The Philadelphia Eagles had high hopes for their regular-season finale against the New York Giants, aiming to use it as a momentum-building game before entering the playoffs. Unfortunately, things took a turn for the worse.
In the first quarter, receiver A.J. Brown suffered a right knee injury and was eventually ruled out of the game. Safety Reed Blankenship (groin), starting right guard Cam Jurgens (eye), and safety Sydney Brown (knee) also had to exit the game due to injuries.
Quarterback Jalen Hurts injured the middle finger on his throwing hand during the second quarter but continued playing until coach Nick Sirianni decided to pull several key starters late in the quarter with the Eagles trailing 24-0. The team’s aspirations of capturing the NFC East title were all but lost, and the Giants secured a 27-10 victory.
The Eagles, having dropped five of their last six games following a strong 10-1 start, concluded the season as the No. 5 seed. They are set to face the No. 4 Tampa Bay in the wild-card round next Monday.
Hurts sustained his finger injury during a pass attempt in the second quarter, colliding with linebacker Bobby Okereke’s hand. Although he had the finger wrapped and stayed in the game, the offense remained ineffective. Hurts, along with center Jason Kelce and right tackle Lane Johnson was eventually pulled for the last couple of series in the first half. Hurts later revealed that his finger had “popped out” but felt “OK” upon his return. However, his readiness for the Tampa Bay game remains uncertain.
A.J. Brown exited the game in the first quarter after an awkward tackle by cornerback Nick McCloud, leaving his right leg pinned behind him. While there is hope for his recovery, Sirianni expressed concern and emphasized the need to monitor Brown’s condition throughout the week.
The Eagles needed a win against the Giants and a Dallas Cowboys loss to the Washington Commanders to secure the division and a home playoff game. Although the latter didn’t materialize – Dallas won 38-10 – the Eagles aimed to build positive momentum for the postseason. However, their defense, struggling throughout the season, gave up over 400 yards to Tyrod Taylor and the 6-11 Giants.
Sirianni acknowledged the team’s overall poor performance but attempted to shift the focus forward, emphasizing that every team starts fresh in the playoffs. Despite several key players being inactive, Sirianni had earlier stated the team’s commitment to winning the game and avoiding entering the playoffs in a slump.
Hurts expressed confidence in the team’s ability to overcome challenges, stating, “You’ve got to do the work, and you’ve got to do what you need to do, but all you need is a crumb. All you need is an opportunity.”
