It wasn’t a perfect first half, but the Eagles are now just 30 minutes away from winning the NFC East and clinching home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs.
Buy Eagles TicketsA.J. Brown broke Mike Quick’s single-season record for yards in a season, and DeVonta Smith passed Irving Fryar for the most catches in a single season by an Eagles wide receiver.
On defense, Philadelphia held the Giants scoreless despite not getting any sacks on quarterback Davis Webb, and they welcomed back C.J. Gardner-Johnson in the secondary.
Here are ten takeaways from the first half.
1. Jalen Hurts is back
Hurts was 11-18 passing for 140 yards and 0 touchdowns in the first half, hitting A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith with timely passes.
Back like we never left.#FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/loeECQ0hpQ
— JAKIB Sports (@JAKIBSports) January 8, 2023
2. C.J. Gardner-Johnson making his presence felt
The versatile safety returned from a lacerated kidney and made his presence felt, logging five tackles in the first and two tackles for loss.
3. Hurts joins Randall Cunningham
Jalen Hurts is the second Eagles player in franchise history with 3,500 pass yards and 500 rush yards in a season and first since Randall Cunningham in 1988.
— Tim McManus (@Tim_McManus) January 8, 2023
4. Boston Scott continues to dominate the Giants
More than half of Scott’s 17 career touchdowns have come against the Giants.
Boston Scott has 17 career TDs – 10 vs Giants pic.twitter.com/XwC7c0UTkR
— Jeff Skversky (@JeffSkversky) January 8, 2023
5. Milton Williams emerging
Milton Williams has looked really good over the past several games. Emerging piece at interior DL with Jordan Davis.
— Josh Tolentino (@JCTSports) January 8, 2023
6. Haason Reddick DPOY?
Reddick should clearly be in the conversation after logging two quarterback hits, several pressures, and a sack that wasn’t called.
7. Miles Sanders quiet
Sanders had the bulk of the carries (8), but it was Boston Scott who logged the lone touchdown of the half.
Scott has 20 yards rushing, while Sanders has 27 in the first half.
8. Jake Elliott to the rescue
With Philadelphia struggling to convert in the red zone, Elliott has been huge going 3-3 on field goal attempts.
9. Shane Steichen struggles continue
The Eagles ran 37 plays on offense, and although the run-pass ratio was about even, Steichen failed to recognize pressure off the edge from Wink Martindale.
Philadelphia had 187 total yards on six drives, and his indecisive play-calling led to three sacks on quarterback Jalen Hurts.
Miles Sanders and the rushing attack should be the focus in the first half.
The Eagles are playing uneven football against a division rival that rested key starters on both sides of the football.
10. Random Notes
Philadelphia had 13 first downs in the first half.
The Eagles were 3-7 on third downs, signs of an inefficient half.
Kyzir White had two passes defended in the first half, a bright improvement over the past two weeks.
