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By Brooks Kubena, Charlotte Carroll and Tess DeMeyer
Led by Saquon Barkley’s explosive performance and a lights-out effort by the defense, the Philadelphia Eagles were firing on all cylinders in a dominant 28-3 win over the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium on Sunday.
Barkley showed no mercy for his former team and the home crowd who cheered him on through the first six seasons of his NFL career, averaging 10.4 yards per carry as boos rained down whenever he touched the ball. Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts also had a tidy showing, completing 10 of 14 passes for 114 yards and a touchdown. Though he was sacked four times, that paled in comparison to the damage the Eagles’ defense unleashed on the Giants’ offense.
Philadelphia sacked starter Daniel Jones seven times for a total loss of 56 yards and added an eighth sack on backup Drew Lock, who entered the game early in the fourth quarter. New York finished with only 119 yards of offense.
Saquon shines in his old stomping grounds
Barkley entered the weekend saying the history of the Eagles-Giants rivalry was so much bigger than his switching sidelines. He said he’d learned his lesson in pursuing “F you” moments. Devoid of that perspective, Barkley still delivered one anyway. He simply destroyed his former team with 17 rushes for 176 yards and a touchdown — more yardage on the ground than he’d gained in all but one other game in his career.
Barkley’s 55-yard run in the second quarter broke the Eagles out of yet another slow start. He scored on a 3-yard run three plays later. His 38-yard run in the third quarter provoked another touchdown drive.
Saquon Barkley, Philadelphia Eagle, TD at MetLife Stadium 🔥@saquon | #FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/d2OXOVhzES
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) October 20, 2024
Through six games, the Eagles are easily getting their money’s worth out of Barkley, who signed a three-year, $37.75 million deal with $26 million guaranteed in the offseason. It was the sort of contract Barkley and the Giants could never agree upon.
As Barkley continues building his legacy for an NFC East rival, the Giants must manage the misery of trying to field a competitive team without him. — Brooks Kubena, Eagles beat writer
Eagles’ offense wakes up
The Eagles had yet another slow start. They remain the only NFL team that hasn’t scored in the first quarter. But, behind an explosive Barkley, the starters still left the game early. The Eagles led 28-3 with 10:32 left in the game when they sent in the backups.
This was the definitive offensive performance Nick Sirianni’s team had yet to field. Hurts was 10-of-14 passing for 114 yards, and, on fourth-and-3, he delivered his best pass of the season, hitting A.J. Brown in stride for a 41-yard touchdown in the second quarter.
There are things the Eagles must clean up. They were 1-of-11 on third-down opportunities, and Hurts was sacked four times. But Barkley was so dominant, which yielded Hurts plenty of downfield opportunities, and those factors that require fixing had no opportunity to hurt them. — Kubena
A dominant defensive showing
The Eagles’ defense has given up 12 points in the last two games. A young unit that needed to gain its footing under new defensive coordinator Vic Fangio has revealed its strengths in two straight weeks against bad teams they’ve bullied. The Eagles had four sacks through their first three games. They had eight sacks Sunday.
The Giants averaged 2.2 yards per play and were outgained by the Eagles 342-117. Two players who’ve been slow to develop in Philadelphia — Nolan Smith and Bryce Huff — both recorded sacks.
GOT ‘EM (AGAIN) 😤@SmithNoland2 | #FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/KROFug6Q4X
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) October 20, 2024
The Eagles didn’t force any turnovers, which Sirianni has made a point of emphasis, but they still shut the Giants down enough for them to bench Daniel Jones for Drew Lock once the game got out of hand. — Kubena
Nothing stood in Barkley’s way
Barkley embarrassed his former team, running for 176 yards and a touchdown. This matchup had been circled on calendars since the schedule was released. And Barkley got the last laugh of the day, recording three long runs over 35 yards. He showed the same spark that made him an asset in New York and the game looked personal as he avoided sidelines and led with his shoulder on runs. — Charlotte Carroll, Giants beat writer
Required reading
- A traitor or a treasure? How do Giants fans feel about Saquon Barkley’s NY legacy?
- What Saquon Barkley has meant to the Eagles since leaving rival Giants
- Sydney Brown on returning to scene where he tore ACL, ready to make comeback for Eagles
- Losing Andrew Thomas derailed Giants offense in 2023. Can they avoid same fate this year?
(Photo: Luke Hales / Getty Images)
