The Philadelphia Eagles, without Pro Bowl quarterback Michael Vick or star receiver Jeremy Maclin, toppled the division leading New York Giants 17-10 in Sunday night football.
LeSean McCoy led the way for the Eagles top ranked rushing attack. They totaled 136 yards on the ground, led by McCoy’s 113 yards, including a 60-yard run late in the fourth quarter, to help put the game away.
Backup quarterback Vince Young turned in a slightly erratic performance, but it was good enough for the victory. He was very successful moving the ball, completing 23 of 36 passes for 258 yards and 2 TDs, but he also threw 3 INTs.
“It’s definitely a big win,” said Young. “You see the excitement and the smiles on the guys and that’s what we need, what we have to have.”
“Vince, stepping in for the great Michael Vick, that’s a tough thing to do and he did it and the guys rallied around him,” head coach Andy Reid said. “The offensive line and defensive line played well, the offensive line had a huge challenge when it counted and they were able to put some things together.”
Eli Manning was not quite up to the level he has been performing at, as he completed 18 of 35 passes for 264 yards, with 1 TD and 1 INT, but the running game had much more serious problems against the Eagles defense. The Giants managed only 29 yards rushing, averaging 1.7 yards per carry. And although they have been more of a pass first team this season, the running attack hasn’t completely abandoned them the way it did today.
“This is as big a disappointment as we have had around here in a long time,” Giants coach Tom Coughlin said after the game.
The Eagles keep their anorexically thin playoff hopes alive and improve their record to 4-6. Their task doesn’t get any easier next week, as they face Tom Brady and the New England Patriots.
The Giants now fall to 6-4, and into a tie with the Dallas Cowboys atop the division, but looking at the schedule, the spot is tenuous at best. Their next three games are against the Saints, Packers and Cowboys, who have a combined record of 23-7, and then they close out the season against the Jets and a second game against the Cowboys. With both Giants-Cowboys games still to come in the final four weeks of the season, the division will definitely be determined in December.
