down by running through two Giants defenders.
- Eagles convert on another third down. Wentz finds Ertz for a nice gain and the Eagles enter the red zone.
- Philadelphia is unable to convert another third down on the drive and they settle for a field goal. Great call by Pederson! Giants ahead 28-20.
Defense:
- Interception! Odell Beckham seemingly brought in a throw from Manning, but it was ripped out of his hands by Nolan Carroll after the two had fallen to the ground. After review, it was confirmed that Beckham never had full possession of the ball before Carroll ripped it out. Eagles ball.
Offense:
- Giants shut down the Eagles completely. Another odd play call from Pederson, who called a read-option run for Wentz on third down, which fell far short of the sticks. Pederson seems keen on getting Wentz more opportunities to run the ball.
Defense:
- The Giants had their backs against the wall within their own 5-yard line. On third down, the Eagles came close to taking down Manning in the end zone for a safety, but the play ultimately resulted in an incompletion. Eagles force a punt.
Offense:
- On third down, Wentz rolls to his left and finds Nelson Agholor open for a conversion, but he drops the ball. Unfortunately, that should not come as much of a surprise.
- Eagles go for it on fourth down and it works! Wentz finds Jordan Matthews for a big gain. Eagles keep the drive alive.
- The Eagles are stopped on third down. This time, they opt to go for the field goal. Giants still ahead 28-23.
Defense:
- The biggest play of the game. It’s 3rd and 4 and the Giants have the ball in their own territory. Eagles need a stop if they want a chance to win it. And it’s intercepted by Jordan Hicks! The Eagles have a chance!
Offense:
- 4th and 10. The Eagles need a touchdown to win the game. Wentz drops back and floats one to Jordan Matthews. It’s incomplete. The final score is 28-23 Giants.
The decision to go for two failed fourth down attempts came back to bit the Eagles at the end of this one. Had they kicked the two field goal attempts, they would have led the Giants 29-28. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen. The Eagles lose this one in heartbreaking fashion. It’ll be a long week for Doug Pederson.