Analysis
12/11/22
3 min read
Eagles Defeat Giants, Clinch NFL's First 2022 Playoff Spot
The Philadelphia Eagles clinched the NFL's first 2022 playoff spot after defeating the New York Giants, 48-22, in East Rutherford, N.J., on Sunday.
"It's nice. We've got way bigger goals," Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said after the game. "It's nice to get this win here because this is a good football team. It's nice to come out and play this well on the road. We'll move on to the next one."
The win puts the Eagles at 12-1 for the season and keeps them as the No. 1 seed in the NFC. They are two games ahead of Dallas (10-3), in the NFC East after the Cowboys narrowly defeated the Texans on Sunday.
Analyst Mike Martz of The 33rd Team was impressed with the Eagles' performance on Sunday and the progress of Jalen Hurts this season.
"They have a great system, and a head coach with a lot of energy," Martz said. "He's created a wonderful atmosphere to win there. You can just see them. They're happy. They're energetic, and I know it sounds silly in the NFL, but it's true. They've done a great job with their personnel. They're doing the right thing with the quarterback ... right now, I don't know that there's anything he can't do."
Philadelphia led from start to finish on Sunday and had a 24-7 lead at halftime. Hurts completed 21-of-31 passes for 217 yards and two passing touchdowns.
Running back Miles Sanders added 144 yards rushing and two touchdowns, one of which was a 40-yard run that made the score 41-14 with six minutes left in the third quarter. Sanders became the first Eagles running back to reach 1,000 yards in a season since 2014.
"We are playing good football right now, and we just need to continue playing good football," wide receiver A.J. Brown said. "We just have to clean up the small details. We're getting down to the nitty-gritty, and the playoffs are coming soon. We're not looking ahead, but we're trying to be gassed up when the time comes."
This was also a crucial game for the Giants' playoff hopes. They are tied with the Washington Commanders for a wild card spot and for third place in the NFC East. The two teams will play on Sunday night in Week 15. Giants quarterback Daniel Jones threw for just 169 yards, and running back Saquon Barkley finished with just 28 yards on nine carries.
