PHILADELPHIA _ The Eagles are not dead yet. Jake Elliott kicked a 43-yard game-winning field goal to give the Eagles a 25-22 win over the New York Giants in the final minute on Sunday, completing a second-half comeback and keeping the Eagles alive in the NFC East.
The Eagles are now 5-6 with a game next Monday against the Washington Redskins. They approached Sunday knowing it was "now or never" to save the season, with Carson Wentz leading the Eagles on the final drive.
The Eagles took possession with just under six minutes remaining in the fourth quarter and the game tied at 22. Wentz connected with Alshon Jeffery on a 21-yard gain to bring the Eagles near midfield, and then he found Zach Ertz for 10 yards to push the ball into Giants territory.
Then came the play of the game. It was a fourth-and-1 from the Giants' 42-yard line with 2 minutes 39 seconds remaining. If the Eagles missed the conversion, the Giants wouldn't need to go far for a go-ahead field goal. If they converted, though, they were in the driver's seat for the win.
Pederson sent Wentz onto the field in a shotgun formation. It was not a run, but a pass _ a well-designed, 12-yard strike to Nelson Agholor in the middle of the field. The clock drained to the two-minute warning, and the Eagles called three consecutive running plays to set up Elliott's field goal. It was the second consecutive year Elliott kicked a game-winning field against the Giants at Lincoln Financial Field.
Wentz went 20 of 28 for 236 yards and one touchdown. Zach Ertz caught seven passes for 91 yards and a score. Josh Adams was the leading rusher with 84 yards and a touchdown. Saquon Barkley led the Giants with 101 rushing yards, although he only had 13 carries.
On the first drive of the game, the Eagles defense had the Giants backed up on a third-and-nine. The Giants converted _ third-and-long has been a problem for the Eagles this season _ and then steamrolled down the field for an early lead. Although the Giants missed the extra point, it was a concerning drive for the Eagles defense.
The offense looked like they would answer quickly when Josh Adams rushed for a 52-yard touchdown, but the score was nullified by a holding penalty on Jason Kelce. And when Doug Pederson had the option to go for a fourth-and-5 at the Giants' 47-yard line, he instead elected to punt and play the field-position game.
The field position didn't matter, though, when the Giants were at midfield in five plays. The defense managed to hold the Giants to a field goal, but it was clear the Giants had control of the game early. It was the ninth time in 11 games the Eagles were held scoreless in the first quarter.
The second quarter didn't start much better either, when the Giants kicked a field goal to take a 12-0 lead. The Eagles used a 32-yard rush by Corey Clement to get near field-goal range, but Wentz kept the ball on a third-and-2 from the Giants' 23-yard line and was stopped for a one-yard loss, leaving Pederson to send his field goal unit onto the field just to get points.
The 12-3 score didn't last long. Barkley bounced off Eagles defenders for a 51-yard rush for another touchdown, take a 19-3 lead and drawing boos from the Philadelphia crowd.
The Eagles needed to answer. They found a way to turn those boos into cheers on a six-play, 75-yard drive that finished with Wentz finding Zach Ertz for a 15-yard touchdown during which Ertz created yards after the catch. A two-point conversion cut the Giants lead to 19-11, and Malcolm Jenkins made sure that was the halftime score when he intercepted Eli Manning while the Giants threatened with a last-minute scoring opportunity.
The Eagles' season would come down to the second half. That's when the defense came alive, forcing the Giants to punt on three consecutive drives. The Eagles had a third-quarter field goal to make it a 19-14 game, and they started the fourth quarter with one of their most impressive drives of the season.
The Eagles went 61 yards on seven plays _ only one of them a pass. The offensive line dominated the line of scrimmage. The ball only went to Clement and Adams on the drive, but it worked. Clement caught a 23-yard screen pass. Adams had a 15-yard rush. And when the Eagles needed a touchdown, Adams punched it in to the Eagles' first lead of the game. A two-point conversion made it a 22-19 game.
That meant the Giants could only tie the game with a field goal. That's what happened after the Eagles held the Giants on a third down _ "held" being the operative word because the Eagles seemed to get away with holding Odell Beckham Jr. in the end zone _ to put the ball in Wentz's hands.
