Eagles 34, Giants 10 — ‘things I think’: Philly was hospitable … for a while

The Eagles ended up toying with the Giants

To be honest, I really don’t want to think about Sunday’s 34-10 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles by the hapless, hopeless, sad sack New York Giants. Alas, the weekly post-game ‘things I think’ must be written.

“I don’t think it gets much worse”

I think the Jake Fromm Era as QB1 might already be over. If it’s not, it’s only because the Giants don’t really have a better choice.

Obviously in over his head in his first NFL start on Sunday, the 2020 fifth-round pick by the Buffalo Bills did not make it through three quarters. Fromm went just 6 of 17 for 25 yards, an interception and a 19.4 passer rating before being replaced by Mike Glennon.

“I wish I would have played better,” Fromm said. “I don’t think it gets much worse than that. I’m gonna learn from it.”

After watching Glennon play for three weeks it seemed unfathomable that Fromm could be worse. But, we saw what we saw. With the Giants for less than a month and having made his NFL debut with a cameo last week against the Dallas Cowboys, Fromm was simply not up to the task.

After seeing the Giants’ offense perform pitifully without him for the past four weeks, I think maybe Daniel Jones is better than many want to believe.

The Giants seem committed to Jones as their starter for next season. The Giants won’t have much cap space this offseason, but I think they need to search under the couch cushions and find enough cash to come up with a real backup quarterback. Marcus Mariota. Mitchell Trubisky. Ryan Fitzpatrick. Eli Manning. Arch Manning. Somebody who can play at a competent NFL level.

I’m honestly not sure what I would do at quarterback the final two weeks if I were Joe Judge. There is really no point in playing Glennon. Somebody has to play, though, and it’s not going to be practice squad quarterback Brian Lewerke. Maybe the Giants give Fromm another chance. We know Glennon isn’t going to get any better. Maybe Fromm can.

They don’t have any good options with Jones sidelined. That, really, is the problem.

It’s hard to see the Giants winning again

I think it will be a surprise if the Giants win either of their final two games, on the road against the Chicago Bears Week 17 or the season finale at home against the Washington Football Team.

Neither of those team, obviously, is anything close to a juggernaut. Still, watching the Giants it is apparent they are not a full team. They have a defense. They have a field goal kicker. That’s it.

“Collectively it’s not good enough,” head coach Joe Judge said.

No, it’s not. With two weeks left in yet another miserable season, it’s hard to imagine it getting any better.

A thought about the draft

The Houston Texans have suddenly won two straight games and are 4-11. The New York Jets won Sunday and are 4-11. The No. 3 overall pick is suddenly a possibility for the Giants, who are also 4-11.

Suddenly, with the Houston Texans and New York Jets also both 4-11, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft could be in play for the Giants.

I never, never, never advocate rooting for your team to lose. I think it’s kind of hard, though, not to think about the possibility of landing one of the two best pass rushers — Kayvon Thibodeaux and Aiden Hutchinson — or having the consensus best offensive lineman in the draft class — Evan Neal of Alabama — available.

The Eagles tried hard to help the Giants

Philadelphia is a hostile place.I know this. I have been there for a Giants game. For the first 30 minutes of Sunday’s game, though, I think it was amazing how hard the Eagles were working at being hospitable hosts.

They dropped four passes on offense. They dropped a gift interception on defense. They missed a 41-yard field goal. They fumbled the ball twice, neither of which the Giants could recover. They committed six penalties.

The Giants weren’t close to good enough to take advantage of the hospitality.

In the second half, the Eagles quit playing around. The Giants had no answers.

On that Lane Johnson touchdown

I think if I were the Giants I would not have appreciated the 5-yard touchdown pass to right tackle Lane Johnson that made the score 27-3 in the fourth quarter. I know the Eagles were having fun, I know they probably were just trying to get a touchdown for a guy who has gone through a personal struggle, but I didn’t like it.

Going the trick play route when the game already felt like it was over seemed an awful lot like rubbing the Giants’ noses in it.

Well wishes to Nate Solder

I know there was a tiny part of you, maybe a big part for some of you, that was happy Nate Solder landed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list because it meant Matt Peart would play.

Well, we know that didn’t work out. Peart wasn’t good, then he injured his knee.

Just wanted to finish up today by wishing Solder well. This is a man who is a cancer survivor and who has a young son battling a rare form of kidney cancer. He opted out of 2020 for an absolutely understandable reason. For him and his family, COVID-19 is a serious matter. Plus, Solder is a good man who has done a lot of good for people less fortunate.

Here’s hoping for a quick recovery for Solder.

Random quick thoughts

• The first half was like watching a game from the 1930s. The Giants had five punts and a 54-yard field goal (which, granted, would not have happened in that era). The Eagles had four punts, a missed field goal and a field goal.
• What does it say that Saquon Barkley had 15 carries for 32 yards and it’s really not worth talking about? By the way, was anyone else disturbed — again — to watch Barkley getting run down by the first defender in the open field?
• Nice salary drive for Lorenzo Carter. A strip sack for a second week in a row, plus a quarterback hit and a pass defensed. Where was this guy for the first 3+ years of his career? He keeps this up and somebody will pay him more than they probably should.
• I think it says a lot about what the Giants think of Isaiah Wilson that Wes Martin got snaps during garbage time and Wilson, a COVID-19 replacement, did not.
• When it comes to Kenny Golladay I can’t decide. Are the Giants’ quarterbacks just really bad? Which, yeah, they are. Is the offense just broken to the point where they have no idea how to get him the ball? Or, is he just not close to being worth the money the Giants are paying him?
• I thought it was interesting that Jaylon Smith started and played significant snaps. It tells you that the Giants are desperate for play-making at that level of their defense.