It’s gone from bad to worse for the New York Giants.
A 61-yard field goal as time expired from rookie Jake Elliott lifted the Philadelphia Eagles to 27-24 win on Sunday afternoon at Lincoln Financial Field to relegate Big Blue to an 0-3 record this season.
The hosts were set up for the win by a 28-yard punt by Brad Wing with 19 seconds remaining after the Giants were unable to pick up a first down to at least force overtime. Carson Wentz’s 19-yard completion to Alshon Jeffery with one second left set up the dramatics.
It spoiled what was the Giants’ best offensive effort of the season as Eli Manning passed for 366 yards and two touchdowns, both of which went to Odell Beckham Jr., who willed the Giants to a big fourth quarter, one in which they scored all of their points in to temporarily overturn a 14-0 deficit.
Beckham recorded 79 yards while Sterling Shepard led all receivers with 133 yards and a score of his own.
Going up against the best pass rush in the NFC East, Manning was expected to be on his back plenty on Sunday. However, it was the Giants’ pass rush that was making a bigger impact with two sacks of Wentz on Philadelphia’s first two drives.
New York’s offense looked to have finally made the adjustments necessary to find some kind of rhythm. With quick slants and compact routes, the ball was getting out of Manning’s hands quickly. However, things would stall just before the Giants moved into a threatening position.
It gave the Eagles ample time to right the ship and in the second quarter, unleashed an 18-play, 90-yard drive which spanned 9:13 that ended with LeGarrette Blount punching in a one-yard touchdown with 9:34 left in the first half.
The Eagles gave the Giants a gift of an opportunity to tie the game, going for it on 4th-and-8 near midfield before Wentz was sacked, giving New York prime field position at the end of the half.
Manning drove the Giants down to the one, but an overturned touchdown call after Sterling Shepard stepped out of bounds and a dropped pass after falling out of bounds and not completing the process of the catch presented New York with a fourth-down opportunity to at least put points on the board with 24 seconds.
But McAdoo decided to go for it, calling a predictable run up the middle with Orleans Darkwa that was snuffed out and destroyed as he hit the line of scrimmage. It was the perfect commentary on the rushing game, which only put up seven yards in the opening 30 minutes, ensuring the Eagles held a 7-0 halftime lead.
The break looked like it gave the Eagles time to tap into the Giants’ offensive playcalling as they began sitting on those short, quick passes as Manning’s offense screeched to a halt to start the second half.
After a three-and-out to start the third quarter, Manning was picked off by Patrick Robinson after Mychal Kendricks tipped the pass. Less than four minutes later, the Eagles doubled their lead when Wentz hit tight end Zach Ertz on a three-yard quick slant for a touchdown.
Some rare offensive success moved the Giants into Philadelphia’s red zone on the ensuing drive, but once again, things stalled tantalyzingly close to the end zone and New York turned the ball over on downs at the 13-yard-line after going for it on a 4th-and-2.
They finally got on the scoreboard with 2:31 gone in the fourth quarter when Manning hit Beckham with a 10-yard lob in the back of the end zone, capping off an efficient drive that went 55 yards on five plays and in just 2:10.
And that’s when the momentum shifted.
On the first play of their next drive, Zach Ertz was stripped of the football by Landon Collins and recovered by Eli Apple on Philadelphia’s 33-yard-line.
Four plays later, Beckham displayed why he is one of the best receivers in the league, hauling in a four-yard, one-handed catch in the left corner of the end zone through the arm of Eagles cornerback Jalen Mills.
It was the best Manning looked all season, completing all seven passes during those two drives.
He looked even better on his next throw, hitting Shepard on a 15-yard hitch and letting the second-year receiver do the rest of the work as he streaked through the Eagles secondary for a 77-yard score.
But Apple, who was flagged earlier in the half for pass interference, was flagged for it once again, giving the Eagles a free 36 yards. On the very next play, Corey Clement scampered in from 15 yards out to tie the game with 5:46 left.
The Eagles returned the favor when Malcolm Jenkins clotheslined Beckham on a deep ball down the right sideline to put the Giants in field goal range, allowing rookie Aldrick Rosas to put the Giants up three with a 41-yard boot with 3:11 to go.
New York could have had more when the Eagles looked as though they were going to be flagged for too many men on the field on a 3rd-and-3, but offensive lineman John Jerry was called for a delay of game instead when he held the exiting player.
It was a costly penalty as the Eagles had enough time to drive down and come up with the game-tying field goal with 54 seconds left from 46 yards out.
