Rookie gives Giants the boot

PHILADELPHIA — Brandon Graham couldn’t watch.

The Eagles’ defensive end kept his head down on the sideline as the clock showed one second left in the fourth quarter, a tie game and newly acquired kicker Jake Elliott lining up for a 61-yard field goal attempt.

“I can’t watch it,” Graham said. “I mean, I can watch it — but that one was 61.”

It didn’t take long to figure out the result. As his teammates started running onto the field and the crowd of 69,596 roared to a climax at Lincoln Financial Field, Graham knew that Elliott’s kick was good and gave the Eagles a 27-24 win over the Giants.

“It’s kind of all a blur to me,” Elliott said. “I don’t really know; all I know is that the ball was in the air for a really long time and [it was] real close to that right upright.”

The game-winner was a career-long for Elliott, a rookie who signed with the Eagles on Sept. 12 after they placed Caleb Sturgis on injured reserve. He was a fifthround draft pick of the Bengals in April but didn’t make the team out of camp, instead settling for their practice squad before the Eagles came calling.

Elliott was ready for the job after Carson Wentz completed a pass to Alshon Jeffery to the Giants’ 43-yard line with one second left.

“Given that situation, I kind of just ran up to the coaches at the end and just kind of prayed and asked for a chance there,” Elliott said.

After missing a 52-yard kick wide left earlier in the game, Elliott wanted another chance. He found redemption in the best way possible.