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Grading the Eagles: Rush, pass offense earn ‘B-plus’ in win over Giants | Paul Domowitch

The grades are out on the Eagles' 25-22 comeback win over the Giants. How did their patchwork secondary do? What about Carson Wentz and the offense?

New York Giants cornerback Curtis Riley (35) tackles Eagles tight end Zach Ertz (86) during a game at Lincoln Financial Field in South Philadelphia on Sunday, Nov. 25, 2018. The Eagles won 25-22. TIM TAI / Staff Photographer
New York Giants cornerback Curtis Riley (35) tackles Eagles tight end Zach Ertz (86) during a game at Lincoln Financial Field in South Philadelphia on Sunday, Nov. 25, 2018. The Eagles won 25-22. TIM TAI / Staff PhotographerRead moreTim Tai

The Eagles took down the Giants 25-22 in a season-salvaging win on Sunday.

Paul Domowitch handed out his grades. Read his, then hand out your own.

RUSHING OFFENSE

Josh Adams and Corey Clement combined for 129 rushing yards. After rushing for just four yards on four carries in the first half, Adams gained 69 yards on his first 10 second-half carries and finished with a career-high 84 yards. He had five of the Eagles' six rushing first downs, and his 1-yard TD run five minutes into the fourth quarter put the Eagles ahead.

GRADE: B-plus

>> READ MORE: Adams, Clement and the Eagles' offensive line put Giants on the run

PASSING OFFENSE

Carson Wentz was sacked three times, including twice on third down, by a defense that came into the game with the league's worst pass rush. But he completed 20-of-28 passes, averaged 8.4 yards per attempt and connected with Zach Ertz on a 15-yard TD right before the half that got the Eagles within eight points. Ertz, who had seven catches for 91 yards, also had an important 10-yard reception on a second-and-11 play on the Eagles' game-winning scoring drive.

GRADE: B-plus

>> JEFF McLANE: Carson Wentz finally proves he can be clutch

RUN DEFENSE

Saquon Barkley ran at will on the Eagles in the first half, piling up 94 yards on just nine carries, including a 51-yard TD run that gave the Giants a 19-3 lead. The Giants didn't have the ball much in the second half (just 21 plays). When they did, the Eagles did a much better job on both Barkley and Wayne Gallman, holding them to 16 yards on seven carries.

GRADE: C

PASS DEFENSE

The Eagles' patchwork secondary struggled in the first half as Eli Manning threw for 236 yards. But Malcolm Jenkins had a huge interception at the end of the first half that thwarted a Giants scoring drive. Cornerback Cre'Von LeBlanc's defense of a third-and-4 pass to Odell Beckham Jr. in the end zone with six minutes left in the game forced the Giants to settle for a game-tying field goal. Manning had just 61 passing yards in the second half.

GRADE: C

>> READ MORE: Defense keeps it simple in second half and it makes a difference

SPECIAL TEAMS

Jake Elliott beat the Giants for the second time in the last three meetings when he nailed his third field goal of the day, a 43-yarder, through the uprights with 22 seconds left . The Eagles' coverage units didn't have one of their better efforts. They gave up a 46-yard kick return and a 16-yard punt return. PR Golden Tate averaged just 2.0 yards per return.

GRADE: B-plus

>> READ MORE: Jake Elliott wasn't kicking for Carson Wentz's money — just for the Eagles' season

OVERALL

It certainly wasn't the prettiest win the Eagles ever have had. The defense, playing with a bunch of guys in the secondary who weren't even on the team a few week ago, gave up 346 yards and 15 first downs in the first half before battening the hatches. The offense converted just three of 11 third-down opportunities. But they found a way to win a game they had to have to keep their playoff hopes alive. For now, that's really all that matters.

GRADE: C-plus

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