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If Monday night's game was a test of whether or not the New York Giants are truly contenders in the NFC East, it is one they failed in spectacular fashion. Which might, honestly, have been the only spectacular thing about the Giants' unfathomably one-sided 27-7 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday.
The Giants were looking for their first four-game winning streak since 2013, trying to get tow games over .500 for the first time since the end of the 2012 season and trying to establish control of the NFC East. They accomplished none of that.
"Disappointed. I expected us to come down here and I expected this to be a very close game," said Giants coach Tom Coughlin. "We're going to have to get our chins up off the floor real quick."
The Giants handed the Eagles 14 points with a pair of penalties that kept Eagles' drives alive when the Giants should have been getting the ball back. One was a 15-yard unnecessary roughness penalty on Damontre Moore, who not only hit Philadelphia quarterback Sam Bradford late, but body-slammed him to the ground. The other was a running into the kicker penalty on Nikita Whitlock on a punt. Philadelphia turned both second chances into touchdowns.
Quarterback Eli Manning handed Philadelphia a 14-7 second-quarter lead with an interception Nolan Caroll returned 17 yards for a score. The Giants were never really in the game after that.
With a 7-0 lead after a touchdown on their opening drive, the Giants were driving toward a second straight score. Larry Donnell failed to secure a catch in the red zone, with DeMeco Ryans of Philadelphia stripping him for an interception. with 5:24 left in the first quarter. That shifted the momentum to the Eagles, and the Giants never regained it.
The Giants also committed a total of 12 penalties, on top of of their other mistakes.
"You can't play like that. That's bad football," Coughlin said.
The Eagles turned the ball over four times -- three Sam Bradford interceptions and a lost fumble -- and the Giants could do nothing with their generosity. They got no points off any of the turnovers.
"We did nothing with the opportunities we were given," Coughlin said. "Just very, very disappointing."
Manning was sacked four times and harassed all night by an Eagles' defensive line that dominated the Giants' offensive line.
The Giants and Eagles are now both 3-3.
By the numbers
Manning finished 13-of-27 for 200 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions. Odell Beckham caught seven passes for 61 yards and a touchdown. Rashad Jennings carried 13 times for 63 yards.
For the Eagles, DeMarco Murray had his first 100-yard rushing game with Philly, getting 103 yards on 21 carries. Bradford completed 24-of-38 passes for 280 yards, with one touchdown and three interceptions.
The Eagles now have control of the division.
The 3-3 Eagles lead the NFC East and have a 62% chance to win the division. pic.twitter.com/J2gMEyjpAM
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) October 20, 2015
What's Next?
The Giants play another key NFC East game on Sunday when they host the 2-3 Dallas Cowboys at MetLife Stadium. The Giants will, of course, be playing on short rest. The Cowboys will be coming off a bye week. Dallas has already announced it will switch quarterbacks, benching Brandon Weeden in favor of Matt Cassel. Dallas has not won any of the three games Weeden has started in place of the injured Tony Romo. Game time is 4:25 p.m. ET.
Dallas won the season-opening game between the two teams, 27-26, as the Giants mismanaged the final couple of minutes of the game. We will see if they can atone next Sunday.
Scoring Summary
First quarter
Scoring play: 13-yard touchdown pass, Eli Manning to Odell Beckham Jr.
Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 4:37
Drive Summary: Eli Manning went 5-for 5 for 59 yards, including two completions for 22 yards to tight end Will Tye. Rashad Jennings ran three times for 16 yards.
Score: 7-0 Giants, 10:27
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Scoring play: 32-yard pass, Sam Bradford to Riley Cooper
Drive: 7 plays, 78 yards, 1:45
Key play: Damontre Moore commits 15-yard personal foul on third-and-10 at Eagles 22-yard line after Philly failed to convert, keeping Eagles drive alive.
Score: 7-7, 5:18
Second quarter
Scoring play: Nolan Carroll, 17-yard interception return (Eli Manning)
Score: Eagles 14, Giants 7 (12:26)
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Scoring play: 37-yard field goal, Caleb Sturgis (Eagles)
Drive: 8 plays, 47 yards, 1:09
Score: Eagles, 17, Giants 7 (:07)
Third quarter
Scoring play: 12-yard run, DeMarco Murray, 6:13
Drive: 11 plays, 85 yards, 4:36
Key play: Nikita Whitlock of the Giants was penalized for running into the punter on fourth-and-2 from the Philadelphia 23-yard line. The penalty gave the Eagles a first down, and they scored eight plays later.
Score: Eagles 24, Giants 7
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Fourth quarter
Scoring play: 39-yard field goal, Caleb Sturgis (Eagles), 8:23
Drive: 10 plays, 40 yards, 5:16
Score: Philadelphia 27, Giants 7 (8:19)