NFC’s top team isn’t skipping any beats
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Nick Foles replaced the injured Carson Wentz, and nothing really changed for the Philadelphia Eagles.
They got four touchdown passes from their quarterback, like they did a week earlier, and won again to secure a first-round playoff bye.
Another ho-hum day for the NFC East champions.
Foles hit four receivers with touchdown passes in his first start of the season, and the Eagles (12-2) rallied from an early 14-point deficit to defeat the New York Giants 34-29 on Sunday.
“I thought he played well,” Eagles coach Doug Pederson said of Foles. “There are some things he would like to do over. Every game is going be that way. I thought he handled himself extremely well.”
There was speculation the Eagles would rely on their running game against the Giants (2-12) to give Foles time to adjust to the offense. Pederson ruled that out.
“With him coming out and saying he’s not changing anything, it says a lot about his confidence in me and his confidence in the players in the offense,” said Foles, who completed 24 of 38 passes for 237 yards and no interceptions.
The Eagles made a late stand on 1st-and-goal in the final minute in edging the Giants for the second time this season, spoiling a three-touchdown, season-high 434-yard passing game by Eli Manning.
Foles hit Alshon Jeffery, Zach Ertz, Trey Burton and Nelson Agholor on scoring passes in filling in for Wentz, who tore an ACL a week earlier and was lost for the season.
The Eagles also got two field goals and blocked three kicks.
Philadelphia will play its final two regular-season games at home and then wait for the conference semifinal.
“It’s obviously something great,” Foles said of the bye. “We still have a lot of work to do this season. The big thing is you let your body recover.”