The curse has been lifted! The New York Giants have won a football game in Philadelphia! Did we play like the division champs we hope to become? Fuck no. But when you’re in the midst of a 13-year dry spell, lord knows they don’t have to be pretty.
The majority of this game felt like watching an unfunny parody of the team we’ve come to know and love. The procedural penalties, self-sacking, and inability to run were all ever-present as the Eagles Defensive Line destroyed whatever the fuck Matt Nagy spent 2 weeks cooking up. The Giants were held to just 15 yards on 10 rushing attempts in the first half, forcing the offense into obvious passing situations where the Birds absolutely teed off on JJ.
Aside from hitting a couple of chunk plays to get in range for a pair of long FG attempts, McCarthy spent the entire first half in either 3rd and long or buried deep within the crab grass of Lincoln Financial Field. While gutsy at times, this performance definitely threw some cold water on the franchise quarterback agenda, effectively nuking 6 weeks’ worth of Pat Leonard articles.
Also making their unwelcome return are backbreaking punt return blunders. Charlie Jones simply needs to get the fuck off of my football team. His fumble against the Saints completely flipped that game, and he booted another on Sunday that gifted the Philly one of their only possessions on our side of the field. I was getting Jasson Dominguez flashbacks watching him fair catching balls at his ankles or letting balls get bombed over his head. Their bozo punter hit a 17-yarder and got drilled in the face with a snap this game - yet was still able to get his name in the record books thanks to the incompetence of our return game.
This needs to get fixed immediately. Especially considering the fact that this defense looks like they’re going to be forcing a lot more punts this season.
9 games into his career, Arvell Reese has transcended into the greatest linebacker I’ve ever seen suit up for Big Blue. Following the Jones fumble, Reese instantly gave the ball back to the offense by delivering a hit I’m fully confident Joe Milton will feel for the rest of his time on this earth. Reese would tack on 2 additional sacks, 12 tackles (10 solo), 3 tackles for loss, and 3 more quarterback hits. While the pass rush reps generate the flash plays, this guy plays the run phenomenally and is getting better in coverage week after week.
We’ve spent over a decade picking in the top 10, and it looks like we’ve finally hit a home run on one of these picks. I’d give him a 15-year contract this instant if the league allowed it. I’d also name my firstborn ‘Arvell’ if my wife/racial appropriation rules allowed it.
The rest of the defensive effort should not be overshadowed. Aside from a 30-yard PI and some garbage yards allowed under soft coverage, Dennard Wilson essentially pitched a shutout. Joe Milton’s inaccuracy did them a few favors, but most of the defensive success came from stopping the run and creatively stunting a quarterback they knew was a slow processor.
DJ Reader has officially graduated from unsung hero to a legitimate Dexter Lawrence replacement. Kayvon Thibodeaux and Micah McFadden have both stepped up in their starting roles. Even Darius Alexander had a career day.
Despite the offensive struggles, it always felt like we were in this game simply because Philly showed zero ability to score on us. We went into this season aiming to possess the ball as much as possible to keep our defense off the field. After losing Dart and any semblance of a run game, this relentlessly violent defense has not only risen to the occasion but has become the new identity of the team.
Because of this, the Giants really only needed one solid drive to take control of the game. After Nagy got JJ killed desperately trying to establish the run, it was up to Jameis Winston to engineer the eventual game-winning TD drive.
Our relationship with Jameis almost feels toxic at this point. We’ve seen both the best and worst of him, and while we’ve repeatedly tried to move on from all of his instability, we can’t help but go crawling back to the vet in times of desperation. The 14-play, 76-yard touchdown drive was a thing of beauty. Winston converted a 3rd and 15 to Malachi Fields, a 4th and 1 QB sneak, and eventually capped things off by finding a wide-open Isaiah Likely in the back of the end zone.
I pray that JJ is healthy enough to go on Thursday, but regardless, Jameis deserves a ton of credit for an awesome relief appearance. Most guys in this league would bitch and moan about being benched under these circumstances, and Winston has not only remained professional but was ready for action when called upon.
Similarly, Dominic Zvada completed his own redemption arc after a rocky month of October. Harbaugh publicly backed the rookie twink throughout the bye week, and the gamble immediately paid off. Aside from the one Jameis drive, Zvada tacked on the remainder of the team’s points, going 4/4 on a windy afternoon in Philadelphia. His pair of 4th quarter kicks gave the Giants a 2-possession lead that would prove to be insurmountable for the feeble Birds offense.
While I would have loved a much more convincing, statement win following the bye, I’ll take that result any day of the week, especially on a Sunday. We effectively ended the season of our most hated rivals, maintained our division lead, and have a blossoming star on defense. With Washington on deck this Thursday, we have 3 days to find a punt returner off the street, learn how to run block, and shoot 8 more doses of cortisol into McCarthy’s hip. Easy peasy.
If this is the last time we see Nick Sirriani, I wish him and his emotional support diabetic nothing but the worst for the rest of their careers. Your obnoxious, corny reign has ended, and this division now belongs to John Harbaugh until further notice.
