Five Takeaways From Eagles Dominant Week 7 Win
The Philadelphia Eagles took down the division rival New York Giants in a dominating 28-3 win at MetLife Stadium in Week 7. The Eagles have won two games in a row coming out of the bye week, and sit in second place in the NFC East with a 4-2 record. The 25-point win over the Giants was a breath of fresh air for Eagles fans after a rocky start to the season. Here are five takeaways from the Week 7 performance:
Saquon Barkley Stole The Show In Return To The Meadowlands
Eagles running back Saquon Barkley returned to MetLife to face the team that drafted him for the first time. The 27-year-old is third in the NFL with 658 rushing yards, has six total touchdowns, and has a career-high 6.1 yards per carry through six games. He didn’t disappoint in his first game against the Giants.
Barkley rushed for 176 yards on 17 carries, including a 55-yard run in the second quarter that set up a 3-yard touchdown run three plays later, to give the Eagles a 7-0 lead. He was 13 yards shy of a career-high for rushing yards in a single game. Giants owner John Mara is definitely having a tough time sleeping after that performance.
Jalen Hurts Did Enough To Get The Dominant Win
Jalen Hurts didn’t light up the Giants’ defense through the air, but he managed the game well, and did enough to get the win. Hurts went 10/14 passing with 114 yards and one touchdown. The fifth-year quarterback added 22 yards on the ground with two touchdowns thanks to the tush push.
Hurts protected the ball for the second consecutive week, after turning the ball over at least one time in each of the first four games to start the season. He was even able to get some rest in the fourth quarter with the big lead and was replaced by Kenny Pickett.
A.J. Brown Did A.J. Brown Things
A.J. Brown continued to prove why he’s one of the top wide receivers in the league. On a day that Hurts had just 114 passing yards, Brown hauled in five passes for 89 yards, including a 41-yard touchdown before halftime, to increase the Eagles’ lead to 14. Brown now has 324 yards and three touchdowns, while averaging 20.3 yards per reception and 108 yards per game. He missed three games with a hamstring injury.
Where Was DeVonta Smith?
The Eagles relied more on the run game in Week 7, creating limited opportunities through the air. Wide receiver DeVonta Smith was on the field for 53 snaps against the Giants, a team that he's had a lot of success against in his career, but he was targeted only two times. He caught his lone pass for -2 yards, the lowest yardage of his four-year career. It was an unusual game for the normally productive wideout.
Defense Put Pressure On Daniel Jones
The Eagles’ defense was a weakness to start the year, particularly the pass rush, but they came to play in Week 7. After a five-sack performance in Week 6 against the Cleveland Browns, the defense recorded eight sacks against the Giants. Nakobe Dean and Jalen Carter each had two sacks, and Bryce Huff recorded his first full sack of the year.
Giants quarterback Daniel Jones was held to 99 yards passing, and the team had only 76 yards rushing for the game. It was a great performance by the Eagles’ defense, but it needs to continue against better offenses.
Looking Ahead
The Eagles enjoyed a dominant win over their divisional foes, but it’s time to focus on Cincinnati. The Bengals are 3-4 and coming off two straight wins, after starting the season poorly. It will be a tough matchup for Nick Sirianni and the Eagles on the road.