The Philadelphia Eagles, desperate for a win, gave it everything they had going against the New York Giants on Monday Night Football.
The Giants jumped out to an early 7-0 lead and stretched it to 17-3 by halftime. Seemingly with all the momentum, New York’s offense struggled in the second half, allowing Carson Wentz and the Eagles to scrap their way back into it. With under two minutes left on the clock in the fourth quarter, they tied the game.
In overtime the Eagles marched right down the field with a surgical eight-play drive that spanned 75 yards and ended when Wentz found Zach Ertz in the end zone for six points, giving Philadelphia a 23-17 win.
These are the biggest winners and losers from Monday night’s game.
Winner: Boston Scott energized the Eagles
Philly came into Monday night’s NFC East showdown with just three wide receivers dressed for the game. Then, disaster struck as Alshon Jeffery went down with an injury and was carted off the field, only to be followed by right tackle Lane Johnson shortly afterward.
Shorthanded to the extreme, the Eagles needed a spark. They found one in second-year running back Boston Scott, who came out of nowhere to rescue Philly’s offense.
Showing dual-threat skills, Scott rushed for 59 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries and caught six passes for 69 yards, giving the Eagles a much-needed boost in a must-win game.
Loser: Eli Manning had, then lost his mojo
At least for a little while, Eli Manning showed he can still sling it all over the field. Though the 38-year-old made some really nice throws in tough conditions. On the first play of the second quarter, he threw his first touchdown pass since early this season.
Manning then one-upped himself with this gorgeous strike to Darius Slayton:
Unfortunately, once the second half kicked off, Manning couldn’t generate much of anything through the air. As a result, New York’s offense stalled badly, and the Eagles took advantage. Worse, with a chance to win the game with just under two minutes left, Manning’s Giants went three-and-out.
All told, the veteran tallied just 203 yards on 15-of-30 passing with two touchdowns and no interceptions. Manning’s inability to lead an effective offense in the second half was a key factor to the Giants losing this game.
Winner: Darius Slayton is so good
The Giants found a hidden gem in Darius Slayton, their fifth-round pick out of Auburn this year. Though Slayton isn’t a high-volume guy at this point in his career, he’s quickly proving to be one of the most reliable receivers on New York’s roster.
On Monday night, the rookie caught the first touchdown from the arm of Eli Manning since Week 2. Then, for an encore, he hauled in a beautiful 55-yard touchdown in the second quarter on a vintage Manning deep toss.
All told, Slayton hauled in five passes for 154 yards and two touchdowns.
Loser: Giants defense collapsed
We knew coming into this Monday Night Football matchup that the Giants are suspect on the defensive side of the ball. But going against an injury-ravaged Eagles offense, Big Blue’s defense looked like it was going to have a strong game. The first half was all New York.
But the good times did not last. New York’s defense collapsed in the final quarters and in overtime, allowing Philly to score 20 points after halftime.
Perhaps the tide was turned when Leonard Williams hit Wentz with a cheap-shot forearm shiver in the third quarter. The Eagles went on to score a touchdown on their next offensive possession, and from there they soared to victory with an inspired offensive attack.
Winner: Zach Ertz was so clutch
Without many viable receivers, Carson Wentz had to lean on his reliable tight end, Zach Ertz. Time and time again, Ertz delivered big plays for his quarterback. Here’s his game-tying touchdown catch.
Then, in overtime, Ertz once again made the big catch in the big moment.
Ertz was targeted by Wentz 13 times on Monday night. He caught nine of those passes for 91 yards, and of course, those fantastic touchdown receptions.