4 Takeaways from Giants' 38-20 Loss to Eagles

Adjusting to Dart

The Eagles got burned by Jaxson Dart’s legs in the first meeting when the rookie rushed for 58 yards on 13 carries with a long of 20 yards and one rushing touchdown.

So this time around, Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio took a different approach.  

“They kind of changed it up on us from what they did in game one, and they played sound,” Dart said after the game. “I thought that they had a good plan for us coming into the game offensively and defensively. You definitely have to give them credit for their plan.”

The plan was to do less blitzing, which was opening holes for Dart to exploit, and to keep him in the pocket —a plan he can expect to face more of moving forward.

In Weeks 4-6, Dart has been blitzed on average 44.9% of his dropbacks. He has scrambled 14 times when under pressure for 112 yards.

This week, Fangio blitzed Dart on only 25.8% of dropbacks. The result? Dart was limited to 17 yards on six carries as the Eagles managed to successfully keep the rookie in the pocket.

“Yeah, they stayed disciplined in their gaps, and I just thought that they played a good game,” Dart said of the Eagles.

The question now becomes how the Giants counter that strategy, which has seemingly reduced one of Dart’s key attributes.

The Tush Push MUST GO!

I’ve made no secret of my absolute disdain for the tush push. After witnessing yet another inconsistent round of officiating, all I have to say is that until the NFL can come up with a standard set of guidelines on what to look for and have them consistently applied across the board, it needs to get rid of the play.

Speaking of officiating, I generally try not to be overly critical of the officials. Still, I think yesterday’s game was one of the worst ones I’ve seen in a while–I’m still trying to figure out why Darius Slayton, who was handfighting with the defender on that long touchdown ball that was nullified, was flagged. 

That being said, the officiating wasn’t the reason the Giants lost that game.  That being said, the officiating wasn’t the reason the Giants lost that game.  If the Giants want to know who to blame for the latest loss, they need only look in the mirror.   

Skatt Will Be Back Better than Ever

Yes, injuries are part of the game, and no player who gets called upon to go between the white lines can escape the normal soreness, bumps, and bruises that come with the game.

But your heart has to bleed for running back Cam Skattebo, who suffered a gruesome-looking dislocated ankle injury on what I thought was a hip drop tackle that went uncalled–that’s another story for another day.

Skattebo is in for a long recovery period, and we can only hope he completes it successfully. Already, I’ve had medical experts who haven't examined or treated Skattebo’s injury reach out to ask whether he’ll ever be the same player.

I, for one, am not giving up hope. I seem to remember, many years ago, a gritty, tough dude named Richie Seubert suffered a devastating broken leg against the Eagles (what is it with that team?). A lot of people, myself included at the time, wondered if Seubert would ever play football again. 

It took about two years and countless surgeries, but Seubert, through sheer will and toughness, did make it back to the field just in time to win a Super Bowl ring in 2007.

Skattetbo, whom I've sometimes compared to John Riggins in terms of his running style and on-field demeanor, has the kind of toughness and inner resiliency that Seubert had, which is why I’m not counting that young man out despite what lies ahead.

Who knows? Maybe in a year or two, when that injury is fully healed, he’ll follow in Seubert’s footsteps to where he’ll be part of a team that gets to hoist a Lombardi trophy during a ticker tape parade down Broadway.