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If the Giants slipped on midnight green uniforms and started flapping their arms like wings, it still wouldn’t have been as spot-on an Eagles impersonation as what actually happened on Thursday night.

Against an opponent that has built its franchise identity around dominating the line of scrimmage — and pushed the Giants around twice per year for about a decade — Big Blue rushed 39 times for 172 yards and four touchdowns in the 34-17 upset of the Eagles. The offensive line allowed only three quarterback hits.

On the other side of the ball, the Giants held former teammate Saquon Barkley to an average of 2.7 yards on the final 10 of his 12 carries, and generated 16 pressures (three sacks) on Jalen Hurts.

“That’s the way we want to play,” head coach Brian Daboll said. “We want to play physical. We want to try to control the line of scrimmage. It’s a very important part of the game.”

No need to remind the Eagles, who likely will retire the jersey numbers for offensive linemen Jason Kelce and Lane Johnson (still active) as well as defensive linemen Brandon Graham and Fletcher Cox in the near future.

In winning 14 of the previous 17 meetings, the Eagles outrushed the Giants (156 to 107 yards per game) and created more quarterback pressure (47 to 41 total sacks).

Those numbers were flipped on their head for one game, and are perhaps a harbinger of a more competitive rivalry in the Jaxson Dart and Cam Skattebo Era.

There is no asterisk for Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter and left guard Landon Dickerson missing the game because there was none when the Giants were without left tackle Andrew Thomas or edge Kayvon Thibodeaux. Center John Michael Schmitz Jr. (concussion) missed the final 32 snaps Thursday.

“Props to the guys up front for all the effort they gave me and this team,” Skattebo said after running for 98 yards and three short-yardage touchdowns.

Skattebo became the first player in the NFL this season to have at least 18 carries in a game without a rush for zero or negative yards. He gained 47 yards against boxes with at least eight defenders, per NextGenStats.

By scoring Skattebo touchdowns on all three of their trips inside the 20-yard line — not to mention Dart’s touchdown run from the 20 — the Giants climbed out of the NFL basement in red-zone efficiency.

“It’s something we’re building and working on,” left guard Jon Runyan Jr. said.

“We’ve always been able to move the ball since I’ve been here, and we struggle to get over the hump and score in the red zone. The offensive line is very good. We played a super complementary game … and everything clicked.”

To no surprise, the return of Thomas, to left tackle, from a 13-game absence has had an elevating effect on the offensive line. He has allowed two pressures (no sacks) on 130 pass-blocking snaps in four games, per Pro Football Focus.

“I feel like we’ve been protecting our a–es off,” right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor said. “But Dart is really good at making something out of nothing.”

Take this sideline interaction between Eluemunor and quarterbacks coach Shea Tierney as an example of the responsibility felt toward protecting the spark plug Dart.

“Dart loves those QB runs,” Eluemunor said. “Seeing him get hit, I go up to Shea like, ‘Stop f–king running him! He’s like, ‘He f–king wants to run!’ I’ll shut up then. My bad.”

But that’s only half the story.

The defensive veterans also took two key steps last week: Urging coordinator Shane Bowen to be more aggressive in his calls and holding a players only meeting to reinforce focusing on the details. The result was two takeaways.

“As a rookie quarterback, to have a defense play that hard, to make big plays,” Dart said, “that helps me out a lot.”

With Dexter Lawrence, Brian Burns, Thibodeaux and Abdul Carter, the Giants finally have a defensive line capable of winning snaps against the Eagles offensive line of three Pro Bowlers (Johnson, Dickerson and Cam Jurgens) plus vastly underrated left tackle Jordan Mailata.

You wouldn’t have guessed that stopping the run has been a two-year issue for the Giants — a partial credit to the recent return of defensive tackle Rakeem Nunez-Roches, who missed three games due to an injury.

After the Saints averaged 2.9 yards per carry in Nunez-Roches’ first game back, Barkley had six of his 12 runs stuffed for one yard or less.

“We didn’t want Saquon to get off because he has the ability to hurt you really bad,” Burns said. “Trying to keep him under wraps. And when it was our opportunity to get after Hurts, we did that.”

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Thursday night at MetLife Stadium felt like a gut punch on the heels of a Phillies gut punch at Dodger Stadium.

Shortly after the Phillies’ season ended in startling fashion, the Eagles suffered a 34-17 defeat to the New York Giants that exposed familiar flaws: stagnation on offense, defensive breakdowns in space and missed opportunities in key moments.

The Giants may have earned straight As, but here’s a full position-by-position report card of the Eagles, who might want to hide these grades from their parents.

Quarterback: C-

Jalen Hurts started strong — 14 of 18 for 164 yards and a touchdown in the first half — but the script flipped after halftime. He overthrew DeVonta Smith on the first series of the third quarter, and the offense never regained rhythm. His red-zone interception in the fourth, returned 68 yards to set up a Giants score, was a dagger.

“We’ve got to finish,” Hurts said. “We can’t start fast and let it fade. That’s on me. That’s on us. We’ve got to respond in the second half.”

Running back: C+

Saquon Barkley opened with burst and vision, including an 18-yard run that set up early points. But as the game wore on, his impact and carries waned. The ground game produced 73 total rushing yards, and too many early-down runs were stuffed to set up long third downs.

Barkley himself wasn’t the problem — the Eagles didn’t fully commit to the run. It worked well early, and then offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo & Company abandoned it.

Also, when Hurts is given an RPO (run-pass option), he almost always passes. That was the case again Thursday. It’s all just so predictable and dull.

“They made some adjustments, and we didn’t,” Barkley said. “That’s the difference between winning and losing — finishing runs, staying ahead of the chains.”

Wide receiver: A

A.J. Brown’s contested catch in double coverage down the right sideline was one of the Eagles’ few highlight moments, and he consistently won his matchups even when Hurts didn’t get him the ball in stride.

Smith had separation at times but saw opportunities missed, including that pivotal overthrow to start the third quarter. Explosive potential was there, but it didn’t translate into enough scoring drives because of the quarterback.

Tight end: A-

Dallas Goedert again proved to be a steady outlet, finishing with nine catches for 110 yards and the team’s lone receiving touchdown. His route running and hands were dependable throughout the first half. Blocking assignments weren’t flawless, but the tight ends were among the more stable units on a night when rhythm elsewhere evaporated.

Offensive line: C-

The pass protection wasn’t a disaster, but Hurts saw enough pressure to affect timing in the second half. Inside zone runs were frequently bottled up, and perimeter work wasn’t sustained long enough to stretch New York’s defense. Penalties were minimal, but physical control wasn’t there when it mattered most.

Defensive line: D+

Without their usual interior push, the Eagles were repeatedly gashed on the ground (172 yards). Rookie Cam Skattebo scored three rushing touchdowns and powered through arm tackles in the red zone. The pass rush hit quarterback Jaxson Dart just twice all night and failed to collapse the pocket consistently. This was a trench battle they lost.

Linebacker: D+

The second level never found its footing. Run fits were late, tackling angles poor, and they struggled to track Dart on designed keepers. When New York needed conversions, they found daylight over the middle or through creases between levels. The Giants converted 11 of 16 third downs, and the physicality gap was glaring.

Cornerback: D

This was a problem all night. A 35-yard touchdown strike to Wan’Dale Robinson punctuated a series of soft zone wins and leverage breakdowns. Giants receivers consistently found space on crossers, quick hitters and chunk plays. The group competed, and lack of depth was a factor, but losing situational battles on third down was the difference between a comeback and a runaway.

Safety: D+

An early coverage bust by free safety Andrew Mukuba was catastrophic and directly resulted in Giants points. Strong safety Reed Blankenship got banged-up. Intermediate windows stayed open throughout the second half. Missed run fits near the goal line compounded front-seven issues. Injuries at corner added extra strain, but the safeties didn’t do much to help either.

Special teams: C

Kicker Jake Elliott and punter Braden Mann were solid, as usual. But coverage units, which had been leaky through the first few weeks, started to gush. Also, in a game this lopsided after halftime, special teams didn’t provide a spark.

Coaching: D

The game plan mostly worked in the first half, at least offensively, until the pregame script ran out. Then, as has become a troubling pattern, the second half epitomized collapse. The Eagles were shut out after the break, finished 1-for-9 on third down, and couldn’t adjust to New York’s counterpunches.

The Philly defense missed lots of tackles and allowed a bunch of surprisingly big plays, and Giants QB Dart was rarely uncomfortable, and Skattebo dictated the pace.

The lack of Birds midgame adaptation was as telling as the scoreboard, and overall, the Eagles didn’t seem prepared. It was bad.

The Eagles have now dropped back-to-back games for the first time since 2023. What was once a midgame lull has turned into a defining trend. The urgency to correct it just went up a notch, because 2025 is undeniably beginning to resemble 2023, when the Eagles fell apart because of bad coaching.

Follow Christiaan DeFranco on X at @the_defranc.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Cam Skattebo ran for three touchdowns as he and fellow rookie Jaxson Dart shined in prime time, and the New York Giants defeated the Philadelphia Eagles 34-17 on Thursday night to hand the defending Super Bowl champions their second consecutive loss.

Skattebo bulldozed his way into the end zone from 4 yards out and twice from the 1-yard line. Dart scampered in untouched on his 20-yard TD run and connected with Wan'Dale Robinson on a 35-yard catch-and-run to the end zone.

The rookies who each fumbled on Sunday in a turnover-heavy loss at New Orleans responded the way Coach Brian Daboll expected. Dart finished 17 of 25 for 195 yards passing and 13 carries for 58 yards after getting a concussion test following a big hit, while Skattebo rushed 19 times for a career-high 98 yards.

The Giants (2-4) also sacked Jalen Hurts three times and picked him off. Brian Burns got to the Eagles quarterback twice to tie for the NFL lead in sacks this season with seven.

Hurts overthrew a wide-open DeVonta Smith on a play in the third quarter almost certainly would have been a touchdown if it was on the mark and in the fourth was intercepted by Cor'Dale Flott, who returned it 68 yards. It was Hurts' first interception of the season and just his second, the other being in the Super Bowl, over his past 15 games.

The Eagles (4-2) ran the tush push four consecutive times in the second quarter, with Hurts scoring on the final try, and he had a shovel-pass TD to Dallas Goedert. But Hurts' miscues combined with the defense faltering contributed to their first back-to-back losses since three in a row to end the 2023 regular season, then eliminate them from the playoffs.

That stretch from Dec. 31, 2023-Jan. 15, 2024 also included the only time New York beat Philadelphia over the NFC East rivals' seven previous meetings. This was just the Giants' fourth victory in their past 18 games against the Eagles.

NFL

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — New York Jets quarterback Justin Fields was in the concussion protocol after leaving in the fourth quarter of a 30-10 loss to the Buffalo Bills on Sunday.

Fields fell backward when he was sacked by Joey Bosa and the back of his helmet hit off the turf. He was down for a few moments before he was able to get up and walk off under his own power.

He was checked out in the injury tent on the Jets' sideline and emerged several minutes later with a towel over his head. The quarterback then walked inside to the locker room.

Tyrod Taylor replaced Fields with 12:03 remaining in the game and the Jets losing 30-3.

It’s uncertain if Fields will be ready to play in the next game for the Jets (0-2), still looking for their first win under Aaron Glenn, at Tampa Bay next Sunday.

“Still have to evaluate that,” Glenn said.

The 36-year-old Taylor has 58 career starts in the NFL, with the last coming with the Giants during the 2023 season. He signed a two-year deal with the Jets before last season to serve as the backup to Aaron Rodgers.

Fields and the Jets' offense struggled mightily against Buffalo, gaining only 154 total yards a week after they had 394 in a 34-32 loss to Pittsburgh.

Fields was just 3 of 11 for 27 yards and ran for 49 yards on five carries before leaving the game.

“What's my view of it?” Glenn said when asked about New York's passing game. “It wasn't good.”

When asked specifically about Fields' performance, Glenn said: “I have to watch the tape.”

Taylor went 7 of 11 for 56 yards, including a 5-yard touchdown pass to Jeremy Ruckert, after taking over for Fields.

“I think a lot of their effectiveness came on us not executing early on, not getting in the rhythm on offense,” Taylor said of Buffalo shutting down New York's offense. “From an offensive perspective, we kept our defense on the field too long, too many quick drives early on. I think they benefited off of that.

“Great defense, great team, but I think a lot of success they had early on came from a lack of execution on our end.”

The Jets are dealing with a few other injuries: Edge rusher Jermaine Johnson (ankle), nickel cornerback Michael Carter II (shoulder) and safety Tony Adams (groin) — all starters — also left the game. Glenn said they'll all be evaluated during the week.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — On a chilly Thursday night in the Meadowlands, the New York Giants did what few expected: They pushed around the defending champs.

With rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart and rookie running back Cam Skattebo, New York brutalized the Birds on both lines of scrimmage and turned a close divisional game into a 34–17 debacle that sent a jolt through the NFC East.

After a slugfest in the opening 30 minutes that had New York up by three, the Eagles were blanked after the break as the last-place Giants dominated time of possession, forced key turnovers and shattered cracks that had been simmering beneath the Birds’ 4-1 start.

1. Skattebo dominates, Giants’ ground game controls

Cam Skattebo was a wrecking ball. He carried 19 times for 98 yards and three touchdowns, producing the kind of physical dominance an undermanned Eagles defense couldn’t contain. Meanwhile, Dart added to New York’s balance by rushing for 58 yards and a score.

The Giants finished with 172 rushing yards on 39 carries, outpacing Philadelphia’s meager 73 on 20 attempts. Saquon Barkley, who was averaging six yards per carry early on, was only handed the ball 12 times all night (after just six handoffs last week).

“Anytime you lose, it’s not a good feeling,” Barkley said. “But the mood’s got to be, you take it on the chin and you keep moving. That’s the National Football League. … There’s a lot of things we need to work on. After a stretch like this, two losses in a row, that can be the reason why your team goes the opposite way or it can point us in the direction where we need to go.

“We’re still searching. We’ve got to find our identity, but it’s going to take all of us to do it together.”

Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter (heel) was out. Cornerback Quinyon Mitchell (hamstring) exited in the second quarter and didn’t return. Nickel Cooper DeJean and linebacker Jihaad Campbell were also banged-up. Linebacker Nakaboe Dean (knee surgery) was on the active roster but didn’t play.

2. Eagles go limp after halftime

Philadelphia scored 10 points in the first quarter and seven in the second, but went cold in the second half – yet again. The Giants, by contrast, scored in all four quarters and grinded out the win.

The Eagles’ total offense of 339 yards wasn’t terrible, but they never adapted to New York’s adjustments and aggressiveness. Their inability to ad lib in-game became a fatal weakness, as has been a theme this season.

3. Hurts’ interception ends streak — and momentum

Quarterback Jalen Hurts was 24 of 33 for 283 yards, a touchdown and a pick. His interception – a Cor’Dale Flott return for 68 yards – turned the tide. It also ended Hurts’ streak of 305 consecutive regular-season passes without a turnover.

“You have to move on. I’ve got to make better decisions,” Hurts said.

On top of that, the Eagles also lost an A.J. Dillon fumble in Giants territory in the fourth quarter, halting another promising drive. Hurts did manage a 1-yard rushing touchdown via the tush push early.

4. Tush push earns a score but not a breakthrough

Philadelphia (4-2) leaned on its signature formation in the first half, running four straight Tush Push plays near the goal line to punch in a 1-yard TD run by Hurts. But once the Giants (2-4) adjusted, the tactic became stale and predictable.

The lack of offensive variety exposed the Eagles when New York stacked the line, and Philadelphia was unable to counter with other options in the second half.

5. Depth and adjustments fail to match challenge

The loss further exposed the depth issues that have lurked all season. Philadelphia was without key help when Quinyon Mitchell went down, weakening the secondary.

“We had opportunities, we just didn’t finish,” coach Nick Sirianni said. “That falls on me as much as our players.”

6. (Bonus) Special teams woes add to the mess

The Eagles’ struggles weren’t confined to offense and defense. Their special teams performance was shaky all night. Four botched returns and leaky coverage only bolstered New York.

“When you play a team that’s executing that well, every inch matters,” Sirianni said. “Special teams is part of that, and we didn’t win those hidden yards tonight.”

Bottom line

The Eagles, whose offensive line is ailing, were just 1-for-9 on third down and are no longer flying under the radar. Their flaws – especially when forced to pivot midgame – have become glaring.

They head into their mini-bye needing adjustments, accountability and reinforcements. The NFC East is still theirs to lose, but after Thursday’s humiliation, they’re suddenly in danger of doing exactly that.

Follow Christiaan DeFranco on X at @the_defranc.