Wentz’s perfect peg to Scott allows Eagles to nip Giants
PHILADELPHIA » After three ordinary quarters, Carson Wentz did what he always does to the New York Giants, finishing them off with a furious fourth-quarter rally for his 10th game-winning drive.
Five of those signature marches have come at the expense of the New York Giants, who led much of the fourth quarter before folding Thursday.
Wentz threw for 359 yards and two touchdowns, both in the fourth quarter to lift the Eagles to a 22-21 triumph over the Giants at Lincoln Financial Field.
Just like that the Eagles (2-4-1) took over first place in the NFC East.
Wentz capped his second 70plus yard drive with an 18-yard strike to Boston Scott for the winner with 40 seconds left. It was one of the few plays on which Wentz wasn’t hit. The Giants (16) sacked him three times.
“He wasn’t the primary read
on that play,” Wentz said of Scott and his career catch. “I stepped up in the pocket and gave Boston a chance to make a play and he did. He plays bigger than 5-7.”
Jalen Hurts threw incomplete on the subsequent twopoint attempt, but who needs the points when Brandon Graham rushes the passer?
Graham strip-sacked Daniel Jones and Vinny Curry recovered to seal the deal.
“He’s the captain of the team for a reason,” said Jalen Mills, who recorded his first interception of the season. “For some reason he always comes up clutch.”
Scott’s score completed a six-play, 71-yard drive aided by three Giants penalties, counting the personal foul after DeSean Jackson fielded a punt. A Logan Ryan hold on Travis Fulgham put the Giants on the doorstep.
Wentz absorbed a ton of hits from a ferocious Giants pass rush. The hurry-up offense
late in the game took some of the steam out of the opposition.
“He’s a real tough dude,” Scott said of Wentz. “He’s a true professional, a true leader. I’ve got a lot of respect for him.”
The Eagles lost three more players, as right offensive tackle Lane Johnson (knee), defensive back Craig James (hamstring) and Jackson (knee) all went down.
Jackson was helped off holding his leg aloft on a play in which he also took a shot to the head by Corey Ballantine while fielding a punt with 2:02 left. Ballantine was flagged and the Eagles started the possession at their 29-yard line.
Wentz wasn’t going to be denied. The same could be said of Graham, who recorded his team-leading sixth sack when it counted.
“It was an ugly win,” Graham said. “But at the end of the day it is what it is.”
Early in the fourth quarter, Wentz marched the Eagles to the 2-yard line of the Giants, who led 14-10.
Instead of taking the field goal on fourth down, Doug Pederson concocted a play no one expected — including Hakeem
Butler, the intended receiver. Pederson said Butler lined up on the wrong side of the field. By the time he shifted, the play already was out of sync.
Rather than Butler using his 6-5 frame to overpower 5-11 defender Ryan, he stayed even with Ryan. Just coming back to the ball would have given Butler a chance to catch Wentz’s lob, which fellshort. Though there was hand fighting between Butler and Ryan, there was no flag.
Between Wentz’s fourthquarter TD passes, Daniel Jones laid a throw out for Evan Eng ram, who was running free toward a sure score. Engram dropped the ball.
Earlier in the second half the momentum swung toward the Giants when Cre’Von LeBlanc was flagged for a 22-yard interference penalty trying to cover Golden Tate. The Giants would roll 97 yards in 15 plays, Sterling Shephard finishing with a twoyard TD grab.
Pederson was unable to communicate his challenge of the spot on Shepard’s nine-yard catch for a first down before the Giants ran a play.
The Eagles got a touchdown back, Wentz firing a three-yard pass to Greg Ward with 4:38 remaining. Rookie John Hightower, who dropped a deep ball last week, set it up with a 59yard reception.
Wentz, however, was stopped cold by linebacker Blake Martinez trying to run for the two-point try.
The Eagles trailed, 21-16. But with a little luck and some loose Giants defense, they weren’t going to be denied.
Earlier, it looked like the Eagles got a break when Jones sprinted up the middle on an 80-yard run, tripped over his own feet and rolled to the 8-yard line of the Eagles. Jones was so far ahead of the field on the run-pass option play the fall was comedic.
Just when it appeared the Eagles would holdthe Giants to a field goal, cornerback Nickell Robey-Coleman wrapped an arm around tight end Evan Engram, in the end zone, and was flagged for interference.
Wayne Gallman finished the drive with a one-yard run giving the Giants their first lead, 14-10, with 6:45 left in the third quarter.