We hand out some grades from the Eagles' 24-19 win over the Giants (see Instant Replay).
Quarterbacks
The line on Carson Wentz was nothing pretty, but there are two numbers worth calling attention to: 28 yards rushing and zero sacks. So many times it looked like the Giants' defense had Wentz dead to rights in the backfield, only for the rookie signal-caller to slip away and keep the play alive with his legs. Even his interception, which was the end result of a 10-second scramble drill, very easily could've become a classic highlight had the receiver only come back to the football. Chase Daniel got his first snaps of the season as well, making something out of nothing to complete his lone attempt.
Grade: B+
Running backs
Ryan Mathews was dependable, although he struggled to get much going. Eighteen carries for 46 yards only goes for a plodding 2.6 yards per carry, and worse still, Mathews failed to convert on several tries from the goal line - granted, not entirely his own fault. On the flip side, Darren Sproles was electric on his nifty 25-yard touchdown run, and the duo combined to produce three receptions for 39 yards. They protected the football well, so while they didn't exactly impose their will, there's not a whole lot more you can ask.
Grade: B
Wide receivers
Nelson Agholor continues to be one of the most baffling talents to wear an Eagles uniform in quite some time. In the first quarter, the oft-criticized wideout dropped a pass that hit him right in the hands on a simple slant route, doing his part to stall a drive. Then in the second, Agholor got over the top of the defense and hauled in a 40-yard touchdown, his first since Week 1. It was his only catch, while Jordan Matthews contributed two catches for 12 yards and Dorial Green-Beckham one for seven. Bryce Treggs was also targeted on Wentz's pick, and by not coming back to the ball, perhaps allowed the turnover to happen.
Grade: C-
Philadelphia Eagles
Complete coverage of the Philadelphia Eagles and their NFL rivals from NBC Sports Philadelphia.
Tight ends
Brent Celek posted his most active game as a receiver since Week 3 with three catches for 27 yards. Zach Ertz and Trey Burton, on the other hand, were as quiet as they've been in some time. Ertz hauled in two passes for 33 yards, while Burton was limited to just one for three. To the unit's credit though, every time the trio was targeted resulted in a completion.
Grade: B-
Offensive line
What a difference a right tackle makes. The Eagles came right out running behind Lane Johnson on the opening series, with a 16-yard gain by Mathews on the opening play from scrimmage, then Sproles' 25-yard touchdown. The offense averaged 3.9 yards per rushing attempt, while Wentz was hit just three times and sacked zero - not quite a dominant performance, but given Johnson was coming off of a 10-game layoff, a quality showing for the unit.
Grade: B
Defensive line
Quarterbacks have been largely unfazed by the Eagles' pass rush of late, but Giants QB Eli Manning had pressure in his face all game, getting hit 10 times total. That consists of four by Brandon Graham and three more by Vinny Curry, including a shot to force the game-clinching interception. New York did averaged 4.6 yards per attempt on the ground, so there is still work to be done, but this was an improvement over what we've seen for most of the second half of this season.
Grade: A-
Linebackers
Nigel Bradham and Jordan Hicks don't always make the highlight reel, and they do tend to lose gap responsibility from time to time, but they sure can rack up the tackles some weeks. Bradham led all Eagles defenders with 12 tackles, while Hicks was second on the team with seven. Some of the Giants' big gains on the ground were a result of their being out of position, but their dependable performance in the middle was a integral to the defense's bend-don't-break efforts. Even Mychal Kendricks pitched in with a pair of takedowns.
Grade: B
Defensive backs
Malcolm Jenkins was on fire at the game's start, intercepting a pass and going 34 yards to the house for the touchdown. But in the second quarter, Jenkins was on the other end of the scoring play, getting chucked at the line of scrimmage by Giants receiver Sterling Shepherd and getting across the goal line unimpeded for six. Then in the fourth quarter, the safety answered with another pick. It was an up-and-down performance emblematic of the Eagles' secondary, which limited Manning to 5.7 yards per attempt while also giving up long gains of 33, 30 and 29 yards. Safety Terrence Brooks sealed the deal with a pick as well.
Grade: B+
Special teams
Nothing flashy. Just the usual, solid Eagles special-teams effort. The Giants' return game was a non-factor and nearly turned the ball over on a forced fumble by Brooks. Donnie Jones averaged 47.4 yards per punt, pinning two inside the opponent's 20, and Caleb Sturgis made all three extra points plus a 41-yard field goal.
Grade: B+
Coaching
After some early-season struggles, then some ugly losses along the way, you have to respect how Doug Pederson has the Eagles playing considering the team has been essentially out of the playoff race for awhile now. And looking at these grades, with only one 'A' performance among them, the head coach guided his team to a victory over a tough 10-5 Giants squad - and without any major blunders to detract from the win.
Grade: A
