Ertz’s pair of TD catches revive Eagles’ season
PHILADELPHIA » The Eagles paid respects to another aging quarterback Monday night and no, we don’t mean Randall Cunningham, their honorary captain for the coin flip.
The Eagles helped the
38-year-old Eli Manning turn back the clock, much like they did in previous weeks with the 37-year-old Ryan Fitzpatrick, 42-yearold Tom Brady and 34-yearold Matt Ryan.
The difference this time was that the Eagles awakened from the fantasy and did what they were supposed to do, rallying for a
23-17 victory over the New York Giants in overtime.
Carson Wentz delivered a two-yard laser to Zach Ertz in the extra session to complete the Eagles’ comeback. It was the sixth game-winning drive for Wentz, which is 32 fewer than Manning has managed over 16 seasons.
The Eagles are 6-7 and tied with the Dallas Cowboys for the NFC East lead.
Manning can take pride in a job well done as he threw for two touchdown passes. Wentz, who turns
27 later this month, threw for 325 yards and two touchdowns.
The game was getting away from the Eagles when Wentz engineered a scoring drive late in the fourth quarter. The Eagles made several big plays on the march.
Wentz got two yards on a sneak on fourth and one at the 29-yard line of the Eagles with five minutes left.
J.J. Arcega-Whiteside caught a 22-yard pass on third-and-four to the 41yard line of the Giants. Dallas Goedert contributed a 28-yard reception, Greg Ward a 12-yard catch for a first-and-goal at the
1-yard line.
On third down, milliseconds after the play-clock expired, Wentz connected with Ertz for a two-yard score, and a PAT by Jake Elliott, who earlier had missed on a field goal try, knotted the game at 17 with 1:53 remaining. Play clock expiration is not reviewable.
The Eagles went through a stretch of three-and-outs where they gained just 29 yards on five possessions from the first half into the third quarter.
The crowd cheered when they converted a third down.
But the Eagles kept it together, Wentz surviving a forearm shiver by Leonard Williams, the 6-5,
302-pound defensive tackle. He then led the Eagles on a 10-play, 58-yard touchdown drive, Boston Scott getting the ball on the last two plays, the final time for a two-yard score, cutting the deficit to 17-10.
It was the beginning of a big second half for the
5-6, 203-pound Scott. He would wind up with 128 total yards in the game.
The Eagles got off to decent start, Wentz scrambling to pick up a first down on the soaked field. But a third-and-eight turned into
third-and-13 on a false start by Jason Peters and linebacker Markus Golden put Wentz on his back for a 12yard sack. It gave Golden
8.5 sacks on the season. He must have been in the scouting report.
The next Eagles series was worse. Wentz fumbled on fourth-and-short at his
43-yard-line, although he was short of the sticks anyway.
Manning and the Giants played it safe for a good amount of time before realizing Ronald Darby was playing cornerback.
In the time it takes to say, burned, Darius Slayton hauled in a pass, broke a weak tackle attempt by Darby and rolled 35 yards to make it 7-0 for the Giants. That woke up Peyton Manning, who was watching the game in a super box.
Slayton’s second scoring reception, a 55-yarder, was the fault of Darby and safety Rodney McLeod. Manning’s wife was all smiles after the second TD pass for the veteran quarterback.
It was a difficult half for Darby as Slayton caught five passes for 154 yards, much against the veteran who was beaten on 50-50 balls last week in Miami.
The Eagles were booed as they walked off the field trailing 17-3 in the first half.
It wasn’t for lack of effort by Ertz, who caught two balls for 54 yards to set up a first-and-goal at the 8.
But Brandon Brooks was flagged for holding, making it first and goal from the 18 and the Eagles would wind up settling for the field goal.
Luckily for the Eagles, Malcolm Jenkins interrupted a string of five straight Manning completions in the second quarter by tipping a ball away from Golden Tate in the end zone.
The Eagles lost Alshon Jeffery with a foot injury in the first half, leaving them with just two healthy wide receivers. The wide man receivers totaled one catch for one yard in the half.
Worse, Giants lineman Dexter Lawrence slammed Wentz into the back of Johnson’s lower leg with four minutes left in the first half. Johnson was in excruciating pain. He was carted off with what would later be revealed as a game-ending ankle injury.
Still, the hobble on.
Eagles would