Jalen Hurts struggles in Eagles’ ugly loss to Giants, 13 to 7

The Philadelphia Eagles are 5-7 after losing to the New York Giants on Sunday. The friggin’ New York Football Giants. Final score: 13 to 7.

There’s no sugarcoating this one: this was a terrible loss. There was really no good reason for the Birds to blow this game.

The Eagles entered this game rolling, winning three of their last four. They were facing an under-manned Giants team playing on short rest. They had an opportunity to make their push for the NFC East lead with the Dallas Cowboys losing on Thanksgiving.

And, instead, they blew it.

Jalen Hurts ultimately gave the Eagles a chance to win at the end of the game. He didn’t get help with Jalen Reagor — who some would probably like to see sent to the moon — dropping the ball near the goal line.

But it shouldn’t have had to come down to that. The Eagles’ margin for error was was thinner that it should’ve been with Hurts turning in the worst game of his career. 14/31 (45.2% completion) for 129 yards (4.2 average), zero touchdowns, three interceptions, and a 17.5 passer rating. Downright dreadful.

Read on for a recap and stay tuned for BGN’s postgame coverage.

FIRST QUARTER

• The Giants started on offense first. Daniel Jones’ first pass went wide of Saquon Barkley. Ugly. Then he took off running to bring up 3rd-and-5. On third down, Fletcher Cox and Javon Hargrave pressured Jones into an off target throw over the middle. Three-and-out.
• Miles Sanders was tackled for a loss on a run to the outside and Jalen Hurts missed DeVonta Smith to bring up a 3rd-and-11. On third down, Hurts felt pressure from a three-man rush and ran for a yard. Punt.
• The Giants ran a flea flicker that ended up being a screen to Evan Engram (interesting) for a gain into Philly territory. The Giants got to 4th-and-1 and went for it and it looked like Jones was stopped short ... but somehow the refs ruled him over the marker. Garbage. The Giants moved into the red zone and Darius Slay broke up a 3rd-and-8 throw to Kenny Golladay in the end zone. The Giants wanted pass interference but it looked like OPI on Golladay if anything. New York settled for the 35-yard field goal attempt. EAGLES 0, GIANTS 3.
• The Giants kicked the ball way short of the end zone, clearly aiming to get Jalen Reagor to return it. Perceived weakness. The Eagles picked up their first first down with two Sanders runs. Hurts hit DeVonta Smith over the middle (!) for another first down. On 3rd-and-5 from the NYG 44-yard line, Quez Watkins made a very nice leaping catch along the right sideline to pick up a big first down. Good job by Hurts to throw up the ball to him and having faith in the receiver to make a play. Unfortunately, Hurts followed up a good throw with a pick over the middle. It looked like there may have been DPI since a flag was thrown and Hurts was calling for a penalty but it was picked up. FOX’s shitty production team didn’t bother to show a clear replay of the play, so it’s hard to say exactly what happened. Great stuff!

SECOND QUARTER

• The Giants drove 47 yards and settled for a 51-yard field goal attempt from Graham Gano. He missed it wide right. Eagles fortunate that New York was unable to capitalize on their turnover. Eagles also fortunate the Giants went for the long kick instead of going for the first down. Thank you, Joe Judge.
• Hurts took a deep shot to Watkins into double coverage and it was incomplete. Watkins had a chance to make the catch but it wouldn’t have been an easy one. On 3rd-and-10, Hurts was pressured and threw a dangerous pass to Dallas Goedert that was almost caught ... but instead incomplete for another punt.
• Saquon Barkley broke off a big run for 32 yards. The Giants moved just outside of the red zone but then got set back. Derek Barnett had a tackle for loss and then drew a holding penalty. Alex Singleton notched a tackle for loss of his own to bring up 3rd-and-24. On third down, it looked like Avonte Maddox came up with a pick on a tipped pass but he bobbled the ball before he ever established possession in bounds.
• The Eagles started at their own 7-yard line. Hurts took off for a big run but it was called back by a hold on Nate Herbig, who was in for an injured Jason Kelce. A big run by Sanders on 2nd-and-12 brought up 3rd-and-1. On third down, Hurts threw to a wide open JJ Arcega-Whiteside (!) for a big first down. JJAW is too elite. Hurts took a zone-read keeper for 14 yards into NYG territory. Hurts had another run up the middle for 18 yards. Nick Sirianni rediscovered running the ball works for this team. Herbig had a really dumb holding penalty where he unnecessarily hooked a Giants defender to wipe out a Boston Scott touchdown run. Missing Kelce. Reagor (!) made a nice leaping grab along the left sideline on a throw from Hurts to set the Eagles up at the 2-yard line. Greg Ward dropped Hurts’ 1st-and-goal throw. Might be nice to target one of the team’s very best pass-catchers (say, Dallas Goedert or DeVonta Smith) instead of a guy without a catch since Week 4. On 3rd-and-goal, Hurts threw a really bad pick when he could’ve just thrown it out of bounds to give the Eagles a chance to either go for it on 4th-and-goal or kick a short field goal. Terrible to leave with zero points on that 92-yard drive.

THIRD QUARTER

• Sanders broke a 27-yard run to start the second half. The Eagles got to 3rd-and-2 from the Giants’ 40-yard line and Hurts’ pass for Kenneth Gainwell was off target. Hurts wanted a flag but didn’t get it. The Eagles went for it on fourth down and targeted ... Reagor ... for an incompletion. Bad throw by Hurts. But, like, why?! Why not run the ball there? Or, if you’re going to throw, maybe actually target the good pass-catchers in key spots?! Pretty frustrating stuff from Sirianni.
• Fletcher Cox had a big tackle for loss on Barkley to bring up a 3rd-and-7. The Eagles blitzed on third down but the Giants countered with a screen for 17 yards. The Giants moved to go-to-goal territory. Steve Nelson broke up a throw to Golladay in the end zone to bring up 3rd-and-goal. On third down, Nelson got called for pass interference to give the Giants a fresh set of downs at the 1-yard line. Ugh. Jones hit ... Philly native Chris Myarick, who you’ve probably never even heard about until today ... for the game’s first touchdown. Dude caught it on his freaking knee. EAGLES 0, GIANTS 10.

• Hurts took a deep shot and it was underthrown and picked off by Xavier McKinney. The safety saw Hurts staring down Reagor the entire way.
• Barnett made a big tackle for loss on a jet sweep. -13 yards. Alex Singleton came up with another tackle for loss of his own to force a punt.
• The Eagles leaned on Hurts’ mobility and their running game to move into the red zone. A great, physical run by Scott set up 1st-and-goal from the 2-yard line.

FOURTH QUARTER

• Scott started the fourth quarter by capping off the Eagles’ 65-yard drive with a touchdown run. Still a game. EAGLES 7, GIANTS 10.

• On 3rd-and-9, Josh Sweat hit Jones right after the quarterback sailed a pass down the right sideline and out of bounds. Nice job by the defense to force a three-and-out.
• The Eagles went six-and-out after Hurts took a sack on 3rd-and-4 from the Giants’ 46-yard line.
• Jones hit Golladay for a big conversion on third down. He threw to Golladay again to put the Giants in Eagles territory. Jones hit that Myarick dude for another big first down to put the Giants just outside of the red zone. The Giants had a false start to knock them back to 3rd-and-7 instead of being at 3rd-and-2. Big penalty. Maddox had sticky coverage on third down to help force the Giants to settle for a 39-yard field goal. Gano made it. EAGLES 7, GIANTS 13.
• Really big opportunity for the Eagles, down six points with a little under three minutes remaining. Hurts to Reagor went for 10 yards and a first down. A three-yard Scott run took Philly to the 2-minute warning from their own 43-yard line. Hurts hit Smith (oh, hey, that guy is on the team) for another first down. Scott took off running and fumbled for a Giants recovery. Ugh.
• The Giants took over at their own 37-yard line and sought to force the Eagles to burn their remaining timeouts. The Giants looked to pass on third down but Jones wisely took the sack to force the Eagles to burn their final timeout with 1:19 left in the game.
• The Eagles took over at their own 41-yard line with 1:11 remaining. Hurts went to Gainwell twice in a row to move the Eagles to the Giants’ 38-yard line. Hurts aired it out deep to Reagor and the ball hit the receiver in the helmet and almost got picked off by the Giants. Woo boy. Hurts targeted Goedert for the first time in forever and the tight end couldn’t hang on to the ball as he was tightly covered. Hurts had his fourth pick of the game dropped on a telegraphed throw to Reagor over the middle. On 4th-and-10, Hurts targeted Reagor near the goal line and the ball went through the receiver’s hands. Terrible. Game.

INJURIES

• Jason Kelce (knee) limped off the field and into the tent late in the first quarter. Nate Herbig came in to play center. Kelce returned to the sideline with a helmet on and tried some practice snaps but didn’t look right. Kelce returned to the field in the third quarter.
• Miles Sanders got looked at by trainers early in the third quarter.
• Fletcher Cox got shaken up in the third quarter.
• Jack Driscoll got banged up late in the third quarter. He was carted off the field. Herbig replaced him at right guard.
• Jalen Hurts limped off the field after a fourth quarter sack. He had his ankle taped up but didn’t miss playing time.
• Milton Williams got banged up late in the fourth quarter.