Another game in Philadelphia, another loss in Philadelphia. For the Giants, it’s never sunny in Philadelphia.
The latest setback came on Christmas Day, a 33-25 setback that featured a brutal start, a 20-3 halftime deficit, a spirited comeback — although the Giants never took the lead — and, ultimately, the Giants’ 11th consecutive loss at Lincoln Financial Field, a dismal streak that stretches back to the 2013 season.
Here is the good, the bad and the ugly that came out of that game:
— It is hard to argue with coach Brian Daboll’s decision to bench Tommy DeVito at halftime. Under DeVito’s direction, the Giants had three points and 101 total yards on offense. He was 9 of 16 for only 55 yards. His longest completed pass was a 14-yard toss to tight end Daniel Bellinger.
It was not as if DeVito was getting sloppy with the ball or fumbling. He has not thrown an interception in his last 137 consecutive passes. It is almost as if he is being too cautious and not seeing the field as clearly as he should. That makes sense, considering he is a rookie.
It sure looked as if DeVito needed to check out of the play that was called — a run up the middle for Saquon Barkley — on fourth-and-1 from the Eagles’ 21-yard line midway through the second quarter. The Eagles shifted their defensive line to take away the middle of the field and there was no adjustment made by the Giants. DeVito handed the ball to Barkley and the result was a 4-yard loss and the wasting of a promising series.
— Did you hear the one about rookie running back Eric Gray getting some work in the final three games?
With the playoff scenario extinguished, seeing what Gray could do made some sense, considering he was a 2023 fifth-round draft pick and figures to be in the plans in some way in 2024. Daboll said that might be a possibility and Saquon Barkley last week mentioned increased usage for Gray. Well, Gray did not get a single snap in the game — he did have eight snaps on special teams.
The only running back with a rushing attempt for the Giants was Barkley, who ran it 23 times. Barkley logged 56 of the 63 snaps on offense. Matt Breida was on the field for five snaps and had one catch for one yard. Barkley ran for 80 yards and moved past Brandon Jacobs and into the No. 4 spot on the franchise rushing list with 5,126 yards.
— What happened to Kayvon Thibodeaux? He played 88 percent of the snaps on defense (66 of 75) and his name was barely heard and his body was rarely around the football. He did not have a single tackle and did not have a sack.
His only statistical contribution was one quarterback hit. In his second season Thibodeaux has certainly made strides and he continues to lead the team in sacks with 11.5. He needs to continue to improve and part of that improvement is showing he can deal with Lane Johnson.
The Eagles’ veteran right tackle is one of the best in the business and Thibodeaux has to go against him twice a season. This battle cannot continue to be dominated by Johnson if the Giants are to close the gap on the Eagles.
— When Adoree’ Jackson stepped in front of an errant Jalen Hurts pass and raced down the right sideline for a 76-yard interception return for a touchdown there were two rarities in play. This was Jackson’s 81st NFL game — 46 for the Titans and 35 for the Giants — and it was only Jackson’s fourth career interception. It was the first touchdown of Jackson’s seven-year career.
Jackson, 28, is coming down the home stretch of the three-year, $39 contract he signed prior to the 2021 season. He has been a good player for the Giants but did not live up to the strong deal he received. This is yet another example of what happens so often in free agency. Teams pay great money to good players.
— This game developed into somewhat of a shootout and that is not standard operating procedure for the Giants. The 25 points scored was the most points scored in a loss under Daboll. When the Giants lose, it is usually because they cannot muster enough points, not because they blatantly cannot stop the other team.
— Is Jamie Gillan hurt? If he is, he shouldn’t be on the field. He looked as if he wasn’t right.
His first punt was a line drive that traveled only 41 yards, giving Britain Covey a nice head of steam on his 54-yard return to set up the first Eagles’ touchdown. Gillan’s second punt was an ugly 30-yard bouncer that allowed the Eagles to start on offense on their 48-yard line. Two plays later, Jalen Hurts hit DeVonta Smith on a 36-yard touchdown pass.
Gillan missed practice time during the week with what was revealed as a groin issue. He said after making the first field goal of his NFL career last week in New Orleans that he felt soreness in his left leg because the motion kicking a field goal is completely different than the motion when punting. If he was not right, Gillan should have not played. Daboll on Tuesday said Gillan miss-hit the first punt and then hurt his knee trying to make the tackle on the ensuing return by Covey.
— Another game, another full-time outing for linebacker Bobby Okereke and safety Xavier McKinney. Both guys played all 75 snaps on offense to continue their iron man streaks. Okereke and McKinney have played every snap on defense this season. Given the usual wear and tear and the randomness of certain injuries, it is remarkable that two players on the same defense have never come off the field.
— Sterling Shepard got one snap. One. The longest-tenured Giants player is going out quietly in his eighth and final season with the Giants. There are two games left. Does Shepard get a few additional snaps as a nice gesture before he departs?
