By Joshua Stewart
Twitter: @JoshStewart47
The New York Giants compounded a disastrous fall from grace to the Philadelphia Eagles’ season end by inflicting a 27-10 loss to their divisional rivals to throw confusion and doubt over both sides’ futures.
Midway through the season, the Eagles had the best record in the league (10-1) whilst the Giants could only manage a 3-8 record at the same point of the season. Since then, the Giants have gone 3-3 and the Eagles 1-5. Being in the same division saw the two sides face each other twice in the final three weeks of the season.
The first meeting was the opportunity for the Eagles to get their season back on track and record a statement win to remind the league what they can do.
Instead, a nervy 33-25 win reassured the play-off contenders that Philadelphia were yet to find their form again, especially against a youthful and out of form Giants side that made some questionable decisions during the match and were also without their starting quarterback.
Then, in the final week of the regular season, with nothing on the line for either team, the Eagles were again given the opportunity to beat the Giants and restore some form and confidence back into the franchise heading into the play-offs.
It went even worse the second time around as injuries hit star players Jalen Hurts, A.J Brown and D’Andre Swift. Giants safety Xavier McKinney had just one interception all season long going into the game; by the end of play he had increased that number to three.
The Giants had already been knocked out of play-off contention long ago and their win only saw them move down one spot in the draft to the sixth pick.
The Eagles had already secured their play-off place thanks to their electric first half of the season but after a Superbowl loss last time around, huge questions remain as to whether Philadelphia can get back to their best in time to get a second consecutive appearance on American football’s biggest stage.
