The Eagles didn’t have their sharpest offensive performance in quarterback Jalen Hurts‘ return to the lineup, but they’ll have a couple of weeks to work things out before they’ll be back on the field.
The Eagles built a 16-0 lead in the first half and ground their way to a 22-16 win over the Giants. The victory ends the two-game losing streak they went through with Hurts out of the lineup and clinches both the NFC East title and the top seed in the conference for Philadelphia.
Hurts missed those games with a sprained shoulder and he started with a 35-yard strike to A.J. Brown. He and Brown hooked up a couple of other times and DeVonta Smith caught seven passes, but Hurts was only 20-of-35 and threw an interception in the end zone in the third quarter.
Hurts didn’t run as often as he has at other points in the season, but he did sneak for a first down in the fourth quarter so the team may not have been overly concerned about the potential for further injury.
Another extended rest should help with any lingering trouble and the Eagles will also hope to get right tackle Lane Johnson and cornerback Avonte Maddox back in time for their first playoff game.
The Giants rested quarterback Daniel Jones, running back Saquon Barkley and others because they will be back in action next week. Davis Webb ran for one touchdown and threw another to wide receiver Kenny Golladay, who scored his first touchdown for the team on acrobatic catch that reminded people of why they signed him in the first place. He’s been out of the lineup when the regulars are playing, so it may have also been his last catch for the team.
As the No. 6 seed in the NFC, they will be headed to Minnesota to face the Vikings. The Vikings beat them 27-24 on a last-second, 61-yard Greg Joseph field goal in Week 16 and the history of both teams in the regular season suggests it will be another close one.