Birds move into playoff slot with win over Giants
PHILADELPHIA » Everyone realized what was up the moment the referee announced Sunday that Eagles offensive tackle Lane Johnson had reported as an eligible receiver.
Everyone but the New York Giants.
Johnson’s five-yard scoring reception on the tackleeligible play early in the fourth quarter was a calculated salute to the veterans who have helped head coach Nick Sirianni and the Eagles win six of their last eight games after a hideous 2-5 start.
The 34-10 blowout of the Giants combined with a loss by Minnesota inched the Eagles (8-7) within one weekend of locking up a playoff berth, providing they get help.
Make no mistake, when times were bad this season — like the first half against the Giants Sunday — the veterans reminded their younger counterparts to “press on,” as center Jason Kelce so eloquently put it during a Saturday night speech at the team hotel. Press on, if you will, was followed Sunday by “East Texas,” the name of the play for Johnson, who resides there in the offseason as well as quarterback Jalen Hurts.
Johnson lined up in his customary spot on the right side of the line, receiver DeVonta Smith split outside.
After Kelce’s snap, Johnson moved a few yards forward, held his ground for a moment and turned around while Hurts’ throw was in the air. Johnson hung on easily for the backbreaker that boosted the Birds to a 27-3 lead, then did the Lincoln Leap into the stands — just barely.
Kelce and Jordan Mailata ran over to congratulate Johnson for not only being a stalwart player on the field but a model of strength off it, his very public leave from the team to deal with depression endearing him to teammates appreciative of his courage.
“Everybody loves big man touchdowns,” Mailata said. “But when you actually know the guy and you play with that guy and you know how much he gives himself to the team, you love that.”
Hurts, by the way, respectfully let the big bodies beat him to the celebration with Johnson. After the Hurts said he presented his autographed jersey to Johnson, who did the same with his No. 65. That’s a team, gentlemen, and women.
“Lane is very motivated,” Hurts said. “He’s been very motivated all week by not making the Pro Bowl. I’m happy he got one. He may not have been in the Pro Bowl but I know he better be first-team All-Pro.”
Sirianni said he thanked general manager Howie Roseman after the game for stocking him with offensive and defensive line help. That was after the executive congratulated Sirianni on a winning record after the start.
Which brings us to safety Rodney McLeod. The Eagles were so inept in the first half that ended in a 3-3 stalemate that they were booed on their way to the locker room. But McLeod turned that around with an interception of Jake Fromm and return to the 21-yard line of the Giants on the first series of the second half.
Four plays after a Dallas Goedert score was nullified by a hold on Quez Watkins, Boston Scott rolled in from three yards and the Eagles were on their way.
“It was huge,” McLeod said of his first pick of the season. “Coming out in the second half, to be able to put our team in a position that I was able to, I think it created a lot of momentum. That is what we talked about at half time — coming out and showing who wanted it more. I think we responded the right way. We just kept rolling from there.”
Take away a couple of catches by Smith, including a picturesque 46-yard grab where he extended over two defenders and two of the Eagles’ biggest plays of the first half were fumble recoveries by JJ Arcega-Whiteside (Kenneth Gainwell punt return) and Goedert (Hurts sacked).
The Giants would have at least gotten a couple of field goals out of the possessions deep in Philly territory for a 9-3 lead at the intermission.
The Eagles came up
empty almost everywhere starting with Hurts, who was 3 of 10 for 11 yards before scrambling out of the pocket to throw an unscripted 23-yard pass to Smith.
The Giants dared Hurts to run, and he wouldn’t, the ankle just enough of an issue to make him think twice. He finished the first half with one carry for one yard and the game with two lugs.
Meanwhile running back Miles Sanders exited with an injured hand. And safety Anthony Harris, of all Eagles, broke up what would have been an interception by Darius Slay in the second quarter.
Jake Elliott, who had made 48 straight kicks this season, misfired on a 41-yard field goal attempt thanks partly to a low snap by Rick Lovato.
Smith (five catches for 80 yards) got into the end
zone to set the table for the 31-year-old Johnson.
While Johnson declined to come to the podium afterward, he gave the Eagles something to provide to the media.
“I tried to do a Lambeau Leap,” Johnson said. “But I guess our gates are pretty tall. We had this play for a few years. I’m just glad I caught it.”
Hurts, by the way, won a game without scoring a touchdown. He’s the head of the young leadership on the team and fascinated with the wisdom of veterans. And he likes how it’s turning out this season, this mix of young, old, inexperienced, experienced … this brotherhood.
“You look at this football team right now and I just think we have so much character,” Hurts said. “I’m very happy about that today.”