Giants at Eagles: Highlights, score and recap

The New York Giants had an opportunity to clinch a playoff spot on Thursday night, but the rival Philadelphia Eagles made sure it did not happen on their turf.

With a win on Thursday night, the New York Giants would have clinched their first playoff berth since 2011, when they won the Super Bowl. Heading into Philadelphia to take on the rival Eagles, the Giants were flying high, as they have been one of the more hotter teams in football as of late.

In a game dominated by the Eagles for nearly all four quarters, Philadelphia was able to stop the Giants’ final attempt at a comeback victory.

Philadelphia got off to a hot start, scoring two touchdowns in the first quarter. Darren Sproles, who missed last week with a concussion, sprinted for a 25-yard touchdown to open the scoring on the Eagles’ first possession of the game. The Giants took over after the score, but quarterback Eli Manning was intercepted by Malcom Jenkins on a third-and-5 and the veteran safety took it to the house to give the Eagles a 14-0 lead.

New York would score 16 of the next 23 points in the game, pulling to within five in the third quarter. The teams entered the fourth quarter with the score at 21-16, setting the stage for another wild finish.

One of the biggest plays of the game came at the end of the third quarter, as the Giants stuffed Ryan Mathews on a fourth down try from the one-yard line. At the time, the Eagles were up 21-16, and a touchdown may have put the game out of reach. The Eagles were able to get a field goal on their next possession, extending their lead to eight, and the deficit would be too much to overcome.

Kicker Robbie Gould pulled the Giants to within five in the fourth quarter, setting the stage for another classic ending in this storied matchup. On a fourth-and-1 at the two minute warning, the Giants were called for a false start, putting them five yards back. On the next play, Manning threw towards Sterling Shepard, who was blanketed and could not come up with the catch.

New York got another opportunity after forcing a three-and-out, but they could not capitalize. With 14 seconds left in the game, Manning’s heave was intercepted, his third of the game, and Carson Wentz took a knee to seal the victory. New York will have to wait to clinch its playoff berth, as it let a golden opportunity slip away on Thursday night.

Highlights

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Three Stars

1. Philadelphia’s secondary

Eli Manning threw for over 300 yards on Thursday night, but in the end, the Eagles’ secondary made some huge plays to seal the victory. Not only did Malcom Jenkins take a Manning pass 34 yards the other way to the house, but his teammates in the defensive backfield came up with big stops late in the game. On a fourth-and-6, Nolan Carroll blanketed Sterling Shepard, forcing an incompletion. The hero of the night was Terrence Brooks, who picked off Manning’s final attempt at a win with a few ticks left on the clock.

2. Odell Beckham Jr.

The Philadelphia Eagles have done a nice job containing OBJ during his career, and if you take away his 12-catch performance back in December of 2014, he has been pretty pedestrian against the Giants’ rivals. On Thursday, Beckham took advantage of the primetime stage, catching 11 balls for 150 yards in the loss. While he failed to find the end zone, he was definitely the best offensive player on the field for either team.

3. Malcolm Jenkins

The eighth-year pro from East Orange, NJ, had his best game as an Eagle on Thursday night, picking off Eli Manning twice in the team’s victory. As stated earlier, the Philadelphia Eagles secondary made enough plays against Manning and the Giants when it counted, led by the former first round draft pick. Jenkins came into the game with only one interception on the year, but his two on Thursday, including one he returned for a touchdown, proved to be enough to give the Eagles their first victory in the division this season.

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Next Week

The two teams will wrap up their regular season next week, as the Eagles will stay home to take on division-leading Dallas. New York will finish up its regular season on the road, as the Giants make the trip south to take on the Washington Redskins.