Imagine a football team that has been pushed around by their rivals for a decade suddenly turning the tables in a way that feels almost like a costume party gone wrong—who knew the Giants could impersonate the Eagles so convincingly? But here's where it gets controversial: could this stunning upset against the Eagles mark the beginning of a whole new chapter in their rivalry, or is it just a one-off fluke that'll fade away like yesterday's headlines?
On Thursday night, the Giants didn't just play the Eagles—they outdid them in an area that defines the Philadelphia franchise: controlling the line of scrimmage. For those new to football lingo, the line of scrimmage is basically the imaginary line where the ball is placed at the start of each play, and it's where teams clash physically to gain an advantage. The Eagles have built their reputation around dominating this battle, shoving the Giants aside in meeting after meeting over the past 10 years. But not this time. The Giants rushed the ball a whopping 39 times, piling up 172 yards and punching in four touchdowns in a decisive 34-17 victory (you can check out the full recap here: https://nypost.com/2025/10/09/sports/jaxson-dart-cam-skattebo-power-giants-to-dominant-win-over-eagles/). Their offensive line was rock solid, letting the quarterback dodge only three hits—a testament to their protective prowess.
And this is the part most people miss—on defense, the Giants flipped the script even harder. They kept former teammate Saquon Barkley, the Eagles' star running back, to a paltry 2.7 yards per carry on his last 10 rushes out of 12 total. Meanwhile, they harassed quarterback Jalen Hurts with 16 pressures, including three sacks. 'That's exactly how we aim to play,' explained head coach Brian Daboll. 'We want to be tough, physical, and take charge of that crucial line. It's absolutely essential for winning games.'
The Eagles know this all too well—they've probably already started thinking about retiring jerseys for key linemen like Jason Kelce and Lane Johnson (the latter is still playing) on offense, plus Brandon Graham and Fletcher Cox on defense. Over the last 17 games, Philadelphia won 14, outrushing New York by an average of 156 to 107 yards per contest and racking up more sack pressure (47 to 41 total). But on this night, those stats were completely reversed, hinting at a fiercer competition ahead in the era of Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart and running back Cam Skattebo.
Let's not downplay the absences: Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter and left guard Landon Dickerson were out, but the Giants also played without left tackle Andrew Thomas or edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux. Plus, center John Michael Schmitz Jr. exited with a concussion after 32 snaps. Yet, the Giants made it work. For the latest NFL standings, click here: (https://sportstats.nypost.com/football/nfl/standings), and Giants stats here: (https://sportstats.nypost.com/football/nfl/teamstatistics/8)
Cam Skattebo was a standout, churning out 98 yards and three touchdowns on short-yardage drives. 'Huge shoutout to the guys up front for their relentless effort for me and the whole squad,' Skattebo shared post-game. He became the first NFL player this season to carry the ball at least 18 times without a single run for zero or negative yards—impressive, especially his 47 yards against defensive boxes of eight or more players, according to NextGenStats.
This dominance helped the Giants soar in red-zone efficiency, which for beginners means converting plays into touchdowns when inside the opponent's 20-yard line. They scored on all three trips inside that zone, plus Dart added a rushing touchdown from there, pulling them out of the league's basement in that department. 'We're putting in the work to build this,' noted left guard Jon Runyan Jr. 'We've been good at moving the ball since I've been here, but finishing in the red zone was our weak spot. Our offensive line is top-notch, and we meshed perfectly—everything just fell into place.'
The return of Andrew Thomas to left tackle after a 13-game hiatus has been a game-changer. In four games, he's allowed just two pressures and zero sacks on 130 pass-blocking snaps, per Pro Football Focus. 'We've been shielding our quarterback like champs,' said right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor. 'But Dart has this incredible knack for making plays out of thin air.' Picture this: a heated exchange on the sideline between Eluemunor and quarterbacks coach Shea Tierney shows how protective the team is of their rookie QB. Dart loves scrambling for yards, and Eluemunor pleaded to stop letting him run to avoid hits, only for the coach to insist Dart wanted it. 'Okay, my mistake,' Eluemunor laughed.
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The defensive side also leveled up, with veterans pushing coordinator Shane Bowen for bolder play-calling and holding a team-only meeting to sharpen focus on the details. It paid off with two turnovers. 'As a rookie QB, having a defense that plays with such intensity and makes game-changing stops—it eases a ton of pressure on me,' Dart admitted.
Now, with stars like Dexter Lawrence, Brian Burns, Thibodeaux, and Abdul Carter on the defensive line, the Giants can finally challenge the Eagles' offensive front, featuring three Pro Bowl linemen (Johnson, Dickerson, and Cam Jurgens) plus the underrated Jordan Mailata at left tackle. Running defense has been a struggle for New York over the past two years, but the comeback of defensive tackle Rakeem Nunez-Roches after three injury games helped—following his return, the Saints averaged just 2.9 yards per carry, and Barkley was stuffed on six of his 12 runs for one yard or less. 'We didn't want Saquon to break free because he can really damage you,' Burns explained. 'We kept him contained, and when we had chances to go after Hurts, we seized them.'
So, is this a sign that the Giants are ready to end their decade-long underdog status against the Eagles, or will Philly bounce back stronger? What do you think—does Dart and Skattebo's era really flip the rivalry, or are we overhyping one game? Share your thoughts in the comments; I'd love to hear if you agree or disagree!
