3 Takeaways from Giants' Week 14 Loss vs. Eagles
Although the New York Giants will remain in a playoff spot in the NFC after Week 14 of the 2022 NFL season, they've been trending in the wrong direction. That continued Sunday afternoon with a disappointing performance against the league's top team.
The Giants fell 48-22 to the NFC East rival Philadelphia Eagles at MetLife Stadium. While Philadelphia has still lost only once through its first 13 games, New York is 0-3-1 over its past four games, dropping to 7-5-1.
The Eagles scored the game's first 21 points, and the Giants never got back into it. Philadelphia led by as many as 34, racked up 437 total yards and committed no turnovers.
Here are three takeaways from New York's Week 14 loss.
The Offense Isn't Built for Games Like This
The Giants' offense hasn't performed great when playing from behind, especially when they're in a large hole. They need the game to remain at least competitive, as they can then lean on star running back Saquon Barkley, who is the team's top playmaker.
New York couldn't do that on Sunday. Its first four drives all ended with punts, and Philadelphia stormed out to a 21-point lead. The Giants couldn't stick with the run game, so Barkley finished with only 28 yards on nine carries.
Daniel Jones completed 18 of his 27 pass attempts and Richie James and Isaiah Hodgins each had a receiving touchdown. But New York struggled to keep drives going, as it went 4-for-13 on third downs.
"I mean, we got our [butt] whipped. Point blank," Barkley said, per Tom Canavan of the Associated Press. "But you can find beauty in everything. I really believe in that, and we've got to double down. We've got to come in, got to prep better, got to practice better."
And they have to get off to better starts than they did Sunday, because that type of game script doesn't bode well for their chances in any matchup.
Ojulari Continues to Be a Recent Bright Spot on Defense
New York's defense hasn't been faring great of late. The team has given up 28 or more points in three of the past four weeks, and the 48 points it gave up to Philadelphia was a season high. But there has been a bright spot on that side of the ball for the Giants.
After missing some time due to a calf injury, linebacker Azeez Ojulari returned in Week 13 and had a sack, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery in New York's tie with the Washington Commanders. Ojulari kept the momentum going on Sunday, when he notched his first two-sack game of the season (and the second of his two-year NFL career).
When Ojulari is putting that type of pressure on opposing quarterbacks, it takes New York's defense to another level. It also bodes well for the future, considering the Giants have rookie Kayvon Thibodeaux on their defensive front as well.
The Eagles have a solid offensive line and Jalen Hurts can be difficult to bring down because of his mobility. So it was quite impressive that Ojulari was still able to have that type of success in this matchup. The Georgia product should only get better as he continues to gain experience, too, which is an exciting thing for the Giants.
The Giants Will Need to Win Tough Games to Get into Playoffs
The Giants (7-5-1) are in the No. 7 spot in the NFC, meaning they would be the third and final wild card if the season ended today. They have a narrow advantage over the Seattle Seahawks (7-6), the first team out, and the Detroit Lions (6-7), who are playing their way into the playoff picture.
But New York's schedule will be much more challenging down the stretch than it was early in the year, when the team was having success. The Giants play three of their final four games on the road against strong competition: the Commanders (7-5-1), the Minnesota Vikings (10-3) and the Eagles (12-1).
In Week 15, New York will aim to get back on track when it goes on the road to face Washington in a pivotal Sunday night matchup. If the Giants don't get their first win since Week 10, their postseason odds will take a big hit.
"We got to get ready to go soon," New York first-year head coach Brian Daboll said, per Canavan. "The season's winding down here, and we've got an important one on Sunday."
The Giants need to end their skid soon, so that there will be plenty more important games to come this season.